3 days in Helsinki

Lotta from Finland invited Raphalle and me to Helsinki. It was kind of a last minute decision, as we returned to St. Petersburg the same day when I had to leave to Latvia. We went to Helsinki from June 11 to June 14, and even though we were not very lucky with the weather there, we did experience quite a lot. Well, it was not hard because Helsinki turned out to be a tiny city.

We left dorms around 6 am so we could catch our train that departed from the station at 7 am. The train to Helsinki was very fancy. I kept thinking to myself whether we had not made a mistake and ordered tickets in the business class. It was well equipped with drinkable water, nice toilets, electrical plugs, wifi, comfortable chairs and a lot of space for legs. It also only took 3 hours to reach the capital of Finland. Everything went very smooth until the moment when we reached Russian border. The moment I saw Raphaelle taking out her passport and migration card, I realised that I had forgotten my migration card at home. It was simply not acceptable, as we had been instructed to have this migration card on us at all times, and we unquestionably have to have it when going overseas. At the exact moment when I began to panic, an officer from the border control approached me and asked for my documents. Immediately, in a shaking voice, I started explaining that I am a student and my migration card happens to be at home. Fortunately, he did not say a word to me, and it was not even necessary as his face said it all. Anyways, it ended up with me filling in a new migration card and continuing my journey without any problems. As I understand, I got very lucky this time.

We arrived in Finland around 10 am. Lotta was actually in St. Petersburg with her parents that day, and they returned home very late that same night. It was okay for us because we did not have many things with us and we just spent the entire day in the city on our own. In the evening Lotta’s siblings picked us up with a car and took to their home. We first met Lotta in the morning next day. So, when we arrived, we first went for breakfast at the café with outside terrace. The weather was fantastic, and we enjoyed it to the fullest. After the breakfast which cost us the same as the food for the entire week in Russia, we went on a Free Walking Tour. It is crazy how expensive everything felt in Helsinki after my exchange semester. These two cities were so much in contrast with one another, not only regarding the prices but also people and scenery. Both of us could notice right away how friendly, kind, helpful and overall positive were Finnish people compared to Russians. During these three days, we did not meet or see anybody who appeared to be angry or annoyed. The weird thing is that when we said this to Finns, they were shocked because usually everyone is saying the opposite about them. 

Anyways, so around 12 pm we went on a 3 hours long walking tour, where a local guide showed us around and told the most important things about the Helsinki and Finns. I don’t know whether because we were a bit tired, or because he spoke incredibly fast, but not much stuck in our heads. However, almost every story ended with a conclusion that Finns love drinking and they become quite crazy when they do that. During the tour, we noticed a lot of people relaxing in the parks and enjoying the sun. We agreed that this is exactly what we want to do after the tour. So, after the tour, we took the local ferry and went to the Suomenlinna – a beautiful fortress just 15 minutes from the city centre. Unfortunately, when we arrived there it began raining, and it only stopped after several hours. Despite the rain, we tried to enjoy the nature and walk around the islands. I had my raincoat on, and Raphaelle bought a pink umbrella in the local store. It was funny that several tourists that passed us were holding the same umbrella. Apparently, the local store sold only one kind. 

Suomenlinna

It was fascinating to see how green is the city and how much nature surrounds it - another big difference between Finland and Russia. There were so many birds that we had to watch out of them. Unfortunately, no matter how much we tried, both of us became the victims of the seagulls. Raphaelle got pooped on while I got hit by one. Yes, for the first time in my life a seagull run into my head. 

In the evening we met Lotta’s brother and sister, who picked us up from the railway station. They both were so sweet to us, and we could not ask for better hosts.

The next morning we woke up and met Lotta who sneaked in so quietly after the midnight that I did not hear her at all. In fact, I slept like dead throughout the whole night. Unfortunately, the weather was awful from the very beginning. It was pouring rain without stopping until around 7 p.m. So after the breakfast, we decided to go to the science centre Heureka, where we spent more than 5 hours. It was fascinating due to its temporary exhibition called “Animals Inside Out”. It was a very educational exhibit where we could see bodies of real animals, such as sharks, elephants, giraffes, gorillas, bears and others. These bodies were turned inside out, so we could observe the complexity of the muscles, veins and different organs of these beautiful creatures. It was quite crazy because there was even a body of a human. This exhibition alone made the visit worth it. Additionally, we watched three movies in the planetarium. I have never tried it before, so seeing three interesting stories in such a place was a great experience. 

Gorilla inside out

After the science centre, we returned home, where we met Lotta’s parents. They were so kind and welcoming. Lotta’s mom prepared a fantastic dinner for us, and we had a wonderful evening all together. After the dinner, we went to the city for a concert. This was a Helsinki day, so free concerts with very well-known Finish artists were going on the whole day. But due to the weather, we only went to see the last two artists. It was quite fun, and I am glad we did it. Finish language is so cute and hearing the songs in this language was an enjoyable experience. 

On our last day, we woke up very early, already at 7 am. It was because according to the forecast it was supposed to rain only in the afternoon, so we knew we have to use the good weather to our advantage. Lotta’s mom prepared breakfast for us and took us to the train station, which was on her way to work. We went back to the Suomenlinna and walked around there. Lotta showed us more places that we did not see before, and generally, it was a nice walk. Later we returned to the city centre and went for lunch at the market square, where we tried local Finnish food. During the lunch time, an interesting man started to talk to us, and I think we ended up chatting with him for more than an hour.

Helsinki Day. At the concert.

When the weather began turning bad again, we quickly visited some of the must see churches and buildings and then went to the alko shop to buy some decent wine for dinner that night. It was so interesting to learn that people in Finland can buy alcohol from the specialised, state-owned shops only. In the grocery stores, it is not possible to buy anything above 4 degrees. So then they have these enormous stores called alko, where all the liquors are available. Here they hire very educated people, who can answer any question regarding their assortment. For instance, when we asked for the help in choosing the wine for dinner, I did not understand half of the professional terms that the girl used to explain which wine she recommends us for the planned dinner and budget that we have. They are also very strict with checking the documents because even though it was Raphaelle and me who paid, they requested Lotta’s papers as well. 

So on the final evening, we enjoyed a fantastic meal with Lotta’s family and concluded our trip there. These were one of the kindest and sweetest people I have ever met. I appreciate their time and effort from the bottom of my heart because they made our stay in Helsinki very comfortable and memorable.