Suitcase update

There are none. I've been wearing the same underwears (that is for Joanne) that I left home with. Just kidding, thanks to baggage delay insurance and H&M... my wardrobe is lookin alright.

Sweden is famous for....

1. ABBA
2. Volvo
3. IKEA
3. Tall blonds
4. Saab
5. SKOR bars
6. Elin Woods (Tiger's ex)
7. Meatballs
8. Alfred Nobel
9. Stieg Larsson
10. You tell me..what do you know about Sweden?

Muy Typico

Like I said, Francois has found some wonderful hole in the wall places to sample local delicacies. For lunch today, sandwiches (can't get those back home). Of course I stuck to the tried and true, the Edward special..ham and cheese on wonder bread. Francois was feeling adventurous (as always) and after consulting with the "chef" on what she would recommend and chatting her up for 10 minutes (three people actually left the restaurant because they could not order) he settled on the (WTF) raw salmon and pickle red onion sandwich (I would die if I had to eat that). I wondered to myself if the women had said, we typically eat donkey dung would he have order that sandwich? I don't even wanna know.

Do you think he enjoyed his muy typico sandwich from SIS Deli...(good luck reading the menu)


Note blond in the background...she must be allergic to wasps..she was eating outside with her mom and small child and I was watching them fight off a somewhat aggressive bug, it actually followed her around out front as she tried to out run it...too funny..she escaped with her life...just barely.

Situation Critical

The eighties alive and well in Helsinki. I am not sure if it is because people don't realize that the rest of the world has moved on and is now 2010...or....has fashion truly come full circle and now even Cory Hearts famous eyewear from his hit single..I wear my sunglasses at night..are back in style. I must find away to stop this from coming to North America...Mullets are back and so are these kids...Too cute..they even have their own band...I didn't dare ask if they where a Platinum Blonde cover band..

Ravintola Restaurant

I really like Helsinki and more news about that later. I just wanted to share our dinner adventure. Francois has done a wonderful job of researching fine eating establishments that are off the beaten track. They serve typical Finnish fare (think Novia cafe), in a rustic and homelike setting. At least that was the plan for tonight. After trying to get my way and eat a buffet of pizza, I agreed that Francois' selection made more sense. We took off walking (1.8kms), using our handy Nokia phone to point us in the right direction. The name of the restaurant had more of the highest point Scrabble letters than I had ever seen, and we finally came upon number 14 and it was indeed a restaurant called Ravintola (sounds Italian) and was not the place we were looking for. We asked a woman waiting for the bus and was told that clearly the place had closed down. So much for that, we turned looked at Ravintola, decided that we did not want Italian food and head backed to the center of town to find something new. On the way we saw several other Ravintola restaurants and I commented that it must be a chain? Strange.  Several blocks later we came saw a Lebanese restaurant called Ravintola Lebanese Restaurant, either the Italian chain is experimenting with middle eastern cuisine or perhaps.....Ravintola actually means RESTAURANT in Finnish!

Clearly these "experienced" travellers would not make it past the first pit stop on the Amazing Race. Come to think of it the next season should be starting soon.

Licking our wounded egos (and my greasy fingers) we stopped at McDonalds and I ordered myself enough Chicken McNuggets to feed the Finnish ski jumping team. What..I always order 20? Oh no that's Tim Bits...The Nuggets are actually called a Team Box...who knew...

Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm is like no other city I have visited in the world. It’s built on fourteen islands that rise gracefully from water so clean that you can go swimming or fishing in the very heart of the city (not sure that I would drink it…swim…hmmm maybe. Its waterfront is alive with boats, from ferries to shuttle you around the city to sailboats and yachts. Unfotunately we have only 12 hours to race through the sights. Stay tuned for how we make out.

This city was supposed to be the stopping point for our luxurious four day start to the holiday. Airline tickets booked months in advance, came time to book our accommodation at the Grand Hotel Stockholm and it's sold out...along with 152 other hotels in and around Stockholm. Hence the 12 hour visit.

Still, it was well with the visit, didn't get to the Ice Hotel or vodka bar. Will have to come back some day.

Stockholm, Sweden

Made it safe and sound, had a great trip. My suitcase decided that it needed a trip of it's own and is now in Tokyo, Japan.

Baltic Travel

Several people have asked why we have chosen to travel to the Baltics. I guess there are several reasons. Let me provide you with the top 10:

1. They have lots of beer (and it's cheap)
2. Tallinn was a stop on Amazing Race season 15
3. Cheryl gave us a travel book and the pictures looked nice
4. Lots of people ask why we're travelling to the Baltics
5. I likely won't meet anyone I know
6. They have lots of cheap beer
7. Under Soviet rule, the Baltics was a mysterious destination and you can still eat traditional cuisine in centuries-old buildings (they have great chicken fingers)
8. Latvia is still 44 per cent forested providing lots of opportunities to hike, canoe and spend time outdoors
9. Accommodation is cheap like Hakkliha-kapsahautis (Estonian borscht)
10. Lovely seaside towns, quaint country villages, forests, marshlands, longest beach in Europe, sand dunes, magnificent castles, pristine islands and cosmopolitan capitals amid medieval splendour.

Sorry there was no way to keep it to just 10 reasons. Our bags have been packed for almost a week. Thanks to our amazing friends, Megan and Ryan, Christie and Greg and Kristian who have agreed to look after Tekko and Mao, we have peace of mind that they will be well cared for.

Nothing to do now but count down the sleeps (two more) until we depart on Saturday morning for our first stop in Stockholm, followed by Helsinki then Estonia, Latvia and finally Lithuania.