Hi everyone. Time for some more photos now that we are staying at a family friends house and can use a computer. Since I last wrote we left Riga in Latvia - a place I totally fell in love with. Headed north through Estonia to Tallin - another beautiful Baltic city, but much smaller than Riga. Caught the ferry to Finland, stayed in Helsinki for a few nights then drove further north to the town of Imatra. And our little corsa made it here! It is looking a bit worse for wear but it made it! Now we just have to [View Full Entry]

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At 4.30 today Joonas and I walked down to the harbor and met up with at least 30 of my rotary men boarding two big yachts! We got on the smaller blue one with Jappa driving, and boated (or would you say sailed..even if we didnt have a sail?) out to Omena Saari (literally "apple island"), for my rotary meeting! We had makkara (sausage) and all the rotary guys drank a lot of beer, and we went to sauna and Joonas and i played darts and explored the island and the beach! It was an absolutly perfect day and night, even [View Full Entry]

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After a LONG day of shopping for summer clothes in Turku with Doro (germany) I rode my bike town to lonasluoto where Joonas was in charge of teaching some sea scouts how to sail in those little one man boats! I was taught also and raced the little scouts around the bay! [View Full Entry]

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Well yesterday we rolled into Imatra. The little Vauxhal Corsa did it! All the way from London to Imatra in Finland, despite the long miles and the German bollard attacking it, the car brought us safely here. We have just had a few fun days in Helsinki with Roy and Mari, who lucky let us stay at Roys' place (he has a great cd and record collection-nice for me!). Helsinki hostels are very expensive. But these two lovely people let us stay and showed us the bars and sights of the city. Saw lots of live music, some good, some... not [View Full Entry]

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Today Joonas came over around 12 and we went picnic shopping together, then he went home to grab some supplies, and I ate a special fish lunch with the family. At 1 Joonas drove Anette and I to Turku where we met Markus at the Lily on the river where he works, and sailed out to Vepsä island for the day! [View Full Entry]

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I finally arrived in Turku, after approximately 24 hrs of traveling. Along the way, I picked up a flu and a blocked ear. All within the span of 24 hrs. On the first impression, Turku looks very much like a deserted town, with very few signs of life. Perhaps is the "late" hours of the day, after all, I only arrived in Turku at 4:00pm in the evening. According to my Finnish colleague, the Finnish people normally tend to spend their time indoors, in restaurants, etc, hence the relatively few people on the streets. At this time of the year, the [View Full Entry]

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Marshall and I had a really relaxing week in Finland, Chase on the other hand was worn out, bruised, but very happy by the time we left. We spent 8 days in Finland so that Chase could study with one of the world's foremost medieval sword fighters. He trained all day on two saturdays in workshops with other students, trained privately each mornng, then again at the sword school for about 4 hours in the evening. We stayed in a little cabin in a campground on the edge of Helsinki, which was pleasant. Marshall and I had plenty of time to [View Full Entry]

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Today I went into school at 11 then at 11:30 met up with ten American 14-17 year old guys! Basketball players from New England! With two volenteer coaches, and Scott, the man in charge. I introduced myself then guided them to lunch. We all ate together until the other students started arriving, then they all split up and we put one at each table! They gave some presentations in a couple of our english classes, then we headed back to the trailer where they left their bags and the adults, and the guys came with me down to the harbor! We [View Full Entry]

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Last day before leaving I hate packing, I'm not done get and I have been doing this the whole day. [View Full Entry]

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Aamuja nolla! Voisin tässä hehkuttaa ensin kymmenisen riviä, miten hyvä fiilis nyt on, mutta se taitaa olla sanomattakin selvää :D. Ihmeen vähän jännittää lähtö, yölläkin nukuin ku tukki. Ulkolämpömittari näyttää 6.5C, joten kukaan ei saa nyt ihmetellä miksi lähdetään "kauniista Suomen kesästä" pois Thaikamaahan. Tehtiin tossa vielä viime hetken hotellivaraus Koh Taolle, Charm Churee Villaan. Toivotaan, että ko. hotlassa olis vielä tilaa meikäläisille. Krabilta ei olla vielä hotellia varattu, koska aikataulut ei ole täysin selvillä. Lisäksi ollaan kuultu Krabista ja Ao Nangista aika paljon haukkuja, mutta ite se mielipide pitää sitten muodostaa :) Viime vuonna esimerkiksi minulle varoiteltiin kovasti Pattayasta, että [View Full Entry]

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