Last week I had Ellie visiting for five days, and it was her first time in Finland. Still, I thought it would be nice to take her to Tallinn during her stay too, since a wintery Helsinki isn’t that exotic for someone who lives in Oslo.
Here’s some pictures from her stay, and hopefully some good ideas for other coming to Helsinki or Tallinn.
On the first day, we went to the Uspenski Cathedral, and also visited the Hotel Katajanokka, which only six years ago was a jail. On our way back to the centre, we found this writing on a wall. Translated from Finnish it is about “Untidiness prohibited”. Obey or be punished.
At Kauppahalli close to the Market Square, you can do cozy shopping at cold winter days
The dry dock at Suomenlinna fortress islands hosts many ships under repair and in winter storage. Closest is the lighthouseship Relandersgrund and in the background a decomissioned corvette of the Turunmaa class
The coastal artillery of Suomenlinna fortress. I would probably get a good flight if the gun was fired here…
Ellie poses with the sunset. The wind was really hard and cold
Kustaanmiekka is a great place for a picnic around five when the feries to Sweden pass. Silja Serenade came first…
..and waiting for the next ship there was time for some salad…
…when Viking Gabriella passed, it was already much darker
The following day I worked and Ellie wen out exploring by herself. Here is Vantaankoski
In the evening we took the fast ferry to Tallinn
Tallinn has a beautiful medieval old town with numerous places worth visiting
…and it was time to get chained for a while. No whipping, though…
From Toompea you have a great view over the city. The big church is called Olaviste, it had the highest tower in Europe for a long time
Ellie bought a Matryoshka doll and “tested it” at the Tristan and Isolde cafeteria
Waiting for food at Olde Hansa we had some time to test different lightning effects on the camera…
…candles and no flash
And us both with flash
Our waitress at Olde Hansa
Ellie with a (of course fake) fur hat…
…which I had to try too. I would make a great cossack!
I love the Depeche Mode Bar in Tallinn. Just a great place!
Back in Helsinki we went to Linnanmäki amusement park, which is open for a week in the winter. Most machines are closed, but the coffee cup carousel was running
My dad tried a really modern kick sledge
Me, my sister and dad posing for a family portrait
Ellie went downhill on a tyre
Helsinki has a great SeaLife aquarium with sharks and all kinds of maritime life
…like the beautiful medusas
In the evening we went for dinner to a friend and had some time to look like clowns during the bus ride
