May 20, 2012 Helsinki

Today we are in Helsinki and it is a beautiful day.  We met our tour g

roup and headed off the ship.  The guide we found out was a transplant from Madeira, Portugal.  He married a Finn and moved with her here.  More on him later.

The tour took us around the city and to the Sebelius Park.  Sebelius was a famous Finnish composer.  The memorial to him is in the shape of organ pipes.  When the wind blows it creates a sound that was not pleasing to his fans.  They then added a bust of him to the memorial, and this satisfied them.  The memorial was unusual but nice. From here we went to the 1952 Olympic Stadium.  We just took a seat inside the Stadium and enjoyed the sun.  Some took an elevator to the top of a tall tower that was located there, but the heights did not interest us.  We next stopped at Senate Square for a little over an hour.  Four of us went down to a coffee shop and bought some coffee and pastries and brought them back to the square and set on the steps and enjoyed them.  There was a street performer singing Opera and he was very good.

From the Senate Square we went to the Rock Church.  The church is carved out a large granite boulder and then the roof is made of coiled copper wire.  It consists of several thousand feet wound in a circle.  The copper thief’s in Kansas City would love this place.  From here we headed back to the ship.

We set out on the deck for awhile, although we had to use blankets to keep warm.  Supper tonight with our table mates and then we took in a show in the Princess Theater. 

No time change tonight, so maybe our body clocks will catch up with us.

Our guide told us about life in Finland.  He has lived here ten years.  He had to take three years of classes on the language, history and the laws and customs of the Country.  After passing proficiency test he was issued a card but not a citizenship.  He has to wait twenty years to get a passport.  The tax rate is 48% with a value added tax on everything you buy of 28%.  For this the government takes care of you from birth to death, including college.  However he said in Finland you toe the line or find somewhere else to live.

Finland has the same population as St. Petersburg, Russia.  It is more of a socialist state that Russia.  Just not our (Judi and I) cup of tea.

The general topic of conversation after leaving Helsinki was that this stop could be eliminated.

Stockholm tomorrow.  Suppose to be a smooth night and nice weather when we get there.

Sorry about the St. Petersburg pictures.  The internet is so slow and unreliable that I will probably have to wait until I get home to post the pictures.

Pictures