Chugga,Chugga, Choo-Choo! Problems

While visiting my friend last night, they informed me to not purchase train tickets online for awhile.
Why?  Well, their servers had been crashing left, right and center because VR has been offering discounts for trips closer to Christmas - if you are able to book well in advance.  So people have of course, been going wild for cheaper ticket prices (especially during the holiday season - who wouldn't want to save a buck or few?) and therefor, crashing their website.

So if you know where you want to go for Christmas - buy your tickets in advance at the green electronic machines (THEY DON'T PROVIDE ENGLISH SERVICE ON THEM!!) or with a sales representative at your local train station... or with cash (or possibly credit card - NOT Visa Electron - read above link for my previous experience on a train) with the train conductor.

Happy trip planning!

My Action Star Moment in Paris...

I think this deserves it's own post...it was that entertaining and amusing.

After dining with our friends at a crepperie (the one with the buck wheat crepes and accepted cash only) - we took the RER back and had to go our separate ways.  My friend clearly explained which stop to get off at (Notre Dame St. Michel) and what direction to walk - so I was very confident I could do it.  Thankfully, my son was asleep on my back and I had my ticket validated easily.

I boarded the RER and my friend and her daughters were across the track waiting for theirs (going in the opposite direction).  Once boarded, I sighed in relief at having a very full tummy and a sleeping toddler on my back (he was extremely tired due to the 1-hour time difference between Finland and France).  I wanted to send a text message to my husband, to notify him that I was en route to the hotel and will leave the door un-locked so I don't disturb V�in� by letting my husband in (he was at a dinner with the folks from the conference).

I didn't have my phone...or my Passport...or my wallet....I had nothing but a baby on my back and a validated ticket in the back pocket of my jeans (easier to reach with a carrier on my back).
My instant thought was "How the Hell did I get pick pocketed in Paris?! I am soooo careful and cautious."
Then it dawned on me...my friend kindly offered to carry my Moomin bag (diaper/everything else bag) as my shoulders and back were sore from carrying a +12kg child on my back all day.

*Cue action-star-like music*

I jumped off the RER and ran back down the stairwell and tried to find the route she took to get on the other side of the track - I couldn't find it and huffed/puffed back up the stairs towards mine and looked anxiously.  It's very big in those subways and busy - so I didn't want to yell and:

• (A) Look like an idiot -especially if they had left already without my knowledge and 
• (B) wake up a cranky child who had just fallen asleep.

So I listened as best as I could (thank goodness for those years in music training!) and managed to pick up the girls' talking and bickering in Finnish/French.  WHEW!
Now- where were they?! 

I jumped back onto the RER and ran down a cabin looking through the windows trying to find them and still try and listen for their voices (I know - this is getting so intense).  I managed to spot their brightly colored umbrellas and began to pound the crap out of the glass on one of the doors and wave like a mad-lady.
I managed to catch the older child's eye and she smiled and waved at me for about 10 seconds (felt like forever of course, during these slow-moving-action-star-moments)....I nearly died with relief and frustration.  So I waved some more, smiled a bit and pointed at her mother-who was talking to the younger one.  The older child kept waving at me and finally because I had a look of urgency and bulging eyes about to pop out of my sockets - she tapped her mom on the shoulder and pointed at me happily.
Then my friend waved to me happily.  Oh dear....

*Cue embarrassing moment music*

I'm mouthing repeatedly (and probably yelling without realizing it) "MY BAG - YOU HAVE MY BAG!!!"  While making motions at my shoulder and lifting a leg (that she obviously cannot see as the window isn't full length of the door) and grabbing an imaginary bulge near my arse.
She finally looks down her shoulder and stares in shock and I gave her a thumbs off and leap off the RER....

*Cue "Will she make it back onto the RER music"* - because I certainly was terrified that the doors would shut and the RER would leave and I wouldn't have a phone or her number handy to get a hold of her or my husband...or internet it appeared. (Turned out I did need my phone that night as V�in� got out of control at the hotel and refused to sleep or go near the bed without screaming).

