Estonia is not that far from Stockholm and yet there are some differences that I just cannot help but notice.

Estonia has storks. There are stork nests on chimneys and utility poles, and storks striding around in fields and roadside meadows. It is pretty cool to see such large non-human creatures, so close to us. In Sweden there are none.

Same with swallows. When Ingrid went riding here in Tartu, the stable was full of swallows flying in and out, and their nests under the ceiling were more than I could count. In our stable in Stockholm there are sparrows instead.

The supermarkets in Estonia stock a much wider variety of processed food of all kinds. Fifteen varieties of ready-made potato salad. Pastries with savoury fillings of all kinds. Dozens of flavours of yoghurt, with actual variation, whereas Swedish supermarkets have maybe six and they’re all almost the same. (The supermarkets in London also had lots of flavours – I wonder what keeps Swedish producers from widening and renewing their range.)

Estonian cyclists do not wear helmets and generally seem to harbour a death wish. Cyclists cross the road diagonally without even looking over their shoulder; they cycle on narrow sidewalks without slowing when meeting pedestrians. The most extreme example was two guys on the same bike, one cycling and the other one standing on the rack. Neither was wearing a helmet. They were in the middle of the road, veering a bit erratically, because the one in the front was steering with one hand and using the other to hold his mobile phone.

Estonian women all make an effort to dress stylishly, whereas Swedish women are more likely to take the jeans-and-top approach. Estonian men all wear single-colour t-shirts and sports shorts, and look as if they were on their way to mow the lawn or possibly attend a beach barbecue.