My fourth and last day in Helsinki dawned and being June 21st it was Midsommer. I was knackered from three busy days so I had a pretty relaxing morning sitting on the balcony with Ani drinking coffee and setting the world to rights. Ani then walked me over to the seaside park and promenade near her flat so I wandered a bit and sat on a bench by the sea for a half hour or so. It wasn't the most exciting seaside promenade I've been on but better than what I've got at home! I love any opportunity to be by the sea.
I don't think I've ever seen a swan by saltwater. There was a decent beach if I'd been so inclined...I wasn't.
I popped into the nearby convenience store and got a 24-hour transport pass as my three-day pass had run out. Back onto the metro to the Kallio station and then hopped on a tram to get to the Hakaniemen market. I had a quick trip through the market planning to come back later to "get serious" about shopping.
I grabbed a couple of shots of the outside market before heading over to try and find the famous "Bear on the Anthill" statue. The bear is Finland's national symbol.
Digging for ants!!!
This was as close as I got...I was done with churches!!! It is a Lutheran church and was opened in 1912.
I stopped at a cute Italian restaurant and had cannelloni for (late) lunch then headed back to the market. It was closed!!! The outdoor vendors were starting to close up but I did manage get a tub of strawberries.
Then it was back on the metro...sparkling clean! (but not as much character as my beloved London Tube!)
Beng a sentimental old fool I had to document what I saw on my last walk from the metro - I knew the next morning I would be too burdened with luggage to bother...
No traffic lights around this area so I assume they are some kind of electrical units. Adorable!!
This was the sidewalk which was for both pedestrians and cyclists. As in other Scandinavian countries cycling is popular here.
Ani's building is on the left. There was a cluster of apartment buildings in this area which is in the Southeast part of Helsinki and is a recently (late 80's into 90's) developed part of Herttoniemi.
Normally for Midsommer, there are loads of bonfires but many were banned because of the dry weather. I wasn't bothered; I am just not into huge crowds anymore - old age I guess. So I opted to celebrate with a sauna in Ani's bathroom. Yes, like any good Finn she has a sauna attached to her bathroom. Apparently, it is unusual if you DON'T have a sauna in your bathroom! I lasted 15 minutes!!! Hot!!! But I am glad I had the opportunity to try it. It was a fun way to end my time in Helsinki.
I then grabbed my last drink from the fridge and enjoyed my last evening on the balcony enjoying the beautiful view for the last time. Ani joined me for a bit but her American crime shows were calling!!!
Cloudberry cider!!
\
I don't think I've ever seen a swan by saltwater. There was a decent beach if I'd been so inclined...I wasn't.
I popped into the nearby convenience store and got a 24-hour transport pass as my three-day pass had run out. Back onto the metro to the Kallio station and then hopped on a tram to get to the Hakaniemen market. I had a quick trip through the market planning to come back later to "get serious" about shopping.
I grabbed a couple of shots of the outside market before heading over to try and find the famous "Bear on the Anthill" statue. The bear is Finland's national symbol.
Digging for ants!!!
I then walked over to the Kallio church which sits on a hill (gasp, gasp!) and can be seen throughout the city. Four of the church's four bells play a Sibelius (remember him?) composition daily at noon and 6 p.m. I missed the noon one and wasn't going to stick around until 6 p.m.
I stopped at a cute Italian restaurant and had cannelloni for (late) lunch then headed back to the market. It was closed!!! The outdoor vendors were starting to close up but I did manage get a tub of strawberries.
Then it was back on the metro...sparkling clean! (but not as much character as my beloved London Tube!)
Beng a sentimental old fool I had to document what I saw on my last walk from the metro - I knew the next morning I would be too burdened with luggage to bother...
No traffic lights around this area so I assume they are some kind of electrical units. Adorable!!
This was the sidewalk which was for both pedestrians and cyclists. As in other Scandinavian countries cycling is popular here.
Ani's building is on the left. There was a cluster of apartment buildings in this area which is in the Southeast part of Helsinki and is a recently (late 80's into 90's) developed part of Herttoniemi.
Normally for Midsommer, there are loads of bonfires but many were banned because of the dry weather. I wasn't bothered; I am just not into huge crowds anymore - old age I guess. So I opted to celebrate with a sauna in Ani's bathroom. Yes, like any good Finn she has a sauna attached to her bathroom. Apparently, it is unusual if you DON'T have a sauna in your bathroom! I lasted 15 minutes!!! Hot!!! But I am glad I had the opportunity to try it. It was a fun way to end my time in Helsinki.
I then grabbed my last drink from the fridge and enjoyed my last evening on the balcony enjoying the beautiful view for the last time. Ani joined me for a bit but her American crime shows were calling!!!
Cloudberry cider!!
The picture above was taken about 11 p.m.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Helsinki. There are a few things I missed but for the most part I feel satisfied with how much I saw there. Still...something appeals to me about visiting the Scandinavian cities in the winter. Who knows... I might be back!!!
Next stop...Tallinn, Estonia!!!
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