G. Helsinki, Finland – Day 7

Helsinki, Finland – We took the ‘Discover Helsinki’ tour. Included were the Embassy Park, Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral with gold onion domes, on to Senate Square pass by the 1952 Olympic Games were held, the Opera House and stop to see the Temppeliaukio Rock Church.

Q-tips says: Mrs. Q says: This was more of a bus tour, a welcome change from the 2 busy, but two great days in St. Petersburg, Russia. While nice to see Helsinki Finland, it was very cold and windy more than other country so far. Want to say Hi and Bye in their language? Hi – Moy. Bye – Moy, Moy.

The sea and large lakes slow down the progress of winter. Winter is the longest season in Finland, lasting for about 100 days in southwestern Finland and 200 days in Lapland.

North of the Arctic Circle, part of winter is the period known as the “polar night”, when the sun does not rise above the horizon at all. In the northernmost corner of Finland, the polar night lasts for 51 days. In southern Finland, the shortest day is about 6 hours long.

Mrs. Q says: No thank you. Even our tour guide said it is depressing. Unless you LOVE winter and Winter Sports….. Not I.

In port, outside our ship was a small open doors building selling mementos and “FREE WI FI.” So many took advantage of the Free Wi Fi, as not to use up their WiFi that you had to pay for on the ship. It was freezing and windy in the building. Froze our butts off even tho we had winter outfits and gloves, mind you this is the end of May. At least it was sunny. Finland might now have taken the honor of the “happiest people” because they are taken care of from birth to grave. But their taxes are extremely very high, as in Denmark. (Hello? Someone has to pay for all those “free, free, free from birth to grave).

Happiest people? IT CAN’T BE BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER!