Stretching Our Euros/ More Midsummer Break pics

Me and my sauna hat in the "sauna" section of the local City Market

View from our apartment balcony around 1 am

Our budget dinner on a Finnish train-- cream crackers, salami, and some assorted cheeses

Some tapas selections on the Viking Line

The Panna Cotta was superb

The reindeer was tasty too

Fresh bread with some extra virgin olive oil accompanied by a tapas of feta mousse

One of the nearly 30,000 islands that you can find on the trip from Stockholm, Sweden to Turku Finland--- If you look closely, you will see a lone individual in the middle of the picture-- He is standing at his easel and painting!

A fresh salad really hit the spot--- All this sailing really makes one hungry

A Viking Line ship making its way into port at Mariehamn on the placid waters of the Baltic Sea

We passed right by several other vessels including this Silja Line ferry on its way to Stockholm

Another Viking Line boat right behind us

Kaylin having her own kind of fun on the ship

Finnish sun seekers sitting on the rear deck and enjoying the views

I never get tired of looking at all of the little dwellings and cottages on even the smallest of islands

The Old town Square in Tallinn, Estonia

One of the beautiful flower markets in Tallinn

An Irish coffee and free WiFi-- Life is good in Tallinn

Nice panoramic view of the Old town area in Tallinn, Estonia

Our second family trip to Estonia

Just had to get a picture of this door

View looking towards the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral-- an orthodox church in the Old town district of the city of Tallinn

Maybe someday I will give this one a go

One of the biggest challenges for our family of five in Europe is trying to budget our money so we don't run into the problem of too much month at the end of the euros. Traveling in this part of the world is not cheap and there are no Tom Bodett's that "leave the light on for you" for say 50 U.S. dollars a night. Transportation costs, food, and especially lodging can really put a dent into a travel budget in no time at all. We have developed some very basic strategies for cutting corners and stretching our money, so we can see and experience as much as possible during our time here. Here are a few of our travel secrets!!!!

First, we let our feet do the walking. When traveling with three young children, prices on buses, trains, and trolleys can really add up. Although the fares for the younger children are generally reduced, many times children receive only a small discount on full adult fares. Therefore, we usually grab a street map and walk to our destination. We generally avoid shuttles, unless of course they are free, and we only opt for a taxi if the weather is brutal or we are in a major hurry to make a connection. It is always an adjustment for the kids at first, but they seem to adapt fairly well. We are often amazed at the sights or hidden gems we encounter along the way.

Another thing we do is always book ahead well in advance of our trip. Estalita and I both scour the internet for deals and comparison shopping can generally save you some serious money. On a recent Viking Line (12 hour boat trip from Stockholm to Turku, Finland), I secured five tickets for us for only 8 euros each by booking well in advance. This did not include a cabin as this would have run us an additional 200+ euros for the trip. However, I went to the front desk after we boarded the boat and negotiated a full cabin for only 20 additional euros.

Tip # 3 involves food. We generally always scout around for a small grocery store close to wherever we are staying and then buy some basics like drinks, dried fruit, bread, cheese, cream crackers and salami. On a recent trip to Sweden, we found a small grocery store near our budget hotel and then spent about 12 euros on these items for our evening dinner. Breakfast is included in the price at most European hotels, so we try and eat our bigger meal in the morning if this is the case. If we are checking out before breakfast, the hotel staff is usually happy to make up a small "to go" bag free of charge in lieu of the hot breakfast. You just have to ask.

My last tip involves visiting tourist info. centers and asking the staff for coupons or info. about any advertised specials for local restaurants or attractions. Don't forget that simple forms of ID like student cards, can generally get you into a museum at a reduced rate.

Lights out.