On to Helsinki

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Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen. - Benjamin Disraeli

June 17, 2009, Wednesday, Tallinn City Camping, Tallinn, Estonia, to the ferry to Rastila Camping, Helsinki, Finland.
We found our way down into the city of Tallinn and out to the docks to the Silja Ferry. The ride on the boat to Helsinki was just two hours. Driving off the ferry in a new city and being directed off the pier… things get confusing…which way to turn? This is the time to trust our GPS, and “Matilda” came through with flying colors. Soon we were at the Rastila Campground, 16 kilometers from Helsinki. It is located next to the Metro, so it is easy to get back and forth.
We got the Metro System down quickly and started for the city of Helsinki. Helsinki is the only European capital with no medieval past. It seems to be a mix of Swedish, Russian, and, of course, Finish influences. Helsinki has been the capital of Finland since 1812. Finland was part of Sweden until 1809, then it was under the Russian rule for over a century. In 1917, Finland won its independence from Russia. After WWII Finland was made to suffer for fighting against the Allied Powers, Russia. It was forced to cede eastern Finland to the USSR and to accept Soviet naval bases.
Our first stop was the Helsinki Central Station with its lantern-holding musclemen statues outside the station. We walked past the Neo-classical Helsinki Cathedral and down to Market Square part souvenirs, and crafts, part fruit and veggies, part fish and snacks.
Back to the campground and it is getting crowded, it is a holiday weekend. Midsummer’s Night Festival.

June 18, 2009, Thursday, Rastila Campground, Helsinki, Finland.
The Suomenlinna Island Fortress, the Swedes constructed this island fortress between 1748 & 1772 and it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After the Swedes, the Russians took over for a century, then Finland got it and today it is a Helsinki tourist destination. This island is large, actually it is four islands connected by bridges. It was called the Gibraltar of the North. The fort, built by 15,000 workers also took the lives of many miserably treated slaves, serfs, whatever. Fancy Monuments, Palaces, Fortresses, Churches were all built on the backs of the poor working class person with no rights…a familiar theme repeated over and over. Finland’s Naval Academy is also housed on this island. It is a lovely spot for a picnic and a walk. It even has its own brewery. And yes we did sample the beer of Panimo brewery.
One very popular activity is the sauna, we did not have the opportunity to experience this. But given the harsh winters it is a refuge for the folks here.
We keep noticing the price of everything going up, up and up…welcome to Scandinavia!

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Photos

Too many choices.
A small brewery

Fountain on the wharf
A very special place

Comments

[Mattix]

Hmmm
You seem to have the explanations undetr the pictures a bit messed up. These pictures are from Helsinki Finland, not from Sweden. Here the so-called "Central Railroad Sation, Stockholm" is actally the Helsinki Central Railway Station. "The Largest Bell in Swden" is in also Finland, not Sweden. The "church in Stockholm"(white) in fact is the Lutheran Cathedral in Helsinki, Finland. The red brick church is not in Sweden either, it's the Orthodox Churces' Cathedral in Helsinki, Finland.

[Alexander]

Aaargh
You moron! Don't you even know which city are you in! Not Stockholm but Helsinki for god's sake!

[Andy]

Hi Maureen and Robert. Nice blog you have here. It just caught my eye that in your pictures you say "church in Stockholm" while those churches actually are in Helsinki :) Stockholm in Sweden. Otherwise keep up the good work! Antti