After a week in Stockholm, I was off to Helsinki for five nights. I had read and been told so many times that Helsinki was boring and there was nothing much to see. I didn't find that at all. Maybe living in a city that is considered boring by many and in a "fly over" province has helped me see the gem and sparkle that is everywhere if you look for it. It certainly doesn't have the beautiful Old Town of other cities nor the gorgeous harbourside of others. However, I still found it had it's own charms and I really enjoyed my time there and would return if the opportunity arose. I am fortunate in that I am rarely bored (a bonus right now in this Covid-19 crisis) - I can find cozy contentment in a simple cup of coffee in a cafe while people watching, reading or writing in my journal. To me, travel is so much more than rushing from one "tourist attraction" to the other. I love seeing how people in other countries live.
Upon arrival at Helsinki airport I found my way to the train that would take me to the central station. A kind girl directed me to the metro. I have to say after the stress of my arrival in Stockholm I was quite nervous about finding the way to my accommodation. Helsinki's metro system is simple - one line. I departed at Hertonas station and left by the C exit from the platform that my host had indicated. The trouble was there were two exit doors to depart...which one? I messaged her but it didn't seem to go through so I took a wild guess and luckily was correct. Ani was there to greet me. I knew ahead of time that my room did not have a door but a curtain which was fine. What shocked me is that she slept on the sofa! However, she assured me she does this all the time anyway and it was one of those sofas that is almost as big as a bed. I had to laugh as she was addicted to soap operas and American reality shows so I would go to sleep with one of those in the background - it never disturbed me though. As in most Finnish homes she also had a home sauna which I finally had time to use my last day there. The best part, however, was her beautiful balcony with a view of the ocean. It was a common sight to see the Baltic ferries returning or departing the city and I never grew tired of watching them during the long beautiful evenings.
Now can you believe I didn't write in my journal what I had for breakfast the next morning...so did I really have one? I assume so but no clue what!! Some Airbnb's provide breakfast and others don't - this one didn't. I took the metro to Rautatientori which is the Central Train Station. I constantly got lost there because there is a shopping centre built underneath along with the metro beneath that. (which is why I got so lost on my arrival) This train station is known as one of the most beautiful in the world.
The spherical lamps that the statues are holding are apparently lit up at night - I say apparently because I never saw it being as it was constantly light when I was downtown. I would have had to have been there around 1 am or so to see this!!
I finally found my way out the right door (the one above) and headed over to Senate Square.
This is Helsinki Cathedral which is Lutheran. I never went inside. Why not? Too damn lazy to climb those stairs. Truth! The Finnish name for this gorgeous church is Helsingen Tuomiokirko. It was completed in 1852. From the rooftop statues of the twelve apostles guard the city. The nearby Upsenski Cathedral (we will visit that later) and this one are referred to as the two queens as they face each other like queens on a chessboard. I could see both in the distance from the balcony at Ani's place.
This statue is of Tsar Alexander II. Apparently, he was much loved by the Finnish when they were part of the Russian Empire. The pigeons sure seem to love him now!
After wandering down a side street I came across the waterside Market Square which sold everything from your typical tourist tat to expensive jewelry and had lots of food vendors as well.
Don't worry, we'll be back.
I had decided that today I would visit Suomenlinna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This fortress was built by the Swedes in the mid 18th century and is set over a series of car-free islands connected by bridges. I heard there were some good walks there and it just seemed like a fun thing to do on a gorgeous day. So I got on the ferry (covered by my Helsinki Card - the island itself is free) and off we went.
This time I had a good seat and really enjoyed the view of the city from the water as well as the islands along the way.
Looking back towards the Cathedral and Market.
Here is a sneak peek of Uspenski Cathedral
I have no clue what this is but it's beautiful!
I loved these gorgeous wooden buildings on rocky outcrops!
And here we are! I headed off other that bridge while all the others went the other way. It turned out to be more of a private area for residents of the island but because I'm snoopy I had to check it out.
Then I crossed back over the bridge and started to explore the attractions on the island.
This is Suomenlinna Church which was built by the Russians in 1854. This church was originally Russian Orthodox and had five domes. It changed to Lutheran in the 1920's and now has the distinction of being one of the few churches in the world to also be a lighthouse!
This is another ferry that runs in summer only.
A ferry! This one could be going to Stockholm, Tallinn or even Russia! I had originally thought of going to St Petersburg on one of the "no Visa" short trips but I read a few reviews and it sounded very complicated. So I decided not to and to be honest I'm just not that interested in visiting Russia.
Then I started following a path that led along the sea and the views were spectacular. I thoroughly enjoyed this walk!
