Helsinki

Like any the capital of any good Nordic country, Finland's capital is quaint but expensive. I got there in the morning after not sleeping much on the flight. Clearing customs was simple...was asked how long I planned on being in Europe, to which I replied I was not sure what constituted Europe these days, but planned on traveling down to Istanbul in about three weeks. rently Istanbul is not yet a part of Europe) I promptly found no one at the tourist information center, but I did grab a helpful map. The bus into town was simple enough, with a young fellow that spoke good English driving.

As for the rest of the 25 hours I was in Finland, I have little to say. Walking around town I felt like I was in a bubble of sorts, as not only does no one say hello, but no one really any glanced at me or acknowledged my presence in any way at all. Not sure if the lack of warmth between strangers is a function of the climate, language differences/difficulty, or what. I'm sure the Finns are friendly enough once you get to know them, but the ones I asked for directions, or ordered food from, or what have you, were all quick to give me what I wanted and then end the conversation.

As for Helsinki the city, the city center is scenic enough. The Finns, like many of the natives of countries I will visit on this trip (Poles, Baltics, etc) have a long history of occupation/domination by their larger and more powerful neighbors. I forget the date, but Finland's independence from Russia was something in the early 20th century. At any rate, Helsinki would make a fine stop on a Baltic cruise, but I would not recommend a long stay. The picture of the UFO-looking thing is actually a church that was dug into the bedrock of the city. In the past, much of Helsinki was rocky like the area around the church, which makes for a nice contrast from the development of the city.