Finland, Estonia, and Sweden

[Brisketexan 105,178]

Coupla snaps from yesterday’s drive:




We were very careful to avoid all moose. Because a moose once bit my sister.

[BearSchlong 8,104]

I need to visit again, the place is prettier without snow.

[Brisketexan 105,178]

Scenes from Turku:

[DDD Dad 14,346]

On 4/19/2023 at 5:33 PM, Brisketexan said:

In any case, I trust Kaja Kallas to make sure we stay safe. But if I see her on the street, she’s absolutely getting a


 

So...did she serve you with a restraining order yet?

[Brisketexan 105,178]

So...did she serve you with a restraining order yet?

Not there yet. I’m sure it’ll be part of the screening by Estonian immigration tomorrow when I arrive. I’ll charm them, all is well.

Also, got back to our hotel in Helsinki tonight, just wanted a real quick dinner. So, hit the Hesburger around the corner - it’s Finland’s homegrown burger joint, a local fave. I ordered the classic, like a Big Mac. Wife got a chicken sandwich.

Hesburger sucks. McDonald’s is better (and McDonald’s sucks). So, Finland screws the pooch on burger chains.

Also, road tripping back today, we stopped at a big roadside gas station for coffee and a bathroom break. I commented that it was a giant Finnish gas station, like Buccees, so I called it “Fuccees.” Wife rolls her eyes, then says “not really…they don’t call it Finland, they call it Suomi, so really, it would be ‘Succees.’” So I walk in saying “so is it Fuccees or Succees?” as we crack ourselves up. Because my wife and I are SUPER mature and sophisticated.

[Brisketexan 105,178]

After some time in Turku proper, we headed out to Ruisallo, an island at the end of the city. It’s super popular during the summer, with a beach, and a big music festival. Now, as spring is just kicking off, it wasn’t crowded at all. And it was beautiful, quiet, critters out and about. The classic Finnish forest scene as well - it’s a forest country, 70% is tree cover, 22 billion trees.

We got to a little peninsula, nobody else around, and kicked up a pair of deer.








The forest is fantastic. We listened to a pair of woodpeckers, and tracked them through the forest for a bit, just listening, and appreciating the stillness. It was the first chilly day of the trip, but not bad.

[Brisketexan 105,178]

So, another thing we like to do is stick our nose in a local store, pick up some snacks, check out what’s on offer. It’s interesting, and sometimes quite entertaining.

Finnish Target? NO. Tokmanni. And tell those Target people to back off. Tokmanni’s buns have no seeds!



Turns out, it’s Finland’s largest discount store chain. And yeah, it’s a fucking Target.

Would you like some canned meatballs? Because you can get them here. A lot of them.



How about some Mekiskon Stew, a favorite of real Meksikons like me?



Or, maybe you’d like some corn on the cob. Pre-cooked and vacuum-sealed, “for her pleasure,” or something…my Finnish translation may be off.



And while they have Fanta, fuck your Fanta. Jaffa juice is where it’s at (it’s everywhere).



Maybe you NEED Meksikon food while you’re here. Lucky you, Pancho Villa restaurant is right around the corner with all of your faves:






And, a couple more shots from the island. Grabbed a quick lunch at a lodge built by the Finnish 14th Division, which fought EVERYWHERE in Finland - they shot Russians from corner to corner.





On the ferry to Tallinn this morning. Paid extra for the lounge deck, with breakfast and coffee and beer and wine literally on tap.

[52-80 19,205]

On 4/20/2023 at 9:01 PM, Neonmoon said:

Heard Latvia has the best talent in the region. I bet Estonia isn’t bad either 

tis true

[52-80 19,205]

Tallinn:

https://goo.gl/maps/CyghaZFGZkAugXr88

https://goo.gl/maps/PGz1c1be9AE9fpYQA

[Brisketexan 105,178]

Freedom Square. The blowed up Russian tank is gone, but they want to make sure you know how they feel:



And the monument to Estonian independence, commemorating the war against Russia 1918-20.



