Porvoo - 25 Oct

John and I visited Porvoo, east of Helsinki on the coast - about one hour by bus. Porvoo is Finland's second oldest town - dating back to the 14th century.

Reindeer statue in a park leading down to the river.

Statue of Johan Ludvig Runeberg - national poet of Finland

Old warehouses along the riverPorvoonjoki. These were originally painted red to impress the visiting king of Sweden in the late 18th century.


Looking across the river to the old part of Porvoo and the cathedral on the hill.


... more of the river bank

... and more

closeup of the warehouses - these are tipped to become a Unesco World Heritage site

a street in the old part of town - this was full of antique and craft shops

another street - more craft shops

... more of the old part of town

lunch in a cafe

a typical Finnish lunch

Porvoo cathedral which dates back to the 13th century

The belfrey of Porvoo cathedral

Inside Porvoo cathedral

a choir of children rehearsing in the cathedral

The wall painting above the arch date from the 15the century

A view of the river and beyond from the cathedral grounds

The city hall

Gallen-Kallela museum - 24 Oct

John, Nick and I visited the Gallen-Kallela museum in Espoo - a couple of kilometers away from where I am living. Gallen-Kallela, reputedly Finland's most significant artist, is famous for his paintings of the Kalevala - Finland's national epic. After his death in 1932, the house he designed, lived and worked in was turned into an art gallery and museum.

Villa Elfvik Nature House - we passed on the way to the Gallen-Kallela museum

Cafe overlooking the sea

Morning coffee

The Gallen-Kallela house- complete with tower.


View from the tower


The gardens leading down to the sea


artwork in the garden

Estonia - 17 Oct

John Nick and I travelled across the Gulf of Finland to Estonia for a day trip. The trip from Helsinki to Tallinn ( the capital of Estonia) is about 2 hours by ferry - a distance of 80km. We spent most of the day in the Old Town. The weather was wet and cold - but Tallinn was very interesting. A long day - we left Helsinki at 8am and Tallinn at 9pm to return home.

Boarding the ferry in Helsinki at 8amHelsinki harbour with the Cathedral in the background
Arriving in Tallinn

The new part of Tallinn - we didn't go there

Entering the Old Town

The Holy Spirit Church dating from the 13th century

An ornate clock on the tower of the Holy Spirit Church

The Town Hall Pharmacy - claims to be one of the oldest continuously running pahrmacies in Europe

Nick in the the Town Hall Pharmacy museum

St Catherine's Passage - a walkway in the old town. Under the cover on the left is a display of some ancient tombstones

A street in the Old Town

John and Nick outside the Estonian History Museum

One of the towers on the walls surrounding the Old Town

Lunch in a cafe

My pasta dish

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral - a Russian Orthodox cathedral completed in 1900

Toompea Castle

Harjumagi park

Kiek in de Kok tower - translated as "Peep into the Kitchen". So called because the soldiers occupying the tower claimed that from its top they see into the kitchens of the houses below. Built in 1475 and has nine cannonballs embedded in its walls from a battle in the Livonian war.

Some remnants of the Soviet rule in the Museum of the Occupation and of the Fight for Freedom

Late afternoon tea in a cafe on Town Hall Square before walking back to the ferry

Helsinki with John and Nick - 10 Oct

John and Nick joined me in Helsinki during October. Nick visited the Hanken School of Economics and John was on holidays. We spent the first Saturday sightseeing in Helsinki.

John and Nick outside the Finnish Parliament

Inside the Parliament house of Finland

A view of the National Museum of Finland from the Parliament house

The chamber in Parliament house

John and Nick in front of an elk (statue)

Nick in front of the Hanken School of Economics where he was visiting for a month.

Temppeliaukio Church - a church built inside a rock.

Senate square and the Lutheral cathedral

Sederholm house - Helsinki's oldest brick building dating from 1757

Uspenski Cathedral

South Harbour

South harbour

Looking out towards Suomenlinna from Katajanokka island

Nick and John on Esplanadi

An arcade near Esplanad park

Dinner at a Finnish restaurant with Lauri and Kettu