The 1975 Los Angeles Geographical Society trip was a memorable month long exploration of Russia and the Balkans, beginning in Finland. Leaving LAX on United to Seattle in the morning, we traveled by a Pan American connection to London Heathrow. There we connected with a British Airways flight to Helsinki. (I'm tall and the BA Trident had a very narrow seat pitch!) It was a very full day of flying. Therefore, we really started seeing Helsinki the following day. First was the Suomenlinna Fortress, seen largely from the harbor in a tour boat. Suomenlinna reflects the history of modern Finland. The fort, overlooking the entrance to Helsinki harbor, was begun by the Swedish administration in 1750. It was expanded during the Russian occupation of Finland in the 19th century to the independence of Finland in 1917.
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