Life in Sweden: Helsinki

When we woke up the next morning, Ellie climbed up into the window right away. The sun was just coming up and we could see other boats and some small islands as we made our way into harbor. There was a one hour time difference between Stockholm and Helsinki, with all activities on the boat being by “local” time. We never did quite figure out what local time was. We were an hour early for breakfast so we went up on the deck to look out over the water. Ellie was full of questions about what make the boat move so David took her to the back of the boat to show her the water being moved by the engines. It was so cold out on the deck with the wind.

After breakfast we went out on the deck to watch the boat dock. Ellie was so fascinated by the process. I love watching her discover something new. Then we were off the boat on walking to Helsinki. It was only a few block to downtown. I loved the architecture of Helsinki. What a beautiful place. We did part of the central city walking tour including the Helsinki National Cathedral. It was simply amazing. We were lucky enough to be there when they were practicing the organ. It was a beautiful instrument. We then made our way over to the Rock Church. It is one of the most interesting churches I have ever been in. It is not beautiful in a classic “old” church way but in an earthy way. It is carved out of the rock by the sea. It seems to be so natural of a setting in which to worship. I would love to attend a service there. After a quick lunch at a café along the way, we wandered some more of downtown including the old harbor. There are about 8 old ships anchored there.

Back at the boat, we headed up to the pool area for a quick swim. The water was heated – perfect for thawing out after spending the day outside. Ellie really enjoyed the water slide that was available for children. After dinner, we took Ellie to the Children’s Dance party. She loved the dancing but not the Hippo (mascot of the ship) that attended the second half.