Three Baltics in One Day



Morning coffee at Caffe Rosa


While the prospect of marking English 9 essays is almost always a cause for procrastination, I'd rather get a brutal travel day over with first.  Which is why I stumbled onto the bus from Vilnius at 6:30am, arriving in Tallinn, Estonia at 5pm, with a 1.5 hour stop in Riga, Latvia.  International train travel is pretty much non-existent in the Baltics unless you're lucky enough to score a Russian visa, so bus is the way to go.  But in my research, I discovered the key to make 9.5 hours on a bus more enjoyable: Luxe Express.  Yes my friends, for only 7 euros more, you too can enjoy free wifi, outlets for charging, free coffee and seats that not only recline substantially but slide away from your seat partner lest you touch.  Worth every penny.

A quick tram ride and I was checking into Tallinn Backpackers right in the Old Town, and it quickly proved to be my favourite hostel of the summer.  A huge, comfy common room, fun staff, great day trips and a cheap communal dinner that enabled everyone to meet and mingle.  The dorms were spotless and the bathrooms brand new.  As a home base for the next four nights, I couldn't have asked for anything better.  And the people were wonderful.  Locals were friendly and welcoming (except for a rude bike tour guide) and I met great people to hang out with, like Dean and Abi - even if Abi was responsible for the most expensive dinner of my time in Europe so far.  At least it was Indian and it had spice, something sorely lacking in the Italian diet.  Abi - I'm expecting even better fare at yours in Madrid this Fall!

Tallinn itself has a pristine 14th and 15th century Old Town with distinctive architecture, moldings and squares.  Wandering aimlessly, as I'm wont to do while traveling, was a joy . . . except for the surprise thunderstorm.  I was literally sopping wet within 30 seconds.  The Estonian language itself is a bit of a muddle, but English is so widely spoken in the Baltics it's almost too easy to be that tourist.  While I'd love to pretend I'm a grown-up, Dean and I were doubled over in hysterics over some of the signs. 

Forgive me, I'm no better than my students.