Photo Gallery :  Helsinki

the amazing view of the frozen Baltic Sea as seen from the Viking Line's ferry for Helsinki




looks like a white desert




the finns told me than in ancient times there were many battles ON the frozen
sea between finns and swedish, as the ice was so solid they could even reach Stockolm on foot




in the recent years there were some drunken passengers felling into the frozen sea,
so the boat's crew pay a lot of attention to avoid letting people walk here or in the upper floor.




Marco in Helsinki




the city looks completely frozen too, silent, and with a kind of soviet atmosphere




it's not freezing because of the cold, but because of the siberian wind and the
baltic wind all together, otherwise it would be ok to walk for hours as i do




the port is frozen, only big ferries can go in and out




i know this is not the best period to visit the city, however what i can see
looks almost industrial and not much turistic compared to Stockolm or Oslo

 

modern buildings and european standards




hotels, cafes, and restaurant




a nice church made of ICE, you can go in everything is made of ice blocks




shops and department stores.
unlike in mainland europe, here the prices are quite high for everything but fish.
moreover due to strict rules against alcoholism the prices for beers or shnapps
are probably the highest in the world ! no wonder they told me that is almost
cheaper to buy drugs then getting drunk ... (or take a ride on the Viking Line's ferry
to buy some duty-free beers at normal price...)




never met people so cold and shy as the finns, nor i've ever seen
pubs so quiet and silent filled by lots of people drinking alone, they say
it's the typical finnish privacy concept so i respect their custom and keep
walking in the city center.




along the port : houses are rock solid and built to be strong against wind and snow.
cars, clothes, and the people too, seems to be strong (not to be confused with rude anyway)




it must be beautiful in summer (the only hot month they have over 11 months of winter)
surroundings are filled by glacial lakes and forests

 

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