Finland, Norway & Sweden

So arrived in Helsinki about 4pm and it was already dark which makes you feel even more tired.
Taxi to hotel and after a dinner of cheezels for me and pringles for mum (from our luggage) we go to bed.

Slow start next day after a great breakfast at the hotel. You name it the buffet had it. You even get brownies for breakfast.

Then a wander down the main streets which were very pleasant. The old part of Helinksi is very European and as it was a sunday very few people on the streets. Then onto a bus tour of the outer suburbs and a stop at the Iittala design centre and the Arabia museum. We were the only two on the bus and the driver was an englishman.

It was a funny little tour as the audio told us about the city's recycling, sewage systems and property development plans.

Random information - 80% of the country is covered in forest, Finland has the highest coffee consumption in the world per capita (average of 8 cups per person a day), 1/3 of Helinsk is green, main exports are timber (chinese biggest buyers), paper and ship building, the boats are taken out of the water each winter as the ice would crush them, they parted ways with russia after ww1 and the timber buildings were demolished to make way for the meriton/soviet looking buildings that are everywhere in Helsinki.

And how could I forget no snow and hottest winter ever! I certainly picked a dud year for my snow holiday! The Finnish want the snow in Helsinki as it lightens the place.Read more