I arrived in Helsinki on Sunday afternoon (3rd July). It was very easy to travel into the city from the airport – the airport bus goes straight from the airport to the central railway station. I was staying at the Radisson Blu Plaza (I think it is listed in the Lonely Planet Guide as the Radisson SAS Plaza), which was only a block away from railway station. Tired from all the flights, I went to bed soon after I arrived at the hotel, and had a luxurious 13 ½ hours sleep (yes I can sleep for that long!)
Monday I had booked on a morning tour of the city through Viator (highly recommend that site for booking tours no matter which country you are in). The tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly, but it was a coach tour and we stayed on the coach a bit more than I would have liked. However, it did give a good feel of where things were in the city.
A highlight of the tour (and something I wouldn’t have seen if I had just explored the city myself) was the Jean Sibelius Monument. Jean Sibelius was a famous Finnish composer, and the monument is constructed from more than 600 steel pipes.
The tour finished just on lunch time, and with trying to lose weight and stick to the 12WBT, what to eat when you can’t prepare your own meal is always a concern. The tour finished at the “market square”, where the city meets the harbour and there are lots of stalls – souvenirs but also food including fresh fruit and vegetables. I indulged in a huge punnet of strawberries – and I can honestly say they were the sweetest strawberries I ever had.
I headed back to the hotel for a bit before doing some more sight-seeing in the afternoon, re-visiting a few places we had passed in the coach but hadn’t stopped. I also did a bit of shopping (I admit it, my name is Kathy and I’m a shopaholic!) but got a great bargain on a trench coat – 75% off.
With my back being sore, I didn’t feel up to using the hotel gym, but went for a 7km walk. I made sure I took a map with me, but by complete chance I must have walked in a loop. I had decided to head back to the hotel, was looking for a street sign to check where I was, and realised the hotel was right in front of me!
Before I left Australia, my boss told me if I was stopping in Finland, I had to try reindeer, which is a Finnish delicacy. I was a bit wary, although realistically, I’m a carnivore, and eat kangaroo which some people have an aversion to, so shouldn’t have had an issue – it was just the thought of eating Rudolph! I needn’t have worried. A lot of restaurants in Finland sell reindeer - I ended up just going to the restaurant in my hotel, and had grilled reindeer sirloin. It was wonderful! Very tasty, not too gamey, I would probably say it tasted like a cross between lamb and beef.
I was leaving Tuesday afternoon, but had the morning to do some more sightseeing. I visited Suomenlinna - an island about 2 KM from Helsinki. Until 1973 it was a military base, and still known as an island sea fortress. Now however, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and a popular half day trip from Helsinki. I thoroughly enjoyed it - lovely old buildings, an interesting history, and wonderful views back to Helsinki. I went fairly early, and I think that combined with the fact it was very cloudy meant it was nowhere near as busy as it often is in summer. If I had had longer, I could have easily spent a few hours enjoying a picnic lunch on the edge of the island.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time in Helsinki – much more peaceful than I expected with it being a capital city, but apparently most locals take July as holidays. It isn’t a city where you would have a long holiday, and if I had stayed longer I probably would have visited some of the other small islands rather than spending more time in Helsinki itself.
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