Helsinki – The Finnish capital … [Finland]

Whenever I think of Finland, the 1st name that comes to my mind is “Nokia” … The power of branding 🙂 (Even though nowadays “Nokia” is definitely not the brand it once was). I arrived at the Finnish capital using the Cruise Ship from Stockholm. I had used the Silja Line.

The ship is quite large with a central “town square” area with restaurants and shops. Because of the Duty-Free shopping opportunities, I am told that these cruises are very popular among the locals and the crowds definitely proved it to be true. The buffet spread for breakfast, lunch and dinner was massive! The cruise started in the afternoon and as per the advice I had previously received, I had a very early dinner (before 6PM) and headed straight to the deck to see the Stockholm Archipelago with around 30000 small-medium-large islands. The views were amazing …

As I am a morning person, I hit the bed early and was woken up around midnight by the loud sounds. I walked around to figure out from where the noise was coming. It was from the Disco 🙂

Unfortunately, the few days I was in Helsinki was dominated by rains 🙁 I still managed to see all the major sights.

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Had this drink while I was viewing the Stockholm islands …
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The central walkway area of Silja Line … It gets really crowded later in the evening.
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Seafood! The choice during the dinner buffet (Silja Line) was mind-blowing … Tried as much of it as I could 🙂
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The crowds @Silja Line Buffet
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I know it is a strange mix 🙂 Ignore the Chicken towards the right. It is mainly Desserts …
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Passengers enjoying the Stockholm Archipelago … Late evening … Right after the ship leaves Stockholm.

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The deck of Silja Line Cruise ship … Stockholm to Helsinki.
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Liked the depiction of the child 🙂
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A local Farmer’s Market …
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Helsinki Railway Station … Went there to scope out my train to St. Petersburg.
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The guide at Suomenlinna Fortress … This Fortress has a long history and played a crucial role in the past.
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An evening snack … Heavy, but awesome 😉
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The easy-to-tour Suomenlinna Fortress … My visit to the Fortress was pretty much the only time Helsinki was blessed with good weather during my stay.
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Uspenski Cathedral … It was about to rain. Wish there was more sunlight.
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Helsinki Cathedral … As soon as I entered this Cathedral, it started raining. It pretty much rained for the next few days.
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Temppeliaukio Church … “Church of the Rock”. By the time I reached here, I was soaking wet.
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Grabbing a quick bite early in the morning … Before the train to St. Petersburg.

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Monument Ehrensvard: The Knight’s helmet, sword and shield … Suomenlinna Fortress.

Adios!

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