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CRASH HARDDRIVE · Jun 26, 2002, 11:52 PM

Back from a month is Europe... what a great trip!
I just wanted to report: anyone considering a trip to Europe, consider the beautiful country of Estonia! What a great place!

I had a blast! I can't believe how cool it was!

First off, Tallinn is a city that deserves recognition as one of the high lights of Europe. There are perhaps some growing pains to deal with, leftovers from the old Soviet times, but overall the city is fantastic. I was in Tallinn for the Old City Day events and had a blast. Luckily I missed the Eurovision event, even though I was staying for a time right in Saku nearby where it took place. No comment on the music quality- but I was impressed with the overall quality of the production effort Estonia itself made in hosting the event. I even called around and got to visit some studios in Tallinn that worked on the 'video' post card things that were in the televised Eurovision event. I was really curiious to meet animators for Estonia and was fortunate to meet a bunch of them.

I love the mix of modern and old that Tallinn has... my friends there loved showing me things like paying for parking with their cell phones. I found it highly ironic to be parking near a centuries old city wall and paying the fare with a cellular! People are more nuts about their cell phones than we are in the states by far!

Tartu was equally interesting. I spent a few days there, exploring the town and looking around. Nice university!

What can I say, the beaches of Parnu made me feel right at home! And what better place to check out one thing I couldn't help but notice about Estonia... the finest women in the world! (Okay, except for Finland which produced the finest one of them all, my wife!) I have to say though, the babe-to-bow-wow ratio in Estonia has to be the highest slant toward all-out babe of anywhere on the planet. Massive...massive numbers of incredible, beautiful women! And from someone from babe-universe of Southern Cali.. you gotta know you rate well!

Estonian beer- even though I'm not much of a beer drinker, I loved it. Specially during/after a sauna. Saku original was the overall favorite, but that could just be due to farmilliarity. Rock was interesting, not as good. I had some kind of beer on Saaramaa Island that knocked me on my ass... great stuff. I think the highest alchohol content is 14%!

Speaking of Saaramaa Island... beautiful! I can see why so many Fins flock there. We stayed for nearly a week down there in the main city- nice castle there too. Down in the southern part of the island, there are some really incredible reminders of the epic battles between the Nazis and the Soviets during WWII. At one spot we explored an old German bunker complex... really incredible. At the smallest point of the Island, there's a 'highway' of dragons teeth, put down to halt advancing tanks. Never seen anything like it. Several memorials marked the spot of mass graves and points where the Russians drove the Nazis back into the sea. Oh yeah... sauna!

Explored some castle ruins that were buried underground at Massi I think it's called... very interesting. In fact, I have to say the castles were one of the highlights of the whole country. Visited the interesting Narva castle on the western border of Estonia with Russia. This is the only glimpse into Russia I got, Ivangorod and a large fortress on the other side of the river from Narva. I wanted to go to St. Petersburg, but I didn't get the permits before we left.

I was all over Finland as well, but by far I was most impressed with Estonia on this trip. First off, been there before. No offence to the Fins (my wife won't see this will she?) but Helsinki is one of the most sterile places I've ever been... which makes it almost boring. Not that it is really, I had a great time there as always, staying with my wife's friends and family. Sh;t is expensive there... I don't recommend doing Helsinki after you've done Tallinn! Up north we stayed a few days in Kokkola as well... very pristine. Beautiful forests Finland has. This time of year, it never gets dark so close to the Artic circle. Not dark like I'm used to! We'd be out somewhere, I'm thinking it looks like 5pm and it's 12 midnight! My sense of time was totally shot.

Sauna! Did I mention sauna!? LOVE IT! Now I'm asking my wife if we should build a sauna into our house here in the states! I was in the sauna as much as possible. With whoever and whenever! I can't count the number of cold lakes I jumped into after a nice hot sauna... something I thought I'd never be crazy enough to do! Now I understand it! After a while in the sauna, a nice cold lake is calling to you! Everyone and their brother in Finland has a sauna... in the house and one out by a lake somewhere! And a good supply of Estonian beer brought over on the ferry!

In Estonia, the saunas were more prevalent when we were down in the south, more in the country. There, I saunaed like a mo-fo! In Tallinn everyone seemed to be renovating their house... with the sauna on the way. Luckily my friends in Saku had a nice one!

That reminds me, the road system in southern Estonia is a trip! Luckily the country is small enough that I couldn't get too lost. So many roads aren't labled at all! And endless dirt roads! The car we borrowed started out a dark red and ended up solid white from road dust! I must have driven the entire country or most of it!

It only rained three times the entire trip! My luck always seem to hold up regarding weather when I travel. For anyone who was expecting rain, I do appologize, I always request ahead of time 'no rain' when I travel. Actually- a bit more would have been a good thing. We got soakled good only once, while out on the ocean while in Parnu.

