Helsinki, Finland
Cruising to Helsinki
Our cruise ship left Saint Petersburg on the evening of June 29th, 2019, for our next port of call, which was Helsinki, Finland. We arrived on Schedule at 7:00am on June 30, 19. Here we were in Helsinki! Here I am keeping my promise to see you in Helsinki.
As we came in at 7:am and the All Aboard time was 3:30pm, we had barely 7 hours to do all the exploring in Helsinki. Not enough, I would say, but that is how the cruise timing worked. All the commotion started with announcements by the cruise director telling passengers what lies ahead for them with the disembarkation and shore excursion etc. We were not taking an excursion and knew most of the information because it was listed in the Onboard ‘When and Where” program.
We got ready and went for breakfast to the dining room. A sumptuous breakfast, which always is a treat on a cruise ship, was the best way to start the day. Since we did not book any excursion organized by the ship, we decided to avail of the shuttle service provided by the city of Helsinki. This shuttle service operated from the pier to the town beginning at 8:30 is and left every 20 minutes. A ticket was available from the operators on the pier. Return ticket per person was $12/- which we purchased and hopped on the next shuttle available to us. Downtown Helsinki was close to where the ship was docked. The harbor, where many of the visiting cruise ships docked, was right in the heart of Helsinki, where many of the main tourist attractions were also located. Our Helsinki adventure began with a visit to the old historic building, which turned out to be Oldest Food Market Hall.
Located next to Helsinki Market Square, It was like Quincy Market with specialty food stalls with ready-made food. Some market hall areas also had an uncanny resemblance to the Farmer’s Market in downtown Lowell, MA, our hometown. It also houses various restaurants, cafés, and souvenir stores. Our first and only purchase was mixed nuts for our snacks. Ready-to-buy food showcased the Finnish food culture. The food presentation was so impressive that the passion and devotion behind its creation simply could not be missed. Here are some examples of the food displayed.
After meandering through the Old Market Hall and eating with our eyes, we made our exit and walked over to the Market square, which had yet another display of Helsinki’s food scene. Fresh from the farms, fruits, brilliant berries, and vegetables was the sight to behold.
This was all in the area which was called Senate Square. Senate Square and its surroundings luckily offered us a chance to see many important buildings because of their proximity to each other, though only from outside. The Presidential Palace, Alexandria’s Monument, Water fountain, Helsinki Cathedral, and a statue of Alexander 11 were some of the ones we saw and photographed.
Our shuttle-stop for going back to the cruise ship was across from the Helsinki Cathedral, where we hung out for a bit to look at it and were able to photograph the Statue of Alexander 11 with Helsinki Cathedral its backdrop. Helsinki Cathedral is arguably Finland’s most photographed building. And its famous, dauntingly ornate interior was highly recommended as a must-see tourist experience. We could not comply because it was beyond our reach due to the time constraint.
Our shuttle was on time and we made it back to the ship ready to sail away to Stockholm, Sweden, our next port of call. In our only few hours in Helsinki, we did as much as we possibly could and were filled with joy and warmth thinking about the similarities in food culture between Boston and Lowell, MA with Helsinki, Finland.
