Tallinn, Estonia was fascinating. Took the ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki and right over to Tallinn, only about 1 hour from Helsinki.

I had a really good meal on the old town square and marvelled that this was under the control of the Soviet Union only 10 years ago. I was always fascinated by the Soviet Union, it is one of the reasons I went into Political Science. I wondered what it would be like tolive there. At the square, I also marvelled at how quickly they have figured out how to make those fancy meals where you do not get much food. However, it was one of the best meals I have had while on the trip and actually did fill me up.

Since I am winging it these days, too tired to plan everything, I could not find a hostel in town. I took the local bus20 minutes to a new hostel in the middle of all of the old Soviet era housing. The whole system has changed and I am sure everyone is very happy about that, but the infrastructure is still the same for the most part. I am sure it will take a while for everything to change, which should be expected. I was just surprised, because I could still see what it would have been like to live under Soviet control.

I met a very nice girl in the bar one night. We had actually ridden in on the train together. She answered all of my questions about her life under the Soviet system and today. She said, before, they had money, just nothing to buy. That has changed. There is some tension between the Russians and Estonians however because the Russians do not make the smallest effort to learn even Estonian greetings.

They are kicking me off the internet.