Helsinki Finland

Helsinki is a very pretty city filled with well kept gardens and sculptures. It is park like with lots of trees and rock formations and feels a lot like Canada. It is an old city with Russian and Swedish roots.
All school children speak Finnish and Swedish and start learning English at age 7.
Saunas and spas can be found everywhere...a very Finnish thing to do.
Beautiful water front with a huge vendor stall open air market selling food and all sorts of goods.
Independence from Russia was first in 1917
Inc tax 30pc incl health ins. There are many new hospitals and claim leading edge techniques..they train lots of doctors sought after world wide. The city is full of modern buildings and looks prosperous. We found it to be very expensive but full of gorgeous international shops. We viewed the large Lutheran cathedral St Nicholas in the centre of Helsinki. It was built in 1855... quite lovely.
Finland has 5.5 million population. .600k in Helsinki
We shopped around and had lunch..very nice
Finnish sandwich and cappuccino on a patio. It was very hot about 85F but nice breeze from the harbour.
On to Stockholm.Les mer