She ran back to me, gave me the bag with a huge apology - I dash and jump (literally) over people's legs who are sitting near the door way of the RER....and the door closed and we sped off.


I couldn't make this up if I tried....needless to say - my friend and I laughed about it a great deal the next day, my husband was impressed with my skills - especially after carrying our son for a few hours that day (think 6 or more) and for not getting lost.  And V�in� stayed asleep until we got into the hotel room!

I treated myself to a Nutella, banana and crushed almond crepe the next night - and didn't feel a bit of guilt.
I now have a new appreciation and understanding for the French eating so many baguettes, croissants and crepes...you need the energy just to travel onto a subway!

The Tallinn Zoo...and overall impression of Tallinn

Yesterday we finally made it to the zoo.
We stopped by an R-Kioski to get our day pass for the bus/trolley and it was 4,74� for 24 hours of use.  We also swung by the bakery and got some delicious pastries that looked like 2 triangles put together, a little sticky looking on the outside and drizzled in chocolate.  Can't get any better - right?  Wrong.  Inside it turns out that this flakey pastry contained 2 sticks of chocolate!!!  Yep - every Monday should start off on that note.

So back to the bus/trolley pass...it looks like a little ticket stub and has "24 HOURS" printed on it (they also sell 3 day passes but for our case - we just needed the 1) in Estonian and when you get onto the trolley (not sure if it's the same as the bus) - you insert your pass into a little box and it stamps the date on it.
You only do this once and only need to show it when asked. 
The Estonian transportation system seems to run based on an honour system.  You can board the trolley at any one of it's doors (I believe there are 3 sets of doors) and just sit down or stand.  The trolley beeps loudly, the door shuts, there's an automated voice telling you what the next stop will be (yes "Zoo" sounds the same in Estonian as it does in English!) and you come and go as you like.  But be warned - if you are caught on the trolley without a properly dated ticket there's a fine of 40� (not sure what else is involved as the signs were in Russian and Estonian).

So we get to the Zoo and it's 6� for an all-day family pass.  The lady was confused as to why we wanted a "family pass" because she thought my husband was carrying a back pack...then she saw V�in� and was like "OHHHHH a BABY!"
The pass looks like a few receipts with barcodes on them and then this little old lady comes over and swipes them on the scanner and you get in.  The first thing you see is a big black statue of the word "ZOO" and some wooden trolleys to pull your kids around in.  Oh how handy!  Seeing as we didn't have a stroller - this was very useful and cost only 1� to rent it for the day.
We popped V�in� in a wooden trolley (wagon) and off we went to explore! 
*PLEASE NOTE: WHEN TOURING THE ZOO- ensure you have lots of batteries for your camera or an extra lithium one....mine died after about 150 photos or so....and it turned out there was a lot more to see than I expected!!**  AS WELL the indoor exhibits for the reptiles and fish request you do not use a flash as it disturbs the animals - please follow this...I saw some people who obviously could not read and was shocked at their rudeness by getting very close to the glass and letting their camera do the flashing.  Poor animals.  It stresses them out and can hurt them!** (Oh and the signs are in Estonian, English and Russian)

Some animals that I can remember off the top of my head (and of course not in order!):

• Goats of all kinds of varieties! (Including sheep and rams)
• Some were doing their mating call and it sounded like sneezing (or snorting) on the female and then a high-pitched "uh blub blub blub uh blub blub blub" - funniest thing ever!
• Snow Leopard (couldn't see them - they were hiding)
• Lion and lioness
• 2 beautiful tigers (I have never seen them before up close!)
• 2-3 polar bears (these were a huge hit with my 1.5 year old as they were walking around their enclosure and then standing very tall!)
• Lynx
• Puma
• Monkeys of various varieties (some are part of an indoor exhibit but do have access to outside during certain parts of the day) including chimps!
• Reptiles and other "dangerous" animals (i.e. crocodile or alligator and flesh-eating fish) were enclosed in an indoor exhibit
• Hippos
• Camels
• Kangaroos
• Wallabys
• Donkeys
• Warthogs (and other hogs)
• WIDE variety of birds (cranes, pheasants and others)
• The rhino has passed away after living to be 41 years old (in 2010) - but they're hoping to get more soon
• Elephants (there's an indoor elephant exhibit during parts of the day but mostly they are outside) 
•  The male, Carl, had his tusks removed due to him damaging them and causing him great pain.  There's a panel of information and photos of his surgery - OUCH!
• Turtles and tortoises
• Striped hyena
• Predator birds (eagles, falcons, hawks etc) - unfortunately this was temporarily closed - but we saw people walking around the blockades anyway...grr!

