5:52 meant to say 1850's not 1950's 😬 Thanks so much for watching you lovely people😊 For the whole of January we’re sending a personalised video message to everyone who joins us here: www.patreon.com/TideKnotTravellers We’re truly thankful to every single one of you for watching, commenting and liking our videos, we can’t wait to share more adventures around the world with you all!

just to let you guys know, you actually can go around the snake

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

There was no way Kirsty was walking past it while it was hissing😅

@jorluo

3 жыл бұрын

@@TideKnotTravellers That was a grass snake (rantakäärme in Finnish -> straight translation beach snake), non-venomous, protected. It is often found near water and eats almost exclusively amphibians. The only venomous snake in Finland is the viper.

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

We have been debating between us whether it’s a beach snake or a grass snake, are they both the same thing then? 🤔

@jorluo

3 жыл бұрын

@@TideKnotTravellers It's a grass snake, sometimes called the ringed snake or water snake. It has that yellow collar behind the head. In Finland it's called rantakäärme (ranta means beach, shore, strand,... and käärme means snake) because it usually lives near waters. I have no idea if it's somewhere in the English speaking world called a beach snake. - There are only 3 snakes in Finland: grass snake (the largest of them), smooth snake and viper (the venomous one). If you meet a grass snake in the Finnish nature, it can be sometimes hard to tell if it is a grass snake or a viper because the grass snake can mimic the viper. Even if most of them escape danger, those grass snakes that cannot escape either defend themselves or behave like venomous snakes. The grass snake is able to tense the musculature of the head and neck area so that the head contracts in a triangular shape, such as with a venomous viper. They can also hiss like vipers to warn the beast (heh, as you beasts heard). They can make false strokes or rarely even bite, even if they have no poison.

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

@@jorluo wow, what a clever grass snake pretending to be a viper to scare away the beasts!🐍😊

I hope you guy can continue with your original plan soon! I love how you’re making the most of it though! Most people would’ve cancelled their trip altogether and ended up never doing it! Big big respect for that!!

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! We really hope to get to some of the original places we have planned but for now we're going with it and enjoying the journey😊

That's what the big "catterpiggle" you saw turned into...one of those amazing butterflies!

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Ahh🦋😊

Love the scenery some great photography as always and the history well narrated. Thank you

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you 😊

Fantastic video and great inspiration! Thanks a lot keep up the great work. Have a nice day!.

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you, you too! 😎

Wow the island was quite treacherous! First the snake and then the branch and the possibility of explosives...the hairy caterpillar too! It was really gorgeous though. The pond was very inviting and I can see why people went there as an escape from the city and that's cool how there was skiing during the winter. The sweeping views from the battery are incredible...that's amazing to be able to see the islands and the city skyline.

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Really loved the cityscape skyline 🌇 and the view out to sea with the islands 🌊

Really enjoyed the beautiful scenery Shayne.

Really enjoyed this! Vallisari Island looks Lovely & the views from there. Great to see ‘Hissing Sid’, though think he wanted a taste!!! ‘Gibraltar of the North’ looked a fab place for walking with all the wildlife etc ...except maybe for the explosives 🤣!!! Alexander Battery definately a good view point! That branch must have been a shock - good thing you said ‘look up’!!! Can’t wait to see ...’ Suer...Ma.... oh whatever it is! 🤣🤣🤣So funny!!!

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

It was good we looked up, that branch was super close!😅 beautiful but hazardous day out☺️

Thanks for sharing! Have a great weekend!

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, have a great weekend too! ☺️

Aww, your encounter with the snake was so cute!! FYI: there are three species of snakes in Finland. Two of them are nearly endangered, hence protected. Only one of them (the Viper) is poisonous, moderately. That wasn't it. What you saw was a Grass Snake: a long(ish) black snake, with orange spots on the neck, living typically near water. "A bringer of good luck!" as they believed in the olden days. Killing that harmless beauty would've gotten you fined... Hahaha!

