Today was the part of my trip I was most looking forward to and a large part of the reason I elected to go to Finland in the first place.
I awoke this morning regretting everything about staying up late (until 4:30am) the night before. After three snoozes on my alarm I was beginning to enter the point of no return where you've run out of buffer time and are starting to go into extra minutes. I contemplated a later ferry or skipping breakfast but willed myself to get out of bed instead. I even managed to grab breakfast before heading to the ferry.
I haven't taken many ferries in the past and never one that was more then 30 minutes long. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, maybe benches to sit on and a bar area on the boat. Entering the ferry terminal, however, I was greeted by a throng of people shoving shouting and waiting around to board the boat. Once I finally made my way on the boat and dropped my bag off in the luggage room I was at a loss of what to do with myself.
I climbed to the top of the boat and enjoyed the view of the city. Stood out on the deck in the icy wind taking a few photos of the city before settling in to one of the bench seats which unfortunately was where all the smokers were. When the wind got too cold to bear I headed back inside to find a warmer place to sit. Instead I found tons of people crammed into cafes, bars, the casino, and the lounge. There was no where to just sit and relax so I headed back to the upper deck, found a nearly quiet corner and buried myself I my jacket and scarf to try and catch some sleep.
When the boat finally got across the Baltic Sea and landed in Tallinn I shuffled my way off with the rest of the passengers. As I descended the escalator a thought struck me - where was I meeting Tõnis?! I reached the bottom of the escalator in a small panic realized how poorly researched and planned I was only to look up and see a tall, slender figure a few dozen feet in front of me with a face I would recognize anywhere, even with the snowy hair above it. I raised my hand and gave him a small wave and was greeted back with the big grin.
We hugged and I saw a young man who also looked familiar - Martin had come along too. Seeing him all grown up suddenly made me feel old and weary under the weight of my backpack. There there of us exited the terminal and off on an adventure together.
I wasn't sure what to expect. In my email to Tõnis I had asked if he remembered me and suggested we meet to catch up. When he offered to meet me at the terminal I expected him to meet me and go to lunch together then part ways with a friendly farewell where I'd then need to figure out what to do with the rest of my first day in Tallinn. After we exchanged greetings Tõnis said they were worried they wouldn't recognize me and wondered where my glasses where (I elected to wear contacts since my glasses fog when I wear a scarf), we went to the family Volvo and the boys started talking about all the things they had planned. I was pleasantly surprised that I would be treated not only to a ride to my hostel but to my own private tour of Tallinn as well.
It turned out that my hostel was just one street away from Martin's school and he immediately started to inform me to the area and the best coffee shops to visit. I hadn't realized just how old he was until then. When we got to the hostel the two boys got out of the car and accompanied me inside but waited in the entrance way for I don't know how long. The hostel I had selected was known for its hospitable nightlife and proximity to the city center, two things I generally prioritize when picking a place to be my base in a new city. I went to check in and the receptionist was exceptionally friendly. She offered me a welcome shot, talked in depth about the plans for the weekend, and went back and forth with one of the other hostel workers who was having trouble sorting out the residents in the bed. I tried my best to stay warm and friendly, my mother's voice in the back of my head telling me to do so instead of becoming short and demanding with the girl but the whole time I thought damn it here they are playing business and the Estonian's are stuck waiting around for my happy ass to drop off a bag and get going.
Eventually I was able to drop my things off and when I walked out the door the boys were waiting for me in the car. Martin had a plan already for what he wanted to show me and gave his father orders on where to drive. It was pretty funny to watch and I was really impressed about his knowledge of his city. There aren't many people who can live in a whole bunch of places and still know the history of their home in such depth. Even I've walked by the white house and didn't even notice it was there.
As we drove around the men played tour guide, pointing out the buildings to make note of and the history of Estonia. I wasn't sure where to look and tried my best to drink in everything while making mental notes for what I would want to write about here and in my next proposed post for the Level Up by Forbes newsletter. Eventually Martin and Tõnis exchanged words in Estonian and they told me that we had arrived at the cafe for lunch.
