Sunny Skies So It's Off to an Island

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The sun was shining brightly all day long today. With low humidity and temperatures in the low 80s, it was the perfect day to explore Helsinki on a self-guided walking tour. I love self-guided tours because you can spend as much time as you like in each of the places on the route and maybe even discover a few special places of your own along the way.

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The National Museum of Finland is housed in an old building that somewhat resembles a church. It is full of archaeological treasures. Right off we loved the first exhibit "Best Friends" which highlighted animals once owned by Swedish royalty. Tiny paw prints on the marble floor lead visitors to exhibits displaying jousting equipment, rocking horses, and clothing for a royal hunt. Our favorite exhibit featured tiny wooden doors with dogs painted on them. Inside each door was a historical photo of a royal pet matching the breed on the door and information about it.

Other exhibits were equally interesting. "Marked in Stone" displayed stunning photographs of prehistoric artwork found on stones throughout Finland. There were also old chests, grandfather clocks, and a wonderful dollhouse display. Dollhouses, we learned, were not originally intended to be toys. They represented the world in miniature and are surviving examples of interior decoration and life from past eras. Other rooms had archaeological treasures ranging from arrowheads to jewelry, many displayed under photos showing where they were found. I tried to imagine what it must be like to make a discovery like this.

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Our next stop on our walking tour was Temppeliaukio Church "Church of the Rock" which had been created from blasting out an area in solid granite. It's actually on top of an old bomb shelter and is capped with a dome created out of a coil of copper.

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After grabbing a tasty picnic lunch at Stockmann's, we took a 20 minute ferry ride to the sea fortress Suomenlinna located on an island.

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Built in the mid 1700s, it wasn't until 1973 that the last Finnish Garrison left. Today it's a UNESCO World Heritage site with winding paths you can explore which weave in and out of a park-like setting dotted with cannons and cafes. Our favorite was Piper Cafe with tables outside on a rock terrace where we enjoyed Chilean wine infused with strawberries and a grand view of the islands. Below us people swam at a tiny beach tucked into a rocky cove.

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Dinner tonight was at Strindberg located along the esplanade with outdoor Parisian style seating. It was a great place for a slice of quiche and a salad.

Having spent the day on a walking tour, my feet felt as if they could not take it any longer. Amazed that it was actually 10:30 pm even though it was still light out, we headed back to our hotel thinking about all we had seen in just one day.


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Comments

CoachSparky said…
The exhibits at the museum sound like they were great. You always find interesting places to visit no matter where you go. The Best Friends exhibit gave me an idea of something that we could do with the kids next year.

I love the way that you are integrating pictures into your blog posts. They really add a nice touch.

Once again, I Immed today with my friend in Helsinki. She told me that she had just come back from dessert at Strindberg's this evening! Also, she wanted me to pass along that she loves Suomenlinna. She is excited to be attending her friend's wedding which will be held there next year.

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