Atlantica - 01.06.2002, Page 50

48 A T L A N T I C A
limbs were tied to a wheel and he was pulled in four different
directions. Ouch, now that’s gotta hurt.
Anyway, here we are tonight and not a soul staring down upon
Old Town seems to be remotely concerned with the city’s war-torn
history. Nope, just a Baltic sunset and promises made.
LIMPING ALONG
Okay, so Tallinn has a bunch of historical buildings to look at. Does
this make it one of the coolest places on the planet? Before we
answer, let’s check out some of the medieval cafes and pubs in
Lower Town.
We have two possible routes down: take Lühike jalg (Short Leg) or
Pikk jalg (Long Leg). Pikk jalg runs along the wall which once sep-
arated noblemen from commoners, while Lühike jalg winds like a
bending river through a massive iron-studded door (Lühike jalg
Gate) and down a narrow cobbled alley. The door once locked at
night to keep the drunk noblemen from waltzing into town for a lit-
tle tomfoolery.
Question: Why does Tallinn walk with a limp? Answer: Because it
has one long leg and one short leg. Hey, it seemed funny when my
guide told it.
Old Town, especially the lower section, is decked out in medieval
attire. At the popular restaurant Olde Hansa, my beer is served to
me by a friendly waitress named Evelyn Mitt who, dressed in a
white coif and a brown woollen tunic, looks as if she just wit-
nessed two knights jousting. Tonight, the 22-year-old public
administration student enjoys playing her part in furthering the
medieval ambience as she responds to a joke with an easy slang,
“Are you goofing on me?”
While medieval restaurants populate Old Town like pine trees in a
forest, visitors with broad culinary horizons can enjoy internation-
al foods ranging from gourmet pizza and Middle Eastern to Indian
and Hawaiian.
The nightlife in Tallinn is as diverse as the restaurant scene.
Revellers can sip on a pint of Saku (the Estonian beer is every-
where) while hanging out at Depeche Mode pub where, as the
name suggests, the music is nothing but Depeche Mode, all the
time. For the non-Depeche Mode fans in the audience, there is a
host of other pubs to choose from, including Nimega Baar, a pop-
ular hang-out for both expats and locals. If you’re searching for
the cool crowd, you’ll find them here lounging like well-dressed
movie stars on the grey sofa that caterpillars back towards the
cramped dance floor, past a host of peach-coloured tables. If this
overflow of cool is not your scene, and you’d rather catch a game
on television while you’re out, then leave Nimega Baar and walk
across the street to Nimeta Baar (Hey, I didn’t name them.). As I
witnessed on this particular night, if a customer falls asleep from
drinking too much Saku, or any other beverage, the amiable wait-
staff will wake him up with a warm cup of coffee. Service with a
smile.
Had enough Saku beer? Fine. If you really must drink a pint of
Guinness while in Tallinn, there’s always O’Malleys.
Tallinn
Where have all the flowers gone? They’re on sale at the entrance to Old Town.
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