After a good breakfast at the hotel I head to Old Town to take a look around. It was great early in the morning because I was walking around while people were on their way to work and it was still quiet. I walked past the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and eventually found my way to Town Hall Square. There a got a coffee, sat outside, and enjoyed the activity as slowly more people began to arrive. I am glad I was able to appreciate Old Town a little bit before it quickly because swarmed with tourists. Later it was almost difficult to navigate through the multiple tour groups going off in various directions.
Town Hall
Town Hall Square
An Estonian bird haha
Minu kohv
After sitting in Town Hall Square for a little while I decide to explore and get lost a little more. I started to hear music. It sounded like it was live and some sort of string instrument so I followed the sound up stairs and through a little corridor to find a man playing a nyckelharpa. I stood a listened for a while and very much enjoyed it.
I couldn’t get up the stairs fast enough when I heard the music coming from this guy
At another spot I found a little girl playing the fiddle, which definitely put a smile on my face.
I didn’t stay in Old Town long, but I got a sense of what the appeal is.
I met up with my Estonian teacher from this summer, who lives in Tallinn. I rode on the back of her scooter (which I was a little nervous about, but ended up being really fun) and she took me to this new restaurant that was hidden in an industrial construction area. Lunch was great and even though I am not a seafood person, I enjoyed my salmon snitzel with mushrooms and potatoes. We ate outside right next to a little harbor (we passed the big Tallinn harbor on our way there).
After lunch she dropped me off at the US Embassy for my meeting. I meet lots of great people (most of whom’s names I can’t remember), including the Ambassador. It was funny because my Estonian teacher’s mother was the one who taught the Ambassador how to speak Estonian. Everyone I talked to gave me lots of information and was very encouraging. They also seemed very happy that I had arrived in Estonia. I hope to keep in contact with them and hopefully participate in some events and possibly do some speaking engagements.
When I got back to my hotel I took a quick nap before meeting up with my teacher again. She brought me to have a number added to her plan so I could have an Estonian number. Then we went back to her apartment, only to find out that her mother’s iPhone that she was going to let me use wouldn’t work. Luckily this morning I brought the phone to someone who can unlock it for me. So hopefully in a few hours I will have a working Estonian phone! I can’t believe I will have an iPhone when I was expecting to get a cheap flip phone.
I took the tramm for the first time from my teacher’s apartment, back to the hotel where I met up with a former US Fulbright student who still lives in Tallinn. He was very welcoming. He took me to this great spot to watch the sunset and look out over Old Town. Then we went to this cute little restaurant where we sat outside for dinner and drinks (and where I realized I have had potatoes in every meal since I have arrived in Estonia…I’m not complaining!). It was great to meet him and practice my Estonian a little bit. After dinner (it was about 10:30 or so) he was off to some crazy party, but I was exhausted, so I was off to bed.
Today is my last day in Tallinn. I am going to meet up with my teacher for lunch and she will hold on to my luggage until a friend of hers can take it to Viljandi for me. She is really great and I can’t thank her enough for getting me all set in Estonia and taking care of all my problems.
Well, it’s time to check out of the hotel. That’s all for now!
My Fulbright Experience 