Upon arrival, we first had to hang out in a coffee shop for an hour or so until we could drop our bags off at our apartment. Not such a bad thing given our rush at the breakfast buffet on the ship.
Our apartment was big, bright and decked out with top quality furniture, appliances & linen. The room was enormous, like the size of our bedroom & lounge room back home. Mika our Host was welcoming and made us feel at home.
It was then onto sightseeing for the afternoon. First stop, Temppeliaukion Church - the Church of the Rock. The church was built directly into solid rock in 1969 and is bathed in natural light which enters through the skylight in the copper dome roof. Next it was into town to browse the market in the aptly named Market Square and Bevan ordered some crepes. Steph brought a locally made necklace.
Next up, the Cathedrals. The Uspenski Cathedral, an Eastern Orthodox from 1868 and the Helsinki Cathedral, a Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral that was built between 1830 and 1852. Both of these cathedrals are very different styles but both prominent in the Helsinki skyline and the first thing you notice when arriving into the port. While outside the Helsinki Cathedral, an overly friendly local who we suspect was looking to sell his services as a tour guide, told us to go across the road to the university library. Turned out to be a good tip, probably the most beautiful building interior we saw in Helsinki. A beautifully painted dome roof that has been impeccably maintained.
By now we were absolutely exhausted! We picked up some groceries and headed home for a nap and stayed in for dinner.
Not a lot on the agenda for day 2 in Helsinki. We slept in, had a lazy morning and took the opportunity to do some washing. We packed our lunch and then got the ferry over to Suomenlinna, an inhabited sea fortress built on six small islands in 1748. It is now a world heritage site and popular with tourists and the locals. The fortress was originally built by the Swedish crown as protection against Russian expansionism. The southern part of the fortress is in a tiered star style of fortification. In the Finnish war, the fortress was surrendered to Russia in 1808. Suomenlinna also played a part in the Crimean War of 1853-56 and World War 1. The fortress then became a part of independent Finland in 1917 following the Russian Revolution. A prison camp existed on the island following the Finnish Civil War. The island was then handed over to civilian administration and the only military operations left are the Naval Academy of the Finnish Navy.
We went into the museum and watched a short film on the history of the island and also viewed an exhibition by a local photographer with photos around the island in all seasons. We found a spot for a picnic and then spent a few hours wandering around the islands and exploring the old fortress. There is still quite a bit that is intact and there are some great views across the water through the cannon port holes.
When we returned back to town, we stopped by the Torni Hotel. There is a bar on the top floor with a panoramic view of the city.
Dinner tonight was fresh burgers made from all Finnish ingredients. And triple fryed potato chips, oily but tasty!
The next morning, Steph dragged Bevan out of bed for a run, our first one for the holiday. After 3 weeks and sickness, Steph was chomping at the bit to get out there, Bevan not so much. We braved the 10 degress and enjoyed a nice run around the lakes nearby the apartment.
At 7.30am on a
Saturday morning in Helsinki, the train station is the only place open for coffee. Fortunately, this is nearby the apartment and we had quite a delicious coffee in the warmth of the station.
It was then home for breakfast and to pack, big day today. Today we go to Russia! A trip that we have spoken about taking since we met 3 years ago.
And as I sit on the train writing this, we have just been stamped into Russia, happy dance! Stay tuned.
