Europe is not as far away as it might seem. About 12 hrs and 15 mins after departing Singapore, we arrive in Helsinki, Finland. It is 6am, pitch black and 4 degrees celcius.
The first thing we do after passing through customs and collecting our bags is to change into some warm clothes - thermals, boots, coats. A good choice as the train station is actually a decent 5-8 min walk from the airport terminal and once we arrive in Helsinki Central, it is another 10 min walk to our hotel. As we walk to our hotel, it is 8:30am, and the sun is just starting to rise. 5 degrees celcius.
Our room isn't ready when we arrive so we leave our bags and have some breakfast in the hotel restaurant as we plan the day ahead. Following is what we managed to catch in the few short hours we had in Finland's capital.
Our first stop is the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Suomenlinna Fortress, which was first constructed in the early 1700s. We travel to the fortress by ferry from Market Square, across the calm ocean water. It is now about 10:30am, the sun is finally above the horizon and the temperature is feeling like a balmy 7 degrees celcius. Surprisingly, there are about 900 permanent residents on the island and there are areas fenced off from the public indicating residential zones. We take our time to stroll around the islands. There are tunnels within tunnels so deep that what little daylight there is, does not illuminate them. They don't have any signage to stop visitors from entering, but also no signage indicating where they lead or if they are safe. Despite having torchlights, Vanessa isn't quite as game as Tim to explore too deep.
After checking out the fortress' guns and hidey holes that look like something out of The Shire, we stop at the quaint Cafe Vanille for lunch and to keep warm while waiting for the next ferry back to the mainland to arrive. The cafe is run by a girl who looks about 16 and is located in what used to be the living room of a small house, seating 14-20 people at most. We feast on the local equivalent of a meat pie and a cheese and broccoli pastry, before topping it all off with a cheesecake flavoured with a local Christmas drink called gloog (kind of like a mulled wine) and a chocolate mud cake. Don't let the cafe's small size fool you, according to their website, they are still able to cater for parties.
What the fortress would look like in the different seasons and the Entrance to the fortress
Old place of worship for residents of the fortress. Notice the massive bell in the foreground.
Tim loves cannons!
Shire-like hobbit homes which are actually storage facilities.
After checking out the fortress' guns and hidey holes that look like something out of The Shire, we stop at the quaint Cafe Vanille for lunch and to keep warm while waiting for the next ferry back to the mainland to arrive. The cafe is run by a girl who looks about 16 and is located in what used to be the living room of a small house, seating 14-20 people at most. We feast on the local equivalent of a meat pie and a cheese and broccoli pastry, before topping it all off with a cheesecake flavoured with a local Christmas drink called gloog (kind of like a mulled wine) and a chocolate mud cake. Don't let the cafe's small size fool you, according to their website, they are still able to cater for parties.
Hanging out at the Cafe Vanille
We join the 2pm ferry ride back to the mainland. The sun is ready to set, the rain is coming down and it's now about 5 degrees. After a 30 min walk in the rain, our next stop is the Mannerheim Museum, the home of Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, a Finnish statesman and military officer who fought in both World Wars, in the Finnish Civil War for Finland's Independence (just to name a few), and for a short time before he died, served as Finland's President. Located on top of a hill in what is meant to be a prestigious residential area, the Mannerheim Museum is actually in the house, which was the home of Mannerheim from 1924 to 1951. Mannerheim's home was converted into a museum shortly after his death and as a result, most of it has been preserved in its original state, with the exception of one or two spaces which have changing exhibitions, all about the man himself.
Walking through the all market all on route to the Mannerheim Museum.
Photos weren't allowed in the Mannerheim Museum unfortunately, but we managed to sneak in this of one of Mannerheim's hunting victories - a real tiger skin with head and claws still attached.
Next, it's a short tram ride to the National Museum. The tram ride takes us through the main shopping area of Helsinki and in true Christmas spirit, shoppers pile onto the tram, presents and wrapping paper in hand. I'm not sure how they do it but everyone looks comfortable in this 4 degree afternoon and its mix of wind and rain. The National Museum houses the history of Finland, all the way back to 8500 BCE. Unfortunately for us, we were not that keen on the Ancient history of Finland but more of its modern history. So the National Museum was a bit of a bust, perhaps next time we will visit the Military Museum.
As we step out of the museum, it is 5pm, looks like it's 9pm, is rainy and about 3 degrees. We decide to brave the cold and head over to the Rock Church or Temppeliaukio Church. Built in 1969, the church is built directly into solid rock. Unfortunately, our perseverance through the rain did not pay off as there were cars and folks dressed in black tie outfits arriving at the church for some shindig. Oh well - any excuse to come back next time.
As we step out of the museum, it is 5pm, looks like it's 9pm, is rainy and about 3 degrees. We decide to brave the cold and head over to the Rock Church or Temppeliaukio Church. Built in 1969, the church is built directly into solid rock. Unfortunately, our perseverance through the rain did not pay off as there were cars and folks dressed in black tie outfits arriving at the church for some shindig. Oh well - any excuse to come back next time.
To close off the day, we head to the supermarket to purchase some provisions for our stay in Ivalo, before satisfying our hunger at the McDonald's of Finland, Hesburger. A staple in Finland is both rye bread and pork so of course Tim tries the pork burger, much to his satisfaction. By now, it is only about 6:30pm but we are cold and wet so we head back to the hotel to check-in and prepare ourselves for what we can only imagine will be the best part of our trip - Ivalo.
Doing what we do and trying out the local fast food.
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