It seems that best way to get to Helsinki from Sweden is via a giant cruise ship. They're often referred to as booze cruises because all of the alcohol is tax free. My friend and I hid in our room for the trip.
There is a very strange age-limit rule for these ships. If you take the ship over one night and come back the next night (spending only a few hours in Helsinki) you need to be 21 or have your guardian with you. If you spend a night in a hotel in Helsinki, you only need to be 18... So we spent a night in Helsinki.
Finland claims to be the home of Santa (Canada claims the same thing...) and the cruise line we went with is the official searcher of Santa Claus.
Our room. It was pretty wavy on the way there. The boat left Stockholm in the evening and did not get into Helsinki until the next morning.
We got off the ship to find snow. It hadn't snowed yet in Uppsala so neither or us was particularly prepared. I could have done with some warmer clothing.
I found a Canadian flag in Helsinki!
Helsinki Cathedral - The snow did make everything really pretty.
We took a boat to Suomenlinna (Finnish) or Sveaborg (Swedish), an old sea fortress where people still live. It was very pretty albeit very windy.
Augustin Ehrensvärd's Burial Monument - He designed the fortress.
A fun part of the outside wall.
There was Hobbit houses!
More Hobbit houses!
Even more!
Very pretty but cold.
Looking out from the fortress.
Still at the fortress.
At the fortress.
More pictures of Helsinki tomorrow.
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