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Finland

Turku (see on map)

12/07/2006:

I have awakened because of the noise in the street, and opening the blind of the bed i saw that the boat from Stocolm arrived in the port. I have dressed immediately, I have dressed up minimally and I have gone out to the exit of the shipyards. After a while I have seen Alexandra, among the crowd, I have approached from behind and I have hugged .her

The re-encounter was better than we imagined. After sharing a long hug and after talking for a while , at midday we have come out to stroll in Turku.

It was sunny and windy, it was not as hot as in the former days, rather cold air. Turku develops around a river. there is a big castle, mediaeval, painted in white and with a beautiful interior post. More up, strolling for the side of the river you find some ancient boats, some very beautiful. The blocks of flats have some flowers and sea symbols of summer at the windows, and open balconies. I have also observed quite a lot of scale models of boats, it must be the pastime of the winter.

We have crossed the river with a small ferry, free, and more up we have crossed again on a bridge in front of the cathedral. Coming back, a boy asked us from where we were. Afterwards he has presented. Mormón, was an American. He tried to convince us with his religion, but in the end he observed that perhaps we will not get convinced and so he went away..

Turku continues being a very calm city. According to Alexandra, the Finns are very simple: the way to be, from dressing... Also the buildings. i would say that they follow a minimalist art.

While we strolled i kept on making photos and kept on writing some observations on a paper. I have been doing this for days, not to forget about anything that i wanted to comment in the diary.

In the afternoon we have searched a deserted beach near a road that according to the map passed between small peninsulas and islands. We have found the sea current for several dirt tracks, but none of them drove on any deserted beach, all they ended in different homes of wood, all open, without fences, and each one with a small port or small beach. Finally, asking someone, we have arrived to a beach and community port. But non deserted. We have parked there and we have strolled for the coast, but we have not had a bath ourselves, because the sun did not warm sufficient.

Norway

Nordkapp (see on map)

19/07/2006:

After a week in Finland full of lakes we have arrived at North.Kapp The "end of the civilisation", using words of Alexandra. To arrive it is a milestone, a fate, like rising to the peak of a mountain, but if you do not enjoy the path carrying out the effort is not worthwhile.

On Thursday, with the fixation of finding a deserted beach we still started to make path towards Tampere, where Friday we had to find some friends, a party of hospitalityclub. According to the map, halfway there were some lakes, and effectively there was very big one. We stopped beside a map where it indicated all the roades and the few beaches with an icon. I started to make a sketch of the map, but Alexandra suggested me to make a photo of the map and to keep on consulting the map from the digital camera as we circulated for the side of the lakes. In the end, after trying a pair of paths without exit we found the wished beach calm and solitary. We passed through it all day long, strolling, contemplating the landscape, working while the Alexandra went with bicycle, swimming while the Alexandra worked, and especially taking care of eachother..

Well, i didnt swim much, not because the water was dirty or cold, it was quite transparent and hot, but it was full with tiny translucent corpuscles, of colour green, that I identified as eggs of some fish or of some other animal. In any case, seeing that in some home aside there were some children swimming, I tried to swim, but when I penetrated more towards the middle , I started to sense some seaweeds that scraped me the belly and so I came back with anguish.

We arrived at Tampere mid-afternoon of Friday. At first we got lost a little, because at once, we lost the indications of Tampere and only because we had those of "Keskusta", a name that did not appear to the map. Finally, luckily, we deduced that "Keskusta" means centre. Later, we found the same indications in other cities and in joke we commented: "all paths take you Keskusta".

In Tampere we discovered that the office of tourism had connection to Internet so we consulted electronic mail and got in contact with the people of hospitalityclub that we had to meet later. After using Internet we strolled a little in the city, between two lakes joined by a river. The lake of the north is higher than that of the south, fact that provokes an ordinary fort of the water that since nineteenth century is used as an energy, at its beginning for the textile industry.

The party of hospitalityclub was very good, even though i did not stop being curious. When we arrived almost everybody was gathered in a big room, each one with a a sticker indicating the name and the origin. The presentations have been quite formal and cold. In total we were some thirty, the majority Finns, but also quite a lot of foreigners.

We were talking to quite a lot of people. A girl commented me that Finland has a prosperous economics for the ethics that imposes the Lutheran church: working a lot and little entertainment. Another commented me that in Finland they pay some of the highest taxes of Europe, they fear for the state of the welfare even so. At present they have a woman as a president and this is sensed, since for example they have many parks for children. A Polish girl explained in group that in the winter she was studying in Tampere and believe that all inhabitants had died. she had to come back this summer to see that it was not not at all like this. With another boy we touched the subject of the Swede, that is an official language together with the Finn, therefore is studied in school . Then I remembered in Helsinki and in Turku, the names of the streets being written in Finn and to under in small in Swede.

I commented with Alexandra that the majority of the Finns seem shy. few looked into your eyes, or simply speak you as if you had a ghost on your side. As a matter of fact, in a day when we were strolling Alexandra commented to me:
- The Finns are not turned for looking at the girls, contrarily to the Latin.
I replied maliciously:
- Either they do not look at them when they speak. As a matter of fact, I believe that traditionally, after years of marriage the man looks the woman and he says I "had not noticed that you were so much beautiful", or maybe not, because when they look many years had already past.

To the hospitalityclub meeting there was an Italian guy. Before speaking I deduced that he was Spaniard or Italian for the way how he looked at the girls, direct and seductively. Afterwards he became the centre of attention with his jokes and nice comments. I talked to him and I asked him for his opinion on Finns. He commented me that in the Mediterranean, the people are very warm and genial, but when you ask them for help everybody throws himself behind. You have many friends but they are really not interested in you. However, in Finland they seem very cold, but if somebody speeks with you it is that they are realy interested with you and especially, if you ask them for help, they do help.

After sharing a dinner with food and drinks brought by everybody and passed the long presentations, they offered the possibility to make a sauna, and the people (boys) started to stroll wrapped in towels in the room. I and the Alexandra went then.

The following day we remained with the same group to go by boat to a small island in the middle of the lake of the south. The island had beaches, playing areas, areas of rest, forests... We settled on a beach, where I swam a good while. The water was very clean although a little cold.Afterwards we had lunch and follow the conversations of the former day and finally we played a good while a match of volleyball.

In the island I took the pulse of the world to a Greek and to the Italian of the former day, anyway, for a technical problem with the camera of filming, I have only been able to visualise again a part of his interview and therefore to remember a piece of it.

Claudio said that the main problem of the world is represented by the wars. The United States is one of the main causers of this problem due to the unifying vision which they want to create. For example they want for you to make believe that the freedom is to be able to choose between Pepsi and Cocacola when really there are many other possibilities. The solution would be found in reading history to know the other points of view, reading more and seeing less television. The main problem of Italy is Papa and the religion that keeps them to the Mediaeval period. The tradition reduces a lot of individual freedom. Perhaps there will not be solution, simply Italy will change because in little time there will be more Chinese in Italy than Italians. He attempted to change his friends, for example showing that people can live alone in Italy, out of the comforts of the family. Claudio considers himself happy and with very good luck, since his parents have always let him act with freedom. he would be happier having a family. The secret of the happiness is the Pizza. I have commented him that another Italian girl, Anna, had answered the same question "the pasta". Is curious the importance that the Italians give to the food, especially as a fountain of happiness.

In the evening, or in the end of the afternoon (still it was sunny) we went with a few of the group to listen to some free air concerts , that the purpose of week there was a festival of music in Tampere. The concert was from heavy music, extremist, the people who wandered for there were quite rare, many tattoos, piercings, many girls clothed in Gothic. I remember Alexandra commenting me : it "seems that i am the only girl with black hair that doesnt wear Gothic or black".

During the concert I interviewed two Finns, without filming, only writing down. Jari, of 28 years and salesman of music commented that the religions had forgotten their essence. If they would recover at leat partially their essence, for example the friendship , many problems would find a solution. For example, Israel and Palestina,"because they can not be friends"?, he suggested. The solution would be on forgiving, also that it is in the essences of the religions. Him personally, attempts not to make things that he would not like to be done to him. In Finland he believes that the main problem is due to the globalisation: the rich people are every time more rich people and the poor people poorer, also the companies go towards more economic countries. Jari consideres to be happy because he does not take the things seriously and he believes that his small dreams will become real. He is not worried for being happier, perhaps tomorrow will be more. The secret of the happiness is to live the life how you want to live it and to have friends who accept you in this way.

