I finally had a bit of time this weekend to download photos from both my phone and camera and I found all sorts of trips I didn’t get around to sharing as the end of the year seemed to fly by. Helsinki was one of them…my first time in Finland. It was interesting to me to see how just NOT like Denmark it was – at least, in terms of what I could gather over my two days there. I think there’s so often to group Nordic countries and Scandinavian countries and those in between together that we forget that the feel and culture can be completely different sometimes.
Still – like Denmark – it reminds me of being East of the Danube but in a different way. It’s been ages since I’ve been to St. Petersburg, but the whole harbor area reminded me more of that than anything else. Definitely more old-world than Denmark – wood paneled cafes, grand boulevards, and church domes… And if it’s not immediately apparent from the pictures, even grayer than Denmark, though that could have been just my luck. I got up at six to start delivering a presentation at 7:30, and it was only when I was finishing my speaking at about 10:30 did it even start to get light out, only to start getting dark again by two. Granted, the two days that I had there were rainy ones so that might have had something to do with it, but I loved all the natural touches of birch and hides and Suomi colors that peek through, even in Helsinki…I imagine all these big streets and harbor can be especially lovely in the summertime as well so guess I’ll just have to make a note to go back!
oh goodness the night lights on the harbor…I'm in love!
in love in the cold! 🙂
Wow, Helsinki is gorgeous in the winter! As much as I love traveling in the offseason, Helsinki is worth another trip when it's in full swing in the summer. The streets are filled with people enjoying the sun, and the harbor area has so much great street food. (By the way, new to your blog and loving your photos!)
definitely adding it to my summer list – should work out I hope and thanks for reading a long – welcome to the blog!