When doing my aforementioned research for the RTW award ticket, the best options for getting out of Australia (using points) were via Tokyo then Helsinki to Charles de Gaulle (CDG). This is what I had booked initially but when I called Qantas later to add another flight I changed the dates to allow us a stopover in Helsinki. Why not?
A friend of ours had just visited Finland and gave me some great tips which in the end really helped us make the most of our short stay in Helsinki – thanks once again Alison!
Firstly the Japan Airlines flight… This flight is now about three hours longer than previously as the Russian/Ukraine conflict forces airlines to avoid Russian airspace and instead fly north and over the Arctic Circle.
For us (or me with the window seat) it was breathtakingly beautiful and although I couldn’t forget the reason we were taking this route, I was profoundly grateful for the opportunity to view something that most people will never see.
We arrived mid afternoon and were entertained by our very jovial driver during the 30 minute ride to our apartment in central Helsinki which proved to be compact but more than adequately furnished for our needs – major requirement = kettle for boiling water, I had my own tea bags – and we quickly found the local S market for milk and other basics.
We had thought we would take it easy this afternoon and chill out after the frenetic pace in Tokyo but the increasingly blue sky outside enticed us to do otherwise. We strolled around cobbled streets, found ourselves at the wharf and then made our way toward Kiasma, the Museum of Contemporary Art where we were to meet our guide for tomorrow’s excursion.
It was brisk, probably low teens, but invigorating after thirteen hours on the plane and the Finns were out and about enjoying the great conditions as well. They had 15 cms of snow only five days ago and there were piles of slush in evidence.
At this point our feet began reminding us that they had taken a beating yesterday and we caught the very convenient tram back to our apartment, proud of ourselves for navigating the system 😉
The tour the next day was with Taiga Times who offer several excursions out of Helsinki and we had chosen the ‘Archipelago’ tour which involved a drive to Porkkalanniemi National Park, a gentle stroll through the forest and then a traditional Finnish lunch cooked over the fire by the sea. It turned out to be a great way to see a little piece of nature not too far from Helsinki.
Jeff, our guide, originally from Canada, owns the business with his Finnish wife whom he met in Australia! This enterprising young couple are committed to ‘promoting sustainability and an authentic nature experience’ and it shows. Jeff’s knowledge of the local plant and animal scene made the walk extremely enjoyable. He also informed us that there are moose in the park and it is currently calving season so if we were very lucky….. we weren’t but the seascape at the end of the walk more than compensated.
Vestiges of snow remained in crevices and the birdlife was varied. This is a major migration route and Jeff said that if we saw anybody else today they would probably be birdwatchers, it is such a significant area.
Once we arrived at the camp site we were amazed to see piles of wood stored in large weatherproof structures complete with an axe and saw to cut them into smaller sizes for the nearby wood fire/BBQ. Apparently this is the norm in Finland and no one would think to take the tools, they are part of the camping experience at all National Park camp sites. There was a a clean(ish) drop toilet nearby as well, what else do you need?
Jeff gave us 40 mins to explore by ourselves (with the warning not to go ‘swimming’) whilst he prepared our lunch with the supplies he had carried in in his backpack.
I could easily have used more than this, it was a stunning area but we wandered back at the appointed time to find Jeff serving up a delicious fish soup with accompanying rye bread and cinnamon bun for dessert, all prepared on the fire.
The other couple with us, Gabor and Elisabeth from Hungary were celebrating Elisabeth’s birthday so we wished her a combined Finnish/Hungarian/Australian Happy Birthday and toasted her with our blueberry juice 😂
I was very happy that we had made the decision to see something outside of the urban area and if ever you are in the area I highly recommend Taiga Times.
Tomorrow’s adventure…. we visit Tallinn in Estonia, a couple of hours across the Gulf of Finland by ferry 🚢