When we walked in it immediately reminded me of the Tea House in Santa Fe New Mexico. There was a small counter, wooden tables, and a few couches in what appeared to be an old home. There was even a small outdoor area that had been abandoned for the winter. I looked over the menu I decided I needed on thing - coffee - and whatever else would be gravy after that. While in Finland I had seen something on the menu at a number of places and saw it again at this cafe in Tallinn: pulled pork. I had no idea what to expect from it, after all the image pulled pork conjures in the States could be completely different from what I'd see in the Baltic area. I decided to order it and see what happens. I was pleasantly surprised to find a dish that resembled the pulled pork from home and had a smokey flavor reminiscent of Texas. Martin also went for something adventurous - the soup of the day which was carrot and orange. I asked him if it was orange the color or orange the fruit and he replied it was the latter. Sure enough a lovely bowl of thick orange (the color) soup came out with a thick orange (the fruit) slice in it. He said it was quite good but I couldn't get over the inherently hipster nature of the dish.
After lunch we got back in the car, which I found out had was missing the front grill thanks to a love tap from a deer in the woods, and headed to Old Town. We found parking in a lot at the bottom of a long staircase up a hill.
Keeping up with the two of them, with their impossibly long legs, was not easy but I managed. Up the stairs and around the corner and now we were in upper Old Town. The narrow cobble streets and old buildings where nobility and knights used to live were brightly colored and fascinating to look at even with them all being converted to modern shops and restaurants. We wound our way through the streets and if I hadn't been with my tour guide I probably would have gotten impossibly lost or only seen half of the things in the area.
Up and around, weaving in and out, we were at one rampart and then another which was decked out in medieval decorations. Then it was down the long leg, up the short one, a quick stop in the tourist center for a map and before I could figure out where I was in the maze of Old Town we were at the oldest chocolate shop in Estonia, Miasmokk. They were known mostly for hand painted marzipan, which I got to see before we left for the bakery. I was on a mission for all things Estonian so when Tõnis suggested one of the small cakes I told him sure, why not. He ended up ordering an assortment of small treats, a slice of cheesecake with brown bread crust and lingonberry jam, and cappuccinos for the both of us. Martin showed me some of the packaged sweets the shop was selling and suggested one to try. I bought a bag of them to bring home to my co-workers who I had promised yummy things from my trip. We sat and sampled each treat, making note of the different flavors and textures while Martin sat there checking his phone. They were all delicious and as we made our way to the half way point of the sampler Martin said that unfortunately he had to go off to the movies with his cousins. We said farewell and I thanked him for his help showing me around.
Tõnis and I sat in the bakery for a while longer and left only after there was no more coffee or sweets to be eaten. As we exited the bakery I could feel the difference in temperature as the sun fell beneath the horizon taking what little warmth it offered with it. I looked over at Tõnis as we stood in the middle of the Old Town square and chuckled as he pulled up his hood and huddled in his coat for warmth. He looked at me and reminded me that he didn't have much natural insulation and suggested we head back to the car where his hat and scarf were safely tucked away then go to a bar to grab a drink before dinner. I was happy to oblige and make our way to the next location.
It was quite the journey back. Up long cobblestone hills and flights of stairs. Narrow steep walkways and past a number of restaurants and shops. We did eventually make it, me panting a bit and Tõnis trying to not leave me in his long legged dust. Back in the warmth of the Volvo, Tõnis lifted the center console and took out a large plastic bag with some coins in it. He explained how he keeps it in the car since he never seems to have enough change on him when he needs it. I started laughing and brought up the story of when he and Omar were travelling and had to skip a toll booth, incurring a hefty fine, because neither of them had the change to pay the toll.
All paid up we were back on the road. I had no clue where we were going, only that it was a place with good beers, but I was really happy to just be along for the ride and not have to think about it. With the car parked in a spot suitable to leave there until morning it was off for a night of drinking.
During out brief time working together I never remembered Tõnis being one of the drinking crowd. I vaguely remember him giggling like a little girl once when he and Omar were telling me a story of their drinking adventure but I couldn't remember a time when we had enjoyed a few drinks together so I was happy to have the chance. The first bar we went to, Pööbel, was really cool. It was the bar that hipster bars in Brooklyn wish they could be, with plenty of unique beers on tap, a small but well thought out menu, and some of the best designed graffiti covered the ceiling and the bathroom walls that I had ever seen. We had a great beer and then Tõnis offered to order food for us, just a snack to enjoy with our beers.