So many more animals but it was definitely worth every penny!  An individual adult fare was 3,20� and you can find more information here.

We spent over 3 hours here and managed to see everything there was to be seen - but would've loved to stay longer!

One thing I did do for V�in�, was get him a collector's coin.  It was in a machine that you pop in 2� and picked a silver coin that had a polar bear or an elephant on it.  I had to get the one with a polar bear on it - since he was so amazed by them.  On the back is written "Estonian Heritage Coin" with a map of Estonia and on the front, had a carving of a Polar Bear.
There was another machine that was similar but it only took 1,05�.  Seriously - and of course - I did not have 5 Euro Cents!  I think that machine allowed you to pick one of 3 designs and it flattened the 5 Euro Cents coin and imprinted the design on it as you cranked the handle.  Ah well.
The trolley stops across from the Zoo and there's a McDonalds, a Hesburger, a car dealership and a Prisma (and mall) across from the Zoo too.  So if you wanted to grab a quick bite to eat first - then mosey on over to the Zoo - it's one way to go!
There are also lots of picnic areas in the Zoo itself - as another option.  We saw a couple concession stands selling popcorn and cotton candy...and one cabin that sold more food (I think).

On your way out, the bus stop/trolley stop is right at the end and a little to your left (blue and white signs) and if you catch the #7 - it'll take you right back downtown (or relatively near).

Last night we walked around the Town Square some more and just relaxed.  We ate at a Chinese restaurant that was really cheap but tasty called the "Chinese Inn" and walked around some more.  We were stopped by a lady dressed in Medieval gear and she gave us some coins to get us a free drink with our meal..."But if you do not go to Olde Hansa today, surely can come back in the next 700 years and still use this coin!"
Olde Hansa is a beautiful, old medieval restaurant that was a bit out of our price range - as we're travelling to Canada so soon - but we'll definitely go back and try it (and make use of our free drinks!)!

Overall, I'd have to say we were extremely pleased with our trip to Tallinn and have already made plans to come back again.  I'll be making a separate post on bits of tidbits we picked up while in Tallinn - that'll hopefully help you on your adventure here - should you have the great oppourtunity to visit!

**We did not make it to the Open Air Museum - which is a real shame - but we'll try that next time!  I also plan on getting some almonds downtown today...or at least sample them!**

Day 2.5 in Estonia (a pretty funny post)

This morning, I swear - we were going to go to the Open Air Museum...I really mean it! Oh and the Tallinn Zoo!
So guess what stopped us?  My camera.  I took so many photos yesterday and forgot to charge the battery last night...and no it's not a digital camera that takes double A batteries...it has a rechargeable lithium...so it can't be used without this battery! Argh!
Well, we went to various churches and explored and it was nice.  Many churches request you do not take photos - fair enough.

We also enjoyed some elk soup at the Town Hall in the Town Square of Tallinn which was very tasty (as the sign suggests it is "Full of taste") and only 1� for a bowl of soup.  They sold buns for a Euro as well and drinks were 2� - but I didn't know what they sold for beverages and thought the soup would be satisfying enough.
They have outdoor benches and long dark wooden tables to sit at in shade from the sun.  At the very top of the Town Hall (look wayyyyyyyyyyyy up) you can see "Old Thomas" who is the mascot of Tallinn.  I got a couple magnets of him - so I'll take photos of that and perhaps create a Picasa Album online and link it here on the blog...much easier than individual photos!
When I paid for the soup - the lady asked if I needed anything else and I said no.  I remembered when sitting down that oh, I forgot spoons.
I sent the darling husband in to get spoons and she asked him, "What will you do for me, for your spoons?"
My husband was kind of stunned at first (I'm sure but he wouldn't admit it) and said, "Well, what do you want me to do for you, for my spoons?"
She requested that he brings the dishes in after he was done eating his soup.  It was  an old fashioned way of doing an exchange...we thought it was pretty neat but yes I thought it was quite dirty from an outsider's point of view!

