A broad abroad: HELSINKI, FINLAND

We had an enjoyable evening on the boat and took a few pictures through the windows. Unfortunately the windows look a lot like mine at home before the window washer came. You can get an idea of the beauty though - despite the dirt.

Well, maybe you can .

We arrived in Helsinski around 10:00 am and walked to the hotel, dropped off our bags and headed to the tourist office to exchange our vouchers for the Helsinki Card. On the way we just happened to run into a market and of course had to stop and look at "stuff".

In Finland they are on the Euro system and it was like coming home. When we saw the prices we knew what we were paying,

Sharon had to try things on.

She can be a very bad influence!

She's into red.

I 'm into pink....

or what ever this is. Great new look don't you think?

Of course my favorite part of any market is the food.

Little spring rolls with fresh vegetables.

This is Vendace caught in Lapland a little salty,but good. All the booths were giving a taste so couldn't pass that up, They also had reindeer meatballs but didn't get a taste of those.

We finally made it to the Visitor's Center without buying one thing.

After we got our Helsinki Card we had some time to kill before getting on the city tour so we walked over to the Senate Square and the Cathedral to have a look around. The large statue is of Emperor Alexander II. The Square is dominated by four buildings designed by Carl Ludvig Engel between 1822-1852: Helsinki Cathedral, the Government Palace, the main building of the University of Helsinki and the National Library of Finland

The statue , erected in 1894, was built to commemorate the Emperor's re-establishment of the Diet of Finland in 1863, as well as his initiation of several reforms that increased Finland's autonomy from Russia. The statue comprises Alexander on a pedestal surrounded by figures representing the law, culture, and the peasants. During the Russification of Finland from 1899 onwards, the staute became a symbol of quiet resistance, with the people of Helsinki, protesting to the decrees of Nicholas II, leaving flowers at the foot of the statue of his grandfather, then known in Finland as "the good czar".

The Helsinki Cathedral , Tuomiokirko, is an Evangelic Lutheran Church , designed by Engel and completed in 1852. Engle had died prior to its completion and Ernst Lohrman added the zinc 12 apostles on the roof, a bell tower, and a side chapel to the original design.

Lutheran's must be in great shape because that is some climb to the cathedral doors. I was obviously already at the top waiting for Sharon, the Methodist, to make it up to the top. Of curse I am now a Methodist but that having been a Lutheran for 60 years probably is what got me to the top faster.

They were just finishing services when we walked in.

There were many statues of the reformers around the church. Eighty percent of the population in

Helsinki is ELCA.

The Pulpit.

The same candle globe see in the Swedish Cathedral.

We left the Cathedral and decided to walk over to the Esplanade. It is a beauitufl place to walk and relax. There are a couple of Kiosk's which sell ice cream and coffee and one kiosk offers the cheapest coffee in the entire Helsinki area. We didn't bother to stop because they probably didn't have decaf.

The Cafe Kappeli.

The park opened in 1812.

A statue of Johan Ludwig

Runeberg. He is the national poet of Finland but wrote in the Swedish language.

The park Esplanade was originally made just for the gentry but as you can see today it is for everyone and anyone.

Time to catch the tour. On the bus and away we went.

We made a stop at The Church of the Rock.

It is an Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Heart of Helsinki. It opened in 1969.

The ceiling is made of 22 kilometers of copper wire.

The interior was excavated and built directly out of solid rock and is bathed in sunshine by natural light which enters through the skylight surrounding the center coopper dome. The church is used frequently as a concert venue due to its excellent acoustics.

While we were riding around the commentary was most informative. Unfortuately, I can't write fast enough or remember well enough to recite much of what was said. However, I did pick up a few things. There are two official languages in Finland - Finnish and Swedish. All people have health care and all new parents are given 4 months maternity/paternity leave. The retirement age is 60. The lakes and seas freeze and during very cold winters you can drive on them. Suana's are very important to the Finns. Every apartment building has one and each family is given a time to use it. Mosts homes have one - and almost everyone takes a suana once a week. Babies were born in sauna's and bodies have been laid out in them. I should mention that once you finish the sauna , beer is inorder.

Is is customary to light candles on the grave sites at cemetery's during Christmas, The 1942 Olympics were scheduled to be held in Finland but because of the war the games were held here in 1952 instead.

Our next stop was at the Jean Sibelius monument. Jean was a Finnish composer, whose composition Finlandia is the National Anthem for Finland - "a rousing fanfare and a fervent patriotic hymn." He lived from 1865-1957.

The monument was very controversial and the design was the result of a competition and a fund raising campaign, At all stages the project stirred an unprecedented public debate. The conformists urged a figurative solution and the modernists accepting an abstraction. "Generations pass, opinions and attitudes change. While seen radical at its birth, the Sibelius Monument continues an ancient tradition and objective of monument sculpture; permanence. It is the symbol of a genius composer, a grateful nation and a gifted, determined sculptor".

The monument committee requested that the addition of a figurative element be added to satisfy the public. In shaping Sibelius's face the sculptor chose to depict him in his creative age, not as the familiar elderly man, the national icon.

"After 35 years the monument shows no sign of aging, stress, or corrosion. Its silvery pipes relect the change of season and light, echoing bird's song, sighing in the sea breeze and resonating furiously during a storm."

After the tour we walked around a bit and than decided we'd go see the church which was a standout on the tour and not far from our hotel. These Finns must be in great shape. Steps once again! No problem for me of course but poor Sharon!

The Uspenski Cathedral. It was built between 1862-1868 and was based on a 16th century church near Moscow. It is the seat of the archdiocese of Helsinki in the Finnish Orthodox Church. There are 13 onion domes representing Christ and the twelve apostles.

A babtism was just ending when we were there so lots of people were around

The inside is a rich display of icons and other typical Orthodox decorations including an impresssive array of chandeliers hanging from the vaulted ceiling. One of the icons is believed to work miracles.

After leaving the church we had to walk through the market and look who's at it again. Should she, shouldn't she? She should and she did. She now owns a new warm hat made of rabbit.

She had liked a mink one also.

This is the picture of deliberation.

This we passed everytime we left the hotel and walked anywhere. We never knew what it was. There is no signage. Sharon looked it up when we got home and it is"Bad Bad Boy" by Tommy Toija. It was placed in the harbor area in 2012. " He is not expecially handsome, he is naked, and he is peeing into the harbor".