Hello from Tallinn (Estonia) & Helsinki (Finland)
Date: 9/8/99 5:16:08 AM Eastern Daylight Time
1 am typing this in Helsinki, for free at an internet
library.
1. Tallinn. is the most charming and the cleanest city with
the most beautiful Old City part. And Estonia is the most
Westernized Eastern European country I have seen, with
prices that are a minute portion of those in Switzerland,
even Finland nearby. If you are thinking of visiting these
parts, DO include Tallinn, for most people understand
English. A package from say Berlin, to Riga (where Ecoline
Bus Co. gets your visa to Russia in one day). to St.
Petersburg, Tallinn, and back to Berlin would be a
worthwhile experience. The entire country has less than 1.5
million people and 38 percent of them are largely of
Russian origins.
Tallinn is a lowly place, even for honeymoon. Then again,
there are so many places to chose from. For example, if you
like the Mediterranean ambiance 'then you could go to Malta
(Valetta is very quaint and out of way), Costa del Sol
(e.g., Marbella, Torremolinos, Barcelona) or the Italian
Riviera from say Naples to Amalfi, definitely including
Capri or the Greek Islands and Southern Turkey. You can
even consider Tunisia and/or Morocco or Cairo, Alexandria
to Luxor in Egypt, if you want a really different
environment and adventure.
2. Scandinavia. Moscow was my Eastern most destination
(37/38 deg. Longitude) on this trip and Tallinn was my last
Eastern European city. I took the 9:30 pm ferry from
Tallinn to Helsinki (6:40 am), including a night stop in
the middle of the Baltic Sea for a party for several
hours, and activated my 5-day Scanrail pass this morning. I
am now headed for the northern most destination, thru the
Laplands of Finland to Narvik, Norway on the North Atlantic
coast, at 68 deg Latitude. Check the N. American map to see
where it places you-above the Arctic Circle, though, alas,
the Midnight Sun is not visible after about July. I'll send
the next message from Sweden. Be well
Hello from Kemi (Finland), Boden (Sweden), Narvik (Norway),
Stockholm (Sweden)
Date: 9/11/99 6:27:28 AM Eastern Daylight Time
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Friends the part of my trip from Helsinki up north, thru
Finland and east of the Baltic Sea to Narvik, which took 22
hours, and then from Narvik to Stockholm thru Norway and
Sweden, 20 hours, was to focus on the landscape. Mow that I
am in Stockholm, I will again peruse the Old Town sections
at various destinations. First a few words to specific
persons.
Anne. lyiki Narvik'e git dedin, sahane biryermis.
Sally. That small pillow you had sent to me some months ago
is coming real handy. I have used it in hostels on 3
occasions, always on the bus and train. Thanks again.
Cavit, Tell your Dad that Canon windbreaker he have me has
been a true friend during rain and cold in Australia, New
Zealand, and here. Thank him again for me.
Tom. The hostels at 22 and 26 UUs Streets in Tallinn were
both fully booked, though later both could accommodate me.
I left my luggage at 22 Uus and started walking. Since I
arrived from St. Petersburg at 6:40 am and the ferry for
Helsinki was leaving later that night, I had ample time to
walk the Old Town, actually repeating most paths, and I had
nice dinner at one of the restaurants at the square in
front of the Rathaus. Delightful place, but I did not need
to spend the night there, particularly since I had a
private cabin for the all night ride on the ferry. It
worked out OK, but next time, if any, I will not take
the bus from St. Pete. The road is very bumpy and we waited
for long durations along the road just to pass time.
However, I got out without having to pay anything.
1. Landscape. I had mentioned that the landscape and
vegetation of the Rhine Valley is very similar to the Ohio
Valley, say around Pittsburgh or Wheeling. Of course, add
the almost continuous vineyards along the slopes, the many
castles on mountain tops, and the quaint villages with
houses built with steep A-frame or various types of saddle
roofs, not to mention the beams criss-crossing many house
fronts and the flower pots on almost all windows, you know
you are in a different part of the world.
To the east you have the Eastern European planes and thus
relatively flat areas all the way to Moscow. You can also
duplicate this land in USA, say in the Carolinas and
Georgia, or further West say in Missouri. Except when you
are passing thru villages and towns, where the design of
both the homes and village layout are different, you could
be in USA.
The crossing of the Baltic Sea from Tallinn to Helsinki,
especially near to the latter, can also be emulated in USA,
for example in Puget Sound by taking the ferry from
Bremerton to Seattle. It is scenic, but not unique, as for
example the Bosphorus in Istanbul, which I would rate as
the tops as far as view and scenery are concerned, or Hong
Kong, especially as you arrive from Macau, the Sydney
Harbor, or entry to San Francisco or Seattle. (I had done
the latter on USS Dubuque when I was an instructor with the
US Navy, to finish a class, when the ship was called
unexpectedly to invasion exercises.)
As for Scandinavia, north of Helsinki there is a landscape
full of lakes, as in Canada, west of the Canadian Rockies
or in USA thru Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Cap of
Michigan. Then you reach the Lapland, which is like the
tundra in Siberia but with much more vegetation, but with
stunted (short) tree growth, primarily a combination of
spruce, birch, and beech trees, the latter of which are now
all strikingly yellow, as I had seen them in similar
landscape in the South Island of New Zealand.
The towns of Kemi, Boden, and Narvik are all above the
Arctic Circle. It is when you enter Norway when the
landscape becomes glorious, spectacular. These are the
fiords, glacier carved landscape marked by rocky mountains,
sheer cliffs, waterways, lakes, waterfalls, sparse tree
growth, and all colors of ground vegetation, framed by
snowcapped mountain tops. This sort of landscape is unique
and exists only at a few spots, like our Alaska, or the
southwestern comers of New Zealand's South Island. It is
awesome. I could not decide which side of the train I
should be on.
Then returning south, first east thru Norway, then south
thru Sweden, the outrageous landscape calmed down and we
had again the countryside you can see in Pacific Northwest,
less the mountains, or anywhere in Canada, east or west of
the Rockies.
I arrived today at 7am in Stockholm, walked the old town
and several small islands here until 12 noon, got myself a
new pair of alpine walking shoes, and now typing this at a
cafe in the Sergelstorg Arcade. 12 hours I will take the
all night train all the way west to Bergen, Norway and do
more sightseeing.
I should be able to send the next message from Oslo, after
roundabout arrival there in a few days. (Don't forget, I
have that date in Bergen with the 19-year-beauty I met in
Warsaw ...