Some views of Old Town:

[Brisketexan 105,178]

Just grabbed some Georgian grub for lunch. So good.

[conVINCEd 21,469]

The pictures of the hot Estonian women aren’t loading.  While we are happy that you had a double-sided bread dildo for lunch, this is not the Estonian content we came here for.

[Brisketexan 105,178]

The pictures of the hot Estonian women aren’t loading.  While we are happy that you had a double-sided bread dildo for lunch, this is not the Estonian content we came here for.

The talent is so-so. So far, I think the Finns were better looking.

Made it by parliament. I asked if Kaja could come out and play. Security said something about “not now,” and “keep an eye on him,” or something like that. My Estonian is pretty rusty.

[Brisketexan 105,178]

Some scenes from old town Tallinn:






And some amusement. Not sure what this guy’s getup was about.



And @52-80 , we weren’t Kolmogorov for it, but cracked up when we found it.

[Brisketexan 105,178]

Btw, what is Kolmogorov? Autocorrect for “looking” with typos, I guess.

At a Ukrainian place for dinner.

[CHIEF 5,094]

48 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Some scenes from old town Tallinn:






And some amusement. Not sure what this guy’s getup was about.



And @52-80 , we weren’t Kolmogorov for it, but cracked up when we found it.

So, how did it compare to Dart Bowl enchiladas?

CHIEF

[Brisketexan 105,178]

And, something for your amusement. Wife spotted this gal come in to our restaurant. Carrying her tiny yappy dog. She ate with the dog in her lap. When her man got up, she took a duck-lip selfie with her and the dog (first pic). She had bleach blonde hair, blown up injected lips, and fake cans. Second pic was the best I could get. Thought she might be russian, but pretty sure she’s Ukrainian, actually.

[Brisketexan 105,178]

And more grub.

Trio of southern Ukrainian spreads: smoked herring, eggplant, and a puréed bacon spread. Yep, that’s what I said - a smoked pork fat spread. Incredible….but we went light on that one.

Followed by vareniki, stuffed with potato purée and flounder (traditional Odessa style).

[Brisketexan 105,178]

Some of today’s scenes in Tallinn.

Simple breakfast, coffee and meat pies. Every culture has a meat pie. And I like all of em.



Went to the KGB museum. It’s where the soviets had their cells for political interrogations and whatnot. Estonia has preserved a lot of this stuff, because they don’t want anyone to forget Russian fuckery.





Stories of Estonians sent to the gulags. Executed. Russian fuckery.

And they had a display of art for their Belarussian friends as well, telling the story of their repression unde a totalitarian regime.







So it was good to see these in the window of the building facing the Russian embassy (I didn’t see them the day before, was too busy looking at the Russian shit).

[Brisketexan 105,178]

And this was pretty cool: I remember reading the story of the Orzel’s escape from Tallinn as a kid. One of the greatest “escape” stories ever told, and a defining story of heroism for the Polish military. Was very cool to see the memorial:




The tower with defensive responsibility for the port:



Some street scenes:




Didn’t get a pic of the Russians at the cafe where we had coffee. Gal in fishnets and short shorts, Dolce Gabana bag, too much makeup. Also didn’t get a shot of the young Russian couple yesterday: she was wearing easily a $3k outfit (and looked the part), he was wearing Burberry shoes, LV belt, and god knows what else. I’m sure their sunglasses were $1k. Douches. They all look ridiculous.

As for me, I realized I spent most of my life just looking for a gal with great

[Brisketexan 105,178]

Headed out into the countryside, all through Laheema NP (first NP in the Soviet Union, est. 1972). First stop is the Kasmu peninsula, home of primeval forest and glacial erratic boulders spilling into the Gulf of Finland. The forest and marshes are starting to awaken with life, birds everywhere.








This place…is fucking cool. I love this planet.

[Brisketexan 105,178]

[Native Horn 3,504]

Not gonna lie, I would be looking for bears around every corner.  Great pics!

[dcbc 14,496]

On 4/25/2023 at 11:24 AM, Brisketexan said:

And some amusement. Not sure what this guy’s getup was about.

