World Finland Etelä Suomen Helsinki

Around the World in 40 Days - Summer '08

Suomenlinna Fortress Aug 14, 2008

DAY 31-33: Helsinki and Environs

We have, despite the constant threat of rain, really enjoyed Finland. It feels very familiar to us, from the streets of downtown Helsinki to the rocks of Suomenlinna Fortress to the familiar landscapes of suburban Helsinki.

Sitting now in the Helsinki airport waiting for our flight to Frankfurt, there are Olympics playing on all the TVs and internet access everywhere. As we drove through the burbs to get here it all seemed like home but with different business names! The landscape here seems to be like a cross between Muskoka, Yellowknife, Sudbury and Thunder Bay :) It is really quite comfortable, and we would like to come back and explore the country some more, beyond the city of Helsinki.

Nonetheless, it has been raining for much of our time here. We explored the downtown area of Helsinki after the rain quit on Wednesday, enjoying the bustling atmosphere of the Esplanade with its markets, live music, parks, and cafes. The main Lutheran Cathedral here is beautiful and striking ... it is the main building you see in pictures of the core area. For dinner we enjoyed some really fantastic TAPAS at a little tiny spot just off the Esplanade. If you ever come here, go to that Tapas Bar!!!

Yesterday we awoke to more rain, lots of it. But we enjoyed walking through the really big market down by the Ferry Terminal, and soon boarded the boat for Suomenlinna Fortress. This fortress sits at the entrance to Helsinki Harbour, and is visible from Helsinki itself. It has been used in the defence of the area since the Swedes built it in the 18th century, was handed over to the Russians late in the 19th, and used during the Crimean and World Wars by Finland itself. Very historic, and very well preserved today. Since WWII it has been used as a park mostly by Fins, and is a really beautiful place to go for a picnic, to browse the artisans shops, and watch them at work. The pottery they make here is gorgeous.

Then there is the fortress itself :) Some of you will know Newfoundland's Wiseman's Head (formerly a series of underground bunkers etc.), but this is on a much grander scale!! It is a series of two islands of Canadian Shield-like rock on which underground bunkers, fortress walls, and various outbuildings are built. Virtually the entire former defence castle is open to the public, which is very cool. The network of tunnels is endless! We had a blast exploring the 'caves' and peering through the windows over the Gulf of Finland. Many of the canons still remain for people to sing into, stick heads into, and pose around.

We also had fun looking for a few Geocaches, and dropping off a Geocoin from Canada that wanted to get to Finland.

Once we were done, we just hung out in the parks, sat on the rocky shores, enjoyed picnicing, one of the cafes, and browsed the shops of the artistans ... particularly the ceramic shop. We notice in many of the guestbooks that there were very few Canadians that have come through these parts.

Then it RAINED (stormed) again, so we took refuge in the local library. The library is right across from a really cool church (which was, of course, under scaffolding). At the top of the church, in place of the steeple, is a LIGHTHOUSE!! It is still in use today by ferries, cruiseships, and the local airport.

We returned to Helsinki when the weather cleared and enjoyed some nice views of the city. A quick trip to another geocache took us to the top of a hotel, much like Toronto's Panorama. The views of the city, from the middle of it, were great ... but the views from the windows of the washrooms were even better!

That's about it. We were going to check out a local jazz club, Storyville, but the band playing was a renowned Finnish jazz band that plays mostly Dixieland. We weren't in the mood for expensive food, and Dixieland, so we wandered around downtown hungry until we stumbled into another Mexican restaurant. It was okay, and looked directly over the street, but the food really wasn't worth it. We got what we paid for ... and then it RAINED (stormed) yet again, and that chased us right back to our Hostel for the night.

We got up early this morning, and are now getting excited to be flying to FRANKFURT before getting on a train that will take us across the Rhineland, through Arnhem and Zwolle in the Netherlands. Tonight we will stay just across the canal, in Groningen, from where Laura's Oma grew up! We look forward to exploring this town that gave birth to Opa and Oma and their families.