I don't have Russian characters on this keyboard (nor do you likely have them in your computer) so I phentically spelled that.

Anyway, today we sailed from Stockholm for the last time. We are now beginning our final assault on the Baltic region aboard the M/S RSSC Seven Seas Voyager.

A ten day cruise.

I'll be saying Das Vydania to Vlad and Katya, who sold me many many DVDs in St Petersburg.

I'll be saying goodbye to the Coca-Cola Plaza in Tallinn, which may well be the best English-language movie theatre in Europe and is paradise in many ways. There is a pub in it, an ice cream bar in it, a bar in it, the concessions are so cheap you wouldn't believe me, the screens are huge. Admission is only 55 Estonian Krooni. That's about 5 bucks.

I already said goodbye to Hel...sinki. It was fine. From now on, if I'm feeling generally fine but not too great one way or the other - just pleasant - I'll say I'm Helsinki.

A few days ago we hit Visby for the last time - we won't hit either Fin- or Got- Lands on this cruise. If you think you've ever seen a good Ren Faire you needed to see the Medieval Festival I ran into last week. Those of you who know me will guess that I nearly birthed a cow at the sights and sounds of a place celebrating battles that actually happened there and forged swords, built Bows, made crafts, and poured Mjod (mead) they'd made with the knowledge passed down from people that actually did this stuff. This was no corporate ... anyway, this was amazing.

I was noticing all the entries I said I'd yet to make... It's crazy, there's so much.

Now we're leaving the Baltic, maybe I'll have more energy. Hitting these same ports over and again has been a bit draining.

Oh yeah - you know, I could really stand to hear from some of you - Sometimes out here I feel a little removed from my life. Drop me a note.

More to tell, but I will have to do that later. our internet connection is at best unreliable.


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