Helsinki Stopover

The visa checks upon leaving Russia were so relaxed I almost missed the fact I had crossed the border, although the early hour may have been to blame. Rather than catch a train back to Moscow and then across to Estonia I instead headed further north still and spent a day in Helsinki before getting a ferry across the Baltic. My ‘stopover’ was only 12 hours but I endeavoured to make the most of it, checking my bag into a locker and escaping on foot.

My first stop was the Helsinki design museum, a tribute to Finnish design, be it the indestructible Nokia 3310 or the Angry Birds app. My absolute favourite section was the temporary exhibit to finish fashion designers, the more absurd the better I liked it. If someone can find me a pair of those leggings I will be eternally grateful!

From here I looped my way up through the design district, stopping to admire vintage interiors and modern home wares in equal measure.

My route took me past the gleaming Helsinki Cathedral and the lovely red brick Gothic Johannes Church but after my time in Russia I was beginning to develop cathedral fatigue.

Kauppatori Market square was next on my list and I stopped here for lunch as it was the cheapest food I had seen yet. A large plate of grilled salmon with potato and vegetables was only €12 and I was glad to have some fish again.

From the market is was only a short walk around the harbour to Tervasaari Island, a charming spot that was filled with Finns sun baking, bike riding and generally enjoying the warm weather. I stopped here to rest my feet get through a bit more of Anna Karenina, despite my love for reading even I had struggled with that as my sole pastime whilst on the train and I still had some to get through.

The final part of my day was taken up by a walk around Töölö Bay. Much of my time was spend dodging bike riders and joggers but it also gave me an opportunity to view some of Finland’s stranger architecture including the Ooppera House, Finlandia Hall and the hideous Makkaratalo building.

By this point my legs were aching and my camera battery was running low so I collected my bag and walked down to the docks to catch the Ferry across to Estonia.

While it was only a brief taste of Finland the city was lovely and I’m keen to head back and see more of it and get acquainted with the rest of Scandinavia as well. Stockholm anyone?

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