Unexpected trip to Helsinki

Bob had a trip to Helsinki with a couple days of time off where we could do some exploring, so I decided to fly up and meet him. It is only a couple hour flight which seems to be the case with getting around most of Europe - one of the best benefits of living here!!!




Our first full day we spent in a rental car out of the city. We picked up the car and headed out along the coast with a map and a few stops circled from the guy at the rental car counter. We stopped in a few small villages along the coast, relaxed on the sandy coast, and walked around small marinas with great views of the surrounding coves - quiet and peaceful with rocky edges and forests that met the sea. It reminded both of us of Maine - trees, lots of tall, tall trees and not very populated. It was a quiet day spent getting a feel for life outside the city.

The city of Helsinki is a real mix of cultures. The country of Finland has been ruled by Sweden and Russia and you can see the influence in the architecture around the city. It has the largest Russian Orthodox Church in Western Europe right at on the harbor of the city. There is also a beautiful Lutheran Catherdral in the main square and 82% of the population is Lutheran.  One day when I was there on my own as Bob worked I ran into a musical demonstration in the square where military bands from 4 different countries were performing for the crowds. The steps in front of the Cathedral were packed with people, the sun was shining, and music was playing. Diverted me for an hour or two from a bus to Porvoo, a small town I went out to see later in the day. Language wasn't much of a problem either as almost all Finns speak English very well. It is the second language of the country. Great for us!

Everyday markets are set up on the harbor in Helsinki. They sell fresh fish, vegetables, and fruit. The beauty of it is the colors, smells, and volume of fresh products. There are also stands that are grilling salmon, calamari, and vegetables, so you can get a wonderful meal and sit at one of the picnic type tables set up next to the stands. Half of the market is food and the other half are handmade products from Finland - gloves, hats, jewelry, wood carvings, paintings, souvenirs… The amazing thing to me is the stands are set up and taken apart each day. There has to be at least 50 stands. Leading to this market harbor is a beautiful street called the Esplanade that has a green space in the middle where people can linger. On both sides of the Esplanade are shops, cafes, and restaurants.

From the harbor you can take ferries among the archipelago of Helsinki. We took one out to an island called Suomenlinna which was built during the Swedish era as a maritime fortress. You can spend hours walking paths, exploring old buildings, visit a museum, picnicking anywhere you choose with beautiful water views in a very natural environment.

 

Another small town only 30 minutes from the city is Porvoo. The town was established in the 13th century and is the second oldest city in Finland. It has a medieval stone and brick Cathedral founded high on a hill to dominate the village which was an important trading port at one time. The old town is a series of streets with wooden houses and cobblestone streets that lead up to the church. Very charming place to wander around. It is famous for red-colored wooden buildings on the riverside in the old town. They were painted red in honor of the arrival of the King of Sweden.

Beautiful Bavaria

Caitlyn and her boyfriend Chris were our third group of company in the month, so we were ready to try something totally different for traveling. After showing them around Koln and letting them take 2 days to get acclimated we headed six hours from Koln in the car and focused on the Bavarian region of Germany. 

Right at the foothills of the Alps are two towns made famous in the 1938 Winter Olympics for their incredible access to amazing mountains. The towns are Garmisch and Partenkirchen. The scenery around these two towns is just breathtaking! The mountains are huge and surround the area with peaks, valleys, and trails perfect for summer hiking and winter skiing. The hikes take you up into the mountains where houses dot the meadows, trails take you to edges of steep cliffs, water running in brooks, waterfalls coming from the hills, and gorges that take you 15 minutes to walk through.

 You are in awe of the natural beauty that you are walking through. Because of arriving later in the day the trails we were on were pretty much empty of others and we could hike at our leisure. At the beginning of the hike we came across the ski jumps. They are covered in an astroturf type of material and people were using the smaller one to practice jumping without snow. The viewing stands were old ones from the Olympics and you could see what an incredible view you would have for any of the many events they host here throughout the year. Inside the viewing stadium there was a soccer team enjoying a late evening on the field. What a beautiful day to start exploring this area. 

The next day, we took a drive through an incredible tunnel in the mountains and came out on the other side in Austria. Again the scenery was just beautiful and the weather was perfect too! We drove an hour and spent the day touring and viewing two of the castles built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The first is called, Hohnschwangau and was his boyhood home. When he became King at the age of 18 he renovated this castle to his liking and then went about building his first castle, Linderhof which we visited the grounds of later in the day. The second castle which is the most recognizable and famous is Neuschwanstein. It is the castle that the Disney modeled the Cinderella Castle after. 

It is an awesome sight which you can view from a bridge on a path up to the castle. The picture of the bridge from the castle is amazing too!!! As you stand there viewing the finished castle you are in disbelief that you are on a metal bridge that is spanning two severe mountain peaks.You can see Neuschwanstein from Hohnschwangau and Ludwig had a view with a brass telescope set up to watch the building project. For his bedroom in the castle he employed 14 wood carvers that worked for 4 years in just that room. You can just imagine the detail - on the bed alone there was a replica of the castle that was carved and sat on top of the wooden canopy of the bed. Really over the top! Only 2/3 of the rooms were completed and he only lived in the castle for 70 days before his mysterious death at the age of 46. The kingdom was not happy with the money he was spending on his fantasies.  

After a tour of the castle we again were treated to a hike down which took us past a beautiful gorge with rushing water, waterfalls, and severe cliffs that you are walking along. Can't imagine having a small child along for this hike because at times the trail was a metal walkway with very little railing and you are sort of suspended on the side of a mountain. The sights were worth it for sure. 

