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Published: September 3rd 2014
I am not sure where to start, I packed my bag and headed down to the harbour just a short walk through the old town. I was a few hours early so I just sat and watched people arrive an hour later it was time to board the ferry. It was a big boat so grabbed a table by the window and ate a bagel washed down with my last, ridiculously expensive beer.
The journey was short, just a few hours and the ferry was moving through the islands scattered around Helsinki harbour. Helsinki is an extremely attractive city the harbour area is attractive as are the streets around the city centre. I chose to take a taxi to my hotel which wasn't far from the port or the city centre, arriving after a short time despite traffic congestion. I arrived to find the hotel had no reception and that I need a code to enter which had been sent by sms, unfortunately my mobile was back in Australia and the phone in the lobby was not working fortunately there was another entrance with a phone so I was able to get the code and access my room which was
Pretty lane
Soumenlinnaexcellent.
It was nearly 7pm by the time I finally settled in so I went down to the lobby and ordered what turned out to be pretty good pizza from the restaurant next door and spent the evening watching my first English language TV since leaving home.
I rose early and headed down to the harbor to catch a ferry out to Soumenlinna, the weather is finally getting cooler and I was caught in a rain storm down at Kauppatori. The journey out to the fortress of Finland which is located on four islands connected by four bridges took only about 15 or 20 minutes. I walk the length and breadth of all four islands checking out the shore defences and sighting many Barnacle Geese and a few rather fat rabbits as well as the odd church and various historical buildings. It seems most locals ride bicycles as distances are quite short. As I arrived back at the ferry harbor large tour groups were starting to arrive so I was happy to return to the city.
Next I wandered through Kauppatori (market square) purchasing a few souvenirs before visiting Tuomiokirkko and the Uspenskin Katedrali two of Helsinki's
impressive religious edifices, I was especially fond of the Cathedral. I then wandered around the city centre stopping for lunch as I made my way to the railway station in search of the Fin Air bus stop as I would know catch a bus to the airport the next morning.
In the afternoon and evening I took it easy as I need to get a decent nights sleep as I have a number of lights to catch to get home and because I will return here in a few years when I visit the rest of Northern Europe .
The next morning I walked down to the railway station stopping briefly top grab a bite to eat, the airport bus arrive just minutes after I did and I was soon on my way to Helsinki - Vantaa Airport, I had to wait more than an hour to check my bag, initially they refused to check me in, after some confusion they finally did, then I was told when I attempted to go through passport control that I was an illegal alien and there was no record of me in the EU, eventually they also let me though. Next
Susisaari
Soumenlinna the flight to Russia was more than an hour late departing and the circled over the Domededevo airport for quite some time before landing, we then had to catch a bus on the runway and by the time that filled up and delivered us to the terminal my next flight was only 40 minutes from boarding.. I headed straight to transit where I was refused entry as they wouldn't accept electronic boarding passes directing me to the transit desk where the girls continued to stuff me around as the minutes continued to tick away, eventually they handed me my boarding passes and redirected my luggage to Singapore and I had time for one last Russian beer before boarding my flight to Frankfurt.
The flights to Frankfurt then on to Singapore were comfortable and hassle free as was the final flight home to Adelaide. I had to visit the transit desk at Changi Airport to send my bag the rest of the way home before heading to the transit hotel for a few hours sleep. It is always nice to come home and nicer to be picked up when you arrive.
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