9.9 → 10.9: Back to Tartu… again

We caught the 1pm ferry back to the mainland from Vormsi. A number of people had already caught an earlier ferry to travel back to Tallinn, with some due to depart on flights later that day. Joining us on the 1pm ferry were Véronique, Ross, Marisol, Bálint, Tauri, Lisa, and Haruka. We dropped Véronique and Ross off en route to catch their bus to Tallinn, while the rest of us continued to Tartu. The drive took about 4-5 hours in total, stopping for lunch and breaks along the way. By 7pm I was back on the Raekoja plats in Tartu, ringing the intercom to check into Terviseks. Christian and Jaan were there to greet me. After catching up I went out for dinner to what I have determined to be the best pizza joint in Tartu, just around the corner. Nice thin, crispy bases and delicious toppings: pickles, onion, tomato and other goodies.

Later that evening I met back up with Bálint, Marisol, an Estonian friend of theirs, Lisa and Tauri. We went to Pirogov Park, located at the rear end of the Raekoja plats, to have a few drinks. It is generally illegal to consume alcohol outdoors in Estonia, however this park, which covers quite a large area, was set aside for students of the university. It is indeed very popular with students as store bought alcohol is a fraction of the cost of what one pays in pubs and bars. The park was full of students tonight, out enjoying the evening. We spent a while there chatting before Tauri gave us a grand tour of the town, which included some Tartu student traditions, one of which gave excellent views over the Raekoja plats. It was early morning before we parted ways.

Exploring Tartu

The following day was my last in Tartu. I started the day by meeting Haruka, one of the Japanese girls from the conservation holiday, at Werner’s for a morning coffee. This is her second time to Estonia. Her first visit was on a student exchange to the University of Tartu. She is very close with her host family, with whom she stayed prior to going on the trip with us. Her initial plan was to spend a few days in Tallinn however she changed her mind and came back to Tartu instead.

That evening, Katre, my friend from Võrumaa (the best maa IMHO) who was one of the tutors for the language course, had invited me to an Estonian national evening she helped organise. It was held at a hotel near the bussijaam and was for the international students at the University of Tartu. There were some typical Estonian snacks and drinks, along with music and trivia. It was great to catch up with Katre and I also saw Martiene again, which was nice.