My Arrival!

       Well! I made it! After 20 hours of no sleep and 2 layovers, I finally made it to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia and spent the night at Hotel Metropol. The next morning I traveled by bus to Tartu and settled into my room and unpacked everything, which didn't take me long at all, considering the fact that I brought only one luggage with me :) I have spent the last few days going through orientation and checking out the city, which is absolutely wonderful!!! The Estonians are a little stand-off-ish, but once you introduce yourself they are very nice people! I have been to one restaurant, a little Italian one, very good pizza! Although because of the 10 hour time difference I have been ordering or making loads of food and then after a few bites realize I am not very hungry haha.
       On Thursday I got a tour of the University's Main Building and got an insight into the history of the University, a very historical and interesting tour, right down my alley :) Our tour guide ( who is getting a phd in Art History) told us about life of the students in the early years of the school's existence. She told us the men, because women were not allowed to attend the University, were punished harshly for simple things like missing curfew, teasing women, starting or encouraging fights, and other really silly things. For encouraging a fight a student would receive a sentence of 2 weeks in a "lock-up" room! Where they would not be able to leave, they would get food, and sometimes if they had good friends they would throw a rope out the window and have their friend tie a wine bottle to the end and pull it up to drink. A pretty smart idea if you ask me!! We visited the only lock up room left after a fire in the 60's destroyed 6 of them. The students would get bored and draw all over the walls and these drawings were still intact! Here is a little picture of one of the walls....

I am pretty sure that this inscription over the door translated means something like "Long live the next" As in long live the next troublemaker, so to say...  It was very interesting!!
     I have also been out to a few pubs, which are very neat! They serve two main kinds of beer on tap here, Al e Coq (like a light beer) and a hard apple cider called Fizz. The cider is delicious!! Also this is for Kyle and Andrew....  they have a zero tolerance for driving while drinking so at the pubs and clubs there are machines that dispense disposable breathalizers!! So crazy and actually a really good idea!
    Anyways I have been having a blast so far, meeting lots of people from all over Europe, on Monday we start classes so I will be talking soon about those! Until next time! Terviseks!! (Cheers) :) Love you all, and  miss you!!