Today probably sees us going as far East as we will as we reach Helsinki.
The morning was a pleaseant stroll to old Turku, an area which escaped the Great Fire of 1827 which destroyed 90% of the town. Up the hill and in a fairly desolate area, a modest settlement of workers cottages managed to survive not just the fire but 100 years of civic attempts to level it to meet the fire regulations of the day.
It held out housing small artisan businesses in wooden cottages roofed by turf of stone debris over birch bark. In the 1940s it finally got its reprieve and it has been a living museum since. We enjoyed a short tour with a guide then continued exploring on our own. A potter, furrier, seamstress and carpenter were at work today and we found our newest Christmas tree decoration, a handmade woollen mouse.
We dropped into the old market hall before leaving and bought "vanilla monkeys", a local donut-like cake for our journey. The trip to Helsinki took about 2 hours and we travelled on the upper deck of the railway carriage to enjoy the views. Helsinki was bathed in sunshine so after checking in we strolled down to the harbour and bought salads, wine and fresh cherries for a picnic supper. We then filled the bathroom with laundry as we dealt with essentials just over a week into our trip. Tomorrow we'll start exploring properly but the City looks as though it will have lots to see over the next 2 days. Helsinki central Station's Guardians....
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