Helsinki's answer to Faneuil Hall in Boston

 Helsinki is a huge port with a lot of cruise ships and ice breakers and transport ships along it's coast.  It is part of an archipelago of 330 islands and there is water frontage around every corner.

Viking Line at end of residential street.

Sunset at 3pm.

Lovely city.  xxoo me

On the 31st we took a bus to Porvoo, a little village an hour north of Helsinki.  It is known to be a tourist destination because it is so quaint etc.  Well the older part of town is in fact quaint with narrow stone roads and pathways between colorful little wooden houses, all with traditional Christmas lights in the windows.  There are a couple of shopping roads that look like an old New England town, with cafes and stores catering to tourists.  But wander outside this area and the town takes on a distinctly different feel.  Very unattractive, functional buildings, clean but boring, unadorned neighborhoods.  Grace said the town where she was staying with a friend was much the same. 

Porvoo

 We did however find the most fabulous little tea and cake house.  The Finns definitely know how to bake.  There is a lot of Russian influence there, given the proximity, and this cafe was decorated with pictures of the Russian royals of the past.

xxoo me

Well forget the long-johns, Santa Clause and reindeer, snow or constant night!  Helsinki is too far south for all that.  We had 5 hours of light a day, (I won't say sun as very grey and cloudy), it was comfortably in the 30's and Santa and the reindeer hang out in Lapland 12 hours to the north!  And Finns weren't Vikings either!  Even so we had a very nice few days.  Helsinki center is small enough that we'd covered it all by foot by the end of our stay.  The people are very polite and helpful, if a little somber, and the city is clean and easy.  Everyone speaks English beautifully and I mean EVERYONE, from the bus drivers to the guy selling fish at the market.  In Italy you 'd be hard pressed to find a tour guide that speaks as fluently as our waitresses did.  It's not one of those cities that makes you "Ahhhhhh" as it isn't stunning like Vienna or magical like Venice, but it's the kind of place you feel immediately at ease.  It's a remarkably safe and calm city with little traffic where drivers follow the rules, there are few panhandlers, (we saw some gypsies at the train station but that was it), and strangers offer to give you directions ALL THE TIME!  You know, now that I think about it, we never saw police officers or any military presence except for some sailors coming off a ship moored at the port.  I'd move there if it weren't for the weather and the high price of alcohol.  Everyplace has it's negative side and Finland is expensive.  They are a lefty government that guarantees a certain standard of living to all of it's citizens who have free health care, university, retirement, childcare, affordable housing and a unlike Italy, it all works.  People are healthy, well educated, safe, and very attractive and well dressed!  But the don't go out to eat much and a bottle of wine will put them back a bundle.  A bowl of bean soup and a beer, (both very good by the way),  in a Russian restaurant our first night was about 50 bucks.  Sheeeet.  Clothing and all other "non necessities" are pricey too but as I didn't go up there to buy jeans that didn't bother me.  More later, xxoo me

The Lutheran Church in Senate Square

Lovely port shopping area like Old Port

Russian Orthodox Cathedral

Gorgeous architecture

Very Maine-like coast