Ithikial's Holiday to Scandinavia and Russia

[Ithikial]

Well I've been back for a week as of today and life is settling back down with bills paid and house stuff done. Thought I'd share some snaps and videos from my recent trip away from the front.

The trip started in Berlin (was good to be back) then went north through Denmark, across to Sweden then to Norway. We followed the Norwegian coastline for a week until we hit Nordkapp and then went south through Finland. Across the Baltic to Estonia and then into Russia, starting with Saint Petersburg, Novagorod, Moscow and the Veliki Luki. Latvia followed by Lithuania and then back to Berlin via Poland.

By chance the back half of the trip followed Army Group North and parts of Army Group Center's exploits between 1941 - 44. For example, our approach to Warsaw actually drove over the Radzymin battlefield from a certain CMRT campaign. Like a true history buff I bored a few people to death on the tour group.

I'll only focus on the pics and videos that I think this group will like, ie military stuff. I'll also post in stages, let me know if you want to see me.

A little out of order but the first video from *edit* Tallinn *edit* is a little entertaining. Ithikial's shooting exploits.

More out of order but what I got up to Riga.

 

[Ithikial]

Berlin
Starting at the Reichstag.

Brandenburg Gate

WW2 Memorial to the Soviet Union

Jewish Holocaust Memorial

East and West Berlin Line (Forever the tourist)

Margareta at the top of Berlin TV Tower

 

[Ithikial]

Copenhagen
Okay the first photo isn't of Copenhagen but a bunch of Aussies wanted to know what the hell is this drink and why is is in an artillery shell?

The Little Mermaid (and me)

Some Church... I'm scared of heights and about to climb it

Time to let the kid loose

Didn't expect to bump into this guy

Ice Bar!

(Yeah alcohol maybe a common theme to these posts...)

 

[Louis]

Very good photos, nice experience. Keep posting!!!

 

[steve]

Great stuff.......am off to Portugal (Albufeira) for a fortnight at the weekend so no doubt will have a few snaps to share when I get back.
Work has been hectic so am REALLY ready for this break.

Steve

 

[Meat Grinder]

Come to Tennessee and I'll take you shooting at some fun stuff, like zombie clowns and watermelons. ;-)

 

[Rambler]

Welcome back, and great pics! Looking forward to more. Can tell you had a blast at the indoor range. I'd also invite you out here to shoot, but the range I go to is under 27 feet (8 meters) of water right now. Maybe if you bring scuba gear.

 

[Ithikial]

Welcome back, and great pics! Looking forward to more. Can tell you had a blast at the indoor range. I'd also invite you out here to shoot, but the range I go to is under 27 feet (8 meters) of water right now. Maybe if you bring scuba gear.

Hahahaha. Well the AK would probably still work underwater....

Edit: Oh and stay safe mate.

 

[Ithikial]

Stockholm
City Town Hall (where they have the Nobel Prize banquet)

The Gold Room... which is really just painted glass mosaic.

And did part of my honours thesis on this guy.

The Vasa - The Swedish warship from the 1620's that lasted about 20 minutes before being blown over onto it's side by a gust of wind and sinking.

 

[Ithikial]

Oslo
So that's what they look like with no snow...

Preserved Viking Longboat

Arctic Explorer Museum - A surprisingly good find with lots of information and artifacts from the 1890's to WW1 when this endeavour was at it's height. Includes a preserved ship from the time you can explore fully. Short version, these guys were nuts.

Some very important art. It's a weird park... (Yeah art isn't my thing)

 

[Ithikial]

Oslo Part 2 - The Norwegian Military Museum
For the fellow military history buffs check this place out when in this part of the world. Lots of exhibits regarding the Battle of the Atlantic and the German invasion of Norway.
The WW2 stuff was in really good condition unlike some places I visited later in the trip.

Some modern kit.

Man cave...

 

[Ithikial]

Regional Norway
Snaps heading up the coast to the top of Europe.

Lillehammer Olympic Bobsleigh Track - In summer it's the ultimate Go-Kart experience. Our team got down in 63.86 seconds and beat everyone else on the bus. We weren't competitive.

Visited the village of 'Hell'

Then there's the scenery (Switzerland still beats it...)

How do you spot an Aussie in a crowd? Show them snow.

Crossing the Arctic Circle and Nordkapp to see the Midnight Sun. Spend about a week so far north we never had full darkness. Feels like you are constantly drunk after a few days.

