Helsinki to Moscow

2009 07 23 – Day 27 – Helsinki

The Helsinki to Moscow train certainly feels like a special train as it sits at its platform. Smartly dressed train staff/officers/guards stand to attention by the open doors with the air of an different era of travel when service had a touch more ceremony about it all.

I drop my bags in the cabin I'm sharing with a young Russian family of 3 and return to the door to enjoy an enthusiastic, silly and fun goodbye from Sanna & Nunnu.


Watching the Finnish landscape roll by I reflect on the journey so far and the new chapter I'm about to begin. Until now, I'd had a friend or a relative to meet, or a pre-arranged activity to join up with. Now I have a route and a timetable, but I don't have all my tickets and I don't have all my accommodation and so now I really feel like I'm heading off on my own.

Train to Helsinki

2009 07 22 – Day 26 – Kemijärvi

I'm sure I'll never see the attraction of train-spotting around the UK where they all seem the same. Train-spotting around the world, however, I'm starting to see a glimmer of the appeal. This was the beast to haul us 12 hours through the night to Helsinki.

Watching the pretty lakes of Finland roll by from the comfort of the dining car with a glass of wine in hand, Nunnu & I nattered away into the not-so-dark night.

Eventually returning to our cabin, we discovered I hadn't managed to shut the door properly and it was slightly ajar... I was greatly relieved to find passport and other valuables still there! It was the first time on my travels that I'd left my passport off my person, thinking it safe. Perhaps it will be the last time. Thanks to the good nature of Finnish people my first potential disaster was avoided.

What's in a name?

2009 07 22 – Day 26 – Kemijärvi

I'd almost forgotten about Finland's chain of supermarkets by Kesco.....
K is small, KK bigger, KKKK really big...
Most of my time in Rovaniemi I'd bought my shopping from a KKK.

Of course it has nothing to do with the objectional institution who's name abreviates to the same repeated consonant, but naturally I couldn't help but think of it every time I went for a shop 10 years ago. No doubt I'll bump into signs with other meanings or interpretations on my travels... naturally I'll post them here if they're of any interest.

Kemijärvi

2009 07 22 – Day 26 – Kemijärvi

Finland is a land of lakes. Gorgeous weather on the drive up to Kemijärvi presented their natural beauty at its best.

Midnight Sun

2009 07 20-21 – Days 24-25 – Rovaniemi

Being the summer on the Arctic Circle, it doesn't really get dark... it does do dusk though.

These were all taken at 23:45

Rovaniemi

2009 07 20-21 – Days 24-25 – Rovaniemi

Returning to Rovaniemi after 10 years was even more familiar and yet strange than Helsinki. Almost everything is as it was back then, but the crucial difference being that previously I'd been here winter through to spring and this time round it was summer... in summary, there was no snow! Not even a hint of it.

Not a particularly great picture of the complete lack of snow and ice.

One of the things that had changed was the name of the central square: now Lordi's Square after the cultural behemoth that was Lordi, the monster heavy metal band that stomped all over the Eurovision Song Contest 2006. Why Rovaniemi? Because lead vocalist Mr. Lordi (what else would he be called!?) was spawned there of course – but you knew that already didn't you... :P


Above you can see the mini shrine to Lordi in the local shopping centre, housing their armour of darkness that helped power them to victory. Meanwhile, a young accolytes make a pilgrimage to the square to give thanks to the lordi's of darkness...


Meeting up with old friends Pia & Nunnu over a pint was great.


Tivoli – venue of the best student nights when I was here last... most memorable of which was probably the beach party where it was -30 degrees C outside and +30 inside! Outside everyone wore heavy duty winter wear, inside bikinis and shorts. Sand everywhere, ultimate frisbee and even a massage beach hut!


Fond memories of learning to snowboard on this slope... there was a lot of snow on it at that time... honest!


Somehow the whole 'Santa Village' concept is a whole lot more compelling when there's eye-high snow everywhere!

Helsinki

2009 07 19 – Day 23 – Helsinki

Having briefly visited Helsinki during the 4 months I'd lived in Finland 10 years ago, arriving was a strange mixed sensation of arriving somewhere new and somewhere familiar. My ears enjoyed their re-engagement with the rhythmic Finnish language even if my brain could process very little of it.

Helsinki Cathedral watching over Senate Square

Train Station – I had to catch an overnight train that evening to Rovaniemi, so I sorted my ticket before anything else.

After my time in St Petersburg, I now recognise the Russian two-headed eagle and this pillar is a town centre piece of evidence of Russia's previous rule over Finland.


I don't know what this is or by who, but I quite like it!

Sini, a friend from 10 years ago, helped send me off in style by joining me for a lovely dinner followed by decadent desserts and irish coffees mmmmmm. We gabbed and gabbed - it's so nice to catch up with friends you haven't seen in years! :)

Tallinn to Helsinki

2009 07 19 – Day 23 – Baltic Sea

The passenger ferry port of Tallinn is a conveniently short walk from the old town. You can see some of the new town skyline between the two ferries.


Arriving in Finland is a fairly delicate manoevure for such a big ship, weaving amongst the islets and broken headland, including passing by Suomenlinna