Some Russians, Some Americans, and the 4th of July
July 4th & 5th, 2016
We made our way from St. Petersburg to Helsinki by train and arrived in the afternoon. The weather was a nice change of pace since it was cooler and the minute we got off the train we knew we would love this city! We took the tram to our hotel and realized it it very easy to navigate and the city is fairly small. It was already late enough for dinner so we headed to Sea Horse to try some Scandinavian food. Not surprisingly the menu was very seafood heavy and we were excited to order! We were also excited when they brought out a pitcher of tap water! We realized while in Russia how much we take clean tap water for granted.
We ordered a creamy salmon soup and snails in garlic butter to start. We had herring and pike perch for dinner. All the food was very good!
Although we were tired, we decided to walk around the city a bit and explore. We made our way to Esplanadi Park. The weather was perfect and barely anyone was outside. We noticed there was a group playing string instruments nearby and as we walked over to listen, a group of American teenage boys were walking over too.
A Russian string quartet providing the evening with some beautiful classical music.
After a couple songs, the boy's teacher introduced himself to the players and they all began to play together. Apparently, the group was the Keystone State Boys Choir and they ended up singing and playing music together for at least half an hour. It was incredible to watch. The band even suggested we celebrate the 4th of July by playing The Star Spangled Banner. It was so much fun to watch.
Now the quartet accompanied by the Keystone Boys Choir, and they truly could sing! Happy 4th!
The next day we made our way to Market Square where we bought some deli ion berries and mushrooms. We took the ferry over to Suomenlinna, a cluster of 6 islands that are a UNESCO world heritage site and a fortress. We wandered around there for a bit, took a walking tour, and enjoyed sitting and taking in the views. Chuck found it interesting that Finland had to pay the Soviet Union reparations for the war which then led to questions for the guide. "In short," the Soviets wanted to take Finland at the beginning of WWII (called the Winter War), but Finland was able to hold them back and then asked for support from the Allies. The Allies were of little help so they then reached out to Nazi Germany who was very willing to help. Finland was able to defend itself but in the end they were on the wrong side and lost land anyway to Russia, and owed them money.
Beautiful views from Suomenlinna
We saw the oldest dry dock which is still used, a submarine, and learned all about the history of the fortress and Finland's history. We were also surprised to learn that people live on the island and there is everything from a grocery store to post office.
It may be old, but they still haven't stopped servicing boats for a few 100 years.
We grabbed dinner and drinks at the island's brewery. Chuck enjoyed the pork cheeks and pork belly in pumpkin purée with fried potatoes, while Anna had the most incredible mushroom risotto with truffle butter.
Out return to Helsinki for the evening.
It was great to have a relaxing day and we are looking forward to the rest of Scandinavia! The people here so far are very laid back and nobody seems to ever be in a rush. It's quite a change of pace from St. Petersburg.
