White Nights of Midsummer in Helsinki

View of the Lutheran Cathedral from the ferry

After my flight into Helsinki and much wandering around in order to find my hostel, (Hostel Erottajanpuisto), I finally got found it around 8pm. Talked to 2 lovely Australians, Liz and Zoe. Were talking for quite a while but it still felt really early. It was 9,30pm and totally light outside, as if it was 5pm!!! They have the White Nights like St Petersburg, (the sun never setting in Summer as they are near the North Pole) the most amazing thing to see.

Old Kauppatori (Market Square)

Juicy fresh cherries!

The next day I woke up really early and set out to the Kauppatori (market) to get some breakfast. I had a really long and flat doughnut with warm raspberry jam inside with a coffee for Euros 4, which was the best deal I could find. It is Finland I suppose! Then wandered around the Old and Outside Kaupattori looking at woolen knitted hats, FUR from poor foxes and an assortment of other small, innocent animals (GROSS), red juicy strawberries and cherries, reindeer meat, smoked salmon, caviar, dark Finnish breads, etc. I decided to make myself a picnic for lunch later on so bought a grainy brown roll, slices of Emmental cheese and olives.

New Kauppatori (Inside market)

Dried fish..mmmAssortment of caviar snacks!Helsinki Railway Station.


Uspensky CathedralInterior of Uspensky....magnificentHavis Amanda Fountain

I set off by ferry to Suomenllinna (Island Sea Fortress), taking in the gorgeous archipelago scenery on the way.

Arrived there at around 10,30am and there was no one around...but as the day went on there were hordes of Finnish families with young children having picnics. I pulled out my bread roll, stuffed it with the Emmental and made myself a little picnic, watching the huge Baltic ferries sail by. After I had enough of roaming around the islands I caught the ferry back and set off to see Uspensky Orthodox Church, which was lovely inside and out. The same can't be said about the Lutheral Cathedral, one building I had been so looking forward to see. It was absolutely GLORIOUS to look at from Senate Square, but upon going inside was quite....unremarkable. Still, nothing can take away from how amazing it looks from the outside, I must have stood staring up at it for about 30 minutes....WOW!!!
View from the back of the ferry

Lutheran Cathedral

Had the rest of my roll and cheese for dinner whilst talking to some lovely girls at my hostel, Sarah from Utrech, Netherlands and Laura from Iowa, US. Early night tonight, have to get up at 5,45am tomorrow for my flight to Budapest!!!