 

[Guest]

How are y'all planning this trip and figuring out getting around? Guides or anything? 

[Brisketexan 105,178]

How are y'all planning this trip and figuring out getting around? Guides or anything? 

Man….we’re damn close to winging it. We picked destinations, then some ideas of what to do in each. But like today…we knew we’d go to the Laheema area. We got a cabin for the night. As for what we’d do once we got here…we looked at online guides over the past coupla days. And even once we got here, we adjusted route, checked out some unplanned things along the way.

For Tallinn and Helsinki, we knew there were a coupla things we wanted to do, and built our itinerary around those. But still…a lot of calls on the fly. Which is kinda how we like it. A little more adventure. We saw some day tour groups from Tallinn doing bits of what we did - no thanks. For example, we hiked Viru Raba, a famous bog within the park. There’s a wide boardwalk to get to some of it. Most folks do that, then head back to the parking lot. We did the whole loop. Taking us on a boardwalk 2 planks wide. We hiked for 2 hours without seeing another soul. At one point, a pair of mallards, pair of pintails, pair of goldeneyes, and a green wing teal dropped right over us, through the timber into the water. We watched them for a while, breathed in the air, and felt the peace. Then kept going through a forest out of a dream.

Right now, sitting in a basement pizza place in the middle of ass nowhere, drinking an A. Le Coq (the local brew. Heh heh. “Coq.”). Bought some dried pike filets for a road snack tomorrow. Will hit a little grocery for some eggs to cook for breakfast tomorrow.

Our cabin has a sauna. Will light that fire when we get back. Then sauna once it’s heated. Then out the door, 10 steps to take a cold plunge in an Estonian river. Will have a fire in the fireplace. Will take a coupla ibuprofen after 20k steps of hiking today. Will probably have some quality time with the wife, as cabins tend to inspire.

Will post some pics later, when I get better signal.

[Mo Horn 8,852]

Quote

Will probably have some quality time with the wife, as cabins tend to inspire.

Will post some pics later, when I get better signal.

Promises, promises 

[Brisketexan 105,178]

We covered a lotta ground. Cold beer and my snack for tomorrow:

[Brisketexan 105,178]

And….current situation.





Warm fire going. Sauna already heated (they do love their sauna here). And where to do the cold plunge after sauna? In the river, 10 steps from the back door. I will be doing so. Wife has opted out of the cold plunge.

[Brisketexan 105,178]

That river…was fucking COLD. Damn. Sauna barely warmed me back up.

[Chewbacca 7,780]

2 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

That river…was fucking COLD. Damn. Sauna barely warmed me back up.

That's your thin Meksikon blood talking.

[Brisketexan 105,178]

A few more shots of our accommodation last night.




This morning, we headed down the road to Kolga Manor, in real disrepair after several centuries of ownership by timber magnates, and then some decline. We had the place to ourselves. Spring rearing her head, ancient chestnut tree outside just about to bloom.

[Brisketexan 105,178]

There was a “museum” next door. One of those small town, roadside attraction, “hodgepodge of random shit” museums. We poke our heads in. We are the only people at the manor or the museum. The caretaker hears us and comes from the other room. We pay our 5 euros each, and she leads us through the museum. Lots of interesting shit.

Old Soviet era fishing gear:



Old items from the manor school. She didn’t have any idea what this said, as it’s in an old German-Estonian dialect…but I guarantee it’s SUPER racist…



A guy from the village is a Lego master. So he keeps his collection there.



A reconstruction of a Soviet era kitchen pantry, and random-ass rooskie electronics:




Some Soviet-era athletic gear. I stole the shorts on the bottom, because that’s what I need to be sporting when I get in my evening walk from now on:



But by far the coolest thing there was Anu. She greeted us, and was thrilled to have the company. She walked us through the whole place, explaining things the best she could in some broken English. She’s lived there for 20 years, but her family is “from nearby” (which we suspect means “Russia,” less than 100 miles away). She was AWESOME. One of our best experiences here, just spending an hour or so with her, talking about life and such.




