Now let's switch to the more exciting part.
Last few weeks were full of events and quite stressy for me - we had the company's conference, office redecoration, and some other stuff which annoys you. I was tired emotionally and had a feeling that I need a getaway at least for one day. Last Sunday I chatted with a friend of mine, who has moved to Tallinn for studies. We were talking that it would be super nice if I'd come to visit him and he actually invited to stay at his place - so accommodation and nice company was already granted, then few days later I booked a bus ticket to Tallinn, 33.60 LVL round trip in a bus which has super spacious seats, WIFI (now I'm on a way back to Riga and writing this postr) all the way and luxe feeling. Check http://www.luxexpress.eu for more information.
Usually when I'm travelling, even for a short time, I'm taking at least 3 outfits, and two pair of shoes. Fashionistas and hipsters will understand me. This trip was only for two days and one night so I went for something new to me, which looked like two cardigans, black leggings, super cool black pants with black satin stripes, which I rediscovered in a supplementary wardrobe, one pair of black shoes, and two grey t-shirt in fact two outfits, which anyway coupled with my camera, beauty bag and laptop made my Longchamp extra heavy.
I woke up at 5 on Friday, as I had to pack and hoover my room for some reasons. Bus had a stop next to my place, but I was a bit afraid to miss it so at 6:30 I was already there. I had to wait for 40 minutes and I realized that in Riga we don't have any coffee shop or other normal place where you can get a coffee which works at this time. So please mind it, if you have an early voyage.
My journey was fun, as I had internet connection all the time, unfortunately Internet service in Latvia is slower, than in Estonia. I wonder which provider Lux Express is using in Latvia. I arrived around 11:30 and met my friend S, and then we vent to Vapiano...
Vapiano is Vapiano everywhere, it's good. After I had some business meeting for few hours. I was finished with all that corporate stuff at 16:00 and was ready for some fun, which we started in the newest shopping mall Solaris, where I went a bit crazy -I bought a liquid foundation by Make Up Store. This is a know brand, but I came across with it for a first time. Foundation is almost as perfect as Make Up Forever basic foundation, but cheaper.
For 30 ml I paid 20 EUR, then we entered food department, passed cheese area and stopped by wine section. We were surprised by a range of Rieslings... So we took Chilian Gewürztraminer and some German Riesling Fünf German Riesling for 7 EUR. After a hell ride on a very old and squeaky trolleybus which lasted only 20 minutes, we were almost in Tallinn's suburbia, where my friend S's university and dorm.
When we finished bottle of Gewürztraminer we opened that pretty bottle... we tasted it and were a bit shocked by it's SWEET taste. I made an assumption that this might be a Spätlese. How wrong I was, examination of the bottle revealed us a horrible fact that this wine is a TAFELWEIN(!), Table wine for 7 EUR in Estonia, seriously?! Regardless the classification we finished also Fünf.
Sure we were a bit dizzy and hungry, that's why we took a taxi to a city centre (be aware of the route, coz they might you drive a long way). We wanted to eat somewhere fancy and we did! We found a great restaurant just by chance in the middle of the Old Town C`est La Vie. The restaurant, of course, was frenchish and designed in art deco style, which is one of my favourite. Superb cuisine and nice service. My friend S, tald me that I should write more about easting out, as we have no food bloggers in the region, at least good and English writing one. I promised him to make a small article on this restaurant, but well may be next time... Anyway it is totally worth visiting and you`ll be shocked by prices - they are super low for what you get - less than 25 EUR for G&T, ostrich stake, and sea scallops starter, isn't it amazing?
Naturally after a fancy dinner, we went to a party...My friend S, said that club VABANK is considered to be a trendy hot spot of Night's Tallinn. Either this information was incorrect/outdated or local people doesn't know how to party. Is was a mega disaster and at start we were disappointed, BUT, if you cant's change things, change you attitude. So we imagined that we are in a monkey-house, where some kind of freakish orgy is taking place and actually it turned fun to observe this "pentagon" bacchanalia. It's a great pity that I didn't take my camera with me, but oh boy, believe me, go-go girls dresses as ballerinas, unavailingly copying The Dying Swan movements, spiced up with Romanian Pop music latest hits, like Vika Jigulina and Dan Balan , coupled with amateur DJ, who couldn't even mix up tracks together. Haha true FAIL, but still fun (duh, sure it was fun, I had like 7-8 vodka with sparkling water, btw try it). Anyway I don't want to get super bitchy and trash everything and actually Tallinn will have a second chance - next month, if S will still wanting to see me around and annoy him, I'm going to another club in Tallinn, which is more promising.
Next morning poor S had a lecture at 10...and while he was studying hard, I titivated for like 4 hours, BUT don't think that I had hangover, that magical cocktail vodka+soda is hangoverless, totally! As S and I are very cultural young men, before my bus, we went to new art galleria of Estonia KUMU. For some reasons the still don't have any web page, but you can go here for more info: http://www.ekm.ee/eng/ekm.php.
The whole building is fascinating!!! You would never say that it is in Eastern Europe, however the content of the museum wasn't that exciting. and the last floor, which is devoted to contemporary art just shocked me. Yet again, what a pity that my battery died and I couldn't document that odd to vaginas, failed delivery of a baby and some schizophrenic painting in primitive stile with a sentence: "I must say, u r clones". But anyway it's better to see everything for yourself.
Tallinn is worth going to, and one night is still not enough. This getaway was very useful - I had a little rest and refreshed mind. I guess that's it for now.
Dee for ED
Hey! As an estonian and art history student I would like to point out that Kumu is one part of estonian art museum and this is why it doesn't need a separate page (or it would be weird, because all the parts are meant to be equal). ekm - stands for Eesti Kunstimuuseum and which you can see is the name of the homepage.
ReplyDeleteAbout partying.. I recommend Von Krahl or there are also better parties in factories (Telliskivi) or art "houses" (Culture Factory Polymer)...of course it also depends on what are you looking for (here i just recommend my own taste). :)