Helsinki didn't have the odds stacked in its favor from the get go. After being in Tallinn and St. Petersburg, the two more glamorous cities on the baltic sea, Helsinki was a last minute replacement with Riga after our flight was cancelled only days before we left. Despite not having historic cobblestones and the Russian block allure, the city was very easy to navigate and lots of fun, especially with our Hotel Glo bikes that are available free to hotel guests (too bad they slapped a surcharge on the spa, otherwise we would've really been glo(w)ing). We arrived easily from the airport on the FinnAir shuttle link and immediately took the bikes for a spin after checking into our sleek, nordic designed hotel.
The city center was really nice, a long park with a conservatory-style cafe at the foot of the park in front of the harbor where a fish market is held on most days.
We made it all over town, you name it, we went. Behind us below is the city's most prominent landmark, the Lutheran Cathedral (Tuomiokirkko). It is a commanding structure but doesn't compare to the churches from St. Pete's in the inside.
After we dropped the bikes off we stopped at the aforementioned cafe for a cold (or hot depending on who you ask) one and a few laughs.
That night we had a nice wind down from our baltic adventure; with a relaxing and affordable dinner (Erin tried NON-pickeled Herring) and went back to our great hotel and fell asleep while playing cards (I did at least).
The following morning we did what we always do in european cities, made it to the local market to see what was in store. Its great to see the different foods offered in each city. This was the first one that had smoked eel and bear pate.
Helsinki, though not the tops on our list, made for a perfect conclusion to the latest chapter of travels.
The city center was really nice, a long park with a conservatory-style cafe at the foot of the park in front of the harbor where a fish market is held on most days.
We made it all over town, you name it, we went. Behind us below is the city's most prominent landmark, the Lutheran Cathedral (Tuomiokirkko). It is a commanding structure but doesn't compare to the churches from St. Pete's in the inside.
After we dropped the bikes off we stopped at the aforementioned cafe for a cold (or hot depending on who you ask) one and a few laughs.
That night we had a nice wind down from our baltic adventure; with a relaxing and affordable dinner (Erin tried NON-pickeled Herring) and went back to our great hotel and fell asleep while playing cards (I did at least).
The following morning we did what we always do in european cities, made it to the local market to see what was in store. Its great to see the different foods offered in each city. This was the first one that had smoked eel and bear pate.
Helsinki, though not the tops on our list, made for a perfect conclusion to the latest chapter of travels. 
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