Tallinn Harbour

Helsinki Finland

Today we woke to a glorious day without a cloud in the sky. After the somewhat grey days that we have been having it was a real joy to see the weather so improved. After an early breakfast we caught one of the huge ocean going ferries for the 80 km crossing of the Baltic Sea to Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia.

Each day a succession of these huge ferries (and I really mean HUGE) go back and forth between Helsinki and Tallinn. Each one carries thousands of passengers and a large number of cars and trucks.

AT first glance you would wonder why so many people would be travelling back and forth between these two smallish cities. It is worth noting that the entire population of Estonia is only 1.3 million. It is hard to imagine how such small populations could justify such a huge investment of money and shipping resources.

The answer to this puzzle is actually rather tragic. The reason why most Finns make the trip across the Baltic is because the price of liquor in Estonia is about 1/4 of the price in Finland. This results in huge numbers of Finns travelling across for the sole purpose of purchasing massive quantities of cheap liquor. They are not interested in tourism and when they arrive in Tallinn they go straight to the huge liquor warehouses to purchase pallet loads of booze.This is then loaded into car boots, trolleys, suitcases and anything else that can carry copious quantities of plonk. On the return trip back to Helsinki the entry ramps are clogged with these huge loads of booze ready to be transported back to Finland. Those who cannot wait to get home before getting drunk, hit the booze in Tallinn and then stagger back to the ferry to make the return trip in an alcoholic stupor.

This really does give an insight into a dark side of the Finnish society. Although the people are generally quiet and conservative, the nation has a huge problem with excessive drinking and alcoholism. This is one of their biggest current problems and, after our trip to Tallinn, we could appreciate something of the damage that this dependence has done to the Finnish population.

Apart from the shipping industry that runs on liquor, the time we spent in Tallinn was absolutely delightful. Unlike Helsinki, Tallinn has an extensive old city with a large number of beautiful medieval buildings. The cost of living is also much cheaper in Estonia so we were able to enjoy lunch and dinner at very low prices.English is widely spoken and the people treasure their freedom after the collapse of the soviet control. It is worth watching the fascinating documentary "The Singing Revolution" that documents the amazing series of events that led to a peaceful end to communism in this tiny country.

We arrived back in Helsinki about 10.30 pm but the bright daylight made it seem more like 2.30 pm.We are not even at the longest day yet but we already have 24 hours of continuous daylight. While this might be a novelty in summer, I don't think the long hours of darkness each day would make the Finnish winter much fun. Apparently they have a big problem with depression and social melancholia during the winter months.

Tomorrow we leave Helsinki and prepare to begin our bike ride.Read more