Sunday July 15, 2007
Misty rain gave the Finnish capital a wet, bedraggled look as the Marco Polo swept into the harbour – past old battlements set up yonks ago to protect the city from the Russians. Klaipeda to Helsinki had been a long slog (all through the night and on into the morning) and we didn’t dock until after midday.
Come to think of it, we’ve had rain more days than not on this ‘summer’ cruise – not uncommon, apparently, in the Baltic – but by now we’ve got used to it!
Finland was ruled by Germany for some 600 years, then by the Russians for 100 more – before gaining independence. And Helsinki has long been loved for its striking architecture, broad boulevards and untold parks – not that we saw much of that today through the drizzle. But the distinctive gold domes of the Russian-looking Uspenski Cathedral still begged to be photogaphed.
Our small-boat sightseeing tour took us through Suomenlinna, a series of small interconnected islands, where we spotted waterfront saunas, old villas, a fortress known as the ‘Gibraltar of the North‘ (built 1748), and the country’s giant icebreakers (parked up for the summer).
Winter in this place must be something else – with maximum daylight hours 9am to 3pm, temperatures as low as minus 15 degrees, and everything iced-up and snowed-under. Which probably explains why, in their spare time, the Finns go a little crazy: our guide described sauna contests (to prove who can stand the steamy heat the longest) … swamp soccer (kinda like mud-wrestling, but with a ball and goalposts) … and the annual wife-carrying contest (where blokes, brave and strong, run a 300-metre obstacle course with their mates slung over their shoulders).
Sounds like fun, eh. Can’t wait to get home and try it!
TOMORROW: We enter Russian waters, head up the Neva River and arrive in gorgeous, grandiose St Petersburg. So stay tuned …
Yours bloggedly – JOHN
Hi cousin Lynley in “I533”,
Thank you so very much for the postcard, arrived today (Tues 17th). Glad you are having a great time, you are not missing much here, cold wet and foggy, a usual Waikato winter. Your house is fine, no problems, lawns are mowed, front yard is clean and all the plants have been watered. So keep enjoying yourself and have a wonderful time. See you sometime next month. Bye for now. cousin Glen.
Hello to you all, Joy and Murray especially. Still C O L D down here. They have had a 2 day bonspiel at Oturehua yesterday and today – 1st time since 2001. Looked beautiful on TV tonight with the sun shining on the hoar frost BUT we saw the sun for 5 minutes today – 1st time for about a week. However we havent lost our roofs or had floods like north Auckland and now Hawkes Bay today.
We are thinking of you at St Petersburg (dont fall in any potholes) and hope you get a chance to go to Winter Palace and see all the beautiful art also the Summer Palace. There were only 174 of the 180 fountains going the day we were there!!! Will be good to compare notes when you get home. Will also think of you at Stockholm visiting the Vassa on Thursday I think.
All well here. Max’s computer on the blink at the moment. They are all well. Nita,Max,Doug,Lorraine, Lindsay and Louise were at David and Stefs for tea last Wed night.
Have fun and see you when you get home – wont be long now. Love Anne and Bill.