What I've learned about the history of this region: Way back when, Sweden ruled the Baltic. They had all kinds of territory, including land that is Russia today. Finland was Finland until the Russians decided it was Russia. At some point, Russia decided that land that was Sweden's was Russia's. Germany decided it all was theirs a couple of times. The famous Amber Room in the Catherine Palace was made with amber from land that was Russia's, then Germany's, then Russia's. But it pissed the Germans off to the point that during WW II, feeling ownership of the amber, they dismantled the room stone by stone and hid it all in a castle that got bombed and burned to the ground. So far, what I've gathered is that Poland and Finland had to bend over every time someone got a whim that they wanted the land. It's insane, I swear to God, and no different from the Middle East. Oh yeah, and during WW II, the Finns - remembering that Russia had annexed them 100 years prior - joined with the Nazis in the bombing of St. Petersburg. The FINNS!!!! I think the only reason Finland is Finland now is that folks finally figured out it's not much more than some outcroppings of rock anyway. Isn't it amazing that wherever men have settled, there is war? This is the lesson of travel - Not that mankind is all the same, but that mankind is all nuts.
Today the ship stopped in Helsinki. Because we face two wildly busy days in St. Petersburg tomorrow and the next day, We decided to stay on the ship. The people who went into Helsinki said we missed seeing a church and the parliament building. Instead, we had great workouts, swam in the pool, read our books. What a lovely day....Gotta go.
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