Crazy Busy Week

Last night was the first night I slept in my own bed in about 10 days! Crazy busy couple of weeks. Firstly, we went to Rovaniemi, which was just brilliant. The scenery was beautiful, we met Reindeer, Husky dogs, Santa Claus, and swam in the huge river up there. We also went to the museum (Artikum) and did a spot of shopping. Along with the open boat trip that we took to get to the Reindeer farm. Then it was back to Turku for one night before heading off to Helsinki. Then it was an early start to get the ferry for Tallinn, where we spent one night, got very sunburnt, and then came back to Helsinki to meet the brother. We then did the touristy bus tour in Helsinki (mother wanted to see the Sibelius Monument, and the Rock Church, both a bit out of the centre, and it was pouring of rain, so walking wasnt an option). Then we headed back to Turku, where I immediately ran off to the boyfriends yet again. I'm not very hospitable it seems. Anyway, yesterday we saw the catherdral, the observatory hill, and the beach at Ruisalo. Nice day. Today we are heading off to the Castle (again... eugh), and a few other spots round town (university etc). Then tomorrow is the Baltic Sea Tall Ships Race. Or something like that. Which means there will be lots and lots and lots of tall ships lining the river down to the harbour, so that will keep us occupied for a while I expect. Then on to St Petersburg at the weekend!

July Plans

So I guess its about time I reveal to you the truely ambitious month of travel I have planned for July. My mother is coming to visit me here in Turku, but she doesnt like to fly (problems with her ears you see) so she is coming via 5 trains and a ferry! So since she was coming all that way. I foolishly suggested that I extend my lease on my student flat (assuming there was anyone wanting to move in as early as July) and she stay for a few weeks and we could really explore. Little did I know what a headache organising everything would be. We got a little carried away with where we want to go and what-not, but here is the final plan...

05/07: I leave for Stockholm on the night ferry.
06/07: Mother joins me and we spend a few days exploring the Swedish capital.
09/07: We head to Turku on the night ferry.
12/07: We get a night train to Rovaniemi.
15/07: Return from Rovaniemi.
17/07: Head to Helsinki.
18/07: We take an early ferry to Tallinn.
19/07: Return to Helsinki, and meet my brother from the airport.
20/07: Head to Turku for the week.
24/07: Head back to Helsinki to see my brother off. Spend the night.
25/07: Take a train to St Petersburg.
28/07: Return from St Petersburg.
31/07: Sat moi moi to Turku. Take the night ferry to Stockholm, and then 5 trains to home!

How crazy is all that?! Well, its been a bit tricky booking all the various hotels, trains and ferrys. Not to mention arranging for another visa to Russia. I know that for my mum it is the trip of a lifetime, and she is so excited to see everything. I am happy to be visiting Stockholm again, and for a longer stay this time. And then I'm always happy to go back to Tallinn. Can't say I was overly enthused about going to St Petersburg again so soon after I've just been, and all the extra complications of getting visa's a what-not didnt help, but luckily the Russian consulate is here in Turku. Anyway, nearly everything has been booked now. Well, all the things my mum was in charge of is at least. I only just started my end of the deal, but I'm slowly getting sorted. Although maybe I should stop being so slow, what with it being less than 2 weeks away!

I finish work on tuesday. I can't believe it. Especially since there are still many assays to be done. Will have to trust that someone takes over from me. So anyway, you might not hear that much from me in July other than the odd quick update here and there.

Tallinn & Riga; Day 4

We were leaving at 2pm in order to make it to Tallinn in time for the last ferry back to Finland. And we had to check out by noon. So we decided just to check out after breakfast and take our stuff to the bus early. We had been told that you could go to the 26th floor of a near-by hotel to get a good (free) view of the old town. This hotel was also close to the Art Nevo area where there were interesting buildings to be discovered. So that was the plan for our final morning in Riga. The hotel was indeed worthwhile. Although we made it to the 26th floor only to discover that the bar area was closed :( But there was one more floor... A gym! Also with a lovely view. Even if it wasnt the place for tourists, we snuck in and had a peak. I tell you, if all gyms had that view from the running machines, I might go more often.

