The Cruise/Ferry to Finland

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Couldn't quite follow my original plan. The night cruise to Helsinki was sold out, so we took the day cruise to Turku (the former capital of Finland). So we had a (very) early start to the day. Much cheaper, but we had to pay for an extra night at a hotel. Cruise arrived 8 p.m., so we decided to spend the night here and take the train to Helsinki in the morning (2 hrs). When we arrived, we realized that it stays daylight here so late that we could've taken the train tonight and still arrived before dark -- no matter how long the day, when the sun is still up at 10 p.m., it's hard to think about going to bed.

It was an interesting cruise. Typical cruise ship, but including two car decks, lots of restaurants, and plenty to buy (and plenty of shoppers) in the duty free shops. Large number of children. Must have been going for a vacation in Finland (or returning). Meals were not included in the price, but for a 12 hour trip, eating is not the highlight. There are an amazing number of archipelgos and small islands (not sure of the difference) between Sweden and Finland. Especially between the Finnish island that is not part of the EU and the mainland of Finland. Also, a chilly day, but bright sunshine. Not much happening here in Turku.

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