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

We saw pictures of this type of snake a few days later at Haltia Nature centre. Beautiful to see one in the wild just would have been nice to know prior to seeing one that it wasn’t venomous😅 why would anyone kill one? They’re beautiful☺️

@pundewhee

3 жыл бұрын

Venomous. You could eat them, they ain't poisonous.

That's just a beautiful island and such a lovely sunny day you had! Wow you can swim in the summer and ski in the winter on that lake? That's probably the coolest thing I have ever heard. I saw a huge snake in my beach town when I was 12 and it was definitely not a pleasant experience 😅 The bloopers were too funny!

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

It rained until 2pm and after that it was beautiful and sunny, can’t believe how much it changed! ☀️😎

This snake is harmless in Estonia and Finland only 2 tupe of snakes and this is harmless.

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Harmless but angry if you nearly step on them😅

@jussikujanpaa357

3 жыл бұрын

Yes. Yelow "ears" no venom. Whitout "ears" venom. DANGER.

@maple494

3 жыл бұрын

actually, there are 4 types of snake species in Finland but one of them lives in åland and not mainland Finland. they are grass snake, adder, slowworm, and smooth snake which lives in åland

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

@@jussikujanpaa357 we found one without yellow coming up in next weeks video 😅 we had no idea we’d ‘bump into’ this many snakes in Finland!

@jussikujanpaa357

3 жыл бұрын

@@maple494 actualy 3 snakes and vaskitsa wich is not a snake. Kangaskäärme live only in Ahvenanmaa, not mainland Finland. So we have 2 snakes in Finland. Suomessa esiintyy kolme käärmelajia: kyy (Vipera berus), rantakäärme (Natrix natrix) ja kangaskäärme (Coronella austriaca). Suomessa esiintyvä vaskitsa (Anguis fragilis) ei ole käärme vaan jalaton lisko.

Oh no! That snake 😬 quite funny how it was going on the path in the same direction that you were walking 🙈 Love the coastal walk 😊 And the views of the skyline and ocean 🤩 with the benches...sooo beautiful!

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Yeh was no way we were going past while he was hissing away at us😅

Wow, what beautiful islands! The upper deck of the boat looked charming and what a beautiful day you two had too! Also only 12 euros, especially for Finland, sounds like a great deal. G'aw I know the snake is harmless but I would still be pretty freaked out lol -- also great bloopers this week hahaha

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Yeh 12euros for a boat to 3 islands we thought was pretty good too. Wish I could’ve been chilled enough to walk past the snake but he was hissing so angrily I felt for sure he might strike😅

You guys were way more chill about the snake then we would have been 😳 ! The views over the islands and water were beautiful especially with the boat going out!

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

We both actually really like snakes but it was pretty unnerving having one spring up on us in the wild in a country we never expected to see one😅 we were pretty sure it wasn’t a dangerous one though!

@haliaeetus8221

2 жыл бұрын

Btw.The snake was _not_ in striking pose _at all_ . They could've walked passed it at 1m distance just fine. If it had been a viper (only venomous snake in FIN) the venom would not be lethal (allergic people, children etc. a different affair). It wasn't a viper though. Its yellow cheeks gives it away, so it was a snake that lives close to water and is very nice and non-aggressive. In fact, my mum has some of them around her house and they just take care of excessive mice and peacefully (or in fear of humans) keep to themselves, even when she at times almost steps on them 🙂

Nice hopping the Finnish islands. Cute couple!

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you 😊

Maybe the snake is : "The grass snake (Natrix natrix), sometimes called the ringed snake or water snake, is a Eurasian non-venomous colubrid snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians. The grass snake is typically dark green or brown in colour with a characteristic yellow or whitish collar behind the head, which explains the alternative name ringed snake. The colour may also range from grey to black, with darker colours being more prevalent in colder regions, presumably owing to the thermal benefits of being dark in colour. "

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

That was the first thing that came up when we got back to wifi and Googled it. This one was definitely black with yellow cheeks. We saw a picture of these exact snakes a few days later at the Haltia Nature centre too☺

@Merike7173

3 жыл бұрын

This is a grass-snake, definitely.🙂

No warning about Craig starting to sing !😬 and Kirsty walking light footed has to be a first 🤣.I don't know why but i do end up laughing a lot watching the videos. Once again the islands look fantastic, can't wait for the next one, stay safe x

Great share. Thank you! :)

Those views from Alexander Battery were amazing. Hard to believe you can visit 3 islands for only 12 Euros. What a deal. Also crazy that one little island is home to 1000 species of moths and butterflies. Such an interesting place!

