Dr letscht Bitz Baltikum, die erschte Schritte in Finnland

 Z letscht mau hei mir üs gmäudet wo mir no in Lettland si gsi, churz vor dr estnische Gränze. Mittlerwile si mir in Finnland ir Nechi vo Tampere imene wunderschöne Paradies am Pouse mache. Daderzue speter meh, iz verzeue mir euch zersch was mir no so erläbt hei ufem Wäg vo Lettland hie häre.

Last time you heard of us we were in Latvia, just before entering Estonia. At the moment we are already in Finland in Tampere in a beautiful paradise taking a break. More about that another time. Now we want to tell the tale of getting here.

Füre Gränzübertritt vo Lettland nach Estland z bemerke heimer wieder ganz guet müess ufpasse, süsch hätte mirs verpasst. In Estland heimer es klars Ziel gha: üse guet Fründ Randon in Tartu zu bsueche. Z letzscht heimer enang vor 8 Jahr gseh. Mir hei mit ihm zwöi wunderbari Täg in Tartu verbracht und d Stadt ganz anders lehre kenne aus we mir elei dert wäre gsi. Mir si beiidruckt, dass er immer no Bärndütsch redt nach 8 Jahr ohni Üebig. S git so viu z verzeue und z luege dassi im Nachhinein uf dr Kamera gar nid so viu Fotos finde, d Erinnerige si aber schön. Merci Randon! 

As before we had to take good care to see the border between Latvia and Estonia. In Estonia we had an "appointment" - our good friend Randon lives in Tartu and we wanted to visit him. We spent a lot of time together 9 years ago and saw each other last 8 years ago. We spent two wonderful days in Tartu and got to know the city from a very different perspective compared to visiting by ourselves. We were very impressed about Randon's ability to still speak fluent Swiss German after 8 years with barely any training! We talked so much and were shown to so many places but in the end I didn't find enough pictures on my camera to really give an image of the wonderful weekend, we'll just keep our memories, thank you Randon!

Tartu isch praktisch e riesige Campus. Jedes Gebäude het irgendöppis mit dr Uni z tüe oder süsch e spannendi Gschicht z verzelle. Neu isch für üs, dasses sehr grossi Studenteverbindige, sogenannti "Fraternities" und "Sororities" git - mit ganze Gebäude inklusive Sauna, Fitnessruum, Konzertsaal, Bibliothek und Kinozimmer. Derzue ghört e Uniform, ganz viu Regle und o hoch gheimi Sache und viu meh wo üsne Stadtfüehrer mängisch d Wörter fähle fürs chönne z erkläre.

The city Tartu is more or less a huge campus. Every building has some connection to the university or at least some interesting story behind it - and Randon knows them all! For us a completely new thing are the student connections called "Fraternity" or "Sororities". Every connection usually owns an entire building, usually including something like a sauna, a gym, a concert hall, library and cinema room. Also important are uniform, lots of rules and some well kept secrets and things that seem hard to put into words for our friendly guides. 

Üs ziehts wyter - schön entgäge dr Richtig vo de Kranichzüg wo vo Finnland här chöme und entweder über Dütschland nach Spanie oder über Ungarn und Italie nach Nordafrika gö ga überwintere. We so e Kranichzug derhär chunnt verpasst mä nä meischtens nid, wüu die Vögu mache scho öppe 1 Minute bevor sie de da si Krach. Dä Zug hie isch sogar zu gross gsi für z schöne "V" wirklich chönne ufs Foto z becho. Mir gö us Neugier chli ga nacheläse u finde use, dass die Vögu sehr fair si, jede muess mau z vorderscht Flüge und so Windschatte spände.

We travel on - in the other direction of flocks of birds (cranes) heading south. They usually travel from Finland to Germany and then Spain or via Hungary and Italy to northern Africa to spend the cold months. You can usually hear the birds some time before they are actually in sight because they cry really load. Some flocks are even too big to capture the "V"-formation on camera. We read online that the birds share the hard work of flying in first position, every bird flies first for a time, to spend some shade from the wind for the others.

Mir luege üs in Estland no es verlassnigs Gfängniss und e Friedhof ah wo sovietischi Pilote ihri letschti Rueh zämä mit ihrem Flugzüg gfunde hei.

In Estonia we visit an abandoned prison and a cemetery where soviet pilots are buried together with parts of their planes. 

O Estland het wunderschöni Wälder. Je necher mir am Meer si, desto meh Moos hets am Bode.

Also in Estonia the forests are truly beautiful. The closer we get to the ocean, the more moss we see on the ground.

Üse letscht Halt in Estland isch Tallinn wo mir no e Tag verbringe bevor üs e Outofähri nach Finnland sött bringe.

Our last stop in Estonia is Tallinn where we spend the day before a ferry will take us to Finland.

Die Stadt isch scho allei drum es Highlight wüu mir mis Lieblingszitat vo mire Lieblingsband are Wand finde. 

