We are always early starters on vacation. There are a lot of benefits – cooler weather, less tourists at the most famous sites, and fewer cars and traffic to slow us down. But one drawback to this strategy, especially in Europe, is that most morning cafes don’t open until 8 or 9 am, which means we have to wait a few hours to get a nice slow cup of java. In Tallinn, thanks to walking around all the time, we did manage to find one that opened at 7:30 am. It was on the outskirts of Old Town and because most of the business they did was for locals they had reasonable prices and early hours. It was a one-woman show, but the baker was happy to translate what each pastry was, and pointed out her recommendations for us. We shared a small quiche, I had a pastry filled with minced bacon jam, and Kuniko had an apple pastry. We also had two coffees each while sitting at one of the two tables inside the shop. Locals came and went and it was a much better feeling that we got from the historic coffee shop yesterday that was deluged with foreign tourists (like us).
Back at the hotel we had time to kill before heading to the bus stop so I was writing in this journal, and then we packed up the suitcase and rolled out. There was a taxi stand right next to the hotel so it was easy to get a ride to the bus station. Surprisingly the bus station building and area were pretty clean, with a beautiful restored historic bus parked out front. Inside there were plenty of seats and shops selling goods for the road, and we debated buying some cold beers for the four hour drive to Riga, Latvia. In the end we stuck with the snacks we had already bought yesterday, and Kuniko got a funny Sudoku book that was covered with cheesy anime characters. We were worried that we would have nothing to do on the long ride.
Our bus pulled into the designated parking spot at 12:30 pm, and it was a big bus. I had purchased tickets online several months ago, so it was just a matter of lining up to store the suitcase underneath the bus and then get on. The line was a bit chaotic as people didn’t line up as politely as they do in Japan, but our seats were already reserved so no problem. I had sprung for “premium” seats that cost an extra 5 euros, and that got us some wider seats in the back with built-in entertainment systems, internet access, a candy bar and a bottle of water. There was even an onboard toilet that was positioned below the level of the seats as you went down the steps to get off the bus – interesting layout. Anyway, the entertainment system kept Kuniko busy with YouTube and k-pop, so it was a nice way to travel.
The ride itself was pleasant and comfortable. As we left Tallinn we tore into our big chunk of Estonian basil cheese (we didn’t bring a knife), a package of Tuc crackers (onion flavor) and some mortadella. A sign on board said “no alcoholic beverages” so we were glad we didn’t buy those beers. The drive was mostly on regular roads – no big wide expressways – so the pace was slow but steady. Behind me a guy was listening to hardcore heavy metal with his headphones, and when the bus slowed down I could hear it clearly – it was a nice soundtrack for the drive. We passed fields and pastures but few agricultural areas. The houses looked old but clean and well-maintained, and country life in Estonia seemed like a very peaceful way to live. Eventually the road ran alongside the ocean, but the water was so calm it seemed more like a lakeside drive. As we crossed the border into Latvia we saw that they still had the old border inspection buildings and walls, but now people just freely drove through.
Approaching Riga was very similar to when we arrived in Tbilisi, Georgia by bus from the airport. The buildings were very old and humble, but well-maintained and beautiful in their own way. Streets were clean and there was a little less advertising and capitalism than we’re used to seeing in Japan. Finally the bus pulled into the bus terminal in Riga, and we got off. The first thing we noticed was that the temperature was a little warmer than back in Tallinn. The heat was coming off the pavement and being surrounded by buses in the early afternoon also contributed. Once again Kuniko had chosen a hotel near our entry point, and it was a simple task to walk under the railroad bridge and find our hotel about five minutes away. We stayed at the Avalon Hotel, which was in a good location just outside the touristy area, and the room we stayed in (Room 312) was quite large. The only downside to the room was that the window opened up to a view above the inside of the hotel lobby rather than outside, but we didn’t spend much time in the room anyway.
We freshened up a little and then went out to check out Riga. One of the big draws of Riga is their historic Old Town, which was a little more elegant and less touristy than Tallinn’s Old Town. There was one major cathedral, St. Peter’s in the center of town which loomed over everything. The streets were again cobblestone but the shops seemed a little more sophisticated (with the exception of a TGIFridays we discovered). We walked around at random, within the Old Town city walls it was easy to find our direction and maybe it was a bit smaller than Tallinn.
There were also many beautiful parks around the city, and a striking opera house with a fountain and gardens in front. Historic old streetcars circled throughout the city to make transportation easier as well. We really liked the feeling of Riga.
In one open area there was an exhibit of large bear statues – one for each country of the world. A representative artist from each country had painted the bears and then they were lacquered to a beautiful shine and put on display. We had a great time looking through all the colorful bears and seeing the different interpretations of each country’s culture. We also made our way to Freedom Square that had an impressive statue at the center – this would be the place to rally the people in turbulent times. Kuniko pointed out the Laima clock – the landmark that every Riga citizen knows as a place to meet. Laima was the sweets company in this country – and we visited several Laima stores during our stay searching for good desserts.
For dinner we were able to get into my first choice restaurant, called “1221”. Named for the address of the building, it was located at a T-intersection of Old Town and it had a beautiful exterior that caught the eye. We sat outside directly in front of the restaurant and I think we were unintentionally featured in a lot of photos that evening. Dinner was excellent here – we started with a salad with a pink cranberry dressing, fresh pears, and big chunks of gorgonzola. My main course was roasted hare’s back fillets with a fruit and nut sauce, a light potato and cheese soufflé, and blueberries and raspberries on the side. Kuniko had a modernized local dish – sliced river perch with potatoes, homemade cottage cheese and pickled red onions. The bread they served with it was dark and nutty and the butter was laced with truffle for even more impact.
As we sat sipping wine and looking up at all the historic buildings around us we could really feel like we were on vacation. We even had a visit from the local Hare Krishna clan who did a mini parade down the street past our restaurant. We seem to bump into those guys in Europe quite often. Down the street some guys had too much to drink and were laughing crazily, and as the evening started to cool down we talked about our plans for the next day. After dinner we strolled leisurely to our hotel and called it a semi-early night. Even though we had really just sat on a bus most of the day we were kind of tired out.
