Exploring Helsinki in a day

Our flights getting to Helsinki were really good. It has been years since I have been through Heathrow and wow what a busy overwhelming airport! My first trip ever, 100% on my own, was coming home from the Canary Islands when I was 18, and I had a connecting flight through Heathrow and my flight getting in there was late. I do not know how I navigated through it, on my own, running! I'm impressed with my 18 year old self right now.

Neither of us had a great sleep so we started the day off really tired, but that didn't stop us from taking it all in.

Helsinki at first glance isn't a visually appealing city. They skyline is dull and most of the buildings are unimpressive.

The hotel we stayed in, Glo Hotel Art, was really great. The outside and the lobby look like a castle, yet the decore and furniture is very modern, a stunning contrast. The room was very comfortable, the beds had a remote to raise the head or foot, so cozy! The only thing I would complain about this hotel is the bathroom.... I remember working at the Fairmont and we were worried that the wood slat doors didn't provide enough privacy...and that was really just if you needed some privacy for undesired noises or bathroom goings on. But this bathroom.....a glass wall into the bedroom. It was black glass but you could still see fully in and fully out. Makes bathroom and shower usage a little awkward. But beside an awkward bathroom, the hotel was amazing.

We started the morning off with an amazing buffet breakfast at our hotel, Glo Hotel Art. A huge spread of cold cuts, cheese, eggs, sausage, bread, yogurt and amazing locally roasted coffee.

When Megan and I travel together we walk everywhere! We will rarely get in a taxi or bus, we just walk. And walk we did! For six hour straight! We started off in the Market Square, a lot of craft, souvenirs and food for sale. Any animal lover would hate this market though. There are a lot of animal pelts and teddy bears made out of animal fur. All very soft and cuddly.

We vistied the Uspenkin Cathedral, a building that catches your eye! The Cathedral was built as a Roman Orthodox Church in 1868 and boasts a red brick exterior and a green roof on the steeple. It now serves as a Finnish Orothdox church. Mass was in progress when we visited so we got to hear the choir sing a bit, it was beautiful.

We wandered to the Senate square, you are immediately overcome by the Cathedral. It is a massive white building with amazing pillars and domed roofs. When on the water this Cathedral dominates the city skyline. The square was a busy place, with tourists and street performers. A great place to sit on the cathedral stairs and people watch.

One of the highlights of Helsinki is the Suomenlina Sea Fortress, which is a short 10 - 15 min water bus ride. This is a massive fortress that was cunstructed in the 1700s. The fortress has been in the hands of Sweden, Russia and finally
Finland. It is a great island to walk around and just get lost exploring. I really wish I had my headlamp with me today. There were a lot of little tunnels that went down to what I assume to be prison cells and storage rooms. We wandered through areas that looked like we were in the middle of the Shire, with beautiful wooden doors right in the side of a grassy hill. The defence of this fortress would have been impressive in its days. Canons flanked the perimeter of the island and most seemed well camoflauged in the natural rock and geography of the island. What once was used for war is now a monument of times past and provides people with grassy parks and rocky beaches to enjoy their lunch.

We saw the majority of the hightlights in Helsinki today but saved a couple more for our return at the end of our trip.

We ended the day with a ferry ride to Tallinn Estonia. We took one of the fast ferries that only took 1 hour and 40 minutes. Some of the bigger ones can take up to 3 hours! The first impression of Tallinn from the ferry was breath taking. We could see the towers from the old city wall and the steeples of cathedrals. Can't wait to explore tomorrow!!!