I also interviewd Johanna, of 21 years and student of education. Johanna believed that imbalances that provoke wars, hunger, were the main problem of the world... The solidarity would be a solution and for example hospitalityclub can be a good tool for solidarity. She attempts to travel and to know and also to help economically. In Finland the people are not concerned enough with the other ones, they want to possess many material things. the solution would be appreciating the small things. She attempts to see world for understanding it. She is happy because she had a very good year , she has a good weekend, with friends, it is summer... (in the winter also she is happy). But she would be happier if now she could travel. The secret of the happiness is to appreciate more the things that you have than the things that you do not have and to live the moment.

On Sunday we started in the morning to go towards Oulu. We chose the path of the coast, shorter, anyway we could not see the sea too much, most part of the itinerary went between forests and meadows. The majority of the homes and granaries were from wood and generally were painted red, I suppose to recognise them among the snow in winter. Beside the road there were many bycicle lanes, with people strolling with bicycle, and many with skates and skates with poles, imitating the movements of the ski , as if they wanted to sustain the winter sports.

After having lunch I put gas, it surprised me that Icould servemyself without paying anticipated not even to leave any documentation, totally unthinkable in Eastern Europe East. As a matter of fact, it seems that in Finland there are few offences. Everybody behaves very well, you can observe it perfectly on the road, I have not seen any police in all Finland but nobody surpassed the speed limits or made a not allowed overtaking. For another hand, the homes that we have observed beside the beaches, are open, only protected by the glasses of the windows.

Monday was my anniversary (34th!). If it had not been for the Alexandra perhaps wouldnt have celebrated it, I do not respect the habits of my country. We were in Oulu. In the morning, while the Alexandra worked on computer , I strolled, in a small market in the street . I bought vegetable and salmon, it was expensive, but my anniversary deserved it. Afterwards I strolled with the bicycle for some parks of the islands in front of the port.

After having lunch and eating a piece of cake, I received a call from Barcelona television, I worked a little while Alexandra strolled by bicycle and afterwards went to find a girl of hospitalityclub that was playing volleyball with some friends. we talked a while with her. sHe commented that in winter she meets with friends, but not so much. Also they play different sports . Anyway for her the winter is a little depressive, even if its not total darkness, as I imagined , since the snow is very clear and also it illuminates. Then she commented that the northern dawn is very beautiful, but not frequent, only on very cold days.

On Tuesday, after working a little more, we went at noon of Oulu towards Rovaniemi. At the exit we found a couple that was hitchhiking and we decided to take them. They were going towards Sweden, therefore we took them a few kilometres. The couple was Russian, from a city in the Urals. Curiously also they traveled using hospitalityclub, the former night they had slept in a farm and as Alexandra said afterwards, it was sensed for the smell. We told them our itinerary and recommended us not to stop in the ,cities, that they are not so interesting and to enjoy more the landscape and the nature.

Sixteen years ago i visited Scandinàvia with my parents, by car. I remember my father being worried about arriving at Nordkapp or simply crossing the Bàltic to the North, since there were many kilometers and the journey was only for two weeks. Then we did not arrive to Nordkapp, even though I know how happy would have been my father. Now, while we were going to Rovaniemi, i had the same doubts as my father had . Alexandra was supposed to be in in Stockholm on the 25th ,and going to Nordkapp ment to make many kilometres in few days. But Alexandra had the illusion of arriving and also I has the same desire. Anyway, it was the comment of the Russians that decided us to go for it, since it did not matter to make many quilometres, since making them we were also enjoying the landscape and the nature.

The road towards the north passed under some low clouds, of many different types, which repeated in the next days. Alexandra had already suggested: "In Finland the sky is much lower", would be a bad country for the Asterix and the Obelix.

In the end we did not stop in Rovaniemi and we decided to continue the road towards North and at middnight we stoped to sleep near a lake. The last hour before stopping, the sun was going down slowly, reddish, shining to the horizon, next to the north. We laughed when near middnight we had to put on the sunglasses to be able to continue distinguishing the road. When we stopped, the sun had already gone down completely. I went out to make some photos and found curious that a man was still working at that hour. I imagine that while we slept the sky was red until the new sunrise.

Today we have continued the road towards Nordkapp. Yesterday we had crossed the arctic circle. Now the trees were smaller and the forests were less dense. All over there was some characteristic violet flowers. The road passed for the side of a river, very wide and calm. We have started to cross beside many selfcaravans and caravans, maybe one in the few ways in wich can travel for these latitudes. We have also started to find the first reindeers, at first with a lot of desire. Alexandra went out of the selfcaravan like a storm and the has well frightened them:).

Alexandra has been driving a while, a little insecure but it went well and i was able to rest and to finish deciding the road to Nordkapp .

In the morning the sun disappeared behind the clouds but we still had the intention of going to the Nordkapp with the hope to observe middnight sun. As we increased the latitude the forests have kept on disappearing. When we arrived at the sea of Norway, we were still 200 quilometres away from Nordkapp, the rocks started to turn up stratified, as if they were millions of pressed books. Among the rocks, low herbs, moss, and from time to time, some waterfall. Because there were no forests, we were able to admire the reindeers . Only the sun has resisted turning up, even if sometimes it illuminated in some far point of the horizon, as if he attempted to provoke us.

Contrarily of what you expect Nordkapp can be found on an island. To arrive there you have to go through a claustrofòbic tunnel of 7 quilometres and 212 metres under the level of the sea. On the other side there is a toll, with a cost for car and for person. In total we have paid some 20 euros.
We have arrived to the waited destination Nordkapp: a big car park of earth and rock (some 15 euros for person), where tens of selfcaravans and coaches were parked. We have gone out of the Hymer, resisting a polar wind and we have headed towards the balloon of metal representing Terra. Very far away, to the horizon some rays of light that wanted to demonstrate us the affirmations of scientists and other tourists were discerned: in spite of being half a night the sun still illuminated in those latitudes.

There were some tourists of the coaches that toasted with champagne. We took refuge again in the selfcaravan and celebrated this event in our way.

Sweden

Stockholm (see on map)

24/07/2006:

The following day in the morning, when we awakened, there were no buses. Interesting, hours and hours on journey to rest two hours on a point which they tell us is interesting for afterwards to come back towards south. Well, we were also one of these, even if we had spent the night there.

If on the former day there were clouds in Nordkapp, on the following day there was a freezing fog that invited every soul that was there to leave . Anyway, we devoted a while visiting the touristic facilities of the Nordkapp: a pair of bars, a shop of souvenirs, a Post Office (to send postcards with stamps of the place), interesting scale models of the first navigators and the oriel of the king, a terrace that it gave to the emptiness, to the nothing, in the fog. It was guessed that much more down there was the sea because of the powerfull noise.

Innocents! We thought that the toll was only from entry in the island, but no, at the exit we had to pay again the 20 euros. We went back on the same road some 200 quilometres and afterwards diverted towards the west, towards new Norwegian earth (Nordkapp is in Norway though), direction the fiords.

all day long has been raining. If it wouldnt have been for Alexandra, i would consider this a very sad day. In the afternoon we saw an image little common to my country: a fox with its baby on the side of the road.

During all day long we were crossing cyclists loaded of packages directing themselves towards Nordkapp in couple or alone . we commented that there is nothing that you can make of original and extraordinary in this world. In a certain way, now my journey started towards the Cape of Good Hope(Buona Esperanza), in South Africa . I will arrive in one and a half year. I have commented that i should make this itinerary on my knees and not traveling in selfcaravan, this would be worthy of being considered a goal to achieve.

The landscape of Norway seems of high mountain, with small glaciers under the pikes, deep valleys, in the form of U, provoked by ancient gigantic glaciers, luxuriant forests. The difference of other landscapes of mountain is that this is half swallowed by the sea. In this way, the water goes deep into the valleys, creating the so called fiords.

The night from Thursday to Friday we slept at the entry of a fiord. I put the alarm clock to awake the following day, after all to sleep more did not mean to have less sleep during the day.in the last weeks i felt like sleeping during the day. Perhaps it is a problem of breath caused by the alèrgy that I drag that in seasons is causing quite a lot of rhinitis.

Friday the nose was badly and tired of this situation I took a pill of antihistaminics. I knew that this pill provokes somnolence, therefore I attempted to drive arefully. Even so I had a small accident. It is curious, I do not remember to feel sleepy in that moment, only i had slow reactions. I clashed slightly from behind with a car which wanted to turn to the left. Only I produced a small scratch, but we made papers, because the girls from the car were Suïsses and had rented the car in Finland.
In spite of the small accident we followed the road descending of latitude. I do not know the motive, but it is surprising that more in the south, the mountains are more covered by snow or they preserve for more time the ice.

