2009 Legatum Prosperity Index

[rnatalli]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091027/lf_nm_life/us_prosperity_index

Having spent time in Switzerland, I might just have to check Finland out if it took the top spot just ahead of the Swiss.

 

[lsiberian]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091027/lf_nm_life/us_prosperity_index

Having spent time in Switzerland, I might just have to check Finland out if it took the top spot just ahead of the Swiss.

We are 27th in healthcare and the universal systems in Europe are ranked much higher. Hmmm maybe it would be better than our current system.

 

[jostenmeat]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091027/lf_nm_life/us_prosperity_index

Having spent time in Switzerland, I might just have to check Finland out if it took the top spot just ahead of the Swiss.

I drove around Europe in a $500 beater, and Finland was too expensive to stay in for me at the time, but by far the most impressionable thing to me about the people was their penchant to take fashion to the extreme. If you're a jock type, you've got the sneakers, jersey, headband, wristbands, lol. If you're gothic, you've got facial piercings, powdered white face, chains everywhere. Etcetera. I've never seen anything quite like that before, not even close.

Of course, I'd only go in the summer. That's the most north I've ever been, and the Baltic does freeze at the coastline.

I highly recommend taking the super large ferry to Stockholm. It was very affordable, and this moving island that they call a boat had a casino, two story dance hall, 4 aisle grocery store, bowling alley, at least 6 large glass elevators, lol. Of course, it was cheap to me, because I was sleeping below the water line. It's an overnight trip, and I barely slept.

 

[lsiberian]

I drove around Europe in a $500 beater, and Finland was too expensive to stay in for me at the time, but by far the most impressionable thing to me about the people was their penchant to take fashion to the extreme. If you're a jock type, you've got the sneakers, jersey, headband, wristbands, lol. If you're gothic, you've got facial piercings, powdered white face, chains everywhere. Etcetera. I've never seen anything quite like that before, not even close.

Of course, I'd only go in the summer. That's the most north I've ever been, and the Baltic does freeze at the coastline.

I highly recommend taking the super large ferry to Stockholm. It was very affordable, and this moving island that they call a boat had a casino, two story dance hall, 4 aisle grocery store, bowling alley, at least 6 large glass elevators, lol. Of course, it was cheap to me, because I was sleeping below the water line. It's an overnight trip, and I barely slept.

Sounds like a Ripper of a trip. I hope you got to sample the local goodies.

 

[Jeepers]

Of course, I'd only go in the summer.

Finland in the summer ? With all the lakes, you might risk being eaten alive by the mosquitos.

 

[jostenmeat]

Finland in the summer ? With all the lakes, you might risk being eaten alive by the mosquitos.

I didn't notice a single one. However, I only went right through it, as I did Sweden and Denmark. I bolted all the way to Belgium, where I slept in the car, and had a towel crammed in the window to block out the ubiquitous lights of Belgium. Original goal was to drive to Moscow to surprise the living heck out of my friend who lived there for a long time. I made it on to Russian soil, just to be turned around (very tough to get visa when not presently on home soil). I went the northern route, because I didn't want to take the same route back. And while I really loved Poland, which I saw for a week, it was also probably the most dangerous part of the journey. If driving this route as I did, I recommend filling up the tank in Estonia before embarking to the Fennoscandinavian region.

 

[lsiberian]

Finland in the summer ? With all the lakes, you might risk being eaten alive by the mosquitos.

You want to be eaten by mosquitos go to the jungles of thailand.

 

[jamie2112]

I loved the ship from Stockholm to Finland.I was in Pori last summer with Tower Of power.The women are very forward there.More so than anywhere else in the world,maybe its the short nights.............