[from Mike] At about 10am on Sunday, Mountain time, we’ll be boarding an overnight train with sleeper-cars that will take us from Helsinki to Rovanemei in the northern region or Lapland. This will be pretty cool – especially for the boys because Rovanemei is just inside the the Arctic Circle (no, we’re not talking about […]
Estonia, new and old
[From Beth] Today we had an early start, with a flight from Bremen, Germany, to Tallinn, Estonia, and a ferry ride back into Helsinki. We had hoped to stow the luggage for a few hours and walk around Old Town again, but the process of getting a shuttle from the airport to the harbor took […]
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On the move, mit bier ….
[From Beth] Serious travel day today, which when you’re on a train, is so much more comfortable for all involved than cramped in a little car, hopped up on Dramamine and Dr. Pepper. First, we had a few hours this morning to tool around Amsterdam more. We looked at the line for the Anne Frank […]
Ambling through Amsterdam
[From Beth and Mike] Today we were able to rally early for our three-hour train ride into Amsterdam. Upon arriving, we bought the kids pre-lunch snacks (see how we’re learning?) and then were able to tackle the how-to-find-street-signs and whether-to-take-the-tram-bus-metro-or-canal-bus questions without breaking into fist-a-cuffs before an official lunch. We had lunch kitty-corner from Westerkerk, […]
Bruxelles, beef and beerskis
[From Beth & Mike] This morning we elected to take a later train to Belgium than expected since all of us appeared to need the extra sleep. When we arrived, we had the benefit of Saara and Mike’s exceptional navigational skills to get us from the train, through the subway, to our hotel without mishap […]
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Where they packed all the cathedrals into one place ….
[From Beth] So after a two hour flight from Tallin, Estonia, to Bremen, Germany, followed by a tram ride from the airport to the train station and a two hour train ride through the picturesque countryside, we arrived in Cologne (Koln), Germany. Mike stepped out into the sunlight and said something smart like “I wonder […]
Sightseeing in Helsinki/Tallinn
[From Beth] This morning in Helsinki was gorgeous. Mike and Colin headed out at about 5 am to scope out breakfast bars (dang, jet lag), and by the time the rest of us got moving, had found a nice buffet with all local, organic foods AND a gluten free toast for Jack and Saara. We […]
Getting to know you …
[From Beth] Before the kids hit their final wall for the evening, we managed to go out for a coffee with Henna, our-soon-to-be-third-exchange student, and her parents. Saara tells us the tradition in Finland is to eat dinner at 4:30 and have a coffee and small snack later. This was late enough (6:00 pm) to […]
Touchdown, Helsinki
We’ve arrived! But after 30 hours of no sleep, we’re not quite ready to hit the town.
132lbs and sleepless in Boise.
[from Mike] Eight hours before we leave for the airport. I’ve spent several weeks trying to figure out how to minimize our luggage, and I’ve gotten it down to eight smallish carry-on’s and one checked bag. Total weight is 132 pounds. That’s for four people, so I’m satisfied. If we left all the gadgets (cameras, […]
