10th to 12th June - Turku and Helsinki
We're keen to get back to our boat but we reckon we'd be mad to dash off without seeing a bit more of Finland. We might get back here by boat sometime, maybe next summer, so it's an opportunity to do a bit of a recce.
|
There must be thousands of miles of road just like this in Finland - we accepted a lift with Howard's employer so it's a view from the car not from a bus |
|
Turku Castle - it's medieval - in fact the largest surviving medieval building in Finland and one of the oldest buildings still in use - as a Museum of course (Finland's most visited museum) but I'm afraid we weren't in a museum mood so I can't tell you more. |
|
Green roof? Copper? |
|
Wooden houses we saw were built on stone bases but perhaps this is how it used to be done |
|
We gravitate towards the waterfront and the nautical exhibits |
|
Prop envy sets in |
|
Mine on its trolley |
|
Bigger mine, bigger trolley |
|
Elvis is in town - or rather a few Elvises though only one of the crooners we heard was in costume |
|
This guitarist was singing like Elvis but he didn't look very Elvisy - in contrast the chef is posing like a King |
|
Howard is not very interested in fake Elvises |
|
Flower power |
|
Clearly a good place for Baltic Traders - Daddy, Mummy and baby Baltic Trader. |
|
Not some hideous intsrument of torture, not for dunking witches, it's an ancient beacon.
They'd light a fire in the bucket and then hoist it high. |
|
We liked the fountain and the gaffer |
|
Close up of the fountain |
|
...and the gaffer |
|
Howard was curious about this device mounted between the masts of Sigyn (built 1887) |
|
Close up - any ideas? |
|
Here's the answer. |
|
Not such a pretty gaffer - not when you consider that that is the bow! |
|
That is Turku Cathedral in the background - also one of the oldest medieval blah blah blah
The ferry in the foreground is displaying 2 black balls which means 'not under command' and we hadn't seen this on a ferry before. Perhaps someone has stolen the diamond between the balls for 'restricted in ability to manoevre'? |
|
Looks under command |
|
We managed to visit this floating drinking spot a couple of times - nice! |
|
Something to get in a sweat about? |
Last thing before we set off by train to Helsinki next day is a lunchtime drink in a Cafe we wished we had discovered sooner. It was half the price of the bar on the boat - called The Daily News. I tried a white drink I'd seen lots of people drinking. I couldn't believe that many people were drinking lemonade and sure enough, no - it's a gin based drink flavoured with grapefruit. Delicious! Imaginatively named "Gin Long Drink".
|
Gin Long Drink and Beer Long Drink at the Daily News Cafe |
Onwards to Helsinki
|
Helsinki is much grander - although I think dignity is lost here |
|
Cathedral - dazzling when the sun came out |
|
As usual we found our way to the interesting boats |
|
These monsters are ice breakers, waiting out the summer to work in the winter keeping traffic moving in the Baltic |
|
Hang on - that's not a boat.... |
We wandered around the various waterfronts and checked out a couple of marinas ready for the day we turn up in our own boat - then it was time to turn in ready for an early start to catch tram, train, flight, train, another train and finally a cab back to Bonify in the Netherlands
Comments
Post a Comment
We've set this up so anyone can comment - though we'll see your comment before it's published on the blog - please comment away!