a baltic journey
/Best of St. Petersburg, Tallinn & Helsinki in 9 Days, a Rick Steves Tour
/helsinki
day 3 - arrival to helsinki
Upon arrival in Helsinki and before checking into the hotel we stopped at the Church in the Rock, Sibelius Monument and the Seurasaari Open-Air Folk Museum. It was a very hot day but beautiful blue skies to enjoy the sights.
The church was really interesting, excavated directly into solid rock. While we were there we listened to a young boy playing the piano as we took in the unique atmosphere. The church hall is covered with a dome, lined with copper and supported on the rock walls by reinforced concrete beams.
The Sibelius Monument was a fun experience, we were told to stick our heads in the pipes and listen to the different sounds.
I would like to note that we were the only ones doing this and we looked a little strange.
intro to city centre and group dinner
After checking into our hotel and freshing up, Elteka lead us on a small walking tour to our group dinner at Sundmans Krog. Yet another excellant three course meal.
day 4 - helsinki walking tour and free afternoon
Our guided walking tour started at the covered market which housed various meats, wines, bakeries and lunch options. Then we experienced the fresh produce market, viewed the harbor, and walked the backstreets.
The highlight of Helsinki is with out a doubt the Lutheran cathedral perched on top of a set of steep steps at the edge of a neoclassical square. It was nice walking the backstreets and walking up to the cathedral from behind and seeing the square from its' view. Just breathtaking.
On the rest of our walking tour, we were led through the shopping district towards the train station and back to the main park where everyone was bathing in the sun rays; the Fins love their sun.
If I wasn't so hot and sweaty I would have loved to spend the afternoon trying on some of the Finnish clothes and shopping in the home decor stores.
lunch and suomenlinna maritime fortress
I had been dreaming of having Greek cuisine for lunch ever since the morning tour at the covered market. There were so many choices but the baklava was calling my name. I was glad to be enjoying lunch out of the sun and away from the food stealing seagulls. I saw them swoop down and take ice cream from two different innocent and unknowing people.
Then it was off to catch the ferry over to Suomenlinna where a few of us walked the island, enjoyed the fortress, and took in the museum. I liked the relaxed pace on the island and sitting on the lawn just taking it all in. The little Finnish girls playing tag were really cute with their dresses and head bands.
dinner date with rudolph...
I was lucky to be invited out for a gourmet dinner with wonderful travel companions to try some well prepared reindeer. The reindeer was on my 'to do' list for this tour and I was glad to have had the chance to try it; it was very tasty. Actually everything from the wine pairing to the carrot soup was excellant. I'm from rural Canada and love any opportunity to eat at a nice restaurant and try new dishes.
It was also nice to end the evening in Helsinki by walking off the meal and enjoying the quiet streets and harbor.
