Live from a cruise ship somewhere between Finland and Sweden...it's Becca's Blog!

Well, I'm on the first cruise of my life...alone.  It's actually not bad.  I just didn't think my first cruise would be a solo cruise...the whole nature of cruising just seems to be something you do with family and friends.  


BUT, I got a steal of a deal...a two night cruise from Stockhom to Helsinki and back and I only paid 31 Euros...TOTAL.  So who cares if I'm alone...31 Euros for a cruise is just a deal I couldn't pass up.  Especially with a Euro only costing $1.25 nowadays.  It's a good time to be an American traveling in Europe.  I never thought I'd see the day.  A big thank you to Greece and all other corrupt people/countries for bringing down the Euro.  Or whatever did it...I've been without FOX News to inform me of current events for a few weeks now so I could be way off.  


Anyway, as I'm on my first ever cruise I thought I'd share a couple of important tips I've learned while cruising.  

First of all, and probably the most important is: When on a cruise NEVER flush a banana, bouncy ball, wine bottle or old-fashioned liquid prescription bottle down the toilet.  That is a recipe for disaster.  

Important lesson number two:  Do not shave with an electric shaver while showering.  Yes, there are many fun things to do on a cruise which may make you want to double time it in the shower, but don't.  Take your time getting ready and be safe.  Cruise activities like: watching the drag queen show (there is one currently going on...I'm unfortunately missing it in order to blog), going to the sauna, stuffing yourself on a smörgåsbord dinner, and playing the slot machines can wait.  

So, why is this cruise so cheap you're probably asking.  Well, first of all it probably isn't the nicest/biggest/luxurious cruise ship ever...I wouldn't really know though since the only other time I've ever spent a night on a boat was in the Amazon, and that was kind of sketchy. 

This is the real reason the cruise is cheap...

Two words: DUTY FREE.


So basically, if I understand it right, taxes are so high in Finland and Sweden (and I'm sure other places in Europe too) that people come on this cruise with the main purpose of buying duty free items...and I guess enjoying themselves a bit at the same time.  Seriously, according to my guide book, 95 percent of the people on board with me are either Finns or Swedes just going over to their neighboring country for a day or two to stock up on duty and tax free stuff.  Actually, the ship has to make a midnight stop in the Aland Islands (which are somehow a part of Finland that's not part of the European Union) so that the whole duty free thing will be legit or whatever.


Anyway, I'm not sure I get all the technical stuff, but basically items, especially alcohol, tobacco, and cosmetic products (which are the highest taxed) are items that people cruise for.  And boy do they stock up.  If you look in the picture above you'll see a guy pulling two little carts full of duty free items.  Most people I saw were packing a whole lot more out then they came in with.  So thank you to all the Finns and Swedes for coming on board and loading up on alcohol so a free-loader like me can get a cheap ride...much appreciated.  


And just think...as our taxes go up and up as we get more and more socialist we may someday too see super cheap cruises to Mexico so we can buy our Clinique eye cream.  So, something to look forward to.  


Anyway, along the way you sail past some beautiful little chains of islands...some with people, some without.  Here are some pics.  

Anyway, I got to Helsinki, Finland in the morning, dropped my stuff off at my hostel and grabbed the first ferry I could catch to Tallinn, Estonia.  The one and a half hour ferry to Tallinn actually cost me more than my two night cruise to Helsinki!  And then I spent a wonderful day in Tallinn before taking an evening ferry back to Helsinki. 


Tallinn is a super cool city because it is a medieval walled city with a lot of Russian influence due to Estonia being part of the Soviet Union.  It is just a cool mix of different influences and different ages.  The people were all really nice and most spoke English which was good since my Estonian is pretty rusty.  

One of the entrances into the city...

They have a lot of pretty pastel buildings.  And really it's a beautiful city that communism hasn't left too big of a mark on.  I didn't see any big cement block apartment houses although I'm sure there are some.  

I had a most delicious meal at a place called Vanaema Juures, which I guess means "Grandma's Place."  Everybody knows that grandmas are good cooks so I figured I'd step in for lunch...and I wasn't disappointed.  The meal was only about $6.50 and even came with a glass of milk...grandmas are always trying to get you to drink more milk.  The waitress asked me if I wanted sour milk or regular milk.  At first I didn't know if I'd heard her right but then I was like, "umm regular milk please."  And it was delicious milk and I'm not even a huge milk fan.  So, the next time you're in Tallinn eat at Grandma's Place.  You won't be disappointed.  

And...Tallinn also offers archery lessons to willing tourists.  

I was actually kind of scared since the "archery lessons" consisted of two girls, who I'm pretty sure don't know anything about archery, in medieval garb "teaching" the tourist wearing the yellow cape how to be a master archer while several other tourists (including me) watched and took pictures.  I made sure to stay way behind the inexperienced archer-tourist man.  

Just a cool big medieval tower where real archers in the past shot enemies from.

Big old cool Russian Orthodox church... 

Me, in front of big old cool Russian Orthodox church. 

The Estonian Parliament building that is hooked right to part of the old city wall/cool tall tower.   

A cute little Babushka beggar just feeding the birds.  I gave her the Estonian equivalent of about a dollar and she gave me a big toothless grin back.  I'm such a sucker for little Babushka beggars...I just can't pass up a grandma in need.  

Just a little tiny Estonian street.  Rick Steves says that all driver's ed instructors should bring their students here...if they make it through the street with no scratches on the car, they pass the test.  Not a bad idea.  I'd also suggest Gibraltar as a great place to really see what a person's driving skills are.  I gained a great respect for my friend Kate and her driving skills on Gibraltar.  

Oh, I just realized that I haven't introduced you all to Rick Steves.  Basically he is the travel guru for all Americans traveling in Europe.  I love his books because he adds in funny little weird facts and also doesn't fill the books with adds for hotels and restaurants like some other travel books seem to do.  Everyone who has ever traveled Europe with me knows Rick Steves...I wouldn't go to Europe without Rick.  And we call Rick's books and all his info just "Rick".  "Rick said that we should eat at this restaurant." 

"Rick suggested that hotel." 

"Let me read you what Rick has to say about this site." 

"Where's Rick?" 

"Rick is  in my backpack."

"Dang, Rick was right about this ice cream."

...these are all things you'll hear my friends and me say in Europe.  

Anyway, here is Tallinn...it's a cool city.

This is a slightly crooked picture of Tallinn.  I thought I straightened out the picture but I guess I forgot to save my changes.  The city is not crooked...just my picture.

Me+Tallinn

Me with fellow tourist friends Hannah (from Finland) and JoAnn (an American living in Austria) who had Hannah as an exchange student several years ago and was visiting her and traveling with her.  They asked me directions from the ferry terminal to the town (Rick supplied me with that info) and I guess they thought I was nice and sort of normal because when I ran into them a little later they invited me to have coffee with them (don't worry mom, I had hot chocolate) and to finish touring Tallinn with them.  

Another entrance to the old part of Tallinn

I'm not a huge MickyD's fan in the US but while traveling seeing a McDonald's is like seeing an American flag waving wildly in a foreign land.  I mostly use McDonald's for the usually free bathrooms.  

I loved Tallinn...great weather, great food, great people, cool stuff to see.  I highly recommend it. 

Well, that's all for now.  Stay tuned...