a weekend in Finland

It wasn't my first trip to Finland, but it was the best.  For one thing the weather was spectacularly warm and mainly sunny.  I stayed in Helsinki this time and got to see some of the sights.  And then there was the dog show. 

But first, the sightseeing. 

A bunch of us stayed at the Best Western Hotel Haaga.  Great staff, comfy beds, nice pool & sauna and good food - I would definitely stay there again.  It was 10 minutes by taxi to the dog show and about 20 minutes by bus to the city centre.

We didn't want to waste a minute of our brief time in Finland, so as soon as we arrived at the hotel (sometime after 6 pm), we quickly changed into our swimming gear and hopped a bus then a tram to the harbour to catch a boat to Pihlajasaari, an outdoor recreation area located on an island about 10 minutes from the city centre.  I'm sure on a hot, sunny day this would be a wonderful location to hang out, swim, sunbathe and explore the island.  When we finally arrived there after getting caught in an enormous thunder shower, it was less than hot, less than sunny and closer to bedtime than sunbathing time.  We didn't let that deter us, however, and we had a snack in the restaurant (hello yummy chips and unfamiliar delicious spicy-mayo-like Finnish condiment) then a brief visit to the beach where some of our intrepid group even had a swim in the chilly Baltic Sea. 

Pihlajasaari

After that it was straight to one of the city's many wonderful outdoor cafe's for drinks and more snacks.  We happened more or less by accident upon the Karl Fazer cafe.  Let's just say it wasn't our last visit there.

Gorgeous displays at Fazer

Scrumptious treats at Fazer -  Pihlajasaari restaurant's famous homemade donuts

The next day a splinter group of 3 of us set off on a cruise through the archipelago to a 14th-century town on the Gulf of Finland 50km east of Helsinki called Porvoo, the second-oldest town in Finland.  There was just time for lunch and a wander around the shops and pretty cobbled streets before taking the boat back to Helsinki.  Oh, and then there was the ice creams as big as our heads, of course.  Not to mention the single licorice flavoured chocolate from the handmade chocolate factory. 

Pretty Porvoo

Views from boats

More views from boats - there were some VERY nice seafront houses

Lots of opportunities for selfies

Dinner for 9 in the hotel after the show

Any number of beautiful buildings around Helsinki

Then there was the dinner party suspended from a crane - a snip at 318 Euros per couple

Helsinki harbour - art exhibition promo - market - Lappies in the street!

It was a great weekend, but it was the dog show that made it a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  But that's a separate blog post, and one that will require a little more scrounging photos from other people.