The people of Estonia couldn't be more friendly! Everywhere we went, people were cool and fun to hang with. Many people hitchhike in Estonia- as they do all over Europe- so we for the heck of it made a habbit of picking up hitchhikers on the road between cities. Met some really cool people that way. There's a stigma to hitchhiking in the states, but in Europe it's non-existant and Estonia is perfect for travel that way.

Estonians know how to party! I joke with my wife that an Estonian might have a little trouble getting a party started... but they have the most trouble getting one STOPPED! While in southern Estonia we were at so many all-night-and-into-the-next-day parties that I was ready to drop! Party- get in the sauna- party some more! And to think.. I was a disbeliever! *slaps self*

Nightlife- in Tallinn it was excellent! Expecially in the Old Town. I don't know if it's always like that, but the Old Town during the celebration was off the hook.

Estonian food- loved it! I couldn't pronounce the names of most of what I ate, but I really loved the food. Expecially in the south.

Okay, that's my mini-review for the benefit of anyone pondering where to go in Europe besides the same ol' places. I totally recommend Estonia. It surpassed and far exceeded my expectations, which were good to begin with!

Now the only problem is... where to go next vacation?

malvolio · Jun 27, 2002, 12:21 AM

So, did you have a good time?
<img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

And yes, sauna is one of the ultimate experiences in life.

fulmer · Jun 27, 2002, 01:58 AM

glad it was cool. I'd like to see it some day. I'll be in st. petersburg in 2 wks, but I'm not getting a double entry visa, so I won't be skipping to tallin or helsinki this summer (never been before).

folks hitch-hike in petersburg and moscow, too. we hold out our hands and a car will stop. usually you negotiate with the driver--30 rubles will get you just about anyplace within 10 miles (or more, if you're a cute girl). if your Russian sucks, you pay more. my hair is about 1-2mm in length and last summer almost no one would stop for me in petersburg. folks would stop in moscow, however, as we were staying in a rough outskirt (vikhino metro) and those people didn't seem to worry. maybe I'll have better luck this summer.

Timo · Jun 27, 2002, 08:37 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE:

Sauna! Did I mention sauna!? LOVE IT! Now I'm asking my wife if we should build a sauna into our house here in the states! I was in the sauna as much as possible. With whoever and whenever! I can't count the number of cold lakes I jumped into after a nice hot sauna... something I thought I'd never be crazy enough to do! Now I understand it! After a while in the sauna, a nice cold lake is calling to you! Everyone and their brother in Finland has a sauna... in the house and one out by a lake somewhere! And a good supply of Estonian beer brought over on the ferry!

<hr /></blockquote>Heh. You're one of us now.

cube-dude · Jun 27, 2002, 08:55 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Timo:
[QUOTE]Heh. You're one of us now.<hr /></blockquote>Indeed! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

solitere · Jun 27, 2002, 02:16 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE:

Now the only problem is... where to go next vacation?<hr /></blockquote>There�s plenty other great places in Europe you could visit. How about Hungary (Budapest) or the Czech Republic (Prague). I have been to both in recent years.
I recommend both.

CRASH HARDDRIVE · Jun 27, 2002, 02:22 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by solitere:
There�s plenty other great places in Europe you could visit. How about Hungary (Budapest) or the Czech Republic (Prague). I have been to both in recent years.
I recommend both.<hr /></blockquote>I was actually considering Hungary. Also some friends of mine who have been, suggested Croatia, as it's "like Italy, yet cheaper and without all the tourists". From pictures I've seen it looks incredible there. Seems to be 'war-safe' as well.

Cheaper- check!
Just as scenic if not more so- check!
Not full of dumbass tourists all gawking at the same things- check!

Just look at all those kick-ass islands off from Croatia that Italy doesn't have.

Dammit.. I'm there!

I'm thinking about going somewhere besides Europe also, just not sure where.

[ 06-27-2002, 06:48 PM: Message edited by: CRASH HARDDRIVE ]

roger_ramjet · Jun 27, 2002, 08:09 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by CRASH HARDDRIVE:

I'm thinking about going somewhere besides Europe also, just not sure where.<hr /></blockquote>Hong Kong is a great choice. Next time I go inland, though. Shanghai (I know it's on the coast), the Great Wall, Beijing... I wish I could go see the 3 Gorges before it's too late.

Taipei has China's National Museum. It's freaking incredible. The cuisine in both Hong Kong and Taipei is wonderful. Hong Kong is a great place to try every imaginable Asian cuisine you can think of. Taipei is an interesting mix of Chinese and Japanese cooking...

Estonia sounds wonderful. I'll need to make a mental note of your post.

[ 06-27-2002, 08:12 PM: Message edited by: roger_ramjet ]

zilmer · Jun 30, 2002, 06:52 AM

Woohoo! Everybody come to Estonia - I'll buy you a beer!