My mum arrived in Tallinn on my very last week of Erasmus. I have to say I was super excited to show her all the hot spots, best restaurants and even the famous clubs in which we partied in all night long!
My mum is my best friend, my mentor, my rock and my heart. Having her with me in Tallinn was extremely special. I couldn’t wait to show her what life for me was like in Tallinn. We basically had a food tour of Tallinn’s best restaurants and of course we did a bit of sightseeing too. We visited all the great areas including Telliskivi, Rotterman Quarter and Old Town and even my favourite coffee shop = EPIC COFFEE!
It had been 35 years since her last ever Christmas Market. So naturally on her second day here, (after doing a big shopping for winter jackets and shoes because mum decided to be ‘cool’ and not bring anything relatively warm with her so she could have a shopping experience), we went straight to the Christmas markets! She fell in love immediately. However, her only complaint was that there was no snow!
For lunch we visited the Three Dragons pub for medieval elk soup and pickles. And for dinner we went to Tallinn’s number one restaurant, NOA. There we enjoyed some amazing food and my mum was very happy. We particularly enjoyed this special gingerbread dessert that looked like a candle, which they lit up! It was both visually and literally delicious.
The next day we were blessed with some winter sun so it only made sense that we went for a walk to Kadriorg. As it snowed overnight, my mum was thrilled and like a little kid, she couldn’t stop leaving foot prints on every snowy surface. I just watched her in glee. We took a lengthy stroll along Pirita Beach, all the way to the song festival grounds and back again to Kadriorg, It was a perfect and relaxed afternoon.
For dinner we went to the highly recommended and always fully booked Rataskaevu 16. We had dinner with my two Aussie housemates (it was our second time there) and the food was delicious. I would definitely recommend booking early and getting a chance to delight in the amazing food they have to offer.
Other amazing meals included Chakra in old town and Kolm Sibulat. On our last night my housemates and two German Erasmus students had the pleasure of having mum’s home cooked meals! We had decided to make roast chicken for dinner but we carelessly bought a duck instead of a chicken! Safe to say that she panicked but as her mother’s instinct kicked in, she turned into a Master Chef contestant and changed the entire meal to make sure that we would have the best roast duck we’d ever had. I’d give her a 10/10 (not just because we’re blood related!)
Having my mum here with me in Tallinn was truly an amazing experience. I am so grateful for having her with me and I am so lucky to have possibly the coolest mum in the world!
Stay tuned for my very last post…. The goodbye….
Chervil
Photos: Chervil Tan
Editor: Kärt Mättikas