In the army now

On Thursday having fully recovered from our trip to the countryside, it was time to get back on our bikes and a 30k.m. round trip to the town of Viimsi and the "General Laidoner (Military) museum http://www.esm.ee/index.php. At the start of the week the weather forecast predicted rain for nearly every day, yet here we were in another warm day and even had time to hang around at the beach. As with all the other military museums I've visited I would like to thank Una for not complaining as quietly putting up with it and me (yet again). However this was a museum with a difference. Of course it had the usual military vehicles, weapons and posters, but this time there was a great toy. An automatic rifle with sensors that the public could use to fire at an electronic target. Being the typical male that I am, I blasted away and barely hit the wall, but then Una stepped up and hit the target time and time again including the bulls eye. Was it humiliating to be beaten with a big boy's toy by a woman, I hear you ask? HELL NO. When you're good, you good. And she is really good. As you may not be going to Estonia any time soon allow me educate you a little. The twentieth century was for Estonia an especially bloody and oppressive time, being occupied by Russian and German armies for most of that time. But did you know that in its war of Independence against Lenin's Russian volunteers came from Denmark, Sweden, Finland and White Russia to aid this little country. The Royal Navy and American cash also made its way here, but unlike Afghanistan they didn't put soldiers on the ground. Ironically the now independent Estonia is only one of a handful of countries who are still sending soldiers to that new battleground.