The next couple days were spent in Munich and Heidleberg which are in Bavaria as well. More gorgeous cities with castles, squares, cafes and restaurants that spill out into the cobblestone streets. 

 We spent a sobering, somber morning at Dachau. It was not a visit that I was looking forward to, but felt with all the history we are covering while living here it was one of the places we had to go to. Very few words can describe the horror that took place here as well as other camps. Dachau was mainly a work camp, not built for extermination. Many different groups were imprisoned here, men used to work as slaves basically. Many died here from the inhuman treatment they received while working and being imprisoned. Truly a sad, sad commentary on cruelty. 

Funny, but not good!

FUNNY BUT NOT GOOD
When I complimented my “hair stylist” by saying that her “English” was better than my “German”, I may have been mistaken. There were many red flags that were missed leading up to my “trim”. When told that if I wanted a scissors cut, I would need an appointment for tomorrow, but if I wanted the “machine”, they could take me now, I somehow missed that.
In light of my recent pickpocketing experience in Paris, the fact that I won’t need another haircut until November somehow lessons the pain. Until next time...

Funny, but not good.

Poor Pilots Pocket Picked by Parisian Pro

POOR PILOTS POCKET PICKED by PARISIAN PRO Dateline: Paris
An unassuming international, seat locked, jet pilot was masterfully reduced to tourist status on Thursday last at the Port Maillot metro stop near Place de la Concorde. While attempting to impress his bride with an upgraded ticket on the RER C, he unwittingly fell prey to the bump and run, thus becoming a victim of Paris’ second oldest profession.
When interviewed later, he stated that he may have become complacent and let his guard down. Even though he wasn’t carrying a wallet, the Pro went into his front left pocket and took credit cards and cash. A report later in the day noted unusually heavy activity by the Gypsy Nation at kiosks throughout Paris. There was an apparent run on Jambon et fromage, as an unusually large haul was rumored to have been scored.
While attempting to turn the event into a learning experience for his younger cohorts, the pilot wanted to remind others to leave large cash wads back in the hotel room Safe, and to take only as much as you’ll need. When asked for a statement the pilot reported to say, “I’m just thankful that they didn’t steal my German drivers license. I don’t think I could handle that.”

Visit with Jillian and Nikhil

Jillian and Nik visited Germany and Switzerland for two weeks. At the beginning of their trip we met up in Frankfort while Rory and Owen were still in town. We all stayed the night in Frankfort and visited with Shane Morris too. Shane made reservations at a perfect outdoor cafe where we watched the final game of the European Soccer Championships. Germany had lost just days earlier, and we couldn't imagine if they had made it to the finals! I am not sure we would of had such fantastic viewing of the game on a pretty square in Frankfort. As it was it was Italy and Spain were playing. Spain won and there were plenty of Spanish fans about the city - horns blaring until at least 1 in the morning. Happy soccer fans for sure! Europeans love their soccer!!!

Musical Instrument Museum -
a very cool,  old building

By the time Jillian and Nik arrived in Koln they were ready for some relaxing time and I think they were both happy one day when it rained - an excuse not to spend the day touring! It was fun to relax and spend time just enjoying our home away from home and the city of Koln. We did manage to fit in a little trip up to Brussels and Brugge in Belgium.

Brussels is about a 2 and a 1/2 hour drive from Koln so it is an easy trip in the car. There is a magnificent central square called the Grand Platz. It is a huge open area of cobblestones surrounded on all four sides with large, beautiful old buildings. Of course there are huge baskets of colorful flowers hanging from the street lamps and the smell of waffle stands and chocolate shops is everywhere. 

 Our time in Brussels was filled with walking the cobblestone streets, visiting a few chocolate shops, spending time in the square at night while there was a Flemish celebration complete with live bands on a stage in the Grand Platz, people waving Flemish flags and enjoying a late night dessert of incredible Belgium waffles and ice cream! A walk through a park gave us an unexpected display of large fanciful art projects displayed with a theme on the city of Brussels and food. 

A stork delivering
a brussel sprout.

Those are legs popping
out of magazines.

About an hour from the city of Brussels is the quaint town of Brugge. I had heard from so many people that I had to go here. It did not disappoint! Largely untouched by World War II, the city is a maze of cobbled streets that weave in and out of beautiful quiet canals. You can take a small boat tour of the canal which only lasts about 35 minutes, and it takes you under the tiny stone bridges and gives you a wonderful view of the beautiful buildings throughout the small city.  It was such a contrast to the canals of Amsterdam that we were on just the week before with Owen and Rory. In Amsterdam the canals are busy with large tour boats, pleasure boats, taxi boats, and even pedal boats. 

I am not sure how many squares there are in this town, but they are all beautiful with shops, cafes, and historical buildings mixing together in a very warm and enduring way. By an old fish market we came across a man that was weaving on a huge loom. He was making a scarf with colorful threads and selling the finished products. Of course, we looked through them and found many that we had to try on. Jillian bought one for herself and treated me to one as well. What a nice, memorable gift I now have. Thanks Jillian and Nikhil! The day was sunny, warm and delightful. An easy day of touring and unique in feeling and setting. This is definitely a place to come back to and spend a couple nights in a Bed and Breakfast. The search is on for a place and time. There appeared to be a lot more to see - parks and open areas, museums, and art galleries. Bob was working by this point of the week, so there is a good excuse to go back again.

Nik enjoying a very large beer!