As we have spent a fair number of days in all the other Scandinavian countries, we thought it was about time to add to the one day that we spent in Finland (which was back in 2008).
Having secured ourselves a reasonable deal at a chain hotel, we will be setting off towards the end of May to spend five days and nights in the Finnish capital, Helsinki.
The evenings will be light until 11pm, the language will be unpronounceable, the food will consist of berries and reindeer and should I get enough time after being in the sauna each day, further reports will follow.
Well, not that many first impressions because we have only been here a few hours, but you get the idea.
The travel logistics from home to Heathrow ran like a dream and we had more than enough time to grab a coffee before our Helsinki flight was called. The skies were clear as we crossed the North Sea, followed the coast of the Netherlands and flew over Denmark
and the southern tip of Sweden before making our approach into the Finnish capital. Despite the Captains promise of rain on arrival, we were instead greeted by warm, late afternoon sunshine.
Thus we have only had a chance to check in at the hotel and then to get out and find something to eat. Our room looks out over part of the and we are also conveniently located close to a tram stop. Walking up to the main drag takes around minutes.
Although its evident that Helsinki has not escaped the global recession going by the number of empty and semi- derelict properties, there is certainly no shortage of bars and restaurants.
Upon the of the concierge, we went around the corner to a place serving a wide variety of dishes, many of them local specialities. Claire chose fresh salmon and I opted for a reindeer burger. I must say that once the antlers had been removed and the mince put into a nicely toasted bap, old Rudolf was very tasty indeed. An glass of refreshing local beer was also very after all the travelling.
restaurant, the temperature was dropping rapidly and banks of thick fog were rolling in. However, the forecast for tomorrow promises sunny skies and 17C, which will be most as we set out to explore the city.
Following a hearty and healthy breakfast we set off walking across the city to the Market Square and caught the city coach tour. Over the course of two hours, the bus took us to most of the important sights in Helsinki, including the Rock Church, the Presidential Palace, various museums, national theatre and the Central Station to name but a few.
At the conclusion we found a kiosk selling sandwiches and salads and stopped for a light lunch, following which we could not resist buying a large punnet of deliciously ripe strawberries from one of the many stalls on Market Square. Thus refreshed, we spent a short while browsing the remainder of the stalls before having a brief look at the
This meant that we were just in time to get back to the waterfront in order to board the 2.30 boat trip which was to meander around a few of the hundreds of islands making up part of greater Helsinki. Many of the islands have expensive looking summer homes owned by city dwellers, some have been developed by into leisure resorts, whilst others are protected as nature reserves. There was not a cloud in the sky and on the leeward side of the islands it was very pleasant indeed, but on the windward side, it was a touch Baltic. Pun intended.
By the time the boat had returned to the harbourside it was late afternoon. We had a brief look around some of the art and craft shops before deciding to look for somewhere nice for our evening meal. The area around Market Square and Esplanadi is lined with expensive, designer label stores and upmarket bars and cafes, and it seemed as if the entire population of the city down to enjoy a Friday evening coffee or beer in the sunshine.
