Travel: Helsinki, Finland

The second stop of our cruise was Helsinki, Finland.  Eight years ago, we stopped there on an NCL cruise and loved it....there was something very cool about the place: young people with studs and/or blue hair side by side with very well dressed elderly couples waiting for the crossing signal - and there wasn't a car in sight!  Here you could be as freaky or un-freaky as you wanted, but everyone obeyed the rules - right down to the crossing signals! Love it!

This time around, we wanted to do something thoroughly different, away from the masses of the cruise ship tourists: a day trip to Helsinki's open air museum featuring cottages and buildings of the past 4 centuries!

We disembarked early from the ship and took the shuttle to the center of town.  From the shuttle bus drop-off, we walked across the street and boarded the local bus headed for Seurasaari Open Air Museum on the island of Seurasaari!  A scenic ride of about 20 minutes and we arrived to Seurasaari (last stop on the bus, so there is no getting lost).

A walk across the wooden bridge and we stepped back in time.  Cottages, storage sheds for tar-boats and cured meats, playhouses for children, summer cottages, multi-family dwellings and a lovely old chapel.  I took lots of pictures and but you can always click on the official link for more detailed information. (http://www.nba.fi/en/museums/seurasaari_openairmuseum)

We walked and toured through some of the buildings and later on had lunch at just off the museum "grounds" at Ravintola.  The server was delightful but spoke no English - brought us menus that had rough translations into English.  We ordered the "Fish and Ships" (Fish and Chips!)....We attempted order something else, and not being sure what we wanted, he brought out the young chef who could speak a bit of English.  Order sorted and we were delighted with our meal!  The place looked out of a storybook!

After a hearty lunch, we walked the second half of the museum before heading back to the center of town.  By this time, the museum/park was full of locals out with strollers and toddlers or older ladies arm-in-arm walking the grounds for an afternoon of summer air.  Soon, we were back in the center of town and on the shuttle bus to the ship....there was a glass of chilled white wine with our name on it waiting at the Crown Lounge! Grab your glass and check out my pictures!
Fifi