Well one snack turned into three as we continued to drink and share stories. They were all local dishes - fried fish, potato peels, bread with pork fat, and moose carpaccio. Each one I wasn't sure what to expect, much like the beers I was drinking, but each one was tastier then the last. Before I knew it I was four beers in and Tõnis was switching to lighter brews. He suggested we head over to dinner and I said sure as long as we took a cab since I wasn't in much of a condition to walk.
The restaurant we went to was another very cool space. It was in an old factory which also seems to be a common theme for modern Estonian dwellings and shops. We grabbed a seat and picked back up where we left off with another beer and talking about our old times at work. We ordered grilled goat cheese and some kind of berry topping with arugala and strawberries in a balsamic glaze. Looking at the arugala and talking about our old times at work made me laugh and I retold the story of how one of my coworkers announced to the office something crude about arugala - a favorite story of mine from literally my first couple days of working in the real world. After the goat cheese it was another beer and a dish that the waitress described as "tasting like Estonia, like independence day here." And oh man was it tasty. A layer cake of jam and cream and brown bread, the same savory bread you find everywhere around here.
After the Estonian freedom cake we gathered our things and headed off to our final stop, another bar. This one was all craft beers so I picked another Estonian brew while Tõnis picked the lightest lager they had and we sat in the corner continuing our chat. I was a bit distracted at first when we got there as there was a DJ set up but Jazz music playing over the speakers. I soon realized that they had a DJ just to play Jazz, which seemed like a rediculous job and waste of money in an age where a playlist is easily curated for free.
This one would be our final beer and stop along the Tonis bar crawl. Tõnis called us a cab and as we set off received a call from his wife who was probably worried that he was out so late. I laughed and asked if she was wondering if he was dead in a ditch or something and he replied with the dry humor that I had missed from so long ago. As I got dropped off at the hostel we hugged and he said to expect him for part two of the Tonis Tallinn Tour tomorrow between 9:30 and 10.
I can't wait to see what new adventure awaits.
I awoke this morning regretting everything about staying up late (until 4:30am) the night before. After three snoozes on my alarm I was beginning to enter the point of no return where you've run out of buffer time and are starting to go into extra minutes. I contemplated a later ferry or skipping breakfast but willed myself to get out of bed instead. I even managed to grab breakfast before heading to the ferry.
I haven't taken many ferries in the past and never one that was more then 30 minutes long. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, maybe benches to sit on and a bar area on the boat. Entering the ferry terminal, however, I was greeted by a throng of people shoving shouting and waiting around to board the boat. Once I finally made my way on the boat and dropped my bag off in the luggage room I was at a loss of what to do with myself.
I climbed to the top of the boat and enjoyed the view of the city. Stood out on the deck in the icy wind taking a few photos of the city before settling in to one of the bench seats which unfortunately was where all the smokers were. When the wind got too cold to bear I headed back inside to find a warmer place to sit. Instead I found tons of people crammed into cafes, bars, the casino, and the lounge. There was no where to just sit and relax so I headed back to the upper deck, found a nearly quiet corner and buried myself I my jacket and scarf to try and catch some sleep.
When the boat finally got across the Baltic Sea and landed in Tallinn I shuffled my way off with the rest of the passengers. As I descended the escalator a thought struck me - where was I meeting Tõnis?! I reached the bottom of the escalator in a small panic realized how poorly researched and planned I was only to look up and see a tall, slender figure a few dozen feet in front of me with a face I would recognize anywhere, even with the snowy hair above it. I raised my hand and gave him a small wave and was greeted back with the big grin.
We hugged and I saw a young man who also looked familiar - Martin had come along too. Seeing him all grown up suddenly made me feel old and weary under the weight of my backpack. There there of us exited the terminal and off on an adventure together.