In the afternoon we have seen a piece of the rainbow in a sky without clouds, surprising. Afterwards I had another discussion with Alexandra. She was worryied not arriving in time at Stockholm to catch the flight back towards Romania, on the 25th, . But I was tired of driving and driving and not stopping to any place of interest, even though the landscape was wonderful. We found ourselves at the level of the islands Lofoten and I proposed to divert a little and to relax ourselves that afternoon there. According to my guide on journeys the Islands Lofoten are a place of indispensable visit (also according to the Russians that we took in Finland) but Alexandra said that there would be nothing interesting, and would be a waste of time.the pessimism and my tiredness made me contradict her and, we of course had the fight that was solved in the end.

Anyway in the end, we did not arrive to the Lofoten Islands. To arrive we had to drive some 250 km and we had to come back on the same road the next day. But we stayed in an island nearby Lofoten. In the office of tourism of the zone they recommended us to spend the night in the north of this island since in this way we could observe the middnight sun. And obviously, as in the Nordkapp we could not observe the astronomical phenomenon we spent the night near the sea in the north of this island. We had dinner and we strolled for the rocks. The sun was very high. Afterwards we watched a film with the open blind. At middnight we observed how the sun kept red, next to the horizon, but without disappearing.

On Saturday we followed the road towards Stocolm, we had 1400 km to make in three days, not a lot, but we proposed to drive some 600 the two first days, just in case.

From the island we took a ferry and we arrived on the continent on the edge of a fiord. I did not expect, but it was quite a big ferry and went loaded with quite a lot of cars, selfcaravans and some coach. The ferry stoped at the shore near the main road, during many quilometres we were circulating following the queue of vehicles that were on the ferry.

In the afternoon we crossed the border with Sweden and continued driving a little more in the evening, for the side of some very beautiful lakes . The same day we commented perhaps that it had been an error to go to theNordkapp. It is endeed a place very hard to get but desirable destination, but for another hand, this meant not to enjoy the rest on the journey , since we spent many hours on the road without time to rest and to visit the country. We also commented that we liked more Finland than Norway and Sweden. I think because we enjoyed it with calmness.

The following day we have been driving again 600 quilometres, on a road near to the coast, in very good state but very boring, since all time we saw only forests and small villages as landscape. Only a scare awakened us on the monotony. I killed a seagull! Yes, i was circulating at some 90 km/hr when a seagull crossed with the selfcaravan all of a sudden and it shocked frontally. I cursed the incident because it was the second time that i killed a bird, in two days . It is not necessary to say that I was driving with more prudence that was necessary, just to prevent a new accident , cause i felt like these birds are some sort of special notice. This event surprised me a lot, i had never heard that somebody had run down any birds. Though afterwards we started to observe that beside the road there were other dead birds . Maybe the Scandinavian birds do not have the gene that allows to avoid the cars...

In the evening, coinciding with the sunset, the road has become much more interesting, since we were next to the sea and some islands protected as Patrimony of the Humanity.

Today we have just arrived at Stockholm. During the road I have observed that along all scandinàvia there are containers of sand. Normally they are beside the road and in car parks and I thought that they use them in case of fire. Anyway, I have made the deduction too late, because i had thrown the rubbish once in these containers emptied of sand.

We have arrived at Stockholm in the afternoon and we have had a little time to stroll for the centre of the city. It has not been too much , but at least Alexandra has had opportunity to know the city a little. I will visit it with more calm the next days.

It was hot. The possibility to stroll with short sleeve has surprised us. Also I have remembered here it getting dark again, at least it becomes dark, unlike the former days.

25/07/2006:

This morning I took Alexandra to the airport. We have seen off with sorrow, because we have spent very good days together and we will miss, a lot. But tears have not fallen down, because very soon we will find ourselves again. We are inlove and there are some days since we have decided to travel together. From here in one month , we will meet in Poland and will be together for the rest in the journey in Europe and afterwards Africa, Asia and America.

We know that we will have to overcome quite a lot of obstacles, some regarding the life together. It does not stop being complicated to live together in such a small home. Moreover, I am a man that with time has become demanding even though the time has also teached me that it is not good to be like this. For another hand, Alexandra, is only 22 years old, is a little spoiled girl til now. I believe thatthe rest of the journey in Europe will be enough relaxed like to finish knowing ourselves and to adapt oneself enough, so that the difficulties that surely will appear to the rest of the continents can be resolved with facility.

Alexandra will sacrifice many projects to accompany me, even though for the time being she will attempt to follow her studies of law and of criminology at distance. She will leave the job, although she had thought to go to Prague to accept an offer of work . SHe will refuse this offer and many other projects that she wanted to complete. Anyway I trust that she will be excited by my project (she has accepted to help me) and by many others that will appear .

I have many desires to discover the rest of the world with her. These days we have been traveling with haste, without too much time of enjoying the country, the people, the landscape. But we have taken ourselves the necessary time to enjoying our company. The rest of the journey in Europe will be calmer, there will not be haste, only the appointment with the family and the sponsors on Christmas time.

26/07/2006:

Yesterday I parked the selfcaravan near the sea, in one of the islands of Stockholm, in front of other islands, creating the sensation of being in front of a river and not of the sea. I have been reading , thinking about Alexandra, missing .her. Afterwards, instead of working, as I had proposed myself some hours before, I went out to walk and to make photos for the promenade near the sea.

I observed many men running , making sport, however I saw less women. Afterwards I noticed on the street quite a lot of men with muscles, I suppose however, the women did not seem to worry so much about their body. It is an image very different of Ukraine and Russia. In Stockholm, it seems the freedom and the feminism changed the need of being attractive from woman to man. As I have noticed, cult for the body is also seen in many tattoos on men, and less on women. With all this I do not mean that the Swedes are not attractive, just that they are ostentative.

I also observed, as it described my guide, that Stockholm is a city with many immigrants, the majority of very dark skin, but few with African physiognomy. There are many Iraqi refugees. It is curious to think that in few centuries the population will not be Swedish blond. For the street many couples are already mixed.

This morning I have been working, writing newspaper, revising my work , calculating costs of petrol and quilometres... While it made this last work I have noticed the nonsense that I made with Alexandra: driving 5000 kilometres only in two weeks. Before this i made only 15000 in 4 months. Really i had planned badly this part of the itinerary with Alexandra, but we had desires to arrive at Nordkapp. From now the journey will be much calmer.

In the afternoon I have found a hamburger place that offered free Internet connection . I have been connected quite a lot and i also ate an ice cream. Afterwards I went back with the bicycle making photos with the light of the sunset.

Really Stockholm is a very beautiful city, I saw one of the most beautiful asset of the world according to my guide on journeys, according to them "the asset of scandinàvia", like this it announced at the entry of the city. Good part of the life of the city develops in the sea, calm among several islands filled and connected among themselvs Along the shores of the city you find boats in a row of one or of two. Many of these boats are ancient, of the last century or of XIX...I was making photos for one of these shores when I saw that it could be interesting to make a photo from a platform beside which there were two de luxe boats anchored. In the platform a door of entry had, sit-in, but in inside there were some boys crinking beer. I asked them if i could enter to make some photos and in a very kind way they opened me the door. While i opened the tripod a boy started a conversation . I made the first photos but noticed that the platform moved around, that it floated like a boat. The boy commented me that really it was like this. He also commented me that in the platform, under it in fact, they had the office, a company of programming. He explained that at first was a bit hard to adapt working with this light constant movement. Replying to one of my questions he commented that it is not strange to have a floating office. As a matter of fact there are many bars and discotheques anchored beside the shore, but also restaurants, some hotel, some residence of students...

The boy also explained me that Stockholm has two well differentiated parts, the one that is going round of the mainland and the one of the islands . From here the origin of the name of the city (according to him), "Stock" makes reference toearth, and "holm" means islands (in Swede).

30/07/2006:

These three days I have attempted to adapt to the new temporary situation of lonely traveller. But I have only wanted to adapt in a provisional way, since in approximately a month I will travel again with Alexandra. Really I have felt a little lost, without big desires to find people. Anyway I wrote to diverse people of hospitalityclub. A boy only replied me that in the end he could not meet me. Also I contacted a Spanish guy of Couchsurfing (definitively the portal works correctly again, even though now I use more hospitalityclub) who wrote in a message in forum that these days will visit Stockholm . Also he replied to me but he did in the end not present himself to the appointment.

