boats, beer and some sweets

To get from Tallinn to Helsinki we were obliged to get on board a ship, as until now we have not figured how to drive the car along the sea bed. The trip across the Gulf of Finland is an experience. Bags and trunks full of alcohol a long queue of more or less inebriated Finns wait to get on board. The two hours that it takes to get from one capital to the other provides and excellent opportunity to have a few drinks and buy some more beer.

We started off with a cup of coffee but I didn’t make it half way through my cup before the voice next to me started its slow chant: ”can we now go to the tax free and gamble? Can we now go to the tax free and gamble?” In fact I was not sure whether we were supposed to go to the tax free or gamble but at any rate we started moving.

The first round through the shops was cheap – we didn’t buy anything. The second time we got few small chocolates and some liquorice. The third time around my brother and I decided to buy some sweet for the last drive (after all it would last a whole of 1hour). 1/4kg of chocolate and half a kilo of sweets should do the trick.

Then we hit the slot machines. I invested all my cash into the machines and lost it all. I did double it at first (hit an impressive sum of 3€40c) but then lost it again. My brother on the other hand left the spot five times riches than he was when we arrived. Oh, so annoying.

We followed the arrival to Helsinki through the font windows. Being silly me I opened my mouth and commented that the ship yard and industrial harbour were not the most beautiful side of the city. Apparently the harbour was moving further away from the city centre. As I continued the conversation by commenting that surely the ship yard would stay where it is I was told that in fact it was going to move to Lahti, a city far inland. The Caribbean cruisers, when finished would then be transported to the sea with big trucks. Surely I had seen the ships on the high way when driving from my parents place to Helsinki.

I was saved by the announcement that told all car owners to move to their vehicles.

By the time we go to the passport control, half of the sweets were gone.

But I do wonder how they get the boats under bridges…