Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Our guided tour was over yesterday, but Jeff and I had booked an extra day in Helsinki. Based on a strong recommendation from Elisabeth, yesterday’s guide, Jeff and I met in the lobby this morning with plans to visit the resort town of Porvoo. We walked from the hotel about 0.5mile to Kamppi, a busy shopping center and transportation hub in the heart of Helsinki. It took awhile to wind our way through the complex and find the bus station. At the station, we couldn’t locate a ticket counter or kiosk to purchase tickets. After deciphering the schedule, we walked to the platform where the next bus to Porvoo departed. We talked with some Finns waiting for the bus and learned that they use an app to purchase tickets but that it was possible to pay the driver (credit card only) as we boarded. And so, we did. The 32-mile journey took a little under an hour. Almost half of the trip (time-wise) was winding through Helsinki after which the traffic thinned and we rolled along rapidly on a major highway with nice views of the forested countryside.
—— Kamppi and Bus ——
After disembarking at the Porvoo bus depot, we got our bearings and walked to the Old Town. Porvoo is a small town with a population a little over 50,000 on the south coast of Finland. Old Town is a popular tourist destination recognized for its well-preserved 18th and 19th century buidlings which now house a variety of shoppes, coffeehouses, restaurants, and other stores. Jeff and I rambled around the quaint town and did some souvenir shopping in the process. Along the way, we passed a square with the town hall, the banks of the Porvoo River that runs through the town, and the medieval stone and brick Porvoo Cathedral.
—— Old Town Porvoo ——
We left Old Town to explore a green corrider along the Porvoo River. Along this pleasant walk, there were several pedestrian bridges crossing the river or leading to islands. One well-known landmark in Porvoo is the old red-painted wooden warehouses along the river. We observed new housing across the river designed to resemble the older warehouses.
—— Along the Porvoo River ——
We eventually became hungry and thirsty and returned to Old Town for sustenance. We ended up following a sign to a restaurant that had deck seating with views of the Porvoo River where we enjoyed a delicous meal with local brews.
—— Our Lunch Venue in Porvoo ——
After our late lunch, we walked back through Old Town, found our way to the bus station, and returned to Helsinki. From the bus depot, we explored some of the Kamppi shopping area and then took a different walking route back to the hotel.
Early evening, we set off to find a recommended restaurant several blocks from the hotel. Interestingly, all the street signs in Helsinki are in Finnish on top with Swedish below. When we arrived at the restaurant, we couldn’t be seated for over an hour and because it was very crowded and hot inside, we decided to search for an alternative.
Not far away, we found Restaurant Kannas, one of Helsinki’s oldest restaurants that in its early days catered to seamen and dock workers. Our friendly waitress wanted us to have an authenitic Finnish experience. Following her recommendation, we sampled two Finnish brandies. Before the meal, we tasted Tyni, a brandy made from buckthorn berries and after the meal, Javoliina, a unique mix of cognac and clear grain spirits. My entree, recommended by our waitress, was a huge pile of fried vendace (a freshwater whitefish) served with mashed potatoes, beets, pickles and aioli sauce with a local lager, Sandels IV. For dessert, we were served a bowl of frozen cranberries with a small pitcher of warm caramel sauce accompanied by coffee with a shot of Javoliina. We thoroughly enjoyed this, our last dinner in Helsinki.
—— Our Dinner Restaurant in Helsinki ——
After walking back to the GLO Hotel Art, Jeff and I purchased beers at the bar in the lobby and relaxed in easy chairs in the “study” to reminisce and philosophize about our wonderful trip that was about to come to its end tomorrow.
—— Nightcap in the Study ——
