Mr. Boot Returns with a tumblr!

Mr. Boot returns after another long hiatus!

I have spent the past year traveling off and on between Iceland, Finland, Estonia, Grand Teton National Park, Glacier National Park, and the Colorado Rockies with Pink. All this traveling combined with my academic responsibilities has not left me with as much time or energy for blogging as I would like, but I think it is time to breath some life back into Mr. Boot's Axis Blog.

Above: From a hike in the Rockies

While keeping us busy, the traveling we have done recently has provided a great opportunity for having fun and gaining new experiences. It is always a pleasure to return to Iceland and Reykjavik, and we often find excuses to spend a few days there when on the way to other locations. Estonia is dotted with a surprising number of castles, manor houses, and old concrete structures left over from the decades of Soviet occupation. Estonia also has an amazing craft beer scene. Finland is covered in fantastic forests and lakes, and one can find smoked salmon and reindeer on the menu in many restaurants.

Above: Street art in Reykjavik, Iceland.

This recent series of trips gave me the opportunity to visit a number of militarily relevant historical sites, and see some impressive examples of  military equipment as well.  The Baltic countries seem to have a wealth of second world war era artifacts and points of interest. This is especially true for Finland, and you can find many museums dedicated to the Winter War and Continuation War of the 1930s and 1940s. Because Finland was never completely occupied by Allied or Soviet forces after the war, the fight against the Red Army during these years is still celebrated by the Finnish people as a patriotic struggle against a tyrannical oppressor.

 Above: Taking a pause while hiking in Estonia. Mr. Boot enjoys a book and a beer.

We had the opportunity to visit a number of military museums and historical sites in Finland, including one museum dedicated to the Salpa line.  The Salpa line was a series of fixed defensive positions and bunkers running the entire eastern length on Finland from north to south, and took a national effort to construct. In the future, expect posts dedicated to this museum and defensive line as well as posts relevant to the other museums we visited.

 Above: Salpa line positions in the southeast of Finland.

Mr. Boot now has a tumblr account where pictures are posted and shared. Most of them having something to do with the Axis powers of the 1930s and 1940s, but with the occasional oddball of course! Drop in and visit Mr. Boot's tumblr and see what you think. If you have a tumblr account yourself, please feel free to follow me. I also intend to continue posting on the twenty five points put forward in Ich Kampf, although these will likely be broken down and dispersed in between other posts for variety.