The week of the November 23rd began test week, which meant that I only had to go to school if I had finals to take. Since I only had one test, that meant that I had several days where I didn't need to go to school at all. On Monday the 26th, I ended up traveling to Helsinki with Georgia and Ailey and spending the day there.
Georgia's host dad had to go to Helsinki for work, so we ended up getting a ride down there. We got dropped off about a mile or two out of the center and walked the rest of the way. It was a bit chilly, but no rain or anything so it was quite nice.
That's a picture of Finland's National History Museum. I still haven't been there yet, but plan on going sometime before this year is over.
This is the capital building where the Finnish parliament building. It is just to the west of the center of the city. I was just reminded of something not so much having to do with this building, but Finish government and forces in general. All Finnish men must serve in the army for at least one term which is about 6 months. I find it interesting that it's mandatory, but so it goes, all men must be trained and serve.
Happy 200 years for Helsinki! Today Helsinki is a very modern city, but some of the old buildings do remain standing. Most however have been rebuilt, since WWII destroyed much of the old buildings in all of Finland.
Stockmann is like the NYC Macy's of Finland. It is massive, with everything from makeup and clothes, to food, etc. You can find almost anything in Stockmann, but that doesn't mean it's the cheapest. When we were going to look for the bathrooms I saw an ordinary dress with a 700 euro price tag. This building is on the main street, and the other building just to the left in the picture is the Hard Rock Cafe. We briefly went inside the Hard Rock and looked around. I think that I would like to eat there once before the year is over.
We also managed to spot the Fazer shop and had to go inside. It is so expensive so I didn't buy anything, but it was cool to look around. Fazer has some of the most amazing chocolates and all sorts of different flavors. Just outside of Helsinki is the Fazer factory and you can eat as much chocolate as you want at the end of the tour. That's another thing I want to do before this year is over.
At this time of year, the harbor market still has a row of vendors selling clothing and souvenirs. There are also some seafood stands. I love coming down to the harbor when I am in Helsinki; it is one of my favorite places. I'm sure in the summer it transforms into a much busier and lively place, but it is still very nice.
Just a picture of me, Georgia, and Ailey at the marketplace. We ending up buying matching shirts that say the artic circle with the coordinates, and have Sami drawings on them.
A picture taken from the harbor, with the Russian Orthodox church in the background. Seeing this church always makes me think I am somewhere in Russia rather than Finland. Either way, it looks marvelous inside.
The Christmas tree is a bit hard to see in the picture above, but it is massive and was just put up the day before we arrived. Christmas time is beginning to arrive now and all of the decorations are starting to appear everywhere you go.
The statue in front of the great Helsinki Cathedral is that of one of the Russian Tsars. It was a bit weird seeing the streets somewhat deserted since it was a Monday. Normally, at the time we were in the square, there would be many people snapping pictures of the Cathedral or sitting on the steps.
Ailey and I just having some fun. The costumes are those of the Sami who live up in Lapland. I now have the same blue hat that Ailey is wearing, because I bought one in Rovaniemi.
Welcome, welcome! Tervetuloa, tervetuloa! Me with a stuffed poro (reindeer) outisde of a souvenir shop.
There are always different street performers, and today there were two playing different songs with their instruments. It's always funny when we recognize the songs being played, so we stopped to listen for a little while before going to get some lunch.
I don't think I would ever be able to stand like a statue. It would be good practice for an actor, especially stage actors, but I would fail misserably. It's so hard to stand still and disguise your breathing. Not to mention it was a bit chilly so that would make things even harder. Good work for him to stand still outside of Stockmann all afternoon.
After eating a quick lunch (I had a reindeer sandwich), we walked downstairs to a chocolate shop. They had all sorts of chocolate from all over the world. As much as I wanted to buy some, I resisted the urge and then after that it was just about time to leave.
I can take the bus for free, so I didn't have to pay to go home from Helsinki which made it very nice. I always enjoy going to the capital, because it is just so much bigger and different from every other city in Finland, and there are still so many things that I need to see and do there.
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