The city is one of our highlights. One reason being this graffiti with one of my favorite quotes of my favorite band.

Z klare Highlight isch aber dr Bsuech im Restaurant "Rataskaevu 16". Was startet aus e Abe wo mir gad nid säuber möge choche wird zum beschte Restaurantbsuech wo mir je hei erläbt. Vo Afang bis am Schluss isch eifach aues perfekt. Aues wo mir bstelle isch so fein wie mir no fasch nie gässe hei. Originells isch us ganz normale Zuetate gmacht worde. Ds Ambiente isch extrem gmüetlich und üse Kellner macht sie Job so guet wie no niemer vor ihm. S passt eifach gad sehr guet zu üs.

The unbeatable highligh is a visit in the restaurant "Rataskaevu 16". What starts as a lazy evening with us not feeling like cooking our own meal ends in the best restaurant visit we ever experienced. Everything is perfect from beginning to end. Every dish we order is in itself as delicious as we have hardly ever eaten. Very creative and original plates created out of very common ingredients. The mood is very cosy and our waiter does an excellent job like nobody we've seen before. Everything just fits with the mood and our situation.

Wär mau in Tallinn verbi chunnt, darf das uf ke Fau verpasse! 

Whoever travels to Tallinn shouldn't miss the chance of dining here.

Mir übernachte mit volle Mäge und eme grosse Glücksgfüehl z Tallinn gad näbem Fährihafe ufeme grosse Parkplatz, ir Nechi vo es paarne Laschtwagefahrer wo wie mir am nächschte Morge früech uf d Fähri in Richtig Helsinki gö. D Überfahrt duuret 2.5 Stund und d Ifahrt in Helsinki isch spektakulär. Mit dere riesige Fähri fahre mir zwüsche chline Insle düre, im Rügge die ufgehendi Sunne, ds schöne Helsinki isch gad am Erwache wo mir achöme.

We spend the night with a pleasantly filled stomach and an intoxicating feeling of satisfaction in Tallinn directly next to the ferry port on a big parking lot. Next to us some truck drivers also spend the night in their trucks. Together we board the ferry in direction of Helsinki the next morning. The ferry ride takes 2.5 hours and the arrival in Helsinki gives quite spectacular views. On the huge ferry boat one drives between small islands, the rising sun shining on our backs and Helsinki just starting to get busy.

Helsinki isch sehr e lebendigi Stadt mit vilne skurrile Kunschtwärk.

Helsinki is a vibrant city with lots of funny pieces of art.

Trotzdem dass Helsinki eini vo de schönere Städt isch wo mir bishär bsuecht hei, ziehts üs sofort wieder id Natur. U natürlich simer vou Freud uf das wo Finnland a Natur so z biete het. 

Even though Helsinki is one of the best cities we have visited, we are instantly drawn back to nature. We are filled with anticipation of finnish nature!

Mir gseh e surreal schöne Sunneuntergang. D Wolke und d Sunne hei so zämä harmoniert, dass es Biud wie vom Jupiter entstande isch. 

We witness a stunningly beautiful sunset. Clouds and the sun interacted in a way that made the sun look like Jupiter.

Ir Dämmerig macht de dr Näbu no ar Sunne Konkurrenz u zouberet schöni Biuder i d Landschaft. 

During twilight fog is giving us another beautiful view of the landscape.

Und wo mir de so dürnes Waldsträssli fahre sekklet doch tatsächlich scho dr zwöit Elch vor üs düre. Dises Mau es prächtigs Männdli mit schönem Gweih. 

Hie isch z Foto dervor:

As we drove along a small road in the forest, a huge male elk ran across the street right in front of our car. His antlers are impressive. That's what we managed to capture from him:

Dr Elch het üs würklich sehr fescht überrascht und isch so schnäu winer isch da gsi o wieder wäg gsi. Ufem Foto ischer o würklich druf, aber eifach hinter dä Böim.

We were truly taken by surprise by the elk and as fast as he appeared he was gone again. On the picture he is actually really present, just behind trees... 

Am Tag druf isch üs de no e andere Gsell vor z Outo gumpet. Dä isch so gmüetlich ungerwägs gsi, dassi zersch es Foto ha dörfe mache und am Schluss ha müesse motivierendi Wort finde, für dass är dr Wäg zur andere Strassesite gfunde het.

The following day another guy jumped in front of our car. His pace was so relaxed that it allowed for a picture. In the end I even had to motivate him to get to the other side of the road in order to be able to drive on.

Mittlerwile zieht so richtig dr Herbscht ih, aues isch sehr Farbeprächtig und üses Dachzäut füuht sich daheime.

In the meantime we are in middle of fall, all the leaves are very colorful and our rooftop tent seems quite fitting.

Z nächschte Mau gits Biuder und Gschichte usem finnische Paradies(li) :)

Next time on Momooverland we will tell you stories and show pictures straight out of finnish paradise :)