On Thursday I devoted all the morning to sleep and to work. In the afternoon I went out to make several formalities: searching where the laundry that my guide mentioned was, to buy a protector for the camera (i lost it in Oulu, Finland), to buy some clamps so that the long trousers do not stick with the pedals of the bicycle (those that i bought from Spain, of plastic, had broken), to ask prices for the ferry from Stockholm to Tallinn, to buy a medicine for my nose in the apoteke . Afterwards I connected to Internet and finally I walked in the city a little.

Stockholm is a city with many bycicle lanes. There are less cars. As a matter of fact, I believe that at present you have to pay to enter in the centre of the city, but I have not paid, everything is in Swede and I do not understand it. I went with bicycle to the islands of Skeppsholmen, with some parks and a museum of contemporary art, and Gamlastan, where there is the ancient neighbourhood of the city, with narrow streets, pavements and homes that reminded me of the Germanic style.

On Friday I went in the morning to the laundry, while i waited i worked with the computer(I could curiously connect to Internet freely using the connection of some neighbour), two men and a woman who spoke Spanish entered. I asked them from where they were and they commented me that from Múrcia. I asked them if they were working in Sweden.- Sure - they replied to me - They go to laundry because they work, they do not go at all when they are on vacation. you also work?- Well, yes, I am doing something that I like a lot, so much that you could consider holidays.I commented them that i was making the turn in the world but it did not interest them at all, perhaps they did not believe me. They commented me that they were drivers of buses and the girl is a guide. I continued working and with this conversation all of a sudden I heard that they killed some bird and i asked them about the subject. They replied to me:- Yes, many birds are killed here with the bus. A day in a journey alone I killed six - and the gesture made: "plas", "plas", "plas"... of how he kept on crushing them. In Spain also they are killed, but less,

After the laundry I stopped to buy vegetable and fruits It was very expensive. The salesman seeing me foreign asked me from where i was. I said from Spain and he started to speak to me half Spanish, half in Portuguese. Also I asked him his origins and he told me that it was Iranian. I wanted to know a little more, then I seemed nice, but after he attempted to deceive me twice, first with the weight and afterwards with the change. yes, thousands of apologies after each error.

In the afternoon I was quite a lot of while connected to Internet from the laundry, Alexandra needed to talk to me and we were talking quite a lot of while using messenger. sHe is taking one of the most important decisions of her life, to leave everything for us. Naturally she needed support, to know that i really apreciate her, if i wanted everything to go well between us.

After talking to her I was a while more connected to Internet, outside then rained. I received an email from a girl who insinuated that I was traveling because, i search something that perhaps i could find in my country. I replied to her : I "do not believe that a traveler is searching for something when he is travelling, I do not miss anything, simply I feel that this is my life, travelling ".

In the evening I was thinking if i should go out to see the city in the night, cause it was Friday, but Alexandra was too present in my thoughts and in the end i saw a film.

On Saturday in the morning it was raining. Again was profitable to work, to write the articles for the newspaper a little more, to write an article for the 9nou... Afterwards I went to buy the ticket towards Tallinn. yesterday they did not have connection on Internet and they could not consult the bookings. But then there were no more tickets for the same day, therefore I buyed a ticket for Sunday. 175€, crazy! taking the car is expensive, but for another hand there are no seats available and they force you to reserve a bed, in a room with other people.

Next I connected to Internet to send the diary of Russia,translated also into English, because Alexandraa has offered to help me in the project as long as it travels with me and already we have started to collaborate. I also sent quite a lot of messages (mail and sms) to people from hospitalityclub portal, with the hope to find some Sweedish people for the last 24 hours.

In the afternoon I was reading. Later I went shopping in a supermarket, i had very few food left cause i was waiting to buy in estonia.. And indeed, the food there was less expensive. I was also hoping to be able to find a petrol station close to the boat cause also the gas was less expensive.

After booking the ticket I went to make a long stroll with bicycle for the neighbourhood of Sodermalm, with quite a lot of bars and night environment (how I checked out afterwards), the gardens of Djurgarden and the neighbourhood of Ostermalm,very calm.

no one answered to the essages that i sent in the morning. So I decided to go out a little, even if i was alone. I went to a club that was recommended in my guidebook. The half casual half modern type.

the music was low rythem and there was quite a lot of light but the people danced a lot,on the dancefloor, at the bar there were a lot of people talking. The people arround were very similar to the ones that i observed on the former days on the street: rather fat girls and boys of every type: musculats, big, Iraqi, black, bright (or not)... Yes, the boys touched themselves among yes to like the girls, it is the world the other way round, in my world the girls touch themselves to attract the boys. I do not know if its because i might be too inlove of Alexandra but there was no girl worthwhile. A boy started some conversation and commented me the same : " Stockholm is like a small America". At the entry there were two queues, one that was barred, encircled by a rope, in the other there were the people who wanted to enter. To the exit, the queue that was still encircled for the rope existed, full of people smoking. Of course, I have then noticed : it was the area of smokers, they have special places in public for smoking.

Today I have connected a while to Internet and have been wandering for a while, finally I went towards the dock from where the ferry was departuting towards Tallinn. On the way I have crossed with a small demonstration where flags of Lebanon flew and they called checkrooms against Israel. I have already been reading the headlines of these situation for days and its not at all encouraging for the world-wide peace and of the Half Orient.

The ferry that was anchored in the port and that was going to cross the Baltic sea was very big, , there were many cars queuing to enter. While i waited a cyclist loaded of packages has been stopped on my side. I have asked from where he was and he has told me that he was from Estonia. Next he has commented me that he had been making a small journey for Helsinki, Turku and Stockholm.

In the boat they have sent me in a room with a Russian, well,when he arrived in the room he opened a Russian television chanell and he has started to sleep. Also there was another tattooed boy who has arrived later. Anyway, I have not remained in this room, I went to see the exit of the boat.

Stockholm is completely a big city port and full of tourism, during the first half an hour I have been able to observe 4 big ferrys more, of different companies, which they entered or which went out from the port. Afterwards we have entered into a labyrinth of islands, sailing during quite a lot of hours before of going out to sea open. All islands, those that had a considerable size, they were inhabited. Some with simple homes and other that approached palaces.

In the boat there was connection in Internet wireless, and I have used it to talk a while with Alexandra. Afterwards, seeing that the Russian continued sleeping with the television at insain volume I went to reception to ask for a new room, with the hope that they gave me some empty room. Simply I have commented that one of the colleagues of room snored a lot. They have assigned me a room where they have told me that there was a normal boy. But in entering there I have found a couple, a boy and a girl, looking at the television, each one in bed. All three of us were looking surprised and I have then said: "I believe that I will search a new room". I have come back to reception and have asked if they could assign me one another room. They have asked me the motive and I have explained them my reasons. the boy of the reception told me that it was prohibited to share the room with a girl and he sent someone to check. He gave me a new room, this time for me alone. But I didnt go there, I waited for the couple to come to reception and to get new rooms rooms. i asked them for apologies offering them my room (with the hope that they had not assigned the boy my room of before). But it is seen that they had assigned to the girl one another empty room and everything was solved.

Estonia

Tallinn (see on map)

01/08/2006:

After fifteen hours of travelong with the ferry, at 10 in the morning the ferry arrived in Tallinn. The control of passports on the border of Estonia was very efficient, the fastest of all the countries out of the communwealth. Anyway, it is normal considering the big column of cars that was waiting on the exit of the boat.

I parked next to a church, near the centre. I didnt feel like visiting the city yet, cause from all the people from hospitalityclub that i wrote to, only a girl has answered saying that we cannot meet and another that lives outside the city said she could meet in the second day. This time i have also written to some boys but none of them showed any interest to meet.

So, I dedicated my morning to some reading and to buy something to eat from a supermarket. In the afternoon I went out to visit the city, on foot and calmly. I went up to the top part of the city, named Toompea. There is a castle or fortress, and also the location of the government. The nationalism that was breathed in the touristic description of the castle surprised me: "The strength always belonged to the foreigners until the 24th of February 1918 when Estonia was converted in an independent state", without mentioning afterwards the posterior integration into the Soviet Union.

The city offers a lot of touristic information, with maps and information in front of the main monuments. In front of the castle i found the orthodox cathedral Alexander Nevsky. I noticed the symbol of the cross on the domes. Recently i had read that in many orthodox crosses a half-moon appears in the foot, sign of victory over Islam. And indeed, that cross had it.

The castle and cathedral were at the beginning of the old city, with paved streets, new churches, medieval homes, with big windows, inclined roofs, light colours... From some places a very good sight could be enjoyed on the rest of the city. Exactly at the foot it followed the same old city, also walled and more to the background it started the new town with some buildings and chimneys of factories that fought over the height.

