Estonia has far too many beautiful blondes. And most of them have tattoos. Now that I have that out of the way, let me also tell you that Tallinn is an enchanting medieval city with an old town that exceeds even Vilnius in its breadth and lively activity.

Nestled into a beautiful park, the old Hanseatic fortress and walls surrounding much of the old town are more than 2 1/2 meters thick in places and date back to the 1300’s. Perhaps because Tallinn has become a Baltic cruise ship stop, the city is full of organized tourist groups, many of them oriental. None were staying at my humble hostel. Fearing another thunderstorm, I elected to spend the same fee that camping demands for a bunk in a clean but crowded accommodation called Freedom 65 Hostel and Caravan. I had a very hot and stuffy small room which I shared with nine other men of various ages, nationalities and body habitus. It was like sleeping in an aromatic sauna. I guess there really wasn’t a whole lot of sleep, really. Mostly aroma.

The ferry to Helsinki was a 10-story powerhouse that was only one of the scores of ferries that ply the Baltic between these various northern countries. In less than three hours, I was in Finland and randomly followed a couple of disboarding motorcyclists just to see some of the city. Tiring of that, I followed trolley tracks back into the center and enjoyed a mocha at a cafe overlooking the cool green esplanade park.  This turned into my base of operations for Helsinki, as I discovered easy access to the mens room. This is an important piece of early reconnaissaance in any new place. It just makes me feel “at home.”

Finland itself was a lesson in history. And gastronomy. The hotdog stands in the market sell cream of salmon soup that is not to be missed. And moose meat pies. And reindeer burgers. The people of the area go back 9,000 years but it seems most of that time someone else was trying to take charge. Over the past 500 years, that’s been the Swedes and the Russians. Finland is one of Europe’s least populated countries with most everyone living in either Helsinki or Tartu. In parts of the north (Lapland) the density is only about one person per square kilometer. The Sami people who inhabit the far north are made up of several indigenous groups that I hope to learn more about as I get closer to their territory.