Day 14: Helsinki

No pressure to get up early this morning., we had said our goodbyes to everyone on the trip last night. At breakfast there was more hugging and farewells. M and I decided to move our luggage to our new hotel later in the day. We decided to try and find the Sibelius monument which is on the outskirts of the town. It took two tram rides and a walk but we found it!










Dedicated to the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, it consists of 600 welded steel tubes. They are supposed to make sounds when the wind blows but we couldn't hear anything despite climbing on the rock standing beneath them.

The rain wasn't far away and we had heard there was a cafe by the water's edge that was worth a look.

Inside this wooden shed was a very cosy cafe full of interesting bits and bobs.

We were advised to have a look at the toilet at the end of the garden to see its slightly offbeat decor and signs.

Back in the city centre we had a look at the city's railway station.

Our  plan was to collect our luggage and move to our next hotel. We wouldn't have moved hotel if we had known which one our tour company was using at the time of booking. Anyway, our new one was in an Art Nouveau converted warehouse. It was huge with the inside resembling a ship.

From our room we could see the cruise ships which towered above the port buildings.

The weather had now improved and the sun was shining, time to get on a ferry and have a look at the island of Suomenlinna. It is one of the biggest sea forts in the world with its fortifications scattered over eight islands. We were delighted to to find that our tram tickets gave us free travel on the ferries as well as buses.

We passed the open air swimming pool on our way out of the harbour. I was surprised how many people were making use of it but then this is Finland, home to the saunas and cold water swimming.

It was a short crossing of about 15 minutes to this fortress island which still had many of its defences intact. It was a gorgeous day for wandering around. We had a picnic lunch overlooking the water,

before exploring the island.

This is Suomenlinna Church. The Russian garrison church was completed in 1854. It had five onion shaped domes and was built in the Byzantine-Russian style. When Finland gained independence, all the church's Orthodox features were removed. The lighthouse in the tower has guided air and sea traffic since the 1920s. Today the church is a popular wedding venue.

Its bell is the largest in Finland and the fence is made of cannons and chains.

We wandered through the dark tunnels and climbed up onto the battlements. It took a few hours of slow meandering to explore the  islands linked by short bridges.

Today many artists live permanently on the islands. There are a number of studios and galleries on the island. In this one we could watch glass being blown.

The wooden houses used to belong to Russian garrison traders. They supplied goods for military and civilian needs. They were also the pharmacists, butchers, bakers and innkeepers for the whole garrison. The traders were also required to hold food in stock in the event of a siege. Since Finnish independence in 1917 they have become shops and cafes.

We had thoroughly enjoyed our time on the island. The weather was perfect and the scenery spectacular.

Arriving back on the mainland we walked through the Esplanade. Lots of people were sitting outside enjoying the last of the sunshine.