It was all so beautiful and I do love the ocean. I nearly called this blog "Misplaced Ocean Child". Perhaps one day I will live closer to the ocean - my secret dream...(now you know!)
There were lots of remnants of the island's military past.
The walk was a good hour at least so I sat down near this spot and had an ice cream from a nearby vendor. As you can see it was a beautiful day and quite hot!
I loved this old building near the ferry - it reminded me of my beloved Fort Kochi in India.
Then it was time to take the ferry back to Helsinki. I probably spent three hours on the island and could have stayed longer if I had visited the military museum and walked further. I would highly recommend a visit here.
I was a bit peckish by this time and I wandered around trying to decide on something to eat...why I picked this I don't know. It was good though. It's called Porilainen and is a hunk of white bread with a fat sausage inside with sweet onion, pickled cucumber and mustard. (it calls for ketchup as well but the only time I use ketchup is on chips) I wanted something traditional so this is what I got. A Finnish hotdog!
Ani, my host told me Finnish strawberries are the best (she has lived around the world). When I did buy some I guess I got "duds" as they weren't that special!
I then crossed the road over to Esplanade Park which was full of people enjoying the sunshine.
It was a lovely park and I rested a while before once again heading off.
The Helsinki trams are iconic.
I then walked down this quiet cobblestone street that led to Senate Square but instead of heading onto the square I turned right and headed up to Uspenski Cathedral.
You probably guessed that this was once a Russian Orthodox church. It was built in 1868. It now serves the Finnish Orthodox community.
I then wandered around the area a bit as there were supposed to be some icebreaker boats in the area but I was pretty knackered and my attempt was half-hearted.
More love locks!!!
I stumbled onto a tram that took me to the train station and then got back on the metro to Hertonas where I popped into the grocery store and got some supplies in such as tomatoes, salad, yogurt - good healthy stuff right? Then a Fazer chocolate bar (famous Finnish brand) and Cloudberry cider insisted on jumping into my shopping basket as well. Well, what can you do?
This was the view from the balcony - definitely not too bad! Don't worry I did wander down to the seafront during my time here.
The cider was yum. It was such a pleasure to sit on the balcony in the evening and yes I treated myself to a cider or wine cooler each evening - most featuring nordic berries. Sometimes Ani joined me and we would talk of travel (she has lived in various places due to her ex-husband's job) and life in Finaldn. Otherwise (when she was watching her soap operas and American reality shows - she really did like watching TV!!!) I would sit and read or write in my journal and watch the ferries come and go in the distance. Pure bliss! I never did see any darkness thanks to the Midnight Sun in this part of the world.
What a fantastic day in Helsinki - and I still had three more to look forward to!
Upon arrival at Helsinki airport I found my way to the train that would take me to the central station. A kind girl directed me to the metro. I have to say after the stress of my arrival in Stockholm I was quite nervous about finding the way to my accommodation. Helsinki's metro system is simple - one line. I departed at Hertonas station and left by the C exit from the platform that my host had indicated. The trouble was there were two exit doors to depart...which one? I messaged her but it didn't seem to go through so I took a wild guess and luckily was correct. Ani was there to greet me. I knew ahead of time that my room did not have a door but a curtain which was fine. What shocked me is that she slept on the sofa! However, she assured me she does this all the time anyway and it was one of those sofas that is almost as big as a bed. I had to laugh as she was addicted to soap operas and American reality shows so I would go to sleep with one of those in the background - it never disturbed me though. As in most Finnish homes she also had a home sauna which I finally had time to use my last day there. The best part, however, was her beautiful balcony with a view of the ocean. It was a common sight to see the Baltic ferries returning or departing the city and I never grew tired of watching them during the long beautiful evenings.
Now can you believe I didn't write in my journal what I had for breakfast the next morning...so did I really have one? I assume so but no clue what!! Some Airbnb's provide breakfast and others don't - this one didn't. I took the metro to Rautatientori which is the Central Train Station. I constantly got lost there because there is a shopping centre built underneath along with the metro beneath that. (which is why I got so lost on my arrival) This train station is known as one of the most beautiful in the world.
The spherical lamps that the statues are holding are apparently lit up at night - I say apparently because I never saw it being as it was constantly light when I was downtown. I would have had to have been there around 1 am or so to see this!!
I finally found my way out the right door (the one above) and headed over to Senate Square.