As we went walking around, my son overloaded his diaper and ended up peeing his pants (thankfully he was walking around and not on my husband's back in the kid carrier!)...so while the husband ran home, I snuck into a hostel entrance, changed his diaper, then V�in� fell off the little rocky pillar he was standing on- landed on his back and I'm pretty sure the tour group that was JUST outside the hostel entrance have labelled me as "Bad - no wait WORST Mother of the Year"....great.  (He's fine by the way - no bruises either shockingly).
Note to self - bring extra pants...socks...more diapers...

Well after all that trauma....we found a bakery.  And not just any bakery but a REALLY cheap but delicious one!  For 70 Euro cents, we got a fresh, warm loaf of bread....it had a crisp but not crunchy crust...and it was a little sweet on the inside...yum.  We ate the whole thing while walking about today....oh and we got 2 pretzels as well...oh they were good...THEY WERE ONLY 45 EURO CENTS EACH!!!  We'll be back I'm sure.

We hiked a ridiculously long way to Kadriork Park (hope I spelled that right - don't have my glasses on and I can't find the tour guide book)...it's the summer home of a Russian Czar from a long time ago.  Unfortunately it was closed (opened Wednesday to Sunday) - but we had fun walking the grounds and taking some photos (while my camera still could).  There was a huge playground across the way - so that was lovely to let V�in� run and enjoy himself.
But as fun goes for a toddler - he was interested in eating sand (dip the shovel in the sand and lick it...licking it of course encouraged the sand to stick!) and not giving the shovel back....so we left after a quick 10 seconds diaper change!

On our way back to the flat - we stopped at McDonald's because they don't charge for using the bathroom, they are relatively clean and we decided on getting some Rotten Ronnies to get us enough energy to drag ourselves back home.  Yesterday I was there to take V�in� in for a quick diaper change and it was PACKED.
Why was it packed? Because it's �ber cheap!  Any kind of everyday McDonald's meal (we got a Big Mac and 6-piece nuggets) was only 3,20�!!! And if you wanted to upsize it - it was �3,80! (In Finland, it's 5,80� for a Big Mac Meal and the meals are a variety of prices)...I opted for a Happy Meal too, because neither my husband or I felt like sharing our fries - we were so exhausted from hiking around Tallin....(I know - bad mother rule #2...salt is a no-no - we gave him lots of fluids to flush it out after!) and it was 2,80� for a Happy Meal (it didn't cost extra to get a juice box! - I think it does in Canada) and if you wanted to make the meal bigger (i.e. granola bar or yoghurt container) - then it was 3,30�....my son was also highly entertained by his toy...a yellow bird from the movie "Rio".

I managed to get some souveniors today - just post cards and some magnets of Tallinn - I may have to go back because despite the guy's shop lacking any heat or air-conditioning (he doesn't even have a door - it's a shop in a wall really) and he only accepts cash....his stuff is cheap!  Post cards are 35 Euro cents each (some shops were selling them for 70 E.Cents-1�...) and he had some nice magnets for 2�...the hilarious thing about his little shop...he also sold magnets with images of Michael Jackson, Oprah Winfrey and Barrack Obama them.  No idea why - as I'm pretttttty sure that neither of the above mentioned people (along with other "famous faces" I didn't know of) have been to Estonia.  Anyway!  I seriously considered buying a couple of those- just to give as prank gifts and saying "Oh I got these in Estonia..." I'm sure they say "Made in China" on the back - or something like that in Estonian.

I still didn't get any almonds today - but that's my goal for tomorrow, along with going to the zoo and Open Air museum - because we leave the day after for Paris.