Welcome to Helsinki!
This week we're in the Finnish capital and we are going to be showing you some of the
top attractions you should check out in the summertime.
With its long days and short nights, summertime is a great time to be in Helsinki.
This was our second visit to the Finnish capital, and we were excited as ever to experience
it for a couple of days.
With summer in full swing, we enjoyed dinners al fresco, boat trips to nearby islands, and
lots of walking around town.
Here's a look at how we spent our time in Helsinki:
One of our favorite things about being in Helsinki were all the street performances
taking place.
Esplanade Park hosted several concerts, which were free to the public.
Right now we're going to be visiting one of the most famous landmarks in all of Helsinki.
This is Helsinki Cathedral and what is really cool about this church is that it is very
different from other churches across Europe.
Most European churches are very elaborate.
They have a lot of paintings inside; however, once we go inside this church you are going
to see that it is very simple, very white, very clean and it is just looks like a blank
canvas.
Helsinki Cathedral overlooks Senate Square, so after you visit the church, you can sit
down on the steps and watch people go by.
This is a very exciting moment for me here in Helsinki.
I'm an enormous Salmiakki fan, which is black salty licorice.
It is extremely salty and this particular kiosk here is famous because it sells over
91 different varieties of Salmiakki products.
Okay, so what did you order from the kiosk?
I've got my favorite kind of Salmiakki product - Salmiakki ice cream.
It is like the best of both worlds.
It is very salty, it has a very strong licorice taste and it is of course ice cream.
Who doesn't like ice cream?
And the coolest part here is that it is actually shaped like a Salmiakki candy.
It has that exact shape.
Mmmm.
That is so good.
What we're about to show you is called dinner in the sky.
And you're going to see some people sitting up on a table just hanging from a crane.
Look for yourself.
Market square is a great place to pick up fresh vegetables and berries, and you can
also try a number of traditional Finnish dishes ranging from grilled salmon to reindeer meatballs.
We frequented the market almost daily, and at 10 Euros a meal, we thought it was a budget-friendly
option for travelers.
So it is now time for lunch and we've stopped off at Market Square - one of my favorite
places to grab a really tasty and cheap meal.
Today we are having grilled salmon, potatoes and vegetables.
And yeah, let's go enjoy this before it gets too cold.
Alright, hungry boy.
Ready for the first bite?
It is time for some salmon.
I never get tired of eating salmon.
If I lived here I'd probably be eating this daily.
So now that we're finished eating we're going to show you the more crafty side of Market
Square.
This is a great place to pickup some traditional Finnish products and souvenirs to take back
home.
Helsinki has a thriving design district and I really enjoyed visiting various shops which
showcased the best of Scandinavian design.
My favourite was, of course, Marimekko which is renowned for its bold patterns and bright
colours.
Right now I'm in the Marimekko store, which is one of the most famous design stores in
all of Finland.
Finland has a unique tradition where people come and wash their carpets on floating docks
by the sea.
The carpets are then left to dry overnight without fear of anyone stealing them.
After washing your carpets it is a great area where you can just go and grab a drink and
relax.
Up next we're visiting the Kamppi Chapel of silence.
This chapel is located in one of the busiest areas of Helsinki and it is supposed to be
a place where anyone can drop by and just enjoy a moment of silence.
No services are held in this church but they do have clergy and social workers on hand
if anyone needs to speak with them.
Me.
Traveller.
So Sam, do you think one day you'll be able to grow an impressive beard like Santa's?
Never.
It looks like peachy fuzz.
That I glued onto my face.
Helsinki has a number of unique landmarks and attractions.
One of them being this church carved out of a rock.
And what is really cool about it is that this church has amazing acoustics so it is actually
a very popular concert hall.
The roof consists of a copper dome surrounded by a skylight, which allows natural light
to stream into the building.
During one of our afternoons in Helsinki, we hopped aboard the Helsinki Sightseeing
cruise.
The trip was an hour and a half in length, and we got to see the various islands that
make up the city's archipelago.
It was a beautiful sunny day with blue skies, and we saw a lot of sailboats out on the water.
It is a beautiful day to be outdoors today and we are all geared up to go on a bike ride.
We are going to be taking a tour of Helsinki.
How is it going so far?
I'm getting a workout here.
You look really silly with your ball cap and a helmet on.
Come on, I'm starting a new fashion trend over here.
This is what is considered cool these days.
Oh, really?
No, definitely not.
But what is cool is that just getting outside of Helsinki, a few kilometers, and you're
out right in the woods.
This is amazing.
Let's do a 360.
So we just finished our four hour long bike ride around Helsinki and next up we are going
kayaking.
Right now it is nine PM and it is still bright out and I think we're supposed to be back
at midnight.
So let's go.
Normally, I like to do a single kayak because I don't really trust Sam on the water but
I've been talked into this double kayak for newlywed couples.
Teamwork.
Except, I'm the only one paddling because you're sitting back there filming.
Yep, that's about right.
Enjoy a few beers in the back of the double kayak.
Yeah, I'll just have the beers, sit back and let her do all of the work.
Right, Audrey?
Oh, hush you.
Paddle.
Paddle faster.
Argh.
No, don't make it wobble.
I'm going to tip it over.
Wobble.
Sam, that is not.
Sam.
Okay, stop it.
It is eleven thirty now and we are paddling back home in the dark.
With nothing but the moon and our lights to guide us.
This is a city that comes alive during the summer months, and it was great enjoying all
the events taking place in the city as well as relaxing outdoors.
We loved revisiting Helsinki and we discovered so many new places that we had completely
skipped over the first time around.
Have you been to Helsinki?
Let us know about your experiences in the comments below.
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