Another day, another country!

Welcome to Finland. I have been here several times previously, although this was the first time in a summer ‘heatwave’! This was another occasion where I decided to ‘freewheel’ it into the City. Tram number 6 became my friend, having its terminus a 1km walk from the Cruise Terminal, and it went straight into the centre of the city. Getting a ticket was easy with contactless, just a ‘tap’ for an adult ‘single’, which lasts 80 minutes, so allows for changing modes – when you tap on subsequently, the reader tells you how many minutes you have left! When your time runs out, you just tap again to get another 80 minutes. Once I had done mine, I then became the ‘ticket guru’ for fellow cruisers getting on the tram!

This was the first time I had gone into Helsinki this way, so I had no specific stop in mind to get off; I thought I’d go the furthest distance first then work my way back. That was the plan, but then I went ‘down a rabbit hole’, by following the Helsinki Pride March. It was huge occupying the entire central square of the city and then parading through the streets before ending up at the main park for a Festival. I watch the parade assemble and start off its trip with the Pride Tram, followed by motorbikes and then floats followed by various groups. It was a joyful occasion in the warm with sun and blue skies looking down on the city.

A little about Finland:

Finland is one of the Nordic countries with a population of 5.7 million. It border Sweden to the west, Norway to the north and has a long border with Russia to the east. The official languages are Finnish and Swedish, but most people speak English fluently. Finland consistently ranks highly in international rankings across various categories, such as education, economic competitiveness, happiness, and prosperity.

Finland has been a member of the European Union since 1995. The flag is the Nordic cross in blue on a white background. The blue refers to the lakes – there are thousands of them, and white for the snow in winter

70% of Finland is covered in forest, the highest proportion of any country in the world. Together with marshes, bogs and lakes, inland water covers another 10% of the land area. There are 187,888 lakes and 179,684 islands! Finland forests are a haven for wildlife such as brown bear and moose. Finland is known as the ‘Land of the Midnight Sun’, as in peak summer, it never really gets dark, making it difficult for people new to this, to be able to sleep. Finnish ‘sourners’ (saunas), are a steam room and hot tub combinations, very common in homes; in fact families might have several – one n the house, one in the garden, and one in their Summer House. There are also many public ones – there’s even one in the Finnair Business Class Lounge at Helsinki Airport, which I have used, when I was going through a ‘only flying Business Class’ phase! 

Finland was first settled around 9000 BC after the last Ice Age. From the late 13th century, Finland became part of Sweden following the Northern Crusades. In 1809, as a result of the Finnish War, it became an autonomous grand duchy within the Russian Empire. Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Finland declared its independence; and after a civil war the anticommunists were victorious and Finland became a republic in 1919.During World War II, Finland fought against both the Soviet Union and later against Nazi Germany. As a result, it lost parts of its territory to the Soviet Union but retained its independence and democracy. 

During the Cold War, Finland embraced an official policy of neutrality. After the Cold War, Finland embraced the European Union. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Finland joined NATO in 2023. 

The Russian and Swedish role in the country’s history has had a big influence on the architecture in Finland, examples including the Finland Railway Station and Cathedral on Senate Square: this was where the Pride march was assembling.

First the Railway Station; railway tracks were laid in the 1860s. The station building, clad in granite, was designed by Eliel Saarinen and inaugurated in 1919. It is known for its clock tower and the Lyhdynkantajat ("The Lantern Bearers") statues by Emil Wikström. Helsinki Central was chosen as one of the world's most beautiful railway stations by BBC in 2013.

Next the Cathedrals; after Helsinki was made into the capital of Finland in 1812, Alexander I decreed in 1814 that 15 percent of the salt import tax were to be collected into a fund for two churches, one Lutheran and one Orthodox. The Lutheran Church is a major landmark of the city and overlooks Senate Square. Its four small domes emphasise the architectural connection to Saint Isaac's Cathedral and Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The church was originally built from 1830 to 1852 as a tribute to the Grand Duke of Finland, Emperor Nicholas I of Russia. It was also known as St Nicholas's Church until Finland declared its full independence in 1917.

The Orthodox Cathedral is called Uspenski Cathedral. It is the largest Orthodox church in both Northern and Western Europe and is dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos (the Virgin Mary). It was undergoing structural repairs so interior access was not possible.

My walk through Helsinki took me back to the trust number 6 tram, which took me back to the Port, where I rested my feet in preparation for the next stop, Tallinn, in Estonia.