So then it was down in the panoramic lifts (where my ears popped!) and then onto the Art Nevo area of the city. There were indeed lots of interesting buildings to be seen, and photographed. But it seemed quite a bit colder than the day before, so after a while wondering around, some of us decided to head to a cafe in the old town rather than keep walking around However there was some last-minute tourist tat to be bought by me (another flag, along with an amber hedgehog).


But then sadly that was all we had time for really. It was back onto the coach, to take us back to Tallinn where we had enough time for some food (Hessburger again). I forgot to mention the very musical choice of films we had on the coach this time. On the way to Riga, we experienced Mamma Mia and Grease. On the way back we had Sex & the City, and then Catch Me if You Can. Not so musical, but still... There was talk of Mamma Mia karaoke on the way from Helsinki to Turku, but we were all too tired by that point.

Overall a really really great trip. The fact we were such a small group was nice, and the whole thing is general was pretty laid-back and enjoyable. I didn't really fall in love with Riga, but I'm glad I have seen it and experienced it, as it was quite different to, well Finland at least. But Tallinn and Estonia in general has won my heart this time I think. I will definitely be heading there again before my final return to England. I would say, if planning a trip from the UK, Tallinn is maybe a bit small to go that distance for, but I would highly recommend it as a day-trip from Helsinki. And Helsinki is of course worth the trip from the UK, so my advice would be to combine the two in one holiday :) You won't regret it.

Tallinn & Riga; Day 2

So we woke up for what was a hearty breakfast before heading out into the cold for some last minute shopping. Tallinn has a popular street (St Catherines Walk I think its called) where you can buy lots of hand made things. There are also lots of stalls selling pretty much the same thing at the same price - knitted gloves, hats, socks etc. However each stall has slightly different designs and you could spend an hour looking up and down deciding on your favourite pattern. In the end I went for this pair...

After that we went on a hunt for a cheap Estonian flag. There were quite a few around, but at 95kr (about €7) I was sure we could find cheaper. In the end we found one in a liquor store for 50kr. Sucess. A quick sweep of the CD stores, and then it was back to hotel to check out and start our journey to Riga.

Along the way, we made a lunch stop in a lovely town called Perno. I only walked around for 30 minutes, but I managed to take 26 photos! Not a bad average. There were just so many interesting buildings, a strange mix of wooden and concrete. a striking church had some interesting ice sculptures out front, which made for a nice photo I think...


But then it was back on the coach and on to Riga! It was dark by the time we arrived but some of us decided to go get our bearings before we all went out for lunch. We only made a quick circle round the hotel but managed to see the opera house, the freedom monument and the russian orthodox church.


After that we headed to what seemed to be the only option for Latvian cuisine, since its the only place anyone we asked could think of. Its was called Lido, and did good cheap food in a self-service style place. I just had chicken skewer and potatoes with salad. Then on to a bar. It was very cold, so we settled on one just 2 doors down from Lido! It was nice a cheap though, so we had a bottle of very cheap fizzy wine (think Labrusco) to share...

Then it was on to a club for the hard-core lot, but back to the hotel and bed for me. It was going to be a long day tomorrow.

Tallinn & Riga; Day 1

Maybe doing these post's as 'days' is not a good idea. I was awake nearly 24 hours for the first day, so this might be a longish post...

So yes, I woke at 3am in order to get the coach at 4am. We were getting the ferry from Helsinki at 7am, so that we could get to Tallinn by 9am. We then had a bit of a wonder round before being met by our tour guide for the day. He had a very nice accent :) Anyway, he was a student from the university of Tallinn and so gave the perspective of young people in Estonia. Having only got its independence 18 years ago, it is still somewhat of a new country. It is however clearly taking its example from Finland. There are many Finnish companies here, and a lot of the shop and restaurant workers speak Finnish (its very similar to Estonian, and most of the tourists are Finns).