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

I know right 1000 species on one tiny island, crazy!

Valusaari island looks amazing and love the little putt putt course. Wow, 200 people on that little island and kids digging up ammunition. Lots to unfold in this island, so great the weather turned for the better there. Loved the music to the drone 🥰 that snake looked soooo scary, Kirsty freaking out in the background 😅 The view from Gibraltat of the North is absolutely stunning ❤️ the sunset from there must be beautiful. I love how they have recycling bins on the island, thats proper jacked up. How long did it take you guys to explore this island? Kirsty after all those failed attempts your pronunciation of all these islands were great 🤣🤣🤣

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

We spent about 3 hours on the island (lost about 20 mins waiting for the snake😅) It was tricky to pronounce but practice makes perfect as they say😂

Nice video! Thank you :)

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you. Glad you liked it! 😊

Nice couple 👍

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you 😊

that kiitos was pretty good and finnish people will appreciate that :)

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

😊

Ok. Yes, You have to be Finnish citizen for Vallisaari. Opened to us only 4rs ago. Happy landings!

The ferry to Suomenlinna is included if you have the HSL day pass. No separate ticket needed. Catching a ferry is just like Catching a tram or a bus.

90s estonian army tents were whitout the bottom,so in the morning sometimes you were able to find the adder sleeping close to your feet.No need for coffee after that😂

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Oh wow! Yeh that would make anyone move and wake up quick! 😂

What a retreat those islands are. And so needed when living in the big city next door. As the little girl on one of my son's favorite toddler-age childhood cartoons said, "catterpiggle!" The handbook of life doesn't teach you how to negotiate with a Finnish snake on a walking path. They never hear English, let alone understand it. "Just leave! We want to go that way!" With you totally. "I wouldn't be too chill if a giant nearly stood on me." And you pull out Gloria Gaynor at the end!

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

😂 yeh I don’t blame him for being angry and hissing. Made me way too scared to get too close though!

@SorgiStories

3 жыл бұрын

@@TideKnotTravellers Oh yeah. Keep your distance. We'd be slowly, gently walking 100 yards away or so.

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

😅 yep!🐍

Kirsty, you're almost even with Craig in the blooper department after his issues at the parliament building last week! But yeah...17 takes last week wasn't good.

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Yep😅 we both have our moments! 🤪

5:52 There was NO Russian/Soviet occupation of Helsinki during 1950's. During WWII only three European capitals were NOT occupied by enemy: London, Moscow and Helsinki. Vallisaari military base have been owned and run by Finnish Army and Navy during Finland's independence since 1917.

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Hadn't realised that London, Moscow and Helsinki were the only three not to be occupied during WWII.

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

5:52 meant to say 1850's 🙄 wrong century!

@yoretabio4537

3 жыл бұрын

Ok. No prob. ☺

@gbrdhvndi

3 жыл бұрын

Only three? What about Bern, Dublin, Lisbon, Madrid?

@ExecutiveSonda

3 жыл бұрын

@@gbrdhvndi Obviously he was talking about countries that were involved in WW2.

The scenery on that first island is so lovely! I bet it was a bustling place. The Gibraltar of the North has such great views. You had the island to yourself. The battery looked very interesting and you really hustled to get back to the boat. You were making me worry for you 🤣🤦‍♀️

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

We always push our luck with time when we’re out exploring but we were the last ones running back for the boat. The one time we went on a cruise together the gangway staff got to know us as the last ones back onboard 😬😅

My friend is from Lapland I have to show this to her!!

