We're back in Helsinki today! We returned from Turku about 2 hours ago, and I've since stuffed myself with salmon and potatoes (both in the form of soup and a hot dish) and embarrassed myself (not for the first time on this trip though, so much for the 'I' in the Army L.I.V.E.!)...and found this internet cafe. She's reading this with me right now.
We took a walk around Turku yesterday. We gave the castle by the mouth of the river a miss since we didn't have the time. We went to...
...the market square (
kauppatori) and market hall (
kauppahalli) - bought a rose, some oranges and pizza, in that order...
...then to the handicrafts museum (set in the part of the town that hasn't been touched by fire the longest
but it was shut and seemed as if it didn't want to be disturbed)...
...the Turku cathedral (and snapped photos of a few statues that weren't described in the guidebooks)...
...and the Sibelius museum (pretty interesting place filled with musical instruments from around the world, old pianofortes, harpischords, organs and harmoniums, and artefacts related to the composer - no photography allowed inside)
Tonight, we're taking the train to Rovaniemi in the north, the gateway to the Arctic Circle and the greatest tribute to commercialism - Santa Claus Village!
Hopefully we'll get more snow there. It's appeared only as a thin crust near the bus station on Wednesday morning, and a patchy layer in the countryside along the intercity route away from the sea. The coldest it's been so far was 6 degrees below zero yesterday night.
And if we catch the auroras there, that'll be nice
It makes the title of our blog that bit more significant.
She says...'Hi everyone, and to skid in particular if he's back.'
I still have at least 30 minutes to go here. See you again soon!