Helsinki is a unique town that has more history linked to war than any nearby town. It is directly across the water from Tallinn with Russia at the very top of the water canal. When Russia occupied Tallinn it didn't like that Helsinki was so close and not under their control so they did what they always do - go to war and in 1918 and again in 1939 they did. Russia lost badly each time. As if that campaign wasn't bad enough, the Germans came in a few years later, wanting to take control so they could choke off supplies to St. Petersburg. You get the idea how this town has been blown up over and over during the last 100 years.
As a result, there is no culture here, just homes, shopping and fortified installations. Finns know they'll go to war again as the country has an extensive network of bomb shelters under the city. They even have full ice hockey rinks to keep its citizens busy if things go south upstairs. |
One pretty building is the Temppeliaukio Church, also known as the Copper Dome Church.
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| The church literally is carved out from a rock |
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| The dome of the church. Doesn't look like much |
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| Once inside you see how pretty it is |
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| And the massive dome requiring 72,000 feet of copper to complete |
The Helsinki Lutheran cathedral is stunning perched atop the hill.
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| Quaint street cars navigate the cobblestone streets |
Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral is across the street which pays tribute to a church in Russia for that is where Orthodox Christianity first came to Finland.
Finns enjoy their outdoors. In winter it can be -60 degrees. They make the most of summer months where they'll get 22 hours of sunlight.
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| The community pool |
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| Street market with fresh produce and lunch |
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| The salmon was amazing |
And that's it. You've seen Helsinki. What makes this place pretty is the collection of tiny rock croppings similar to what we saw in Oslo. In the winter the water all freezes over and people will skate from island to island..
Tomorrow - Stockholm, Sweden
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