Helsinki, Finland - June 28, 2013

Since we have been on the go from early until late, we agreed that we would have a slow start today. Finally, the temperature has dropped to a comfortable 68 degrees! Amen. The three days in St. Petersburg were in the high 80's.

In 1550, the king of Sweden had big dreams for newly founded Helsinki. Unfortunately, a series of disastrous fires, plague and war kept the town from growing....until another series of events changed its path forever. After Russia defeated Sweden and annexed Finland in 1809, Czar Alexander I moved the capital and the university from Turku to Helsinki. The city flourished, but Russian rule was short lived. The Finns declared their independence in 1917, endured a devastating Civil War, and emerged with a new Republican government. Helsinki has since been its capital.

Noted for its graceful architecture and elegant gardens, Helsinki is a fascinating place to explore.

We started our day by picking up a Hop-on Hop-off bus right outside our ship. $20 Eu each which we thought was great since the shuttle to town was $10 Eu each (no tour included).




So our first stop was the flea market. Interesting!


Since it was too early for lunch, we hopped back on the next bus and headed for the market, with a stop in town for lunch at a restaurant named Bakers. Svetlana recommended this restaurant and it was a good choice.



The architecture here in Helsinki was more modern than any of the other cities that we previously visited.












But there was also some beautiful historic buildings.












After lunch we walked to the market area for some shopping.
























                                                                          Of course we sampled some delicious ice cream! :)










Our bus ride back to the ship went through some very pretty areas.









It's common to see sunbathers in parks and along the beaches, which appear to be rocks, rather than white sand.










The geese pictured are called Barnacle Geese. This family was just on the side of the road.







The paths along the beach have designated biking and walking areas. If we had more time, it would have been nice to stop and take a walk along the marina area.

Back at the ship, we had another formal night.

The entertainment tonight was fantastic. Bruce Parker, (AKA The California Soul Man), sang songs from the 50's and 60's, with many of the Motown songs as well. He was so good, we bought his CD.

Location:Helsinki, Finland