On Wednesday morning, our group boarded the ferry for the two hour trip to Helsinki. Most of Helsinki dates from the early 1800's — young by European standards. Upon arrival we boarded a bus for a quick tour around the city. We stopped at the "Church in the Rock" which was blasted out of solid granite. It's copper dome is surrounded by skylights so eventhough the walls of rock look imposing, the interior has a light and airey feel.
The next day we took a walking tour with a local guide. Although there is no medieval center, most of the sights are centrally located around the city's all-important harbor. Like most other water-front cities, Helsinki has a Market Square offering all kinds of foods and goods from the land and the sea. Several cathedrals are situated on hills overlooking the harbor. The two most prominent are the Lutheran and the Orthodox.
In the afternoon, Cindy and Mike visited an "Ice Bar" which, strangely enough, is exactly what it sounds like — a bar made entirely of ice. The bar is ice, the tables are ice, even the walls are ice We're not exactly sure what the temperature inside the bar was, but even with the supplied fur-lined coats, icy vodka drinks may not have been the best choice Since part of the reason for visiting Scandinavia and the Nordic countries was to beat the Palm Desert heat, we certainly went all out!
