07.18 Here we go again. I just woke up at Christer’s place, had a shower and breakfast. It has begun for the seventh time.

08.29 At the station. Not the train station as usual but the bus station. Christer has tried but failed to buy a newspaper.

At Sundsvall’s bus station. It has begun.

13.53 We reached Stockholm. We are at café "Flipper" in the corner of Olofsgatan and Olof Palmes gata. Christer is feeling dizziness after riding backwards for 4½ hour on the bus. Not much to choose from but we had coffee and a cake each. We also met Christer’s sister and nephew for a short while.

15.33 We just had dinner. It was eaten at Pizzeria Milano on Regeringsgatan. Those travelling this year is Christer and I who will go backpacking and Roger with his cousin Magnus who will go to Tallinn and back. Roger and I won the tickets to Tallinn when we went there in January this year.

15.56 We are currently at Bus 1 heading for Frihamnen. Something tells me that this is just the first of many buses this year.

16.57 We just checked in! I received 300 kronor as we checked in, I wonder why? Never mind, we are after all in cabin number 7604. Time to gather some strength before…

A meeting in Stockholm’s archipelago.

18.52 Just came back from the sundeck where we drank Saku, an Estonian beer. Next its time for the quiz show in the show bar. I wonder if we can win another trip?

19.46 I had 7 points. To win you needed to have 7,5 points. First it felt bad to loose by such a tight margin but all felt better after they announced the price ; a bottle with candy. Magnus won a price for runners up; 300 gram of Estonian chocolate.

22.38 We´ve just been exploring the ferry. This trip brought us to a café where we had a sandwich. Next its time for a beer.

Monday 20th of June

00.30 The ferry is reaching Mariehamn and Åland. We are in one of the pubs one the ferry. Roger has tried to ask something about the arrival to this island by crying out "Åland, Håland, Vråland" to the bartender. This guy replied by showing Roger Åland through the window and asked if he was supposed to get off there.

01.10 Time to get some sleep!

09.00 The mobile phone just awoke us from the kingdom of Morfei. Time to wash the face and body before we have breakfast. A breakfast that’s included in the ticket we won.

10.24 We just returned from the breakfast. There sure was a lot to choose from there. We are half an hour from Tallinn’s harbour or "sadam" in Estonian.

ESTONIA

Roger and Peter marching towards central Tallinn.

12.17 Just checked in at the first place of this year, City Guesthouse at Pärnu mnt 10. It cost us 300 kroon/ $ 24 per person. We got here after a swift walk through a summer warm Tallinn. It feels a little strange since we are used to visit the town in the winter.

12.54 Seated at the pub Ölle Torn, The Beer tower. The four of us just bought a beer, called Pärnu Ölu, each for 15 kroon/ $ 1.2. We are enjoying it as we sit in the sunshine.

Our favourite spot in Tallinn, the pub "Ölle Torn" (Beer tower)

Roger visiting Ölle Torn (Beer Tower)

Town hall square in Tallinn

Enjoying a beer on Town Hall Square in Tallinn

14.00 At the Old Town’s square, Town hall Square. Just ordered four beers. One beer each that is. It is a rerun of the beer break in 2001 that took place at the same location.

14.48 Time for dinner. We sat down at "Coffe R" at Vanatura kael 8 close to the square. Time to have the place’s Hangover meal!

Roger has found a spoon with a perfect size outside "Restaurant Olde Hansa" in Tallinn.

15.28 The Hangover meal offers; A large piece of a thin steak, fried potato, salsa, pickled cucumber, tomato, peppers, cucumber, olives, 0.5 litre beer and 3 centilitre schnapps. Price $ 12. Taste divine! Just what we needed.

Alexander Nevskij Cathedral, Tallinn.

16.45 A stop in a store in the harbour area. Roger and Magnus will soon enter the ferry to go home. They just need to buy some stuff to bring with them. After we said good bye to them Christer and I will head for the room or the bus station. A lot has happened before we got here. We´ve seen the Alexander Nevskij-Cathedral, the view over the town, a little shop with things from World War II and also said No Thanks to countless of young women selling strawberries.

17.34 Four minutes ago the ferry left with our friends on it. We (Christer and I) are sitting at the top floor of the supermarket Stockmann and wonder where the bus station is and how we get there. We have forgotten the way. We are looking for a red-white chimney that we remember from the 2001 trip. We hope we found it.

18.52 Back in the room. We found the station and also bought us bus ticket each for Riga. This is as north as we will get on this trip. North or not, we are sweating.

22.46 We are home again after buying something for tomorrows trip . We also ate a hamburger, fries and soda at "Hesburger". During our dinner a white limousine stopped outside the place. Out came several young women, no one with strawberries. They all had the same goal....the restroom of the restaurant.

23.38 Sitting and zapping between the channels on the TV. Lots of Russian can be heard but we also found a Swedish channel. Right now is a program about a place we will visit on this trip, Crimea. Soon it is time to get some sleep.

