Thursday, July 7th, 2022
Welcome to Helsinki.
Is it fitting the first stop was a food hall?
Hietalahden Kauppahali is 115 years old. It has aged well.
Walking Helsinki west to east.
Taking in yet more stately buildings.
Another vista around every corner.
Love me an old train station. This is Helsingin Paarautatieasema. Please don't ask me to pronounce it.
Not too shabby.
Yep, a Burger King.
Airy train shed.
Massive buildings encircle.
Long streets create valleys.
Intersected with pedestrian streets.
Esplanadi running through central Helsinki.
Stopping at the old and famed Fazer for some salmon on rye and chocolate.
Such a beautiful day.
Everyone was taking pictures of this statue. Turns out he was a poet.
Kauppatori is the heart of Helsinki at the harbor.
Vanha Kauppahalli goes back to 1889.
Very busy with tourists.
Loved seeing the merchants so proud of their wares.
The daily market was in full action at Kauppatori.
What a lovely fragrance in the air from fresh produce.
To grilled meat.
On the east side looking back at the market and food hall.
All surrounded by islands.
Uspenskin Cathedral,
1868, when Finland was Russian.
Very new- 1868.
Heading north.
Senaatintori- Senate Square
Nice view!
Continuing north,
well outside the touristy area.
To the right is Hakaniemen Kauppahali.
A newer food hall taking the place of an old one behind it that now sits empty.
Got a smoothie made from local berries.
Continuing to walk this northern district.
Ice cream?! Thanks to Google Translate, pretty sure that is Strawberry Cheesecake.
Walking back south. So much to see.
Wowzas.
Europeans, and Nordics, are better at living outside.
Back at Esplanadi.
And then the southwest part of Helsinki.
Never ends.
Sinebrychoffin puisto park
Friday, July 8th, 2022
Welcome to eastern Finland.
Today more time was spent on figuring out the busses than seeing anything.
First let us look at Kotka.
It was, well, call it like it is, bleak.
Kotkan Kirkko
Downtown. Yawn.
Kotkan kappatori market
Found a bakery!
Yep. Potato bakery.
Booorrriiiinnnggg.
St Nicholas Orthodox Church- 1081, survived Crimean War
Down at the harbor.
Boooorrrriiiing.
Well, that is more interesting.
Then headed to Hamina. After spending 2 hours figuring out the buses.
Which has some historical significance being close to Russia.
Then there is this.
Pretty sure this portion of the world just sits outside all summer.
