Some of you are familiar with this plan of mine but since I've booked and pay part of the trip it's official. It was either Amsterdam or this trip and I decided the second one because I don't know when I'll have another opportunity to go on such a journey while I like to believe that I will visit our Crazy Dutch Woman soon.

It's a journey from a dream. It goes like this on the map:



and in letters:

Strbske Pleso – Slovakia 22nd July
Krakow – Poland 23rd July
Tallinn, Estonia – 25th July
Helsinki, Finland – 26th-28th July
Tampere, Finland – 28th-30th July
Rovaniemi, Finland – 30th July-01st Aug
Inari, Finland – 01st -02nd Aug
Kaamanen, Finland – 02nd -03rd Aug
St Petersburg, Russia - 04th – 07th Aug
Riga, Latvia – 08th Aug

Gosh when I arrive there I could say that Santa lives on the south :lol: (he 'lives' near Rovaniemi).
I never dream that I'll go such far away on the north, deep in polar circle. They said that Lapland is beautiful and I'm sure it is especially "nights" with Aurora Borealis (Polar Light). During the summer night is only 3 hours.
And then Sankt-Peterburg, Venice of the north, reason why Russians have sell Alaska. I'm dreaming about visiting St Petersburg for ages and I still can't believe dream will come true ... *sigh*

Well I hope I'll be able to meat some Finnish BCer (I already spoke with some in Tampere).

It's great to know you have something to look forward to when you are having such a tough time :hug:

BTW Can I come too? :lol:

Precisely! This trip and everything about it is a great distraction indeed!

And of course you can! Place where Sun never vanishes from the sky sound perfect for someone with this nickname :P

It sounds like a dream vacation. Have a great time Milan. :D

I am sooo envious. This is truly a dream vacation. I hope you have a truly awesome trip.

Not envious AT all :giggle: :whip:

Where's the green with envy smiley?
St Petersburg won't disappoint you, everyone should go there at least once I think. Oh, but Finland! The dream destination! I'm mailing myself to you right now once I get the shrink-ray invented so I'll fit in your pocket.
Have a lovely time :flip: :yahoo:

St. Petersburg is beautiful. It was still Leningrad when I visited, and I am sure it is better now!

Wow, what a trip! I'm jealous! :D

:drool: :drool: :drool: :dance: I wanna go! :lol:

What an awesome trip! Lucky you and I agree with others you deserve it.

Hmmm... Let's see. The one city in Finland where bookobsessors hail from is... :o NOT ON THE LIST! :whip:

But let's see how our own summer plans develop. Maybe I'll be able to meet you anyway, in Tampere or even Lapland. Maybe.

Congratulations on booking such an exciting holiday. :wink:

This really sounds awesome zzz. I'm very happy for you!

Wow I know your plan but when I see the little map it makes it even more great.
Glad you have something to look forward to.

(even though I don't now) :whip: :lol: :hug: but I would have made the same choice.
Amsterdam? or Russia and Finland. :drool:

Have a great time - I'm so envious!

i'm envious! I haven't been out of my country in...gosh near a decade a very aggrevating and trying 8 years it has been too!. pictures!!

I know :blush: and there's no way I'll have time do visit Turku (I checked) but it would be fabulous if you're planing to visit Lapland as well!

Oh and I guess I'm ISO travelogues about FIN/Baltic countries/St. Petersburg.
I'll try to give you something from your wish list or if you prefer loaning it's perfect as well.

Of course there'll be hundreds of photos!

WTF. It gets even worse.
You wont be here on my Birthday? :o :wacko: :cry: :whip:

That is such an important day Mister Milan. :rolleyes:
You will be in St. Petersburg then. I envy you. Yes please make pics. :bananadance:

Great trip. Hope you have a safe one zzz.

Oh, oh, oh... Fantastic!!

Even if it seems that you have missed an important spot in Finland :shedevil: I will do my best to be in either Tampere or Helsinki one of those days.

The thought of finally meeting the famous ZZZ...

Oh wow - what a fantastic trip Milan. Glad you have something to look forward to.

It is fantastic indeed!
Camis weren't you in NYC in January? I don't remember you've mentioned here (but on the other hand I was hardly here in January)

I'd never thought I'll have a chance to meet you in your motherland but indeed that would be fabulous! And I am sorry for skipping Turku, but we are staying only few days in that part of Finland so there's no chance I could drop by.

ETA:

:huh: just don't have high expectations ... you'll make me all nervous and clumsy :blush:

Anyone has any tourist guide for those places (mainly Finland and ST Petersburg)?
I'm open for trade, wings, loan, whatever :rolleyes:

This is great, looks like fun. Please try and take some pictures to share with us!
:P

Of course I will just as I've done with my trip in Spain and Istanbul :)

OK I'm almost ready (have all guides and reading them whole day).Gosh we have 35-40 degrees Celsius (95-105F) these days and I can't wait Lapland!
I'll probably see few Finnish BCers; Potok you said there might be some chance for you to come in Lapland?

When do you set off?

Wow Milan,sounds like a great trip! Have a wonderful time! I LOVE Aurora Borealis.... soooooo pretty. We rarely see it this far south (now that the cities are built up that is... my parents used to see it more when they were kids) but I saw it a lot when I spent a winter near Calgary, and I thought it was just the most beautiful thing.... Enjoy yourself and tell us all about it when you get back :)

We're going next Tuesday.
yesterday I went on meeting with organizers and find out that we'll go in Norway as well :) Namely he suggested to go on Barents Sea (Arctic Ocean) more on the north ("since we are so near"). City is called Kirkenes near Russian border.
Sadly Hardly I'll see Aurora Borealis since it's the season of white nights when Aurora is "covered" with sunlight :(

Alas - I think we are going to miss you by ONE day! :cry: Mr Potok and I are taking the train to Rovaniemi overnight from the 1st to the 2nd. We leave Turku on Friday evening and arrive in Rovaniemi on the morning of the 2nd. From there we drive to Norway.

It is a pity, but I guess both you and we are on fairly tight schedules. I will PM you.

Have a great trip anyway! :wave:

Damn You are not even here for my Birthday? :cry: :whip:
Can't blame you though :lol: St Petersburg! :drool:

So just 2 days? :bananadance: How exiting.

Norway. ( me dream. what a beautiful country that is. In a rough sort of way.)

I imagine Serbia looks a bit the same as Croatia? landscape wise? or not?

Love the water, and all the islands there.

Too bad it is still not "normal"to go to Croatia on vacation.
Before it was one of the cheap countries to go on a sun vacation.

Maybe I have to look a bit better on travel sites.

Anyways love the trip. Especially Finland and Russia

thats really a dream travel plan...

I'm a bitsy jealus manly cause I was hoping to travel somewhere this vaccations but probably wont (well maybe I just do a last minute reservation, but isnt's the planing such great part if the fun?!)

I'm counting on seeing lots of pictures