First he took us on the coach to the presidential palace. From here we could also see the art museum built into limestone (Estonia's national rock - do we have an official rock in the UK I wonder?) Anyway, the palace was very nice, and the flag was up so he was in. It was right by a lovely park with lots of ducks. Still happily swimming in the frozen lake. Nutters.


We then carried on to the song festival grounds. Every 4 years or so Estonia holds a huge song festival. Coincidently it is due to be held this summer. This is where I fell over for the first time all year. Very annoyed, thought I was getting the hang of this snow thing. Oh well.


We then had a quick look around a more wooden area of Tallinn before heading back to the old town. A few more chances to take some photos from the viewing platform and then it was time to check into the hotel. Was very nice, and very close to everything. (the breakfast was great too, hehe).


But after that it was time to go and sample a medieval feast. Tallinn's old town is really old. Medieval old. So they have a place called Olde Hansa, which serves authentic medieval cuisine (no potatoes here). They also sell items made in a medieval way. For example I bought a hand-made glass, complete with blobs on the side to help you grip it with your greasy hands. Luckily for our feast we were permitted knives and forks! The food was good, but quite rich. You really couldnt eat too much of it. After that we had another beer before heading back to the hotel to prepare for the evening.


Our tour guide was involved in ESN Tallinn, and told us that they were holding the welcome party for the new exchange students that night and we were very welcome to join them. Having been up since 3am, it probably wasnt a good idea. But the club was just 2minutes walk from the hotel, and we were going to be spending most of the next day on a coach, so I braved it (with a bit of a hand from some nice Estonian cider). Was a lot of fun. A nice place and relatively good music. Was tucked up in bed by 2am though.

Return from Tallinn & Riga

So I return from my trip to the baltics. And I'm shattered. But, it was by far the best trip of this year. I really really enjoyed myself. I just relaxed, didnt worry about work or money or anything. The company was great, the trip was well organised, and the destinations were great. And nothing went wrong! Hurrah! Well apart from the fact I left (my favourite) mittens in Tallinn and that I found my 175kr after I got back (about €10). But I'm planning to return to Tallinn again in the summer, so will spend them then, and also went and got myself another pair of those mittens since they are still selling them in Anttila.

Anyway, I have lots of pretty pictures, and interesting stories to tell, so will start on the diary's pronto! Just so long as I can keep awake...

Oh, also, I returned to find that we have a new housemate. (we also have only one small light still functioning in the kitchen... not good in the dark evenings). She's also from Spain, but seems a lot nicer than the nightmare housemate of last semester. She's only just arrived so doesn't know anyone yet, but is starting her placement at the hospital today. She's studying nursing and seems to be here for a similar thing as me, so we should get on alright. No crazy partys... not on weeknights at least ;)

You Get It And Go

Sorry for the lack of travel posts. I will definitely be posting about Lapland once I return from my weekend in the Baltics. Thats right, im away again. I will be leaving 4am(!) thursday morning for a 4-day trek around Tallinn & Riga. I went to Tallinn back in August, but I always hoped to get back there again before the year is out. Its very beautiful, and so close! And as a pit stop on the way to Riga, its ideal. I know there are rediculously cheap flights from Tampere to Riga, but by the time you add in the train fair to Tampere and back, this organised trip will work out about the same. And I get to view the scenary between here and Riga on the way. After the 16 hour coach trip to Lapland, this should be a dodle.

But in the meantime, this has been a surprisingly stressful few days. I was dying for the weekend to come, as I was still completely wiped from Lapland. Back to work on monday though, and I realised I still had to pay for this weekends trip, and I had left my bank stuff at home! Meant I had to take a 2 hour lunch break to go home, get my stuff, get back to town to the bank, and then wolf down lunch... And I had intended to finish off an important interim report that is due back at my home uni by the end of the month. I had set myself the deadline of finishing it before going to Lapland, but that didnt happen. So am determined to have it finished before Tallinn instead. Hopefully it will be in the post tomorrow afternoon!

