One thing I really like about being a student is the free time in comparison to work. Sometimes it is stressful, no doubt, especially when studying for exams or doing projects but the flexibility and availability a student has is sometimes top notch. So during my studies I managed to plan a trip abroad. Mainly to visit the teamLab in Tallinn but why not using the opportunity to go to Latvia too? I actually wanted to go to Lithuania as well since it is common to do all three countries all together but time constraints hindered me and so it should only be Estonia and Latvia. My flight to Tallinn was late in the evening but luckily I managed to take the last metro to the city and arrived at the hostel safely. The next day I made my way to explore the city! I actually already visited Tallinn once during the Kick-off of my masters programme but I didn't have the opportunity to explore the city that much.
The city surprised me with its well connected public transport system since the Eesti Kunstimuuseum where the teamlab exhibition was located was a bit outside of the city. It was my first teamlab that I visited. I was impressed by the interactive scenes. The teamlab exhibition was a bit small but I'm looking forward to go to the next one. The area where the museum was located had nice parks and it was lovely to see the families with their kids. It was even close to the sea so that I could take a walk there as well. Of course it was windy but the sun on that day warmed me up. The old town is definitely a classic to visit and has many great architecture to offer. I really enjoyed the Revali Raeapteek pharmacy. The Balti Jaama Turg market is a must! All in all, taking a stroll through the city is never the wrong option in Tallinn. What I liked the most though was the Creative City close to the train station. It is a quarter that was probably an industrial area before but now is full of life with museums, urban shops and chill restaurants. In the evening after trying the tasty dumplings at the F-Hoone Restaurant. I was blessed with a beautiful sunset to finalise my day in Tallinn. On the next day, I started to explore the area around Tallinn Linnahall, an abandoned amphitheater built in the Soviet era which is also a nice view point towards the city but also the sea. Around noon I headed to the bus station which was a bit outside of the city. But while walking I found surprisingly a farmer's market, Keskturg which was in comparison to the city center quite sordid. But I noticed that while walking further and further away from the city that the houses were older and the people probably poorer as well. I funnily found a Korean restaurant at the market, which I graved for in that moment and then took the bus for a 5 hour drive to Riga.
The view on the drive was rather uninspiring. I remember that I passed by a lot of forest haha. In the evening before sunset I arrived in Riga and let me tell you that: I found the best hostel where I stayed till now, the Cinnamon Sally Backpacker Hostel. Check it out if you planning to go to Riga anytime soon. It is very clean and comfy. So much that people casually where chilling in the public area where I also got to know two girls who where also coincidentally studying in Stockholm as well. We even had the same flight on the next day. At the hostel I also got several recommendations so that I headed to Lido restaurant for dinner and yeah, I have to admit the concept is amazing for travellers. It is a buffet style but you pay for what you get and there is a big selection that I was overwhelmed at first. I could pick several local dishes and was definitely happy after my visit. As usual I strolled for a night walk but Riga is mostly dead at that time. The next day I had enough time to explore the city before flying back to Stockholm.
One of my highlights was the Riga Central Market, probably because of the fact that I just love to see the locals around and the food haha! I also liked the Art Nouveau building which showcase the city's rich cultural heritage and artistic flair. The river floating with the green spaces through the city center is a great part for a walk. The old town was itself was nothing special but I could definitely see a lot of corners with hidden gems for food and clothes. Riga is probably a city for 1 or 1,5 day max.
Even though it was a very short trip I enjoyed my freedom the most. The two cities were not to big and therefore gave me flexibility in exploring it during my stay. The weather was lovely as well as the food and the people. And although I could not understand one word, in Estonian not even interpret the words and probably won't be motivated to visit the two countries in the future again I look back at memories where I had a great time (besides the fact that I Arsenal drew the game against West Ham after leading, cry).