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

We plan to come back to visit lapland too ☺️

The Gulf of Finland is about 100km across, so to see across is ... not a tourist thing to bump into. But, there are some towers where with a good weather a keen eyed person can see Estonia. Think it's islands, or was it very far north protruding capes. There are a couple of them near Tallinn across the sea.

Yes looking up always its not good idea, especially in the nature. I once almost stumble on a moose, a big one. Luckily it didn't stumble on me when it jumped up just under my feet. And my heart literally jumped to my throat :)

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Oh wow! We really wanted to see a moose in the wild (maybe not that close up though!) it’s definitely important to look and tread carefully in nature😅

There are three types of snakes in Finland. One is extremely endangered and can basically only be found in Åland. The one you saw was a grass snake which is not venomous. It’s also protected and you can get a fine over 250 € for harming it. There are also vipers which are venomous. These have a lightning shaped black and no yellow patches on their head. They can kill humans but very rarely. (More people die to bee stings than them per year)

@TheAlex29494

Жыл бұрын

viper is only dangerous for small kids and the elderly. the venom isn't potent enough to kill a healthy adult but it might hurt. The last time someone died as a result of a viper bite was 1998 and it was probably an allergic reaction

Some trivia, Suomenlinna is situated on 7 islands and is the second largest fortification in Europe after Gibraltar.

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you. Great bit of trivia for us just as we begin editing our Suomenlinna video☺️

@ImForwardlook

3 жыл бұрын

You might want to verify that statement, it was claimed on a major travel channel but I have not seen a mention of it elsewhere. Here's an interesting link; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krepost_Sveaborg

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you 😊

Can’t wait for the next video soomulina was amazing

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

We loved it! Made it there for sunset too ☺️🌅

@sallymay24

3 жыл бұрын

@@TideKnotTravellers ohh when we went we were really early and it was snowing ...so worth it

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

@@sallymay24 wow, sounds beautiful!

I find it strange that the grass snake has no hurry of fleeing. Usually when I have encountered them they flee really quickly. It is a fast snake. Maybe the weather was cool and it was not able to move quickly because it is cold blooded and that path was in shade. On a warm sunny day these snakes are so quick that you only see a glimpse of them when they're already fleeing the site

😘😘

In ancient baltic culture this snake was considered a deity and lived whit people in the houses. You can take it in your hands! 😁 😆

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Had no idea we had found something so sacred😅 he was a cute little snake but definitely didn’t feel inclined to pick it up and keep it in the house 🏠😆

The telltail orange marks on her/his head tells its beachsnake, nonvenomus and drop its backtail if fritened.

@TideKnotTravellers

Жыл бұрын

We felt it was likely non venomous but still didn’t want to risk it 😅

if there is lots of ants around , ur safe from snakes, those little buggers eat them :D

It is Natrix natrix. In Finland we call it beach snake. The beach snake is non-toxic and completely harmless to humans and domestic animals. This is protected in Finland, so it must not be killed or damaged. The indicative compensation value for the beach snake is 252 euros. Yellow spots are good for identification. This is harmless but if the spots are missing it is a toxic snake.

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

We’re pleased it wasn’t poisonous, we love snakes but it was a bit scary hearing it hiss at us but we startled it by being there. So if a snake is like this one but doesn’t have the yellow cheeks it is likely poisonous?

@tapsavaan1671

3 жыл бұрын

@@TideKnotTravellers Yeah, then it is a viper. Finland has only one venomous snake species. In finland it is not terribly toxic. somewhat comparable to a four to five wasp sting. for children or the elderly it can be life threatening. the antidote would be good in any case to keep with you when moving in nature or to wear long-sleeved boots.

Grass snake, harmless.

Empty boat and empty market square! When did you film this? (If you mentioned it I'm afraid I wasn't listening...)

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

We filmed in September, don’t think we did mention it in this video but we always write the date in the descriptions so we don’t forget 😄

10:00 the snake is called ”rantakäärme” translated to beachsnake and it’s not dangerous.

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

We thought it was a beach snake (after doing some research) but lots are saying it’s a grass snake. Are they the same?

@pyryvanska

3 жыл бұрын

@@TideKnotTravellers Yes.