People can be the best part of travel. Anu was.

We finished by going by Jagala Juga, which again…we had to ourselves. Got to walk up, and just listen to the water. Zen as hell.




Next post will be summary thoughts. For now, at the Tallinn airport, about to head to Sweden to see our daughter. Very much looking forward to it. She’s lived there almost a year, and we have only seen her for a few days over Xmas.

[Brisketexan 105,178]

So, parting notes on Estonia:
I bet it’s somethig during the summer high season, but then, it’s also surely a madhouse then. Our daughter went over Christmas Market season, and said it was amazing then, so that’s something to keep in mind.

That said, this was an interesting and good time to be here in its own way. Spring is just starting, life is starting to wake up and break through everywhere. And…there were no crowds. In Tallinn, we went where we wanted, when we wanted, with no lines (noting that most things were only open from 11:00-6:00, so we planned accordingly). The Old Town is a UNESCO heritage site for a reason, truly a glimpse at centuries past. Although we found it particularly interesting, having been to Lubeck about 18 months ago - the closely tied Hanseatic history of the two cities (Tallinn was under the “Lubeck law”) made it both familiar and enlightening.

And getting out into the countryside….often one of my favorite parts of any trip. Estonia has some of the most beautiful forest land on earth, and unique natural features of bogs, marshes and shallow peninsulas out into the Baltic, glacial erratic boulders, and other cool shit. And again…we had places that obviously get heavy crowds all to ourselves. 2 out of the 3 hours we hiked through the bog and first of Viru Roba, we saw ZERO other humans. It was damn near religious.

We stayed at a little cabin in the middle of ass nowhere. Fire, sauna, freezing river, groceries to make breakfast, peaceful tired sleep. We love staying in places like that when we can.

And this morning, we stopped at Kolga Manor, and were the only souls there. So we got to spend time with Anu, the museum caretaker, who walked us through the entire place, using the best English she could muster, and taking about the place, life, and all that shit. She was a gotdamn treasure, and one of our favorite things about the trip.

The Estonians aren’t as attractive as we’d expected (my wife actually commented on it). In the city, ok. But out in the countryside, they were ruddy, rugged, and plain. But nice. Knew y’all would want to know.

Their support for Ukraine is EVERYWHERE. Homes, businesses, private cars, flags flying everywhere. Displays everywhere. And their commentary on the shittiness of being occupied by Russians (and that’s what they call the entire period of 1944-1991: the Soviet occupation) is uniform, and EVERYWHERE. They support Ukraine because they know how shitty it is to have Russia on your land.

Our second former Soviet republic to visit, and truly fascinating. But over all of it, we got to see and experience more of this amazing planet, and the varied people who walk on it alongside us. That’s fucking cool. It always is.

[Guest]

Too much nature and not enough highways in those photos. I bet those backward-ass people don't even have a Buc-ee's.

[CooterBrown 18,015]

When I saw the fringe and cowboy hat guy, I thought brisket doxxed himself for a minute.

[Brisketexan 105,178]

When I saw the fringe and cowboy hat guy, I thought brisket doxxed himself for a minute.

The only fringed clothing I own is my thong underwear, good sir.

[956 Worldwide 34,737]

On 4/25/2023 at 6:24 PM, Brisketexan said:

Some scenes from old town Tallinn:






And some amusement. Not sure what this guy’s getup was about.



And @52-80 , we weren’t Kolmogorov for it, but cracked up when we found it.

Lol, I’ve been to that restaurant too. 

[Brisketexan 105,178]

Too much nature and not enough highways in those photos. I bet those backward-ass people don't even have a Buc-ee's.

Their Buccees was Olerex. Stopped at a couple for coffee and snacks. Nice enough. It’s a SMALL f’n country. Like…Harris County and environs. 1.3 million people.

