We finally got to do the laundry done at the hostel that we are staying at in Helsinki so we are set
for clean clothes for the rest of our trip. What fun we had touring Helsinki from 9am to 5:30pm.
They have quite different phone booths-swinging doors from the waist up. We started out by
checking out the impressive railroad station where we finally found a "togo" cup of coffee. No
one would know what that is in Poland or the Baltics! The station was on a huge square. But we
made our way to a much more impressive square with a beautiful Lutheran church and many
government buildings. We finally got to see an Orthodox Church inside. The artwork is
unbelievable. The church sits on the top of a hill that gave us quite the view of the city.
Lunchtime brought us to the outdoor market along the sea. I had a salmon sandwich, salad and a
beer for $9 and it was sooo good. We then boarded a boat that took us to an old fort that was on
4 islands. We had passed this fort on our way to shore yesterday on the ferry. What a fun time
we had walking the around giving us great views of Helsinki and the Baltic Sea.
We bought some fruit and pastries at the market on our return. But we had to hustle so we could
see a Lutheran church that was built into a rock, and it was well worth it. We retrieved our bikes
from the rear of the hostel and pedaled to the ferry. We were one of the last to board. So when
we put our names on a waitlist for a cabin it was hopeless. We spent the night in the "air chairs,"
which we learned are like airplane seats, thus the name. After walking for 8 1/2 hours around
Helsinki I actually fell asleep for part of the 17 hours that we were on the ferry.
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