Down, the old city followed the same line. In the centre there was a big square with a Gothic town hall in the center, dominating with its beauty the whole square. Tired to walk I entered in a church where they were about to perform a concert with org and voice soprano. I stayed a while, the woman sang very well, but the org seemed been out of tune or the man playing the org did not touch it too well.

At night, after showering and dining I went to drink a beer in the old town. I took a book and I kept reading. I am reading a book on health of the traveller, very useful to travel to underdeveloped areas with more safety, even if it doesnt provide a safety of 100%, and it can turn you into a hypohondriac.

This morning I made a long turn by bicycle, towards the north of the city, for the side of the sea . In front of the port there were some interesting ruins of a convent and inside a botanical garden. I did not have any reference about the botanical garden, but as it was mentioned in the map of Tallinn I went in this direction. The garden was pretty, very neat, but had very few information of the trees and plants that were inside.

In the afternoon I have been reading a little, resting after the effort that i made in the morning, when suddenly, thinking what i could do afterwards I have decided to go out of the city (after all i saw almost all) and to visit a nature reserve at about 60 km in the east of the city, that according to my guidetour was very interesting. Before I have stopped to put gas oil and to buy in a supermarket and next i drove these kilometres till the information point of the park where I stopped and spent the night.

Primil (see on map)

02/08/2006:

In the point of information of the national park of Lahemaa they have recommended me a couple of itineraries that went by near the coast, one could be made with bicycle and the other one on foot. In the end I have preferred the hike. The path went through a pine wood, at few metres of the sea. The sea, and also the forest, was full of rocks, some very big to which they put names. The girl from the information office had commented me that these rocks were originary from Finland.

I have dedicated most of the excursion to sharp my hearing, to try to collect all the noises that surrounded me: my crossings on the sand, on the pebbles, on ramillas, on the moss, on the mainland; the noise of the waves; the wind between the leaves and the trees; some birds;...

After a couple of hours of walking I have arrived again to the Hymer. Then I went with the selfcaravan to another point of the park. After contemplating some rock I eat something, worked a little, cleaned the home and left towards Primiläe, some small village in the south of Tallinn where Anna, Vladimir, her husband, and Eric, their son of four months, waited for me.

Anna is of Russian origin, five years ago met Vladimir through Internet and now lives in Estonia. Even if Estonia is independent of Russia she cant stop feel sorry about the discrimination towards the Russians, in fact a high percentage of the population is of Russian origin. In the cities and in the west of the country it is spoken quite Estonian, but in the east the Russian is spoken quite a lot, even if it has stopped being official.

Anna and Vladimir have also told me that the people are not too nationalist, nationalism is rather a feeling that they try to make the politicians remmember. In fact, they said that the independence was not obtained, but it was rather given. During the collapse of the Soviet Union Ieltsin declared its independence from Russia (ironic, not?) and from here the rest of republics were created.

I have asked them about the other Baltic republics and they have told me that the Lithuanians are very open people, resemblance to the Italians; the Estonians are close to the Finns and those of Latvia are a mixture.

Vladimir is engineer and works for the state controlling the engergy company. They have called him while he was complaining about the little industry that there is in Estonia, because the occidental companies prefer investing in Asia, even if in Estonia the salaries are also very low. He had to go to Tallinn to solve a problem of energy supply. According to his wife it is a bad job for how small amount of money he receives. They have great expectations on a work interview that soon they will have in London.

Anna has prepared dinner while she let me use the Internet connection, afterwards we have continued the conversation while she tried to put to bed her child. Finally Vladimir came back. I told goodbye to it because tomorrow I will leave at noon, probably that it returns, and I have them i will sleep in the Hymer although very nicely they offered me a room.

Parnu (see on map)

03/08/2006:
When I have awake I have worked a little. Afterwards i went to the house of Anna. I have connected to Internet while she took care of Eric. We have been speaking a little about the work of a mother taking care of her son. she had some paintings exposed on the walls. I understood that she had done a course of paint during the pregnancy with the expectation to be able to paint during the first months of having the creature. But Eric needed her much more than she thought.

Mid-morning I have taken the pulse to the world with Anna. Anna was convinced that the main problem of the world are the emotions, the refusals. The people should know how to control these bad emotions. she tries to accept all the world and cant imagine doing bad things to people. The main problem in Estonia is also represented by emotions that the politicians use to act against the Russians that share the same earth. The solution would be in knowing and having friends on both sides. She could not make anything to solve the problem because it is too much implicated with the Russian feeling and better not to act. She is happy because she has a charming family and that is sufficient for her at the moment, but she would want further on to develop as sociologist. The secret of the happiness is to feel safe, to accept the errors of the past since these have also formed you as person and to look at the future with a smile.

At midday Vladimir came home because today he was working near the village. We are together and been talking about journeys, Russia, the time... It has surprised me that he said that in Estonia it is much colder than in Moscow, it seems because the sea its much closer. Asking them for the Public Health of Estonia they told me that the waiting lists in Hospitals are very long but that if yu pay you pass to the first of the list. I have found it unfair but on the other hand they try to prevent the corruption, since the state charges this money, and the private health is made less necessary.

In the afternoon I have started to go towards Parnu, not too many kilometres. All along the road it has been been raining. The landscape was undulated, with the fields mowed down, forests, villages... An image similar to Russia, but much more lived. I have observed some storks hunting i suppose insects or small animals.

Along the road I have tried to look for a gas station with public toilet, to empty my chemical toilet, but i had no luck. At the information center of the natural park there were some public toilets, but the girl that was taking careof them didnt want to open when i told her that i needed to empty my WC .>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>... she told me about another place but again i didnt find anything.

At the entry of Parnú I have found other public toilets. I have entered with the box my WC but the woman that took care of them refused to empty it there, arguing that it would make smell too badly. I have asked where i could empty it and has answered me that where i wanted, but not there. I said that if i emptied it outside i would be contaminating but she has turbed her back to me. I have gone towards the Beach of Parnú with the expectation to find other toilets. And I have found them but they were locked. I needed to empty the WC with urgency and observing the sand of the beach, abundant, white and fine I have decided to dig a hole this night, far from the sea, and to empty it there. My mother gave me a folding shovel before leaving, thought that i would never use it, but this would be the first time.

Parnu is the capital during summer, but the small city seemed a little dull. It was drizzling, it was a bit cold and there were not too many people. I have decided to visit it on the following day in the morning although I have walked on the main avenue through the beach, big and with some facilities for the tourists.

I have locked myself up in the selfcaravan and I have started to read. At night I have looked at a film. Towards midnight I went out for a walk and to inspect the ground for the operation to "empty the WC". But the surroundings were not too much deserted. Music was listened in place next to the beach. I have approached. The music was interesting, rock, and the interior of the location seemed quite animated. I went dressed casual and without shaving since some days ago, but I have decided to pay the entry and to be distracted a while. The group was playing very well. They told me that they sang in Estonian and that they were one of the most popular of Estonia. The people danced and the girls screamed. in the middle of the concert I have started to admire the place while i was finishing my beer. Then some girls from a table have made me signals so that I approached. They had seen my aspect of lost foreigner.

The girls seemed nice and I stayed with them. Afterwards i realised that they were very interesting. Both worked to the Red Cross and had just returned after eight months helping the victims of the earthquake that was in the Cachmir, in Paquistan. It was at the end of October and there had been 80.000 dead victims. Veronica was from Estonia and in short time was going to work in Chechenia during a year, also sent by the Red Cross. Anna was from Belgrade, Serbia, and basically worked in the office. I have told her that i have been in Serbia and that I had liked Belgrade a lot and she very happy.

We have been talking a lot about the work and experience in Cachmir, very rewarding at human level, but quite hard. They worked since they got up until they were going to sleep, but it wasnt so hard taking in consideration the urgency that was required. On the other hand, although they tried to be professional sometimes they could not repress the tears when listening to the stories of some survivors who had lost everything, including the family.

I have commented to Verónica,that I also wanted to work and to travel with an ONG after my studies, but i was worried not to find work after some years working as cooperative abroad. she has commented me that she does not worry about that, since after working some years in the field she thinks that will be able to develope a work more bureaucratic to the same Red Cross or in another ONG.

Afterwards we have spoken about Islam in Cachmir and in Paquistan. Anna commented that she worked with jeans, although above it had to take a dress that covered all of it. Anyway, she always refused to cover the hair. On the other hand they explained that outside all are very religious and puritan but that afterwards, there is also at home the homosexuality, the prostitution and also that they drink alcohol a lot, even if it is difficult to find.

