Well that was it then

 Trip over, 4000 miles almost exactly or 6500 Km's if you drive on the wrong side of the road, a very interesting trip taking in 10 Countries, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The great thing about travelling by motorcycle you can feel the nature (Rain & Sun) you get a feel for a country, how well they are doing, how people react to you and the roads.

Surprises? none really, we always knew that the Scandi countries would be expensive. What we didn't know before we went in no particular order: The number of traffic lights in Helsinki, considering half the population of Finland stays here how they all get to work on time confuses me. The Super efficient and very nice Ferries from Helsinki to Tallinn, DFDS take note. We stayed in the capitals of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, all very nice but all have a ongoing narrative about the Russian occupation and now we really understand why. Poland, the roadworks seem to be all encompassing, roadworks everywhere but give it a couple of years it will be brilliant, not just the motorways ( we only touched them and stayed mainly on the small roads)

Germany and Holland, suicidal drivers who don't realise the carnage they could and do frequently cause, euthanasia taking place on the roads daily. In general allowing HGV's do 75 or 80 MPH on most roads seems crazy.

And finally my opinion on the great EU project, apart from the Scandis all borders were actively manned and checked, we were waved through on our bikes but free movement in the EU is no more and I think that in itself will cause conflict between EU countries sooner rather than later.

A great adventure and a general indicator of the politics of the world, I was glad to be back in the UK but only because believe it or not in general our drivers are more courteous (and the beer and petrol is cheaper).

Oh and we should charge more for hotels, for camper vans and caravans for all visitors to Scotland from Europe, and one last thing, if you see someone with a Non UK plate obviously lost in a town or approaching a motorway junction, give them a good blast on the horn to let them know you care.

Keeping on keeping on but maybe not this week 😂

Reflecting on life

Reflecting on the lake

Reflecting on the Rain

Reflecting on the wine

The Baltic states and Poland

This is a quick update as we are a bit weary after riding every day in all weather. Hot, Sunny, cold and wet. You never know what the day will bring. We left Estonia and rode to Latvia staying in the capital Riga in a hotel, my Impression was the people were  not open and friendly. The Hotel was  overrun by coaches of Chinese tourists, very strange. 

We then rode through Lithuania en route we met a  nice local couple and we spent a while talking to then but we had to get  to Kaunas the capital, another capital and prices to suit. We met 3 guys from Inverness in the morning on 2 GS's and a triumph Scambler, good to talk Scottish pish with them.

Onto Poland and spent a night camping around the Wolf's Lair, the place where they tried to blow up Hitler, they could of left him outside for the mozzies to do the job.

Then via the small roads to just outside Gdansk including passing by the Russian enclave of Kalingrad , I was careful not to take a wrong turn, 
we camped again and got soaked and gave the mozzies another chance! A couple of days on the back roads through Poland, roadworks everywhere and miles of off road diversions, it was fun at first but after waiting for hours at traffic lights to get through it ceased to be fun. Into Germany now and we are staying on the small roads so far. 

waterproofs stop again

Rooftop Dining in Rija

The Hill of Swords in Lithuania 

our new Lithuanian friends

Kaunas 

camping at the Wolf's  Lair

one of the Bunkers

me Having a pee on Hitlers Bunker 

Raining 

Great for the mozzies  again

Leaving our hotel this morning 

And waterproofs again 

Tallinn

A few photos of Tallinn, my phone keeps crashing trying to load too many photos .

outside our hotel

Freedom tower

You get the idea

That's all for now 

To the North and then South

We left Ostersund in pouring rain and that was all there was to say about the next few days, rain and more rain and quite cold, to be expected though. What wasn't expected was some stupid football tournament at Pitea, after a 400 mile plus day there was no room at any of the Inns for us so we had to ride another 60 miles North to find a hotel. Expensive and also full of kids, somedays you can't get a break. By now we were in Lapland and we were lucky enough to see a herd of reindeer, luckily despite all the warnings nothing else of note.

At the Arctic Circle we had a cuppa and bumped into a Scotsman in a van going fishing up north.

Then the run South, we stayed that night in a posh cabin next to a Ice Museum which was cool, in fact we paid to get in to see how cold you can get! 

The rain eventually stopped as we rode South and it actually got warm, Finland was nice but not as spectacular as Norway and Sweden but very slightly less expensive.

Another two stays and eventually we caught the ferry from Helsinki to Tallin in Estonia. Helsinki felt strange to us, traffic lights every hundred yards for miles.

Today we had a day off in Tallinn, the old town is nice but full off tourists. I'm never Happy, either pissing of rain and quiet roads of Sunny and busy, I think we prefer the former.

It's been pretty full on hence the scant update,  I will put together a proper story when we get back, in the meantime some photos and back on the road tomorrow 😀 

Roadside eating

And again

reindeer 

Wondering where to go

time to head south now 

Nice Cabin on the Baltic

Ice display 

another meal stop

Finland, typical scene

funny

On the ferry

And again