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Ahh thank you 😊

That was RantaKäärme, grass snake. Non venomous. Finland does have European Vipers, venomous but usually not deadly.

@TideKnotTravellers

2 жыл бұрын

We were lucky enough to find a few during our hikes there ☺️🐍

Beautiful island. Despite being infested with killer grass snakes 😀(they are like frogs, harmless and almost every homestead would have one like a pet under porch living and caching rats and mice. People even put them a bowl of milk! Hahaha I'm for real! Then you managed to avoid deadly traps of the island ghost, land mines and nearly got killed by finish language 🤣🤣 happy days 😆👏🌟 no wander they call it heaven 😆😆

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

If only we’d had a bowl of milk to apologise for almost standing on him, we could’ve been on our way sans hissing! 😂

@tadasc8449

3 жыл бұрын

@@TideKnotTravellers 😆 next time you'll know how to become friends with a grass snake, but don't forget milk must be semi skinny, organic and unpasteurised and the snake will follow you around like a kitten 😆🐍

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

🤣🤣 brilliant!

Hello

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Hi!

It has been The domain of The Republic of Finland since 1917.

There are common adders in Finland, but their venom is usually not fatal for healthy adults 🐍

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

We were pleased not to find an adder😅

@holokyttaja5476

3 жыл бұрын

That is a grass snake (Natrix natrix). It does not have any venom glands an is completely harmless. The common european viper on the other hand is venomous, but can be identified by the patterns on it's back.

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

@@holokyttaja5476 venomous or not we didn’t want a bite from Beach snake/grass snake 🐍😅 we know it’s not venomous but bites hurt!

that was a grass snake and it's non-venomous it lives near water so no wonder why you guys found him on an island :D but there are some venomous snake species in finland

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

That makes sense he’d live on the island, good place for him😊

There is only one poisoneus snake in Finland. And he is adder.

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Yes luckily we didn’t find one of those😊

@lassemanninen4750

3 жыл бұрын

@@TideKnotTravellers Never seen one in Helsinki. By the way: Vallisaari was armys island for over 200 years. And has been opend for anybody about 5 years. I have lived allmost my hole life (57y) in Helsinki, and never visit Vallisaari. Main reason is, cuz it is there. Just sitting there. I have visited islands in many countrys, but not here.

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

We are all often more inclined to explore further afield without looking at the beauty right in front of us. Hope you make a trip over there sometime, it’s beautiful😊

Wow! Please stay away from snakes. Difficult to know if they are poisonous. This snake probably does not see people often. The view of Gibraltar of the North is spectacular. I'm glad the branch didn't get you. You know the map does have a Grim Reaper on it. It is beautiful. Please make your boat. I do not think the snake will be happy about you guys spending the night there. Safe travels! I mean that! Be safe.

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Maybe that grim reaper on the map was a warning!😆 we made the boat just in time, it was close😅

Looks like rantakäärme - not venomous!

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Think you’re right, definitely didn’t look like a slow worm once we saw it moving.

Russian occupation in 50s?????????

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

Read the pinned comment, 1850s 🙂

@aksuahkera4052

3 жыл бұрын

@@TideKnotTravellers Sorry,my bad! Historywise tho,i feel compelled to correct that 1850 Finland was not a thing. We were a tribe shuttlecocked between Sweden and Russia,national movement had ofcourse been there for couple of hundred years but came to reality 1917 after a period of autonomy granted by tsar Alexander the 1st. Thank you for nice episode of your travelshow.

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

@@aksuahkera4052 that’s ok, it’s super tricky to get every sentence right, I was kicking myself for saying the wrong date as I’ve learnt a lot recently about the dates of occupation in this part of the world. Thank you for the info, we travel to learn and share to learn even more😊

@aksuahkera4052

3 жыл бұрын

@@TideKnotTravellers I didnt mean it in that sense honey. But just as a little bitesize historyfact. Love your show and sorry for terrible spelling.

@TideKnotTravellers

3 жыл бұрын

We genuinely appreciate every bit of historical information shared, love to learn 😊 your spelling is great!