This is Helsinki Cathedral which is Lutheran. I never went inside. Why not? Too damn lazy to climb those stairs. Truth! The Finnish name for this gorgeous church is Helsingen Tuomiokirko. It was completed in 1852. From the rooftop statues of the twelve apostles guard the city. The nearby Upsenski Cathedral (we will visit that later) and this one are referred to as the two queens as they face each other like queens on a chessboard. I could see both in the distance from the balcony at Ani's place.
This statue is of Tsar Alexander II. Apparently, he was much loved by the Finnish when they were part of the Russian Empire. The pigeons sure seem to love him now!
After wandering down a side street I came across the waterside Market Square which sold everything from your typical tourist tat to expensive jewelry and had lots of food vendors as well.
Don't worry, we'll be back.
I had decided that today I would visit Suomenlinna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This fortress was built by the Swedes in the mid 18th century and is set over a series of car-free islands connected by bridges. I heard there were some good walks there and it just seemed like a fun thing to do on a gorgeous day. So I got on the ferry (covered by my Helsinki Card - the island itself is free) and off we went.
This time I had a good seat and really enjoyed the view of the city from the water as well as the islands along the way.
Looking back towards the Cathedral and Market.
Here is a sneak peek of Uspenski Cathedral
I have no clue what this is but it's beautiful!
And here we are! I headed off other that bridge while all the others went the other way. It turned out to be more of a private area for residents of the island but because I'm snoopy I had to check it out.
Then I crossed back over the bridge and started to explore the attractions on the island.
This is Suomenlinna Church which was built by the Russians in 1854. This church was originally Russian Orthodox and had five domes. It changed to Lutheran in the 1920's and now has the distinction of being one of the few churches in the world to also be a lighthouse!
This is another ferry that runs in summer only.
A ferry! This one could be going to Stockholm, Tallinn or even Russia! I had originally thought of going to St Petersburg on one of the "no Visa" short trips but I read a few reviews and it sounded very complicated. So I decided not to and to be honest I'm just not that interested in visiting Russia.
Then I started following a path that led along the sea and the views were spectacular. I thoroughly enjoyed this walk!
It was all so beautiful and I do love the ocean. I nearly called this blog "Misplaced Ocean Child". Perhaps one day I will live closer to the ocean - my secret dream...(now you know!)
There were lots of remnants of the island's military past.
The walk was a good hour at least so I sat down near this spot and had an ice cream from a nearby vendor. As you can see it was a beautiful day and quite hot!
I loved this old building near the ferry - it reminded me of my beloved Fort Kochi in India.
Then it was time to take the ferry back to Helsinki. I probably spent three hours on the island and could have stayed longer if I had visited the military museum and walked further. I would highly recommend a visit here.
I was a bit peckish by this time and I wandered around trying to decide on something to eat...why I picked this I don't know. It was good though. It's called Porilainen and is a hunk of white bread with a fat sausage inside with sweet onion, pickled cucumber and mustard. (it calls for ketchup as well but the only time I use ketchup is on chips) I wanted something traditional so this is what I got. A Finnish hotdog!
Ani, my host told me Finnish strawberries are the best (she has lived around the world). When I did buy some I guess I got "duds" as they weren't that special!
I then crossed the road over to Esplanade Park which was full of people enjoying the sunshine.
It was a lovely park and I rested a while before once again heading off.
The Helsinki trams are iconic.
I then walked down this quiet cobblestone street that led to Senate Square but instead of heading onto the square I turned right and headed up to Uspenski Cathedral.
You probably guessed that this was once a Russian Orthodox church. It was built in 1868. It now serves the Finnish Orthodox community.
I then wandered around the area a bit as there were supposed to be some icebreaker boats in the area but I was pretty knackered and my attempt was half-hearted.
I stumbled onto a tram that took me to the train station and then got back on the metro to Hertonas where I popped into the grocery store and got some supplies in such as tomatoes, salad, yogurt - good healthy stuff right? Then a Fazer chocolate bar (famous Finnish brand) and Cloudberry cider insisted on jumping into my shopping basket as well. Well, what can you do?
This was the view from the balcony - definitely not too bad! Don't worry I did wander down to the seafront during my time here.
The cider was yum. It was such a pleasure to sit on the balcony in the evening and yes I treated myself to a cider or wine cooler each evening - most featuring nordic berries. Sometimes Ani joined me and we would talk of travel (she has lived in various places due to her ex-husband's job) and life in Finaldn. Otherwise (when she was watching her soap operas and American reality shows - she really did like watching TV!!!) I would sit and read or write in my journal and watch the ferries come and go in the distance. Pure bliss! I never did see any darkness thanks to the Midnight Sun in this part of the world.
What a fantastic day in Helsinki - and I still had three more to look forward to!
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