Day One: Helsinki

NEVER, have I been prouder of my boys than today:

Christopher: We arrived in Helsinki at noon (we officially said good-bye to Russia at 9:48 AM but the border guards were so cheerful and friendly, it hardly seemed like a border at all). Now, we begin our first test as a back-pack travelling family: getting ourselves and luggage, via public transportation to the ferry terminal. I have already lectured the kids about forgetting things and as we stand on the platform waiting for Todd to bring out the last suitcases Christopher asked "Hey, where's my jacket?" I sent him back on board to get it and caught Andrew smirking that his brother was already in trouble. Which is when I asked Andrew anout his hat. Smirk gone, he climbed abourd the train after his brother and then I noticed Katie's hatless head. Hmmmmm. Not such a good start.

A few minutes later we stood all present and accounted for, including all bags, jackets, hats, shoes, toys, etc. Time to suit up. I opened up Katie's stroller and set Katie in it. Katie is really big enough to walk on her own power, but in Scandinavia both the stroller passenger and the stroller pusher ride free on public transport, so the stroller is really a large and cumbersome bus pass. So, Katie in the stroller, a day pack and a picnic bag are slung over the handles, Todd and I each put on a backpack and grab a wheeled suitcase, Andrew grabs his and Katie's little wheeled carry-ons while Christopher takes his own. I can manage the suitcase and the stroller for awhile, but it's awkward and so Todd tells Christopher to swap with me and take the stroller. I can see Christopher start to protest, but he immediately thinks better of it and hands me his bag and takes the stroller. Out the train station, up a steep hill, across two bumpy traffic-filled streets including over tram tracks and numerous curbs -and did I mention that the bags were really heavy and Katie isn't exactly a tiny newborn herself? NOT ONE WORD OF COMPLAINT from our hero!!!!! No panic attack as the light changed while he was still struggling to get the stroller over the curb. Instead he quietly and calmly maneouvered his sister around the streets of Helsinki, on and off trams, cheerfully telling us of dreams he'd had and things he wants to invent along the way. BRAVO, Christopher!

Andrew: Our monkey, offered to push Katie's stroller, especially after he saw the candy I slipped to Christopher in gratitude at the ferry terminal, but alas it is just too heavy for him, so he had to find other challenges. Andrew had his heart set on going to the zoo in Helsinki. Our wedding reception was at the Oakland Zoo, so I have a thing about zoos as well. We only had 5 1/2 hours in Helsinki and take away time to stow our stuff at the terminal and then later time to board, we had very little time to see anything at all. Standing on the the dock we had a decision: to pay $50 for the family to take the boat to the zoo OR take the boat/bus that we already have passed for to the island with a cool fort. Even I was opting for the boat but Andrew held on to the end for the zoo. He took being outvoted very well, though, and cheerfully took on the fort as any energetic, healthy 6 year old boy should: running in and out of tunnels, inspecting all the cannons and LITERALLY climbiing the fortress walls.

Some of you are no doubt asking "Isn't this the same boy who fell in the the tub 2 weeks ago and needed four stitches? Is it wise, or even responsible for his parents to let him be rock climbing?" I'm right there with you. Helsinki has an excellent hospital and healthcare system as many of our friends from Russia can tell you but we don't have the time to avail ourselves of their services. So I watch with my heart in my throuat, my stomach doing somersaults, my hads gripping the stroller handles and my tongue clenched between my teeth because climbing the walls of the fortress is something Andrew needs to do and so I need to let him do it.

TODD: is abosolutely brilliant. Many of you know that and other may think I am biased, but the inspiration and engineering of this trip is pure genius and Todd gets all the credit as the rest of us are along as support staff.

We arrive at the ferry terminal in plenty of time to collect our stuff and begin schlepping it aboard the ferry with 1,000 other passengers. Todd says "This will be the longest 8 minutes of the day" and it was. I am not exactly sure of where we are headed once on board so I am trying to keep everyone together and not lose sight of Todd. It is a futile effort and just as a clump of Chinese tourists elbow thier way in front of me I hear a man whoop-whooping and look up just in time to see the flash as the official cruise photographer captures the moment - worn out, sweaty, irritated, surrounded by pushy Chinese. Oh, yeah. Can't wait to see how that picture turns out.

One short hour later, though, we are showered, refreshed and enjoying the all-you-can-eat Viking Buffet. The boys piled their plates high with all forms of salmon, dolmas and other delicacies so that when they discovered the hotdogs at the kids' section there was no more room on their plates. What good restaurant boys! After a feast fit for Vikings we sit together in front of the windows at the front of the ship and watch as our ship, The Gabriella, slides past the rocky islands into the Baltic. It is stunningly beautiful and even the kids are content to sit for awhile and marvel. Todd looks over at me and says "23 hours ago Nick called to tell us he was waiting to take us to the train station." My first thought was "Nick who?" Not that we have forgotten Russia. Truth be told, my next question might have been "what's a train?" I was that caught up in the beauty of the moment. We have not forgotten, but oh, we are consoling ourselves quite well indeed!

Well done, Todd!