After the concert they have convinced me to go a while to a club to dance and also in the morning to university of Tartú, the second city of the country.

Tartu (see on map)

04/08/2006:

I have woken up at ten. I went to inspect one of the toilets that yesterday were closed and now were open. Without asking I have emptied my WC and solved the matter. A little later Veronica and Anna came to see me. They have told me that they wanted to go through the city to have a walk with bicycle and as I had not visited it yet I have. A group of four Portuguese came with us. Veronica and Anna met them in Tallinn two days ago.

We have been going over Parnú, witch is a pretty old town, while vetonica kept commenting on all the points of interest. she explained that after the Soviet Union Parnú is more renewed and colorful, before they did not worry about the aesthetics. Afterwards, walking for the side of the beach she has commented that in winter the sea is frozen and that then you can go by car up to some islands, across temporary roads, although circulating with the doors opened is recommended just in case the ice breaks.

I have asked Veronica on the nationalism in Estonia and she has contradicted Anna de Primiläe me. SHe has told me that the Estonians are very nationalistic. In Estonia live a million Estonians and half a million of Russian . They are two societies in a same country, which are not mixed, each with its bars, its way of dressing, its language... Anyway there are not conflicts.

At half a day we have started to go towards Tartu. The Portuguese have also decided to come. I have taken two in my car and Veronica and Anna the other two.

The Portuguese are very nice. They all were working but were friends from university, studying commercial and management. They were sharing fifteen days of holidays visiting the Baltic countries and tried to know girls. I have asked them for the situation in Portugal and have commented me that economically are not too well, that there is a lot of unemployment worsened by the delocation of companies, who go towards more economic countries.

During the road, Verónica wanted to show us a big home or germanic castle, cause during many centuries they were under its domination. SHe has also wanted to show us some swamps that we didnt find and in the end we have gotten lost on dusty roads. But finally, after helping to one guy injured and after four or five hours (instead of two) we reach Tartu.

I have with the Portuguese who had a small hotel room. I useed the internet connection of the hotel and interviewed one of them, Marcelino, afterwards.

Marcelino said that the main problem of the world is at present in the middle east, the solution will come too late and it will be complicated. But Portugal and Spain had also been in conflict a lot of time ago and at present are countries in a very good relation. In Portugal the main problem are the politicians that they worry only about themselves. They should work more for the people. There is too much bureaucracy. Marcelino feels happy but he would be happyer if he did not have to work, although that is impossible.

Afterwards we met with Veronica and Anna and some friends of Verónica. I have been talking with a boy who had been traveling four months in Asia. He has told me that he traveled alone and that finally the longing made him return. Now he will start to work again of administrator of systems. I have also talked with an Ornithologist. I have commented to him on the accidents with birds in Scandinavia but he didnt known how to explain the cause, apart from telling me that in Estonia it is one of the countries of Europe with a higher number of birds. Then he explained me that the storks eat frogs, this way I have understood that yesterday the storks walked through the fields on a rainy day. Finally he commented me that also in Estonia, as in many other countries of Europe, it is said that the storks bring the children. But it is not said that they come from Paris, as it is commented on in Spain.

In the pub where we stayed I have interviewed Anna, Coliu, the boy who had been traveling through Asia, and Veronica.

Latvia

Riga (see on map)

05/08/2006:

As soon as I woke up,(was late), I have started to work using the internet connection of the hotel. Basically I have been writing the journal and organised an agenda with all the contacts that had answered me through the website Couchsurfing from Riga, Vilnius, and Warszava. This time had answered me quite a lot of people because i had written in time. I had the full agenda to meet with all of them. Anyway I will be able to meet only with few of them because Alexandra has written to me little before ending up wondering if it was possible to meeet this Saturday the 12th in Krakov instead of 16th. Naturally I have said yes, that as soon as possible the better.

Before going out towards Riga, my next destinación i gave a small turn through the old town of Tartú. Yesterday i saw a nice square with an interesting statue in the middle of a fountain and wanted to take a photo, anyway the light was not so good.

I have crossed the Latvian border with no problem. The same landscape and the road have continued without interruption. Have stoped to a gasstation and i saw that they selled gas. While i waited an allroad car has loaded the deposit of gas. Afterwards I have asked whether they could load my campingaz and the boy has offered nicely, but he did not have any adaptor to load them. Victor Lapenko from Ucrania had already commented me that it had been complicated to find an adaptor to fill them.

From Stockolm that i tried to use the minimum of gas, basically showered myself with cold water and had the fridge almost empty and to the minimum. In Stockolm i had looked on Internet convinced that campingaz would have a distributor, but there was not any. The next distributor following my route was in Warszava. Anyway i had the expectation to be able to fill before the carboys in some country of the ex Soviet Union, as Víctor had done. But I have gone to all the gasstation that I have kept finding through the road and none had an adaptor that could go well.

I have entered Riga and I was surprised thati circulated during eight kilometres through a street until i arrived to the town centre. Anyway, I have read afterwards that the population of Riga does not arrive to 1 million of inhabitants. It has also surprised me, unlike Tallinn, to see quite a lot of cars of luxury. More wealth, or more difference among rich and poor is seen.

I have parked in front of the French embassy. It was late, eleven, too late to meet with the Portuguese, anyway I have gone to walk a while in Riga and to drink a beer. It has given me the sensation that the night was very orientated to the sexual tourism. Similar to Budapest and to Sofia, with different bars of striptise, but here it seemed more concentrated. Afterwards I have started to drink a beer in a pub and it has seemed to me that the girls tried to hunt some boy of advantage (foreign or with money) in a quite direct way, thing that i had not observed in Budapest or in Sofia. Anyway didnt want to know any of them and have remained with the desires of knowing whether they were prostitutes or simply hunters of fortunes.

I have returned early to the Hymer. On the street there were many young people (boys and girls), many Italians (or of similar aspect) and very happy people. Anna from Estonia had commented me that the Lithuanians were like latins or Italians and the Latvians between. I will see whether the Lithuanians are more sociable...

06/08/2006:

This morning I have been visiting the city,which is calm and clean. The historic centre is very pretty and interesting, protected by the Unesco. It is full of medieval buildings, of different styles, bright colours, inclined roofs, big chimneys, big windows with multiple divisions sustaining the crystals of smaller measure. Also there are several churches and cathedrals of different confessions. I have stopped in one Catholic where they were celebrating a mass, in that moment the priest was walking among the faithful ones spraying them literally with a small broom impregnated with blessed water.

Before returning to the Hymer I have entered to the museum of occupation of Latvi that showed all the sufferings of the Latvians (and also Estonians and Lithuanians) during the first Soviet occupation (1940-1941), the German occupation (1941-1945/45) and the second Soviet occupation (1944/45-1991). It described the first deportation in 1941 to the fields of works extended through all the Soviet Union, 15000 people, of which 1200 were children of less than 7 years. Afterwards they suffered the German occupation with the extermination of the Jews and the repression of the population in general. In 1949, 10000 of them suffered the second deportation, with 43000 people, children smaller of 16 years, and also some few that had managed to return from the first deportation. Seeing the exhibition I started to wonder whether the Soviet Union would have survived so many years without the concentration camps, without these slaves of the modern times. They worked without pause, except the days that the temperature was inferior to 41.

The exhibition also showed the endurance that there had been for all that time and the demonstrations prior to the independence, for example the human chain in 1989 of two million inhabitants joining the 650 km of Vilnius to Tallinn passing through Riga. This exhibition has contradicted Anna and Vladimir from Tallinn cause they said that the independence has been given to them, that they had not obtained it.

At midday i met with Kristine and some friends in Jurmala, a village near Riga, with many health resorts and with a very long beach (32 km) of white sand. Definitely one of the main points of summer holidays of the Baltic. But Kristine and her friends were there for a different motiv. In Jurmala there is a home named Undine, point of meeting of hipies, artists, musical and alternative in general. We have met there. The home seemed delighted, full of candles, sculptures (many of dragons), old books, musical instruments, many craft, walls painted by the artist of the moment, calendars of eight months painted in the ground (it is seen also that there is one mysterious ninth month)... To outside there was a concert with different groups of folk and alternative music.

There were quite a lot of people and the motiv of the meeting and the holiday was to celebrate the last day of the burning fire. It is seen that traditionally, from this date and for 27 days fire could not be turned on, not even the candles. The motif? They have not known how to explain well, but it seems that it is not needed the fire when its hot and the light disappears late in the night.

