Finland, I Am Not Finish With You, Yet

 

At eight fifteen in the evening I am on the cold and windy sundeck of the Amorella as the lights of Stockholm slowly fades in the distance.

 

On a moonless night I am making a ten hour journey across the Baltic Sea to Turku, Finland.

For about $70 US dollars, this time of the year I have a cabin all to myself onboard a Viking Line cruise ship.

 

 

The Amorella turns out to be more fun than expected with a line up of entertainment from karaoke, to live bands, and casino slots. Sleep comes at a premium and the ten hours pass too quickly.

Within a few hours of arriving in Turku I am in the Finnish capital, Helsinki. A light cold rain is falling as I leave the central bus station but I have an immediate love for this cosmopolitan city that is so alive and vibrant.

 

 

Trams and traffic are moving in every direction around me yet their sounds are lost on me as I admire unique structures and awesome buildings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Senate Square Cathedral

 

 

About a 20 minute walk from the city center I arrive at my accommodation for the night and what a surprise. With Hellsten Hotel And Apartments I have booked a single room for the night but at check in I am upgraded to an apartment that is so large “I can play baseball in it”. My bathroom even has a sauna in it. Nice.

This time of the year darkness comes early and the light rain is still falling as I set out to explore some of Helsinki by night. My journey takes me to an unknown part of Finland's history for me.

 

For 5 Euros, I am freezing as I am standing about 200 feet above the city with the wind howling across the open observation deck of the Olympic Stadium Tower.

Yes, Finland hosted the Olympics in 1952.