I feel like Michael Palin!…. Travelling on the Tallinn-Helsinki ferry, in the middle of eastern Europe, surrounded by people speaking strange languages. I feel far away form home and anything familiar.
I say “ferry”, more like a cruise ship, with nine floors, bars restaurant and shops. I stretch out on the comfortable settee and fall asleep for at least half of the two hour journey.
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We arrive at Helsinki port and get a taxi to the hotel Kamp. A five star hotel in the centre.
George V eat your heart out….. I could get used to this!.
My only complaint is that there are no tea making facilities in the rooms!
The prices are a bit of a shock after Tallinn!
Still the sun is shining and we stroll around. We come across a fashion show rehearsal with great music.
Then a stroll around the centre.
White tulips everywhere
University. Do they need paracetamol?
The Roman Catholic cathedral.
another outdoor music performance on the Esplanade
Lovely park in the centre of the Esplanade
Suddenly the weather changes and the rain starts.
We take shelter in a pavilion cafe in the green space in the middle of the city, with fantastic chandeliers.
My first impressions of Helsinki is of a sophisticated city, with beautiful , elegant people.Quality shops and high prices. But watch out for the cyclists who are everywhere and ride on the pavements.
To be continued.
Denise
Love from Helsinki.
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denisefrombolton 
Really enjoying your trip report! I'll be in Helsinki next week and can't wait. Helsinki is one of the few places I've visited repeatedly in the last few years. I love the food, the numerous nature walks, and the island-hopping. I've joked that if I could have my way, I'd spend my falls in Dublin, my winters in Paris, my springs in Venice and my summers in Helsinki. Enjoy!Rachel from OPF
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Hi Rachel, nice to hear from you. Hope you are enjoying the apartment. What would you recommend is a "must see" here in Helsinki? we are enjoying finding our way around.Love Denise
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Thanks Denise! Loving the apartment and the location. Another gem!I really liked Stockmann's, department store, especially the food section in the basement. I picked up many a gourmet meals there to have across the street in the Esplanade park. They also have Moomin merchandise which I love!Suomenlinna fortress is fun and I also enjoyed Seurasaari (a small open-air museum)on an island that is attached to the mainland by a single white wooden bridge.The Helsinki tourism office has a wealth of information. They have free walking pamphlets, two of which I took, the one for the public art in the Arabia quarter and the other for the design district. Really enjoyed the Arabia quarter walking guide although at times I wondered what people thought of me wandering through parking lots and passages between apartment buildings, but it was stunning to see how much art they had incorporated into their everyday lives. Wandering around Helsinki is a delight. I hope the weather holds out for you!Rachel 🙂
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