Midnight at the top of Europe.

 

[Ithikial]

Finland
Heading south with the locals and crossing the Arctic Circle again at 'Santa's Village.'

Helsinki
(Yeah I don't get art)

 

[Ithikial]

Estonia
Overall a real surprise (along with all three Baltic states) and highly recommended if you want to head somewhere relatively cheap for good food, cheap booze and fun times.

Shooting
So we're back to the video in the opening post. The three of us signed up to it on a whim after spotting a brochure in the hotel lobby. Next afternoon we are picked up by a strange man with a van and driven to the docks in Tallinn. Yeah... there was about thirty seconds of WTF have we done during that car ride.

AK47 - Woohoo!
M4 - Interesting...
Glocks and other pistols - Dual wielding is a fucking waste of time.
Desert Eagle - What the actual fuck?
Remington - Ow.

Tallinn (proper)

 

[Rambler]

Not just any Desert Eagle; a gold plated, tiger striped desert eagle. Thug lyfe yo. You should have also requested to shoot the garbage rod. Garbage rod good proletariat gun. Make man of you, put hair on chest! Worker not have lived until shoot garbage rod, tovarisch!

Awesome pics, keep 'em coming. Looks like beautiful country up there.

 

[Ithikial]

Russia Part 1 - Saint Petersburg
The European city of Russia.

Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood. (The Russians come up the most interesting names).

Everything inside is a detailed mosaic - not a painting.

Hotel Breakfast and a certain ship of historical significance that was my view. The Aurora - the ship that fired her cannon to signal the start of the October Revolution. Apparently a local saying is: "The ship that only fired a blank but destroyed a nation."

The Winter Palace
I took a lot of photos in here but the sheer decadence of the Tsars on display here and also later in Moscow in "The Armory" (or Treasury building - no pics were allowed), it's pretty clear why country fell to revolutionaries. Interesting bit of history however, two key decisions occurred that led to preservation of the many historical artifacts from the Tsarist times still being in existence today. 1) Tsar Nicholas ordered much of the country's and Romanov family treasures to be moved to the Urals at the outbreak of WWI for safe keeping. As a result it wasn't on hand for looting in 1917. 2) Once secure in power, Lenin ordered that all artifacts from the Tsarist period of history still be retained by the State rather than destroyed. Though he fought hard to destroy the old establishment, he didn't want Russia's history to be destroyed along with it and forgotten by the people. Lucky since many of his underlings wanted their destruction, including a certain Joseph at the time. It was too late for many old buildings such as Churches which had to be restored once widespread religious worship returned to the Soviet Union during the WWII years. The biggest cause for 'holes' in the Russian Tsarist treasures is a combination of looting by foreign fighters from the Loyalist/White army during the Russian Civil War or they were sold by Stalin once he came into power to help pay for his massive works projects.

Russian Field Marshal Baton's from the Napoleonic era.

Yeah it's kinda huge with over 100 rooms.

Wishing for love at the Russian Sphinx's. (Doesn't work).

Lenin Square. It stands in front of the train station Lenin returned to the country by in 1917 and where he immediately gave his first speech upon disembarkation.

(A bird shat on me straight after taking this picture. Russian pigeons are Communists who don't like Market Economists)

 

[Nathangun]

Hell of a trip, it always boggles the mind when been that far north and it doesn't get dark or if it does it's only for an hour or two in the summer season.

Margareta at the top of Berlin TV Tower

I've been to Berlin a few times, the TV Tower should be called 'Thunder Bird Tower'.

 

[Ithikial]

Russia Part 2 - Novgorod
Smaller little city but full of history. Old capital of the Kingdom of Novgorod before a unified Russia. Now... relics of the Soviet times litter the landscape outside of the Novgorod Kremlin. (Kremlin is not a unique place in Moscow)
The view from my hotel room for the night. I look out and think two things: 1) Fallout, 2) Paintball.

Take a guess what this building is for. You'll never get it.

Entrance to the Kremlin.

Old Novgorod Palace

One of many WW2 Memorials

 

[Fredrocker]

Nuthing to say except... just plain AWESOME... thank you for sharing... f..kin incredible...

 

[Bootie]

Ive just actually watched Ithikials shooting video... I was proper laughing... remind me NEVER to go into combat with him as my wingman... damn... LOL