Helsinki

How did I get here?  And why?

I met a waitress in Plockton about 10 years ago who was from Estonia and had the best pronunciation of English I had ever heard.  Better than mine and far easier to understand the all the Scots in the Inn lol!  When I offered a compliment she said, “would you like to hear my Russian?” I turns out that in Estonia they students are taught both languages in school.  Russian so they could communicate with the invaders and English to speak to their saviors.  My mind was blown on this concept.

I have followed the war in Ukraine with  deep research because I understand Putler’s threat to rebuilt the USSR so I paid attention when I heard the Russian would no longer be taught in Estonian schools.  They are firmly allied with NATO & the West and know that after the Ruskis pathetic attempt to overthrow Kyiv in 3 weeks nearly 2 1/2 years ago,  Russia that Wass once consider the second strongest military in the world would be quickly defeated by NATO.

With this in mind I decided to begin this wander to Scotland in Estonia.  I wanted to ask people who had been controlled or threatened by Russia a few short decades ago, who lived on the border, what they thought about their situation. When I plan a wander to a place I’ve not been before, I ‘YouTube’ the locale to see what’s what.  Then I found that there was a ferry between Tallinn & Helsinki! How could I pass up a cruise on a new body of water, the Baltic Sea?  I decided to visit one of the newest NATO member with the same questions.  So here I am.

Bus to Boston, hour on tarmac delay with no AC so about 81F/27c in the cabin.  Short wait in LHR and then 3 hours to Helsinki. A bit lagged upon arrival but still notched 6.3 miles wander this new, walkable city.

So let me show you what I saw during the initial wander.

This is Uspenski Cathedral, Eastern Orthodox

‘The Stone of the Empress’ is the oldest public memorial in Helsinki. It was erected in the Market Square to commemorate the Empress Alexandra’s (the German-born wife of Nicholas I), first visit to Helsinki.

Lots of nooks and crannies in this harbor.

A Pub crawl requires a first pub. Beer & everything is expensive in Helsinki. 9 Euros for a pint!!

This street reminded me of a little La Ramblas

Havis Amanda is a fountain and a statue in by the sculptor Ville Vallgren (1855–1940) It is considered a city treasure, currently blocked off for renovation with a wee hole in the fencing.

Stunning job on this classic

Ubiquitous displays of support for Ukraine abound in this city.  Slave Ukraini

Statuary highlighting Helsinki’s connection with the sea

H

Eino Leino is probably the most famous of Finnish poets

Tavis Amanda is a sister statue of famous Helsinki landmark Havis Amanda. Tavis Amanda is part of a campaign to highlight self-acceptance during Mental Health Week 2023.

Now for a couple pints. For mental health reasons