I wasn't sure what to expect. In my email to Tõnis I had asked if he remembered me and suggested we meet to catch up. When he offered to meet me at the terminal I expected him to meet me and go to lunch together then part ways with a friendly farewell where I'd then need to figure out what to do with the rest of my first day in Tallinn. After we exchanged greetings Tõnis said they were worried they wouldn't recognize me and wondered where my glasses where (I elected to wear contacts since my glasses fog when I wear a scarf), we went to the family Volvo and the boys started talking about all the things they had planned. I was pleasantly surprised that I would be treated not only to a ride to my hostel but to my own private tour of Tallinn as well.
It turned out that my hostel was just one street away from Martin's school and he immediately started to inform me to the area and the best coffee shops to visit. I hadn't realized just how old he was until then. When we got to the hostel the two boys got out of the car and accompanied me inside but waited in the entrance way for I don't know how long. The hostel I had selected was known for its hospitable nightlife and proximity to the city center, two things I generally prioritize when picking a place to be my base in a new city. I went to check in and the receptionist was exceptionally friendly. She offered me a welcome shot, talked in depth about the plans for the weekend, and went back and forth with one of the other hostel workers who was having trouble sorting out the residents in the bed. I tried my best to stay warm and friendly, my mother's voice in the back of my head telling me to do so instead of becoming short and demanding with the girl but the whole time I thought damn it here they are playing business and the Estonian's are stuck waiting around for my happy ass to drop off a bag and get going.
Eventually I was able to drop my things off and when I walked out the door the boys were waiting for me in the car. Martin had a plan already for what he wanted to show me and gave his father orders on where to drive. It was pretty funny to watch and I was really impressed about his knowledge of his city. There aren't many people who can live in a whole bunch of places and still know the history of their home in such depth. Even I've walked by the white house and didn't even notice it was there.
As we drove around the men played tour guide, pointing out the buildings to make note of and the history of Estonia. I wasn't sure where to look and tried my best to drink in everything while making mental notes for what I would want to write about here and in my next proposed post for the Level Up by Forbes newsletter. Eventually Martin and Tõnis exchanged words in Estonian and they told me that we had arrived at the cafe for lunch.
When we walked in it immediately reminded me of the Tea House in Santa Fe New Mexico. There was a small counter, wooden tables, and a few couches in what appeared to be an old home. There was even a small outdoor area that had been abandoned for the winter. I looked over the menu I decided I needed on thing - coffee - and whatever else would be gravy after that. While in Finland I had seen something on the menu at a number of places and saw it again at this cafe in Tallinn: pulled pork. I had no idea what to expect from it, after all the image pulled pork conjures in the States could be completely different from what I'd see in the Baltic area. I decided to order it and see what happens. I was pleasantly surprised to find a dish that resembled the pulled pork from home and had a smokey flavor reminiscent of Texas. Martin also went for something adventurous - the soup of the day which was carrot and orange. I asked him if it was orange the color or orange the fruit and he replied it was the latter. Sure enough a lovely bowl of thick orange (the color) soup came out with a thick orange (the fruit) slice in it. He said it was quite good but I couldn't get over the inherently hipster nature of the dish.
After lunch we got back in the car, which I found out had was missing the front grill thanks to a love tap from a deer in the woods, and headed to Old Town. We found parking in a lot at the bottom of a long staircase up a hill.
Keeping up with the two of them, with their impossibly long legs, was not easy but I managed. Up the stairs and around the corner and now we were in upper Old Town. The narrow cobble streets and old buildings where nobility and knights used to live were brightly colored and fascinating to look at even with them all being converted to modern shops and restaurants. We wound our way through the streets and if I hadn't been with my tour guide I probably would have gotten impossibly lost or only seen half of the things in the area.
Up and around, weaving in and out, we were at one rampart and then another which was decked out in medieval decorations. Then it was down the long leg, up the short one, a quick stop in the tourist center for a map and before I could figure out where I was in the maze of Old Town we were at the oldest chocolate shop in Estonia, Miasmokk. They were known mostly for hand painted marzipan, which I got to see before we left for the bakery. I was on a mission for all things Estonian so when Tõnis suggested one of the small cakes I told him sure, why not. He ended up ordering an assortment of small treats, a slice of cheesecake with brown bread crust and lingonberry jam, and cappuccinos for the both of us. Martin showed me some of the packaged sweets the shop was selling and suggested one to try. I bought a bag of them to bring home to my co-workers who I had promised yummy things from my trip. We sat and sampled each treat, making note of the different flavors and textures while Martin sat there checking his phone. They were all delicious and as we made our way to the half way point of the sampler Martin said that unfortunately he had to go off to the movies with his cousins. We said farewell and I thanked him for his help showing me around.
