Thanks James I will certainly check that out . I tend to like my ale not as hoppy and more clear than dark. It looks like Guinness takes the cake over there. Maybe if I tried one from over there I would change my mind. I don't think ours is like theirs at all. I hear the company and the music can be nice too in those places. We have Irish pubs  around here, but they are probably different too. We were just in one recently and I had my first boxy ever. Loved it. Things are just better from the source.
 
I remember the first time I ever had real bread from the northeast here. Before that all I had was wonder bread and the wonder of that had worn off long ago. In the south all we had for lunch meat was factory made bologna and hotdogs. The kind where they bring in the animal scraps from one end and hot dogs come out the other. I couldn't believe the difference here. Those Germans can make some serious sausage and sweet bologna....how did I get off on this. I'm hungry again. And i'm writing a book.

Kalle Rantaaho
What a joke. A group of US Marines is coming to Finland to study winter warfare. We're having about the warmest december/January ever, and look at North America :o) In northern Finland it's closer to normal, luckily.
 
Well, they've promised some winter in the south next week...

Did they say if it's a NATO thing?  Is Finland even part of NATO?  I've seen/read stories about one group that goes to Colorado or Wyoming for cold weather training.  I think they were Army, though.