And…a punctuation mark on our departure from Estonia to Gothenburg by way of Helsinki. For the hop to Helsinki - a 20 min flight - we’re on an ATR puddle jumper. As people are boarding, flight attendant is moving us around, as well as our luggage (our roll-aboards were too big for overhead, so they had to be stowed beneath two separate rows of seats: yes, had they told us, we would have gate checked them. Which is what we did on the NEXT leg, as it turns out we’re on the same damn plane).

So, people are scattered away from their assigned seats, and luggage is stowed under random seats. Well…now board Boris and Natasha, middle age Russian pieces of shit. How do I know they were pieces of shit? Well, the “Russian” bit was a good clue, but it was confirmed when they got hostile with the FA when she told them they’d sit on separate rows. No, that just wouldn’t do, they HAD to sit TOGETHER (did I mention it’s a fucking 20 minute flight?). So, the FA moves a guy from a row to create two empty seats together. They move in, and vodka-bloated belly Boris sees my bag under the seat (the bag the FA, not I, put there). He gets belligerent AGAIN, complaining about how he can’t stretch his feet out, and pulls my bag out and puts it in the aisle as both the FA and I are telling him “no, it has to stay there.” The FA finally prevails on him. So, he proceeds to kick my bag as hard as he can under the seat. Note that every row on the plane had a bag under it - it was a full flight, and that’s where the space is on this bird.

Then, he stretches his outside leg all they way into the aisle. Entitled, selfish, fucking Russians. Managed to avoid them all trip (even though we encountered them a handful of times, we avoided interaction), and we get to enjoy their company on our last leg out of the east. They were everything you’d expect, and more so.

[Brisketexan 105,178]

In Gothenburg now, to see the daughter - the ostensible reason for our trip…and it’s already turned into a helluva deal.

Our exchange daughter and family from Oslo have come down to spend the weekend with us all. And, as we’re standing in the hotel lobby greeting them, out from the corner pops our son - he snuck over on a cheap flight from Scotland, so he’ll spend the weekend with us too. His mom definitely cried when she saw both her kiddos together. They thought enough of us and of each other to plan this surprise.

Then, daughter shares with us that she applied to a grad program in Munich in her chosen field, and was just accepted (not sure if that’s where she’ll go, but she’s got options). She’s beyond excited.

Our exchange daughter just got her first apartment with her fiancée, and is doing great in her nursing program.

We had a buncha drinks. We toasted a lot.

We’re fucking rich beyond measure. Just a great fucking night. Absolutely great.

[Mo Horn 8,852]

2 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

In Gothenburg now, to see the daughter - the ostensible reason for our trip…and it’s already turned into a helluva deal.

Our exchange daughter and family from Oslo have come down to spend the weekend with us all. And, as we’re standing in the hotel lobby greeting them, out from the corner pops our son - he snuck over on a cheap flight from Scotland, so he’ll spend the weekend with us too. His mom definitely cried when she saw both her kiddos together. They thought enough of us and of each other to plan this surprise.

Then, daughter shares with us that she applied to a grad program in Munich in her chosen field, and was just accepted (not sure if that’s where she’ll go, but she’s got options). She’s beyond excited.

Our exchange daughter just got her first apartment with her fiancée, and is doing great in her nursing program.

We had a buncha drinks. We toasted a lot.

We’re fucking rich beyond measure. Just a great fucking night. Absolutely great.

You are doing life the right way. You and Mrs Brisket done good. 

[dcbc 14,496]

2 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

In Gothenburg now, to see the daughter - the ostensible reason for our trip…and it’s already turned into a helluva deal.

Our exchange daughter and family from Oslo have come down to spend the weekend with us all. And, as we’re standing in the hotel lobby greeting them, out from the corner pops our son - he snuck over on a cheap flight from Scotland, so he’ll spend the weekend with us too. His mom definitely cried when she saw both her kiddos together. They thought enough of us and of each other to plan this surprise.

Then, daughter shares with us that she applied to a grad program in Munich in her chosen field, and was just accepted (not sure if that’s where she’ll go, but she’s got options). She’s beyond excited.

Our exchange daughter just got her first apartment with her fiancée, and is doing great in her nursing program.

We had a buncha drinks. We toasted a lot.