Tallinn

Tuesday 21st of June

07.40 One can hear cars from outside the window and voices from outside the door. Morning has broken.

08.30 We slept till around eight o’clock. After that followed breakfast , juice, coffee, cereals, bread, cheese and ham. We also had time to see the Swedish morning news on our TV. Now it is time to fill up with fluids before we pack our things.

09.50 On a bus to Riga again ( 24th of June, 2001). We managed to get rid of 4 kroon and some unnecessary fluids before we embarked.

10.54 We are going straight through the Estonian landscape. It is flat, all kinds of trees and few blueberries and lingonberries. The road as I mentioned goes straight through this.

Break in Pärnu

12.02 A stop in Pärnu gave us the chance to stretch our legs. Now I believe it is time for lunch. A little guy just offered us to buy an Estonian newspaper. What’s the use with an Estonian newspaper? We are going to Latvia. A man on the bus is sleeping or tries to imitate a malfunctioning fan.

13.12 At the Latvian border, our passports have been checked and approved. I am getting hungry, perhaps I should have had that lunch?

LATVIA

13.20 Another stop. This time at the bus station in Ainaži. Now I just have to have lunch.

Ainaži bus station

Christer at the stop in Ainaži

14.35 Once again a stop. This time we are in Saulkrasti. We just passed an inviting beach. I am feeling sleepy.

16.15 We are back at Hotel Aurora (24th of June, 2001). We are in room 206 and we pay 6 lats per person to spend a night here. It isn’t the most luxurious place in the world, but it is cheap, close to the bus- and railway station and it is an adventure to go to the shower in the basement. At least it was as we stayed here this spring.

View from Hotel Aurora in Riga. RIMI Supermarket and the railway station can be seen.

The old gun powder tower "Pulvertornis" in Riga, a classic guide mark in the city centre.

19.25 Dinner time at Alus séta on Tirgonu iela 6. A superb restaurant where you pick together just what you want to eat from what they got to offer. I picked two chicken drumsticks, shish kebab with pork, onion and peppers, potato, salad and 0.5 litres beer. The dinner cost 4.70 lats or around $ 8. The staff is dressed in folklore dresses.

Alus seta, don’t miss this restaurant in Riga.

22.19 It seems that we have no power in our wall sockets. So we are not able to watch TV. So we decided to wash our clothes instead. Work like this sure makes one long for a beer. I wonder how long I can resist?. Hey what is there to resist from?

Wednesday 22nd of June

09.10 Just woke up. It sure would be nice to rest/sleep more. There is not much stopping it. Check out time is at 12.00.

09.57 I had to wait for a long time but the shower, not in the basement, got free of use. Water over the body was just what I needed. I just passed along the shower door key to Christer. It´s breakfast time.

Coffee break in Riga. Peter is pleased.

12.15 We´ve just checked out, the backpacks are at the left-luggage office . We are sitting on a barge in a stream in a park just by the Freedom monument having coffee. Just as we were about to leave the room, the power returned to the sockets. Christer was able to shave and we watched a programme about people who had seen a UFO. At least we think so. Some problems in understanding the language.

13.31 Another one of those bench breaks. This one is taking place not far from the castle and we are in a need to cool our feet.

14.44 A new bench break after more walking. It is time for a snack. Just bought an ice cream each and we´re sitting on a small hill just above where we had coffee.

15.38 Parked again. We kept strolling through a city with lots of people, markets, activities and lots of market places. The clouds have also decided to come to visit Riga. The sky is getting dark. Some of the people have graceful wreath of leaves in their hair, time to celebrate Midsummer? We know it is celebrated here.

View from the hill Bastejkalns towards the stream in central Riga.

Lots of people in Riga. Midsummer is coming up.

17.01 It´s time for dinner. This time at Dzirnavas (The Mill) at Dzirnavu 74/76. Delicious pork with fried potato for me. This restaurant is in the same chain (LIDO) as we dined at yesterday. Now it is time to prepare for the evening´s and night´s trip. We will need a little to eat and drink.

Latvian midsummer-celebrations

18.10 After some rain fell on us at the platform, we have entered the train to Minsk, wagon 5, compartment 2 and bed 6 and 8. WE share compartment with two others. This is it.

18.34 We switched compartment to number 3, beds 10 and 12 and also compartment neighbours. I guess that ladies in compartment 2 wasn’t fond of male company, at least not from us. Our backpacks are in the compartment and we are in the bistro. It is time to fill in a paper with facts about ourselves.

21.09 Up in our beds. Not very wide but one fit here. It might be time for a little to eat.

22.21 Never buy a carbonated beverage as your travel drink! It sneaks out of the bottle as soon as you open it. Believe me, I know. It is around an hour before we reach the border.

22.53 We are standing still. It is dark outside. We are, according to the time table, at the Latvian border control. Nothing is happening.

22.57 Ok, we are clear to leave Latvia. Now remain to be seen if we are welcome to Belarus.

23.35 Stop at the Belarus side of the border. Now is time to know if all went well with getting a visa. If everything is OK it is sleeping time, otherwise, who knows? Our visas, if all is OK, are valid from midnight.