We boarded most of our flights via stairs this whole trip.
Greenland!!
Sunday, July 24, 2016
July 21 Helsinki
In the Rock Church.
Even the curling was a beautiful copper disk.
We got pretty good at the tram and bus system. Everything was announced in Finnish, Swedish and English.
Soumenlinna is a 5 island historic Sea Fortress just a few km off Helsinki Harbour. Built in 1709's by the Swedes and taken by the Russians in the 1800's and basically given to the Finns when they declared independence in 1917. The fortress was always on the losing side, hasn't actually seen much action. In fact more men died building it than defending it. Used as a war camp in 1940's after Finnish civil war. UNESCO heritage and still used for their naval academy. (Which has a second rate football team, according to our guide. He was on the superior Army football team.)
Artillery museum on Soumenlinna Island.
K and I declined the chance to fill our brains with artillery facts and had a coffe and pastry instead! Apple strudel with warm custard, yum!
At Kings Gate. The special entrance for the King of Swedrn when he visited but kept in good order for the Pecosolidos!
July 20 back to Helsinki
Handicraft museum in morning. Just barely checked out in time from omena hotel! Train ride back to Helsinki. Got lost finding Hostel Aura. Playground. Pizza and curry.
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
July 18 Turku
Grocery store breakfast. Got to the tourist info booth when it opened and I wish Helsinki has an easy to find one. This lady was so helpful in planning our two days. We headed over to the big Cathedral which was built 1280 and consecrated Catholic in 1300. After the reformation it changed to Lutheran. It had a small museum upstairs. The kids lit candles for a little boy who had died back home. Since I always light candles for my grandmothers in churches I visit, I chose to light one for my grandfather who was Luthern. Seemed appropriate! St Katherine lays in rest here. She was briefly a Swedish queen and she's the only royalty buried in all of Finland! She has a beautiful sarcophagus and stained glass window. There was an original bible from 1492. Plus full sized coats of armor. Quick picnic lunch on the lawn by the cathedral.
Next museum was a combo modern art and a recently dug archeological find. They uncovered rows of medieval streets and all that remained was the basement level of many, many houses. Very well preserved and curated, with an excellent free guided tour!
Final stop of the day was Turku Castle, originally built in the late 1200's. Exceptionally cool parts included a dining room with 50' long table (pass the salt please!), an exhibit on the dungeon, and an amazing courtyard surrounded by a bailey (outer defensive wall).
Dinner was street-vendor hamburgers (for the kids) and curry (for the "adults") followed by a trip to a local playground we found (because they just hadn't done enough that day! 😀).
What a fun day!
Alter of the cathedral
Paintings on the wall
This is the actual medieval well. They had some doll houses representing the they things would have looked in 1500
Here's the model on the town and behind it the actual cobbled street that would have been between the rows of houses.
Even a chapel was found which was very mysterious. There was no record of this chapel and it was fairly low in the ground, almost hidden.
July 17 Helsinki to Turku
(Dictated to Beth by family)
Slept late. Checked out of citikoti by 10. Walked to central station. Kids took Dad on tram to see city. Mom bought tickets for Turku. We all walked down to Matkey Square for lunch of meatballs and potatoes. Mom and Caleb tried fried smelt samples (small whole fish, bones were no problem!) Walked past cathedral on the and Senate Square on the way back. Senate Sqaure commemorates the Finnish independence in 1917. Train to Turku. We sat on the top deck. We all vegged out with screens. Checked into OmenaHotel. It has no staff, everything is automatic. Walked about a mile over Aura River to look for dinner and found a nice Spanish sit down restaurant. Our waiter was like Uncle John. He took time to teach Caleb the difference between real and synthetic wine corks! Olives, herbed bread sticks and stteak tartar with horseradish appetizers. Katie and Adam got adventurous and order chicken dishes off the adult menu. Adam's has cherry sauce and Katie's was with garlic. Dessert was ice cream treats walking back. We noticed these are very popular all over Finland. The cheap pre-packaged ice cream that would be second fiddle here in the USA. The 3rd pic is us in the train splitting the most enormous raspberry meringue I have ever seen. We got it from market Sqaure. 
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