We’re fucking rich beyond measure. Just a great fucking night. Absolutely great.

Buy a lottery ticket.  You're on a roll.  Cheers!

[ztejas 43,524]

3 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

In Gothenburg now, to see the daughter - the ostensible reason for our trip…and it’s already turned into a helluva deal.

Our exchange daughter and family from Oslo have come down to spend the weekend with us all. And, as we’re standing in the hotel lobby greeting them, out from the corner pops our son - he snuck over on a cheap flight from Scotland, so he’ll spend the weekend with us too. His mom definitely cried when she saw both her kiddos together. They thought enough of us and of each other to plan this surprise.

Then, daughter shares with us that she applied to a grad program in Munich in her chosen field, and was just accepted (not sure if that’s where she’ll go, but she’s got options). She’s beyond excited.

Our exchange daughter just got her first apartment with her fiancée, and is doing great in her nursing program.

We had a buncha drinks. We toasted a lot.

We’re fucking rich beyond measure. Just a great fucking night. Absolutely great.

I've seen this movie. It's usually direct to Netflix/streaming featuring some B and C listers and called something like "Weekend in Oslo" or "The Blue Dragon". Shortly after this there's either a horrible natural disaster or multiple members of your family are kidnapped. You then have to enlist the help of a grizzled local to set things right again.

It's going to be a tough road - but don't worry - everything turns out alright in the end and everyone is richer for the experience. 

Just wanted to give you a heads up. 

[Grasshopper 4]

15 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

In Gothenburg now, to see the daughter - the ostensible reason for our trip…and it’s already turned into a helluva deal.

Our exchange daughter and family from Oslo have come down to spend the weekend with us all. And, as we’re standing in the hotel lobby greeting them, out from the corner pops our son - he snuck over on a cheap flight from Scotland, so he’ll spend the weekend with us too. His mom definitely cried when she saw both her kiddos together. They thought enough of us and of each other to plan this surprise.

Then, daughter shares with us that she applied to a grad program in Munich in her chosen field, and was just accepted (not sure if that’s where she’ll go, but she’s got options). She’s beyond excited.

Our exchange daughter just got her first apartment with her fiancée, and is doing great in her nursing program.

We had a buncha drinks. We toasted a lot.

We’re fucking rich beyond measure. Just a great fucking night. Absolutely great.

I rarely post on here, but I've really enjoyed reading about your travels. We have two girls of our own and are taking them on a trip this summer from Belgium to Lofoten (Norway) this summer. We'll even be in Gothenburg for the country's 400th anniversary. I hope we can create memories with our kids just as you are doing now. Thanks for sharing your adventures! I look forward to hearing more.

[Brisketexan 105,178]

Some Gothenburg street scenes. This morning, it was me…and four women. There was a LOT of shopping.




And the second part of our Norwegian family arrived, bearing Norwegian chocolate - our favorite.

[Brisketexan 105,178]

More street scenes and shopping that y’all will appreciate.

[Brisketexan 105,178]

Went out to the daughter’s flat today (finally go to see where she lives). Of course the Swedish bus decided to stop the route out there halfway because a traffic signal was out…and he didn’t feel like working anymore. Sweden is the Nordic Mexico.

Anyway, picked up picnic supplies and hiked out to lake Delsjön from her place.

[Brisketexan 105,178]

Walpurgis Night - in Gothenburg, that means the Cortège, a wackadoo parade of makeshift vehicles and parade floats made and manned by all the local college students. Oh, it’s also the king’s birthday, happy bday Carl Gustaf.

Some of the scenes from the Cortège:

(Shit, nothing will load. Will update later).

[Brisketexan 105,178]

[Brisketexan 105,178]

In Stockholm for a coupla days now - said goodbye to the kiddos yesterday and hopped on an afternoon train (reduced schedule because of May Day, so we had to take an interregional, not inter city, which meant no food or drink aboard for 4.5 hours. We shared a bag of Smash snacks for dinner). Had some actual food at the hotel late, then slept in for a morning. Gotta do that once in a while.