Other things stressing me out include, the laundry room machines breaking down, meaning I've just flooded the bathroom in an attempt to get enough clean clothes to pack tomorrow night, and also the fact that my toe has decided to start playing up. My toe has hurt on and off for a while, but since Lapland it has definitely been more on than off. Especially today, at times it was so so painful I was starting to think it might be broken. I'll soldier on though...

So, until Monday (if I'm still alive!)

Pictures of Turku and Tallinn

I've uploaded a couple more photo albums for your pleasure. First up we have a more complete set of photos of the lovely Tallinn And also, we have a selection of photos from an afternoon spent wondering around the town that is my home for the next 10months. Turku;

For some reason, Picasa no longer wants to let me embed photo albums into a post, but you can find a link to the photo albums in my list over on the right ------------>

Tallinn

So its about time I write a little something about my trip to Tallinn. It was a bit impromptu but was definitely a worth-while experience. We set out from Helsinki around 10:30am, making it to Tallinn just before lunch time. We went to the tourist information point where the chap their gave us some good advice. (He then asked where we were from "erm, 2 from Austria, 2 from Germany, one from England, and one from Ireland", bet thats the first time he'd heard that). So then we went to Hessburger for lunch and to discuss what to do with the day. Strange how many of the Finnish companys were also in Estonia, like Hessburger and the R-Kioski's (although only called R-Kiosk in Estonian).

So we decided to be typical tourists and do a couple of bus tours of the greater Tallinn area. However we started by exploring the old town a little. This was all fairly pedestrianised and had a wonderful charm. Reminded me a lot of Bratislava actually. We saw the old main square with the town hall before heading back to do the first bus tour.


After that we decided to split up for an hour before the next bus tour. Me and Hilary headed for St. Olav's Church, where we were told you could climb to the top and get some great views of the harbour and old town. They werent wrong. It was quite a climb (not too high, but the steps were of old brick and steep with just a rope for a handrail), but once at the top you could indeed see out over the ocean and get to appreciate the beautiful old town with its old outer wall, and all the different churches.

Then it was back on the bus for a tour in the other direction of the town. Whereas the first tour had taken us round some of the forested areas with some interesting houses, the second tour took us to the side of town where most of the people seemed to live, with its huge soviet-style apartment blocks. Although the tours didnt show many 'sight-seeing hotspots' as such, the commentary was good, giving interesting facts and storys that helped me understand a bit more about Estonia's culture and history. Without these tours the day would have simply been about looking at pretty buildings.


After the final tour, we split again, and this time me and Hilary headed east to look at the old russian-orthodox church, which was rather spectacular. We then found our way to some of the viewing platforms on that side of town, which also gave very pleasant views. After this, however, it was time to head back for the ferry. On the return to Helsinki, we had the pleasure of witnessing one of the beautiful sunsets, which I've come to love about Finland.

A Little Update

So as predicted, I dont have internet in my new flat, so welcome to Cybercafe - my new home :)

My more recent days in Truku have been more successful. I met my student tutor/mentor, Kirsi, who is lovely and we whizzed round yesturday and got the most important things done. It also gave me a chance to see the university (which is pretty huge) and more of the town, which is actually really nice. It actually feels bigger than Helsinki, which is strange. Maybe because we stayed pretty central in Helsinki - didnt really explore very much. I've already seen lots of shops here that I want to go in, whereas I didnt seem to find any decent shopping areas in Helsinki.

Anyway, I'm still waiting to meet more housemates and such, and so its still a bit lonely, but today was the start of orientation, and so I got to meet a few more people. Most people seem nice (a few expections) but I think that once I'm more settled I'll be quite happy here.

Also just a quick note about Tallin I guess. It was lovely. Had a really nice day. The weather was a bit iffy, but the old town is beautiful and we went on a couple of those tourist-bus type things and felt like I learned something about the culture and history. They have some really interesting monuments and sculptures. When I have internet back properly, then I will be able to upload a photo album (there's quite a few).