Finland 11th – 14th February
After months of harassment from my dear
friend Amanda, who was currently living and working in the Finnish capital of
Helsinki, I finally agreed that my budget could afford a short trip and I began
my plans to visit Amanda over the valentine’s weekend. How romantic am I
though.
A week before I was due to depart, I set
off on Google to find the best flight deals available for a short weekend
break. Hunting high and low, I found a very good deal on Travel2Be – a straight
forward and welcoming website for travel transport.
My mind was set – I was going to Finland!
I’d be lying to you if I said Finland has
always been on my bucket list, although I never say no to any place around the
Globe. I suppose if I were to think of Finland initially, I would think of
Lapland and igloos and snow-mobiles powered by Husky’s. Can I just say… I LOVE
HUSKY’S!
Snow is in fact something I did pleasantly
come across. Amanda and newly found friends told how it seemed to snow every
time they had a visitor, and much to my delight, the weather stayed perfect all
weekend!
Tip - Visiting Finland in early
February is a good idea if you want to catch the winter months before they
start to fade and the snow stops but also don’t wish to feel the -10 or -20
degrees which is common in a Finnish winter. Also Finland is quite expensive - I took around 80 euros for a 2 day trip which was enough for everything I wanted to do.
I arrived in Helsinki at 11pm on Thursday
11th February, allowing me to meet Amanda and catch a train to their
shared apartment. Luckily for me there was no need to book a place to stay as I
could stay with Amanda, so I saved myself some extra pennies! I’d already ruled
Thursday out as a travel day – although I did manage to get some pretty city
light snaps as I took off from London Heathrow!
Waking up on Friday morning was a dream.
The roads, cars and trees were all covered in a white blanket of snow! Amanda was
working this morning so I had the place to myself for a few hours. Lay in for
me thank you! I usually like to make the most of my time in a short city stay –
but this once, after a full day commute, sleep was important.
Once Amanda had finished her shift and
returned home to collect me – we set off with Airvin, a fellow Plymouth friend,
to explore Helsinki!
Day 1 #
Catching the bus in the middle of a
fast-paced highway was pretty strange. Also I soon realised that Finland
OBVIOUSLY drive on the opposite side of the road to the UK. How stupid of me. A
few near=-misses, a swipe of my travel card and a 20 minute drive on the
highway and we were in the city centre!
You would think that the city would be
lulled to sleep by the cold winters and dark nights. In fact, it’s far from
hibernating. The city was bustling with energy with shoppers, site see-ers and
workers, all of which reminded me a little bit of London with people rushing
around in different directions. Stopping off at the mouth-watering Friends & Brgrs. Just look at it…
Helsinki is very beautiful. The buildings
are all very different. From old, to modern, to Ballamory-style colours (pink,
blue, yellow, green, purple shades), from cathedrals, to markets, to trams –
the city is spilling with a diverse attraction and plenty of things to do for
students.
Visiting in February’s winter allowed me
to picture the city with snow, a frozen ocean and ice filled big wheel and
market stalls. It also allowed me to stay warm-ish as the temperature hopped
from 0 – 1 – 2 degrees throughout the day.
We explored the popular and well-known Senate
Square which hosts the white cathedral which is one of the most
recognised buildings of Helsinki. A great thing about the city is how compact
it is, and for an avid walker, the distances aren’t far away from each other.
Hopping on and off the frequent and
convenient trams, which was my first time EVER on a tram can I just add, was a
quick and easy way of getting from place to place if the distance was a little
too far for our tourist legs.
We explored along the promenade, in view
of the frozen ocean and icicle ridden pier. After this we followed our taste
buds and wandered around the Old Market Hall, where fresh foods produce and
plenty of yummy-looking cakes were found. My friends also took me to a very
lovely and posh café and bar called Kappeli. With 140 years of experience and
situated overlooking the Esplanadi park, it’s not far from the markets and
offers a great cosy atmosphere especially in the winter months!
After a spot of window shopping, Amanda
and Airvin took me to Torni Hotel in Kamppi where I saw the stunning view
across the city in their rooftop bar and diner. Regardless of the short spell
of winter rain and wind, the pictures do not do the view justice! Image this
being your balcony view?
To finish of our little day of adventure,
we stopped off at Airvins work to take a look around as it so happens to be a
former prison dating back to 1837. Hotel Katajanokka, which is actually a Best
Western Premier hotel, has its modern rooms situated in the previous cells of
inmates. Downstairs is a very snazzy bar and sauna – Finland is known for its
saunas – and a small education of history with its unchanged areas of the
building, such as a unchanged cell and isolation cave where inmates were once
kept for days… creepy!
Of course, we stopped off and had a
Roberts Coffee and headed back to the apartment for some dinner. Catching the
bus back was so easy – the bus station is right in the middle of the city and
is a strip with lots of different buses parked alongside each other, it would
be very hard to get lost or not find your way home!
Day 2 #
Today we set off slightly earlier to
catch a longer period of light, as the current daylight was around 5 hours in
Helsinki. Again, it had been snowing quite heavily throughout the night so we
woke up to a wonderful new blanket of white fresh snow to crunch under our
boots! The sunshine was out, which was perfect as Amanda had a water-side walk
planned for us and yet more colourful buildings in the Design District area of
town!
“Design District Helsinki brings together
creative people in the heart of Helsinki. The district covers Punavuori,
Kaartinkaupunki, Kamppi and Ullanlinna.” The buildings tend to be bright and
colourful, with art features and funky looking windows, etc.
Despite the weather being only 1-2
degrees today, Saturday 13th February, the skies were filled with
blue spells and the walkways were ice-free which was fabulous. No slipping or
sliding for me!
After a short 10 minute tram ride to
UIlanlinna, passing various tall buildings and busy streets, we were welcomed
with a peaceful part of the city. A small 5 minute and we arrived at the frozen
water-side, situated overlooking the ocean from the other side of the city. The
view reminded me of the North Pole, when you find pictures of broken up pieces
of ice which made up the ocean.
We walked along the path and stopped at
various areas to take some photos. A really picturesque place was Kaivopuisto –
we stopped off for a romantic hand holding picture on a small dock. Reaching
the top of a lookout point, we stopped off for more photos and took in the view
as we could see the whole of the city and ocean in both directions.
Around this area of town, you see a lot
more park areas and grass. I’m only just realising this – but the main centre
of Helsinki is so modern with buildings that there isn’t any grass! On our
round trip around Helsinki we also popped into the Rock Church in
Temppeliaukio.
Before heading to Aldi and picking up
some ingredience for our home-made pizza, we finished the day with a trip to
the Kiasma museum.
Much like any museum, the artists and collections are often changing. The collections on view on Saturday were amazing!
To end my final day of exploring
Helsinki, we devoured some tasty pizza and got an early night. Unfortunately
the catch with cheaper flights is the awkward or useless timescales, but none
the less my plane left this cold but lovely place at 8am on Sunday Morning.
Overall, I would definitely recommend
visiting Helsinki! I’d imagine it’s beautiful in the summer with the ocean
bright blue and the markets in full force, there is plenty to do with your time
in the capital. With lots of places to eat, drink, visit or learn about in its
many museums. The food chains are very diverse, with lots of sushi bars, burger
bars, Mediterranean and of course, Finnish.
Speak soon, Lauren xx
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