Thursday June 8th arrival atthe port for Stockholm. This city sits on a group of 14 islands ofvarious sizes with very clean tree lined streets. Like Copenhagenthere is a large number of roads lined by rocky outcrops and alongall roads an array of pubs and bars, some with English names.


The health system here is different tomany other Baltic states with a cost of some $ 20 per day to stay inhospital, housing costs to rent are based as a percentage of yourincome with reviews every ten years.
Petrol is at 1.4 Krona per liter andthough the Krona is still the national currency many transactions,particularly for tourists, takes place in euros.


The major place of interest is the Skyrail dome, the largest circular building in the world. This is usedfor a number of activities such as Ice Hockey, concerts, soccer andmany others. It has along one side two very large circular clearglass globes. These run up along rails to the top of the dome. Eachglobe can take up to 15 persons to the top where it sits for aroundfive minutes.
The day was clear and the viewspectacular looking at Stockholm from a birds eye view at 360degrees.


Apart from this the city is not unlikemany other capital cities with a commerce center and industrialareas. The locals all very pleasant and willing to assist tourists.
Shopping areas not dissimilar to thoseof other European countries with a plethora of souvenir shops.
A pleasant enough city but not one withany historical evidence of note. Though throughout history this hasat times been taken by other countries for some time. The wholeBaltic region is intermixed and many locals can speak enough of otherstates language to get by.




Friday June 9th we arrivedat the port for the city of Tallin.


A short drive to the centre throughsmaller roads but as clean and impressive as all the previous ports.There is across all the Baltic states a great pride taken by thepeople, all very keen to keep their cities in good order.


The capital of Estonia, a small nationof 1.3 million people 400,000 in the city and a 3.5 hour drive N/S orE/W to the borders.
Until the break up of the USSR in 1991it was just a state of that group, but now a free nation.
It was from here that Peter the First/Great came. He lived in a wooden house which along with many othersis still there today. Kept with pride by the locals as part of agreat history surrounding the country. Peter the Great was later tobecome emperor of Russia in the 1700's, a fact of which the localsare very proud.


Across the old town where cobblestreets still abound there a range of trams and trolley buses aspublic transport. Health and education are free and there is anidentity card system similar to the one in Switzerland. With this youcan bank, vote on line, book a GP appointment on line, a librarycard, clock on card at work and so many other activities.
Estonia is also the country where SKYPEwas invented and developed.


The old part of town, with so manyhistorical houses, was at one time used exclusively by the Germanelite. It is a country with a very mixed background being over thecenturies part of at time, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Russia.
Evidence of this mixed heritage isevident in the style of houses and national buildings many made ofimported stone and rock.
A number of great churches all withlong histories of the Lutheran religion, parks and gardens kept inpristine order and a waterside of exceptional quality.
Here education and health care arefree, but at a price, high VAT and taxes to pay for it, but thelocals are quite happy with the system.
The average wage here is in the orderof E1,000 per month with petrol at E1.18