We have arrived to the beach crossing a forest. There, Kristine has told me that the beach is for her a shrine, a church. when she was Small she believed that God was behind the horizon. While we got wet on our feets I have asked her if the Latvians were very nationalistic. she has answered me that no, anyway her friend Joanis has been in charge of contradicting her afterwards. I have also asked her whether Riga had been converted in a destination of sexual tourism and has answered again me that she believed not, although last year was commented it was being like this.

After the concert we layed in the grass. They seemed to be bored, what to do next and then asking me I have suggested to interview them. not so enthusiasts to be filmed but they have in the end accepted. Anyway I have kept the feeling perhaps i should not not pressure so much to do the interviews, and like this i would make many less...

Kristine opined that the main problem of the world is the cruelty since it is the cause of the majority of problems. The problem could be solved if the people had more heart. Personally, acting with love she thinks that could inspire the others in a way that there was less cruelty. The main problem of Latvia are the politicians. sHe thinks that the current ones are not too good . If the politicians were younger there would not be this problem, anyway she would never enter the policy. Kristine is happy, because she lives in the correct place and the things that succeed are good. she would be happier if she accepted more the things that happen to her, even the ones that would want to change and can not be changed. The secret of happiness is to be positive and open. she does not like too much to travel because despite knowing cultures she does not like the discomfort.

Joanis said that the main problem of the world are the politicians. In fact he is not interested in policy. the main problem in Latvia are the relations between the Russians and the latvianos, which wanted to kill eachother. It would be better if the Russians lived in Russia and the latvianps in Làtvia. When asking him if it could do something to help in the solution has commented that, not because he doesnt have nuclear armament. Joanis is happy because he has all that he needs and could not be happier. The secret of happiness is music.

After the interviews I have suggested them of taking them to Riga by car. Afterwards I have parked again near the centre, have dined and have stretched a while before working a little. But I have not woken up earlyer than ten. But I kept being tired and I have decided to continue sleeping until the following day.

Lithuania

Vilnius (see on map)

07/08/2006:
when I woke up i felt weak, ill, with aching collar. I have taken an ibuprofen and I have kept sleeping up to ten. Then I have already felt perfectly well and gotten up to start to work. arround two i had already just written the journal, an article for the 9nou and went to connect to Internet in a bar to send the journal of Scandinavia.

Immediately after I have started the road towards Vilnius where mid-afternoon there was a meeting with people from couchsurfing and hospitalityclub. I have been late more time because in Estonia, in Latvian and Lithuania there were some roads in work. In some of these roads there were deviations for secondary roads, others had traffic lights that alternated the circulation in both sides, and the rest were simply slow.

on one of the secondary roads of Latvia i was stopped by police for speeding. The policeman in no moment has given signals of being corrupt. he has informed me about giving me a fine and i should wait fifteen minutes. - Fifteen minutes? It is a lot! - It is the protocol. these fifteen minutes are a measure against a driver that goes faster,is a good deterrent measure]>, more that the 30 € of fine that he has put me. He has told me that i could pay the fine in Spain if i wanted.

I have crossed the border with Lithuania with no problems. The borders among the three Baltic countries only have a control of police unlike the majority of borders that I have crossed until now, which have a control of the country of exit and a control different to the country of entry. The three Baltic republics seem well coordinated in this sense.

I have arrived at 8 to the meeting. There were quite a lot of people, some Lithuanians (basically girls) and some foreigners (only boys, some of England). We have been conversing of journeys, of Lithuania and a little of everything. Afterwards we all have gone to the house of a girl that hosts to two boys, to continue the meeting and conversations.

There I have talked with a girl who had been in the Basque Country in Spain and explained that she did not understand that some Basques wanted to be an independent state. Without wanting to create controversy I answered to her: - I do not understand how you can think like this living in Lithuania, a country that after many years of occupation is independent. - But Lithuania some centuries ago already was an independent state. - Also the Basque Country was an independent state many centuries ago. Anyway, I also told her that i did not think that the nationalistic feelings were too many good ones in general, since they provoke many wars.

Later I asked an English whether there was a lot of sexual tourism in Vilnius. It commented me that no because according to her the sexual tourism was to go to Thailand to be with girls of 15 years. But afterwards she started to explain that there were many bars of striptese and that in some discotheques only foreign boys went because there were Lithuanian girls, very attractive, ready to sex for a night. I did not deepen too much in the subject but I kept the sensation that the situation were similar to the one that I lived some years in Kenia. In the clubs of Kenia there are many girls ready to share the night with you, some are presented you directly as prostitutes, others do not mention the money until the next day in the morning that they ask you some coins to be able to eat, and the rest are simply open to the sex with the expectation to enchant you and like this to be able to access to the developed world.

Despite being Monday, some of the boys went to Brodway, the club most hated by the girls that are ready to offer their body for a night. I stayed to sleep in the selfcaravan. in a while i will be with my darling Alexandra, besides, the day after i wanted to work and to visit the city.

08/08/2006:

This night a drunk man up has awaken me. he was knocking the door. I have opened the window and asked him what is happening. The man did not seem to speak English. With face expessing pain and suffering he kept touching his nek while he muttered something. Finally I have told him that i could not help him and closed the window. But has kept knocking the door, then I told him to leave, first calmly, screaming afterwards, and finally, screaming with the activated alarm. he has returned later, has knocked the door more, has started to move the selfcaravan and has even tried to untie the bicycle... while I let the alarm. he left late, but I have finally been able to sleep again.

In the morning I have woken up with pain of collar again and taken another ibuprofen. It has been raining and I have made use to write. Afterwards it has stopped and I have met with some of the boys of yesterday, a Spanish (of Madrid) that has left after little while, a German (Florian) and an Australian (Brett). We have gone to visit the city in company of two girls of the meeting of yesterday who were the guides.

The city is interesting although the grey day has accompanied us. It is a big old town, medieval. In the south of Europe, the medieval architecture is dark, coarse, based on the seen stone. But here, as in the rest of cities of the centre and north of Europe that I have visited until now, the medieval architecture is luminous, with big windows, painted walls...

One of the girls that has accompanied us was historian and I asked her whether there were conflicts with the Russians in Lithuania. she has explained me that no, partially because in Lithuania the Russians are only a small minority, unlike Estonia and Latvian. On the other hand they have integrated perfectly to the society and there is not the hatred that I have observed in some other part. It has surprised me even to see through the city a boy who wore the typical T-shirt with the initials of the Soviet Union (CCCP). Well, it has surprised me because Lithuania was also strongly repressed during the Soviet occupation.

The same girl has explained that in Lithuania there is a lot of pagan tradition, and for what I observed also in Latvia. she explained that formerly in the tradition people killed a virgin before building a building, to give luck. Also there were some sects that killed children in mysterious ceremonies. And it seems to be really like this, because in one of the churches that we visited there was an old inscription in memory to these murdered children.

We have visited one castle at the top of a hill, from where there was a very good sight on the cathedral and the rest of the city. As it went down, Florian has explained why the stairs of snail go down in the contrary meaning of the needles of the clock. The reason is simple, if you have to defend the stairs from above with a sword you will be able to knock better by being on the right side.

We went to take a beer and to eat a little cheese in the Independent Republic of Uzupis, a neighbourhood on the other side of the river, full of artists and of alternative people that it has proclaimed the independence from Lithuania. Even they have its own constitution hanged in one of the walls with articles of the style: "All the world has the law of loving and of taking care of cats"; "all the world has the law of being happy"; "all the world has the law of being sad"; "all the world has the law of celebrating, or, not the anniversary"; ...

Florian is very comical, sometimes, even, made you die of laughter. Brett accompanied from time to time. They had a little extravagant humour, sometimes using plays on words which I did not understand. On the other hand, they also from time to time kept the compose and maintain interesting conversations.

Towards the night I have said goodbye to them a moment to go to connect to Internet and later looked for them again with the intention of going out through the city to drink something. i brought a bottle of vodka from Russia and a bottle of orange juce and we have kept drinking it during the walk, basically me and Florian. I was well but after few minutes most of the alcohol had already passed me to the blood. We have entered to Brodway (the famous club) but I already started to have the symptoms of the worst drunkenness of my life. I have installed myself near the toilets, but I have not concerned myself to go inside to vomit. Finally a boy of the guard equipe has caught me and taken me outside. I have rested a while. Afterwards I have started to go towards the selfcaravan where fortunately I have arrived without more problems.

I have not had occasion of getting aquainted too much with the human fauna of the club, but the atmosphere seemed similar to that of Riga. There were many local girls and many foreign boys. Anyway it did not seem to me that the girls were as despaired as at the description that I gave of Kenia, but they are a lot less poor here.

