I feel somewhat of a fraud. While I recline in the Cathay Pacific Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 3 awaiting our flight to Helsinki friends are riding motorcycles across Morocco wobbling over sand dunes, splashing across rivers and removing the rear axles of cars u-turning in front of them. All Ok I hasten to add. The closest I have come to a motorcycle is visiting the mechanics who will service Streak and Storm in January next year. Some adventure motorcycle blog this is! Anyway back to the narrative……
After Anne’s father’s funeral, we spent time visiting with family in both France and the UK. Time flew by swiftly but is was great to catch up again after nine months even if we did not get around everyone and some friends will need to wait until next year or visit us in Australia.
Walking along the banks of the river Stour in Canterbury, I was surprised to see an unusual way of cutting down trees. Had chainsaws become too environmentally unfriendly and the locals reverted to pre Roman adzes for tree felling? No, on closer inspection the teeth marks of beavers were apparent. Yes beavers in Kent. Seems they became established in the last six months or so. While there is great interest in nature’s natural river managers, I am not sure that the centre of Canterbury is the best place for them to setup home.
ANZAC day, the 25th of April, holds a special place for Australians. It is the day we remember the day Australian and New Zealand troops landed at Gallipoli in Türkiye in 1915.
If offers us a time to remember those sacrifices made by others for our way of life today. It is also a time to reflect on the horrors of war and that we should all try to avoid actions that can lead to war…
Anne and I like to attend the dawn service at our local war memorial each year, but if travelling and near a major city with an Australian Embassy, there usually is an alternative. London has such a service. Being in Canterbury made the early morning journey impractical. There was however a later ANZAC Memorial Service service at Westminster Abbey that I was lucky enough to attend with Jeremy my brother in law. My Grandfather, as many others of his generation, fought in WW1 – for the first time I wore his medals in his honour, which I had cleaned and mounted in 2023.
The temperatures have warmed considerably since we passed through Helsinki airport two and a half weeks ago. Lakes are now ice free and the daytime maximum temperature has soared from a chilly one to two celsius to a balmy 11 or 12 degrees. All those thermals that we thought would be mandatory wear are consigned to the bottom of the suitcase.
From Helsinki airport, we take the 600 bus to downtown Helsinki where our hotel is located. Tickets are purchased near the bus stop, not on the bus. After departing the airport, we meander through suburbs full of low rise apartments picking up and dropping off locals. We get our first real glimpse of how people live here. Fully enclosed balconies, fixed ladders and roof walkways, to remove snow we presume for the latter. Spring comes later here and green buds are just evident but no leaves yet.
Our planned “short walk” from the bus stop in town to the hotel is complicated by roadworks and the incompatibility of luggage wheels and cobblestones. The benefit of taxis door to door I suppose but we saved quite a bit of money.
After dinner we head out for a walk at 8 pm. Sunset is not till 9:30pm – what a benefit this is. One which we will never see in Queensland. Cannot have everything.
We decide to focus our evening walk in the District of Vironniemi across the inlet from out hotel, more precisely the sub district of Kruunuhaka. I am glad this is not an audio blog. I have no idea how to pronounce either name. This area contains not only a University, but two cathedrals and a presidential palace. Not bad for one sub-district.
We wander through the suburb, past the University, and as we approach some steps in front of the Helsinki Cathedral, I realise that I have been here before, April 2000 to be precise. A flying visit just to see Helsinki for the first time on one of my RTW flights for business. It was usually cheaper to buy a RTW ticket than just to the USA and back from Australia. I saved the company money, saw family and visited new destinations en route. Amazing how some memories come straight back but where I put things away at home last month still remain a mystery.
We head out the next morning to return to Uspenski Cathedral, which is a Greek or Eastern Orthodox Cathedral and take time to explore the colourful interior. Worth a look if you are here.
I am intrigued by the building drainage downpipes which all end at the base of the buildings, have groves cut in the pavement/sidewalk to take water to the street and have wires looped out of the bottom. A little research confirms they are heating wires used to thaw ice buildup in winter. They are looped from above and also cover gutters.
Our mini break will be across the Baltic in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. This will be our first visit to both country and city. Our destination is a short two hour ferry ride from Helsinki. The terminal is spacious and people queuing leave space between one another, unlike other places we have been. Interesting to note that our ship is both powered by Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) and held to the quay by large electro magnets. Something new every day.
The duty free shopping area is vast and well stocked with products normally only seen in high end stores or major international airports. Pity our budget will not reach such heights, sorry, Red Label for you all.
A calm crossing sees us disembarking in Tallinn mid afternoon. A new adventure awaits.
– Anthony