It is Wednesday and I am just now getting around to posting about the weekend...too much to do! I am enjoying the absolutely gorgeous weather in Jönköping - everything is GREEN and there are flowers everywhere! The lake has been especially lovely. Every time I walk past it, I am struck by how incredibly clear the water is. I have been told that it is the cleanest lake in Sweden, and I believe it. It makes me feel like going swimming!
Last Thursday, Kavishna and I set off for Helsinki, Finland. We took a morning bus to Stockholm, which took forever! It was nearly five hours...I am seriously starting to hate buses. I love using public transportation, but when I have to sit still for more than an hour or two, I start to go a little crazy! We boarded our ship in the afternoon, a bit after we arrived in Stockholm. We took Viking Line this time, a different company than the cruise line that I went to Tallinn with. I think that this ship was a little nicer, but it still lacked things to do! Unless you want to smoke, drink, or buy things from the tax-free shop, prepare to be bored out of your mind! I do like going outside on the top deck of the ship though! Cruising through the archipelago of Sweden is always lovely!
Last Thursday, Kavishna and I set off for Helsinki, Finland. We took a morning bus to Stockholm, which took forever! It was nearly five hours...I am seriously starting to hate buses. I love using public transportation, but when I have to sit still for more than an hour or two, I start to go a little crazy! We boarded our ship in the afternoon, a bit after we arrived in Stockholm. We took Viking Line this time, a different company than the cruise line that I went to Tallinn with. I think that this ship was a little nicer, but it still lacked things to do! Unless you want to smoke, drink, or buy things from the tax-free shop, prepare to be bored out of your mind! I do like going outside on the top deck of the ship though! Cruising through the archipelago of Sweden is always lovely!
Sweden's archipelagoWhen we docked in Helsinki on Friday morning, I was ready to get off that ship! We decided to go to our hostel first to drop off our gear because it is always better to sightsee without all of that extra weight! Our hostel for Friday night was at Helsinki's Olympic Stadium. The city hosted the 1952 Summer Olympics. Our hostel was actually the old athlete dorms that have been converted for tourists. It was a little dated (obviously), but really cool to stay at the Stadium. The facilities are still used for a variety of events and team practices, so there was always something going on while we were there.
We walked around the city quite a bit on Friday. Helsinki has some interesting buildings - the style seems to be BIG and impressive. There are gigantic statues of famous people everywhere. I liked seeing all of the parks! We visited the Helsinki Cathedral, which is the most photographed building in Sweden, and the Uspenski Cathedral, which looks very Russian. There is a neat indoor/outdoor market right by the water too. Helsinki must be a famous shopping destination because it seemed that that the city was dominated by mega-stores and malls. I did not want to shop, so I was really excited when we stumbled upon the University Botanical Gardens! The outdoor gardens were beautiful! I also went inside the greenhouses. My favorite part was the 'Water Lily' room; the lilies honestly had a diameter of at least four feet!
We walked around the city quite a bit on Friday. Helsinki has some interesting buildings - the style seems to be BIG and impressive. There are gigantic statues of famous people everywhere. I liked seeing all of the parks! We visited the Helsinki Cathedral, which is the most photographed building in Sweden, and the Uspenski Cathedral, which looks very Russian. There is a neat indoor/outdoor market right by the water too. Helsinki must be a famous shopping destination because it seemed that that the city was dominated by mega-stores and malls. I did not want to shop, so I was really excited when we stumbled upon the University Botanical Gardens! The outdoor gardens were beautiful! I also went inside the greenhouses. My favorite part was the 'Water Lily' room; the lilies honestly had a diameter of at least four feet!
Inside the University greenhousesOn Friday night, we decided to go out to an Indian restaurant for dinner. I had not had Indian food in forever, so I was really excited. Unfortunately, I would have to rate it as 'just okay.' We were the only people in the restaurant because we went out late, so the service was great though.
On Saturday morning we took the ferry to Souomenlinna, an island about fifteen minutes from Helsinki. The island is actually a fort, originally built when Finland was part of the Kingdom of Sweden. It was occupied by the Russians when Finland was under their control, and now belongs to Finland itself. I loved the island! It is a touristy place, but there are also about 900 people who live there year-round. There is a stone wall surrounding the perimeter and various building scattered all over the island. Outside of the town center, many of the buildings and passageways are built into the hills, so one has to look twice in order to see them! It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed being close to the water. I also say the biggest jackrabbit ever....it was at least the size of Maisy, if not bigger!
Fortress walls on Souomenlinna
Before we caught the ship back to Stockholm, we also visited the Rock Church. The church is literally built into a pile of rock in the middle of the city. It is the strangest looking thing! From above, it looks like a UFO, due to the green metal room. We also came across a rally for the legalization of marijuana. There were people walking parade-style down the mainstreet of town with signs and music...the smell was really intense! I could not believe how many people had their children in strollers at the protest!
We boarded the ship back to Sweden on Saturday afternoon and arrived back in Stockholm on Sunday morning. I was back in Jönköping by early afternoon...just in time to respond to an overflowing inbox of emails. I have quite a bit of school and other work to do in the next few weeks, so I am ready to take a little break from traveling.
Fortress walls on SouomenlinnaBefore we caught the ship back to Stockholm, we also visited the Rock Church. The church is literally built into a pile of rock in the middle of the city. It is the strangest looking thing! From above, it looks like a UFO, due to the green metal room. We also came across a rally for the legalization of marijuana. There were people walking parade-style down the mainstreet of town with signs and music...the smell was really intense! I could not believe how many people had their children in strollers at the protest!
We boarded the ship back to Sweden on Saturday afternoon and arrived back in Stockholm on Sunday morning. I was back in Jönköping by early afternoon...just in time to respond to an overflowing inbox of emails. I have quite a bit of school and other work to do in the next few weeks, so I am ready to take a little break from traveling.
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I am happy to report that Relay For Life at Colorado College went incredibly well! I am so proud of everyone who participated and of the stellar planning committee we had this year! We have raised over $28000 and the money is still coming in! I am still planning on doing Relay-Sweden this Friday, May 9th. I am going to try to walk for twelve hours, during the day, but we will see if I make it!
Oh yes, and why does my room smell like cinnamon? Well, I seem to have a major ant problem. I am attributing it to the disgusting state that many of the people around me live in because my room is nice and clean, and I do not keep any food in it. I found online that ants are supposed to hate cinnamon, so I sprinkled it along the base of the wall where I think they are coming in. I am hoping that it will work because I hate being an ant killer. If not, at least I love the smell of cinnamon!
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