Weekend In Helsinki!

Hannah, Veera, Riikka, Me

Way back in June I went to Helsinki with two friends Hannah and Riikka, we had a fab, fun time! The weather was not on our side that weekend and it was quite cold to be honest, so much so that Hannah and Riikka even bought hats (reindeer ones). The first evening we met up with a friend of Riikka`s called Veera and we all went for a Finnish meal.

The rest of the weekend we wondered around the city looking at the sights, a little bit of shopping and plenty of drinking! We also visited the island of Suomenlinna one afternoon. I already posted about it ages ago but you can have a recap here!

We also took the bus to visited the small town of Porvoo which was really lovely place and not too far from Helsinki. Here is that post!

On our final evening we went to a bar with a fantastic view of the city and we also were rewarded with a great sunset.

Have a good week!

Suomenlinna, Finland

For one of the long weekends we had this year I went to Helsinki with Hannah and Riikka and one of the places we visited was the Suomenlinna.

Suomenlinna is a sea fortress built on a group of islands very near to Helsinki, it was built in the Swedish era from 1748 onwards. In 1808 it came into control of the Russians which is stayed until 1917 when it became Finnish. Here is more information about the place.

It is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and it open all year round. It is easily got to by ferry from Helsinki and is a very pleasant day trip or half a day trip. There are lots of buildings, places to eat, museums and some shops. We walked around for a few hours and it was really the only day that was sunny!!

This weekend will be quite busy as my parents arrive for their annual holiday, Alessio has probably a football match and on Sunday it is his birthday. We had to cancel the party as we planned to have it at the badi (public swimming area) as the weather has turned a bit coolish. Anyway it is on again next Wednesday when there will be better weather.

Have a great weekend!

365 Photo Challenge Days 231 to 240

Sunday 28th May: Day 231 - Walking into Zurich

Monday 29th May: Day 232 - Goodies bought in Paris

Tuesday 30th May: Day 233 - Book

Wednesday 31st May: Day 234- Drama, police helicopter

Thursday 1st June: Day 235 - Packing for Helsinki

Friday 2nd June: Day 236 - Evening in Helsinki

Saturday 3rd June: Day 237- Porvoo

Sunday 4th June: Day 238 - Helsinki Military Day

Monday 5th June: Day 239 - Temppeliaukio Church Helsinki

Tueday 6th June: Day 240 - Bought this in Helsinki

Well the summer holidays have started and Alessio has flown to Italy for two weeks, that means I have two free weeks too!! Yes but hold on, I do have to work though!

I have not got much plans for the weekend, hopefully catch up on any movies I have missed this past month. Maybe drinks with friends, who knows!!

Have a great week!!

Sunset in Helsinki

On our last night in Helsinki back in June we went to a roof top bar, we actually sat inside as it was too cold to sit outside. We were rewarded with a fantastic sunset, we were always amazed how light it stayed until late in the night.

Have a great weekend folks!

Porvoo, Finland

Porvoo Cathedral

Red Shore Houses

The long weekend we had last week, I visited Helsinki with two friends Hannah and Riikka. On the Saturday we visited the mediaeval city Porvoo, which is about 50km from the capital. We did think about going one way by steamboat, but it was really quite cold and we decided to stick with the bus!

This is a gorgeous city, full of fantastic shops, cafes, and old, colourful buildings. We were all glad to see that there are many arts and craft shops and we all bought some things from here. The river Porvoonjoki flows through the city and you can see the well know landmarks, the red shore houses which were once used to store goods and produce.

Porvoo is the second oldest city in Finland, founded nearly 800 years ago. I just loved walking through the streets, looking at the fantastic houses and buildings. It was just so colourful!

I really would encourage you to visit Porvoo if you happen to be in Helsinki or any other place nearby. I can only imagine when it is warm, sitting outside and relaxing would be lovely.

Have a great weekend!