Tõnis and I sat in the bakery for a while longer and left only after there was no more coffee or sweets to be eaten. As we exited the bakery I could feel the difference in temperature as the sun fell beneath the horizon taking what little warmth it offered with it. I looked over at Tõnis as we stood in the middle of the Old Town square and chuckled as he pulled up his hood and huddled in his coat for warmth. He looked at me and reminded me that he didn't have much natural insulation and suggested we head back to the car where his hat and scarf were safely tucked away then go to a bar to grab a drink before dinner. I was happy to oblige and make our way to the next location.
It was quite the journey back. Up long cobblestone hills and flights of stairs. Narrow steep walkways and past a number of restaurants and shops. We did eventually make it, me panting a bit and Tõnis trying to not leave me in his long legged dust. Back in the warmth of the Volvo, Tõnis lifted the center console and took out a large plastic bag with some coins in it. He explained how he keeps it in the car since he never seems to have enough change on him when he needs it. I started laughing and brought up the story of when he and Omar were travelling and had to skip a toll booth, incurring a hefty fine, because neither of them had the change to pay the toll.
All paid up we were back on the road. I had no clue where we were going, only that it was a place with good beers, but I was really happy to just be along for the ride and not have to think about it. With the car parked in a spot suitable to leave there until morning it was off for a night of drinking.
During out brief time working together I never remembered Tõnis being one of the drinking crowd. I vaguely remember him giggling like a little girl once when he and Omar were telling me a story of their drinking adventure but I couldn't remember a time when we had enjoyed a few drinks together so I was happy to have the chance. The first bar we went to, Pööbel, was really cool. It was the bar that hipster bars in Brooklyn wish they could be, with plenty of unique beers on tap, a small but well thought out menu, and some of the best designed graffiti covered the ceiling and the bathroom walls that I had ever seen. We had a great beer and then Tõnis offered to order food for us, just a snack to enjoy with our beers.
Well one snack turned into three as we continued to drink and share stories. They were all local dishes - fried fish, potato peels, bread with pork fat, and moose carpaccio. Each one I wasn't sure what to expect, much like the beers I was drinking, but each one was tastier then the last. Before I knew it I was four beers in and Tõnis was switching to lighter brews. He suggested we head over to dinner and I said sure as long as we took a cab since I wasn't in much of a condition to walk.
The restaurant we went to was another very cool space. It was in an old factory which also seems to be a common theme for modern Estonian dwellings and shops. We grabbed a seat and picked back up where we left off with another beer and talking about our old times at work. We ordered grilled goat cheese and some kind of berry topping with arugala and strawberries in a balsamic glaze. Looking at the arugala and talking about our old times at work made me laugh and I retold the story of how one of my coworkers announced to the office something crude about arugala - a favorite story of mine from literally my first couple days of working in the real world. After the goat cheese it was another beer and a dish that the waitress described as "tasting like Estonia, like independence day here." And oh man was it tasty. A layer cake of jam and cream and brown bread, the same savory bread you find everywhere around here.
After the Estonian freedom cake we gathered our things and headed off to our final stop, another bar. This one was all craft beers so I picked another Estonian brew while Tõnis picked the lightest lager they had and we sat in the corner continuing our chat. I was a bit distracted at first when we got there as there was a DJ set up but Jazz music playing over the speakers. I soon realized that they had a DJ just to play Jazz, which seemed like a rediculous job and waste of money in an age where a playlist is easily curated for free.
This one would be our final beer and stop along the Tonis bar crawl. Tõnis called us a cab and as we set off received a call from his wife who was probably worried that he was out so late. I laughed and asked if she was wondering if he was dead in a ditch or something and he replied with the dry humor that I had missed from so long ago. As I got dropped off at the hostel we hugged and he said to expect him for part two of the Tonis Tallinn Tour tomorrow between 9:30 and 10.
I can't wait to see what new adventure awaits.
Location:Tatari,Tallinn,Estonia
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