Poland

Warszava (see on map)

09/08/2006:
I do not know what was the time when I went to sleep, but I didnt awake so late. I didnt have hangover, my good luck, cause i never had. Yet I was a little tired and the neck was hurting me again. Ibuprofen down. I have had a shower and I have started to drive towards Warszava.

At the exit of Vilnius I have seen a boy who was making autostop and I have stopped. The boy was going towards the south of Lituania, in a different direction than me, but I took him for a while until the deviation of the roads. We didnt had too much time to speak but he has commented me that he studied graphic design.

Mid-afternoon I have arrived to the border with Poland that I have crossed without problems. At the exit there were two girls making autostop and I have stopped. I have told them that it went towards Warszava and they have said already that it suited them. Once inside the Hymer they have explained me that they were from Vilnius and had come out the same day with the intention of arriving in few days to Portugal where they wanted to drink a bottle of wine.

At first they have not offered much conversation and I either have forced it, cause they seemed tired. One of them has been sleeping quite a lot . After a pair of hours they have already livened up a little and they have started to chat, Ola and Milda were their names. Ola spoke English and but Milda no. They have explained to me that they wanted to study art and interpretation.

We advanced slowly for the Polish roads. The Polish roads have a lot of fame of being terrible, but I have not found them so much,but the same as in the three Baltic republics there were many stretches in works that were slowing a lot.

Towards 9 i got hungry and I have stopped. I have offered them macarronis and they have accepted. I did not have anything else to cook because I have not solved the subject of the gas yet and I do have the fridge at a minimum of temperature and it is almost empty . It is incredible but its been two weeks since i have been using the same carboy. I expect to find a distributor from Campingaz in Warszava. Afterwards I will stop to a supermarket and will buy everything.

I have added a jar of tomato sauce and two cans of tuna in the macarronis. I asked if they liked the tuna before adding it, but the tuna was not good even though I had tasted it and it seemed good. But before starting to serve Ola has asked if the macarronis had fish. I have answered that yes and then she has told me of her allergia to every type of fish. I have regretted it but I have not been able to offer her anything else. i have eaten all the macarronis with Milda, who said that they were delicious, even though they were not done so good.

We have started on the road again and then Ola has opened up a little more, not too much. As a matter of fact she has commented that she does not like to talk so much. I have told her that if she does not like to talk it was because she was afraid and that the fears were not good. She has asked me: - why are the fears bad? - I will reply you with another question, you consider that the freedom is good? The fears do not let you be free. - The complete freedom would be unbearable. - Because? I have won many levels of freedom by doing this journey and i feel happier like this. Of another hand i could not have done this journey if before i had not lost many of the fears that i had. From the beginning already I had noticed that Ola had some illness or allergy that affected the skin of her hands. sHe attempted to hide them under the thighs, bending the arms, in the jumper... One sign understandable but evident of her fears.

They have explained me that they had intention of sleeping in the meadows, in a sleeping bag and under a plastic if it rained, without tent, -it is too much expensive- they had suggested. I have proposed them to stop in some meadow to Warszava before entering, they would sleep out as they planed, and me in the Hymer. The following day i would take them in the direction towards Berlin. They have found idea very good and we have made it like this.

10/08/2006:

I have had to awaken them cause I did not want to start on the day too late. In silence, they were half asleep, we have crossed Warszava and I have left them in one of the exits towards berlin. Next I have come back towards the centre where I have parked beside two selfcaravans with registration of Italy. I have been writing a while and I have gone out afterwards to walk.

During the second world war Warszava was devastated, 85% of its buildings were reduced to ashes and half of its population died. So, a beautiful ancient, mediaeval helmet, protected by the Unesco, can seem strange in a city like Warszava. The case is that the ancient neighbourhood was reconstructed as it was before the second world war and the rest of the city also, but with buildings of communist style, even though now also big modern buildings are raised, for offices and hotels.

The ancient neighbourhood seems older than it really is, cause it was not rehabilitated since its reconstruction. Many tourists , many Catalans and have Spanish. I have asked some tourists who were from Sabadell to consult the map. Afterwards, while I prepared myself for making a photo, I have heard the comment in Catalan: "watch that this boy does not take you in the photo". I suppose that it is normal being August to find many catalans visiting poland.

In the afternoon I have taken the bicycle and I have visited the only building that is still in ruins after the second world war. In 200 metres there is an impressive Monument to the Uprising of Warszava, a monument that could not stand up until the end of the Soviet ocupation of Poland, since it does not stop being a shame that during the uprising of Warszava the Russian troops found themselves at little distance and instead of helping in the population they expected that the rebellion was suffocated by the German army.

I have gone towards the south of the city where I have visited the contemporary art gallery Zacheta, cause on Thursdays it has free entrance. There was nothing out of normal to draw my attention . A technical aspect that they used for the lighting of some pictures has only impressed me. In a dark room they sent a bundle of rectangular light on the picture that they set forth, coinciding exactly with the frame , so that the picture seemed to have own light. I suppose that it is a technique that I will be seeing to other exhibitions all over the world.

In the evening it had to meet with a girl, but she didnt come to the appointment. Then I have gone to stroll bars, youth, some club of estriptise and a discotheque alone, for the shopping centre of the city, full of restaurants, directed at students (they offered discount with identification card of student!), but I have not entered there because i was very tired of walking and cycling.

Krakow (see on map)

11/08/2006:
Tomorrow Alexandra arrives to Krakov, I wish to see her, I miss her, even though probably she has missed me more. I saw interesting things every day, i made new friends, however she had given back to the routine daily, to a work that did not fill it in and that kept it far of me. But two weeks ago she decided to resign and today its her last day of work. she left in time to take a train towards Budapest and afterwards a bus to Krakov,where she will join me in my journey, I hope that until the end,i am sure that many problems will appear but i hope we will know how to solve them with communication and patience.

I had intention of arriving in Krakov this afternoon or evening, anyway, instead of pointing south direction i have directed towards the northwest, in a village 70 quilometres away called Plonsk. The same as in Làtvia and in Lithuania, in Poland also I had stopped to gas stations to see if they could load the carboys of campingaz with gas. But none had adapter, the nut of the carboy is of 1,6cm and the adapters that they had were of 1 or 2 centimetres. Like this It has been everywhere and i thought that Victor Lapenko of Kiev commented me that it had been complicated for him to load them, but he did not explaine which type of complication it had. Anyway, in the web site of campingaz they specified on having a distributor in Warszava, well, in Warszava not, in Plonsk.

I have arrived at Plonsk and I have shown the direction of two gas stations, to some workers, and a driver . Each one has sent me to a different place in the village. But in the end, I have ended up in front of the searched company. I have asked to some girls at the reception and they have told me, to go more in the back to the warehouse. . I have asked a boy and he has told me that they did not have refills. My disappointment has been immense, but I have attempted still to exaggerate it more in my face. -are you sure that you do not have some? In the web site of campingaz they said that you have. - Not, we do not have. - Do you not have any adapter to load the carboys? - Not, we only have some smaller carboys. I have asked him to shoethem to me, just in case. I have followed him in the warehouse. Warehouse of what? I do not know it. Of pieces of junk! In a big place there were three metres of plastics, sacks, boxes, devices (new)... Also some shelves, almost empty. The boy has taken over the plastics, sacks and boxes and gone towards a shelf. I have continued attempting not to fall down . In the shelf there were 5 or 6 products of campingaz, not more.none that could serve me.

I have stopped the fridge, the nearby distributor is in Prague and at least I expect to be able to cook from time to time before arriving there. Now yes, I have started to drive towards Krakov, on secondary roads. Many of the roads of Poland have a curious characteristic, the asphalt has rut, probably deformed by the weight of the trucks and for the bad quality of the asphalt. You have to watch in the circular , because this expels you out of the lane or of the road. Anyway they are fixing them in many stretches and this has been a problem to arrive in Krakov.

I suppose that Fridays in the afternoon many people go out of the city to enjoy the end of week and the roads are more busy, but if we add the works that they make, as a result we come to great queues. in a moment in order to make two quilometres I had to wait half an hour. Then I have decided to stop in a service area and I have started to sort the selfcaravan and to make space for the luggage and the cloth that Alexandra will bring. In the evening, the cars were still stopped. I had dinner. At night though it was the same.

Finally, at eleven of the night I have decided to come back to the queue, after all, tomorrow probably also there will be queues. While i was stopped some 30 or 40 prison vans have passed on the road. i thought that they would free the queue, but they have also come off caught up. And when I have achieved to go out after an hour and three quilometres of course there was no trace of the police.

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