We took the ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki on Thursday night. It was an overnight ferry, so we got a cabin so we could get some sleep. The cabin was decent, with four beds (2 over 2 bunks, the bunks all fold away), a desk and chair, and a small bathroom with shower. It was certainly better than the ground we have been on the two nights previous!
Almost everyone had a cabin on the boat, but some did not use their cabins. You see, this is a major party boat. There are nightclubs, spas, saunas, casinos, game rooms, pubs, restaurants, stores, and just about anything else you could imagine on board. The center of the ship was a long promenade down a "main street" area flanked by restaurants and stores. People spend all night spending their money at the duty free stores, drinking, and all-out partying. I heard people coming down the hall in an obvious state of inebriation at 4 a.m. At least Sidney and I got sleep.
We docked in Helsinki, and I gave Sidney her choice of sites to visit. She picked the Helsinki Zoo, which is a quick ferry over from Market Square to another island.
The zoo wasn't too bad, considering the climate an position in latitude in Helsinki. There was a nice selection of animals and the displays were small but generally nice. Sidney wanted to see the monkeys and snakes in particular, and her desires were rewarded. It was warm (for Helsinki), so the size of the zoo corresponded well to the amount of time we wanted to spend in the sun looking around. We also got to see the tiger getting fed (notice the mouthful of fur and the bunny between his paws.)
We took the ferry back to town and got a little treat. The ferry was a paddle-wheel boat. Sidney enjoyed watching the paddle wheel going around churning up the water.
In town, we walked around the many stands of the market. There were beautiful crafts, lots of fresh fruit and veggies (HUGE sweet peas everywhere!), and several food stands. If you have a day here, you should definitely eat lunch here, but we had already eaten at the zoo before we arrived in the market. There was also entertainment in the form of street performers. Sidney got to interact with a mime, who was, I must say, a little creepy. I get the whole not talking thing, but this due never blinked!
We walked around the older part of Helsinki after the market. Helsinki is old, but the buildings here aren't that old. Most "old" ones date to the 1800's. There are a lot of pretty churches that dot the skyline, but architecture would not be my main reason to visit here.
Helsinki does seem to be a pretty "hip" place. There are lots of younger people about, the stores have trendier selections, and the crowd is a bit cooler than cosmopolitan. We were even treated to a Finnish Military rock band playing a concert in a local park. There is also an English-language newspaper that seems to cater to the younger crowd, with articles on social issues, happenings, and other stuff about town.
We also visited the Stockman's department store. Six floors of shopping with everything you could imagine - if I had room in the car, I would have taken back a cool Finnish-designed chair!
We only had the day in Helsinki, and headed to the ferry to take us across to Tallinn. This ride was much shorter - 3 1/2 hours. Sidney found the huge playroom and ran around like a crazy person for much of that time. I think she was the only English-speaking kid there, but of course that doesn't bother her. I asked her what language the movie they were playing was in and she replied "Norwegian."
These Estonian kids had obviously not taken the ferry, based on the word they spelled with the blocks. The picture is on a website about what to do in Tallinn with kids.
The ferry docked, and it was a quick car ride down the strand to our campground called Tallinn City Camping. It basically looks like a campground set up in a former industrial area, but there are soft grassy spots for our tent, showers, bathrooms, and internet access ! They also have bike rentals, sailboat rentals, and roller skate rentals. What more could you need?!? Here are a couple of pictures of our trusty accommodation, by the way.
Tallinn has a very nice Old Town with several parts of the original ton walls and gates preserved or restored. Among the most prevalent sites is St. Olav's Cathedral, which was the tallest building in the world from 1549-1625, but that big spire tends to act as a lightning rod and burnt down for the first time then.
The city saw pretty significant damage during WWII, and the Soviets did some of the rebuilding during the 50's and 60's. One such restoration was of the Town Hall (on the left in the picture), located on the picturesque town square. The tower was knocked down during a Red Army air raid. One of the things to suffer the most was the weather vane, known as "Old Thomas", which dates to the 1400's. It has become a mascot for the city, and it was decided to restore the original (seen here on display in the Town Hall) and place a replica on the roof.
In addition to many 14th century buildings, the town also has Toompea Castle, which still acts as a seat of government for Estonia. The parliament meets in one part, the prime minister lives in another, and several governmental administrative buildings are here. The tower in back is known as Tall Hermann's Tower, and the pink wing pictured was built by Catherine the Great of Russia. Sidney was a little disappointed not to see any princesses at the castle.
After touring Old Town, Sidney and I headed back to the car to start our drive toward to Riga. One point to note here - we parked in a public lot that offered 24 hours of parking for 50 Estonian Kroon (about $4.50.) There are some that offer parking for 25 kroon, but after noticing broken window glass in more than one location in the lot, we moved to an area that was a little more "out in the open."
Tallinn also has some wonderful modern places to see and enjoy. As we were walking back to the car, we walked through a very nice shopping mall. They had a playground outside, so Sidney of course enjoyed that for a little while.
Next post - driving the Baltic countryside, Riga and Vilnius.
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