Very interesting diary and superb pics, but then, they were taken by a Nikon -brilliant cameras in my opinion.
milodon:
Riho:
You should do some research to get the correct impression.Estonia, more developed than Russia, now thats a good one.
some people do rate living in a dump with a dictator over democracy, open borders, free speech and capitalism. I’ve seen honest personal opinions represented in this thread but if you have nothing better to add than a sad little bit of trolling, could you be so kind as to add yours somewhere else?
Have you been in a coma for the last 20 years Russia is a capitalist country.
Well my personal opinion is that Russia is more developed than EST, I understand that after the bronze statue removing from Tallin things between EST and RUS are very tensed. And aswell you cant compare two different size countries, that is more than stupid.
If you would compare LV and EST, I would say that EST is a lot better organized and run by the politicians country, because these two countries are similar in size and population.
And aswell if people are saying uhh aahh your country is so good, a lot better than other EE countries, it dosent mean that does HONEST personal opinions are 100% honest and not just written to be polite.
Excellent Diary, thanks for posting it
so, it appears, once a country has/is developed, to keep moving on, they employ cheaper labour from the east, to drive their trucks.
good job, planet earth is a globe, sooner or later what goes around…
interesting to be a 3rd party for a change and see others comparing whos best? latvians, lithuanians, russians…
i think that whole area, will become a huge player in todays business, (greed) driven world. never ceases to amaze me how many seemingly “overnight” oil/gas/business billionaires have popped up.
not what you know, more how big their gun is…
Riho:
hear me now! I want to blab on about something entirely irrelevant using facts I pulled out of my arse this morning
yes, you are right sir, putin is the best. I do wonder why an afficionado like yourself would choose to live in bristol over moscow, st petersburg or perm though. not a question your answer is expected for thank you.
the biggest reason for estonian companies hiring russians, ukrainians etc is that they’re willing to drive to russia, which for a normal person, is a lawless übercorrupt dump.
You totally misunderstand my meaning Riho. Obviously Russia is more advanced in terms of the size of its economy, the huge natural resources and so on. What I meant by developed is that Estonia is a small country with a small population and as such with a little common sense has developed from Soviet obscurity in 1991 to a country where the average citizen has a much higher standard of living than the average Russian in Kazan, Samara or Nizhniy Novgorod. I mean this in the same way that Denmark or Switzerland are more developed than the UK in terms of standard of living, wages, disposable income, healthcare etc, yet they are smaller countries with much less clout and visible importance. On paper the UK is a very important country on the world stage, in the same way Russia is, but it doesn’t mean that much smaller countries who appear much more insignificant, aren’t actually more developed when it comes to the standard of life offered to their citizens. Ie Denmark, Norway, Swizerland and in this case, Estonia when compared to its non-Scandinavian neighbours. A huge land mass, a huge industrial base, huge resources and a huge military capability mean nothing when the average Russian is living in not much more than poverty and the average Estonian is not.
yes, thank you, I couldn’t have said it as well even in estonian 
milodon:
Riho:
hear me now! I want to blab on about something entirely irrelevant using facts I pulled out of my arse this morningyes, you are right sir, putin is the best. I do wonder why an afficionado like yourself would choose to live in bristol over moscow, st petersburg or perm though. not a question your answer is expected for thank you.
the biggest reason for estonian companies hiring russians, ukrainians etc is that they’re willing to drive to russia, which for a normal person, is a lawless übercorrupt dump.
do they pay a decent rate to the russian and ukranian drivers?
how much do they get paid?
nice one! didnt realise johansens had romanians in the trucks, sign of the times i guess
I agree, a nice diary, i noted that you spoke of parking safely without having your fuel and batteries stolen, another sign of the eastern european influx, i have noticed a very large increase in truck crime, since our own invasion, not that i am saying that its all the work of them, for we have always had a truck crime wave, but nowhere near as bad as it is now since our own invasion.
I once worked for a company ( eldridge ) who regularly went to Sweden, Finland etc, island hopping as well, and used to really enjoy that work, my only bugbear was the price of a pint £ 7 and that was about 30 years ago, so god knows what it is now.
xtruckerlady:
Very interesting diary and superb pics, but then, they were taken by a Nikon -brilliant cameras in my opinion.
They were taken by the OP, never mind the camera.
I wouldn’t enjoy a great meal with you, and then say… it must have been the brilliant pans you used!
mickfly:
xtruckerlady:
Very interesting diary and superb pics, but then, they were taken by a Nikon -brilliant cameras in my opinion.They were taken by the OP, never mind the camera.
I wouldn’t enjoy a great meal with you, and then say… it must have been the brilliant pans you used!
Come on Mick, I dont think it was meant like that. Obviously just a Nikon fan who was adding a bit of brand loyalty humor to their compliment.
robinhood_1984:
mickfly:
xtruckerlady:
Very interesting diary and superb pics, but then, they were taken by a Nikon -brilliant cameras in my opinion.They were taken by the OP, never mind the camera.
I wouldn’t enjoy a great meal with you, and then say… it must have been the brilliant pans you used!Come on Mick, I dont think it was meant like that. Obviously just a Nikon fan who was adding a bit of brand loyalty humor to their compliment.
Plus, pans & ccoking to camera & photography is a very poor analogy cos even with the best pans in the world I’d still be a rubbish cook but a ‘top notch’ camera can make an average photographer look like a seasoned pro!!
Ross.
thanks to all again
regarding the camera, I think I should attend the course at nikon photo school, that came free with the purchase. I now have the time and really should learn a thing or two about the camera, it took me three days to figure out that you don’t have to hold the flashlight closed with your finger if you don’t want a flash, there are easier ways 
truckyboy it almost worse than in belgium and france regarding thefts from trucks in sweden. we carry a lot of wine to stockholm and örebro from spain and france and overnighting on the way is almost unthinkable - you’ll be missing whole pallets of the stuff come morning. and it’s definitely not only the eastern europe influx - the hordes from the middle east as well. at least in bulgaria you slept peacefully in a guarded compound, but there are almost none in sweden.
Excellent diary, I really enjoyed it!
milodon:
thanks to all againregarding the camera, I think I should attend the course at nikon photo school, that came free with the purchase. I now have the time and really should learn a thing or two about the camera, it took me three days to figure out that you don’t have to hold the flashlight closed with your finger if you don’t want a flash, there are easier ways
truckyboy it almost worse than in belgium and france regarding thefts from trucks in sweden. we carry a lot of wine to stockholm and örebro from spain and france and overnighting on the way is almost unthinkable - you’ll be missing whole pallets of the stuff come morning. and it’s definitely not only the eastern europe influx - the hordes from the middle east as well. at least in bulgaria you slept peacefully in a guarded compound, but there are almost none in sweden.
It’s really sad the way southern Sweden has developed with crimes. That’s why I prefer to draw the line around Sundsvall. Everything south of that if they ask me is just water
The only time I was about to be robbed was in Lilla Edet but thankfully I noticed it when I was about to draw the curtains so instead I started and moved the truck, the look on the Lithuanian’s face was just priceless (no use calling the police, they can’t do anything)
Hi all.Theft is becoming a more prevalent problem throughout Scandinavia with bands of our ‘‘Eastern’’ bretheren coming in cars and doing ‘‘tours’’ of campings and summer houses to do a ‘bit of shopping’.Fortunately in smaller villages many people have dogs and ‘everyone’ has a gun so ‘‘accidents’ are likely,’‘Sorry officer,i thought it was a bear’'.Mike