The White City of the North
Lake Malaren, Stockholm
Pulling ourselves away from the Vasa, we took a boat ride along the canals of Stockholm and enjoyed the serene beauty of the city's waterside setting. There were parks and tree-lined boulevards everywhere you looked. We saw the National Museum, the Opera House, and the Royal Palace. We transited a lock in order to cruise Lake Malaren. This is a gorgeous lake and the sailboats were out in force on this glorious day. I was particularly impressed with the cleanliness of Stockholm. It fairly sparkled and it was pleasant to see a city virutally free of graffiti. I found the cities of northern Europe to be much cleaner and more graffiti-free than the cities in the southern part of the continent. We had an early sailing that day -- 4 pm -- for Helsinki, Finland.
Helsinki, Finland
Helsinki is built on peninsulas and islands much like Stockholm. It, too, is a city of the sea. It is also a bustling metropolis and it seemed as if most of the Finns had cell phones stuck in their ear. (This is the home of Nokia, the world's largest manufacturer of cell phones.) Our city highlights tour took us to Senate Square, modeled on the main square in St. Petersburg. Because of this similarity, Senate Square is often used by movie companies who want a Russian background. Past the Olympic Stadium, we came to a most amazing place. It is the famous Temppeliaukio Church. Blasted out of bedrock, it is a stunning example of modern Finnish architecture. The vast rotunda of the "Rock Church" is topped by a huge dome covered with copper wire, joining the natural elements of the rock to the manmade. The rock, the copper wire, and the beautiful wood furnishings made it one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen.
The Rock Church
On our way back to the ship, we stopped at Sibelius Park where noted composer Jean Sibelius is honored with a sculpture. As we drove through the city, we admired Helsinki's pastel buildings, many of which were built of local pale granite, and the reason Helsinki bears the title "White City of the North." It's all aboard at 6 pm as we soon sail for St. Petersburg, Russia.
Return To The Index
Helsinki is built on peninsulas and islands much like Stockholm. It, too, is a city of the sea. It is also a bustling metropolis and it seemed as if most of the Finns had cell phones stuck in their ear. (This is the home of Nokia, the world's largest manufacturer of cell phones.) Our city highlights tour took us to Senate Square, modeled on the main square in St. Petersburg. Because of this similarity, Senate Square is often used by movie companies who want a Russian background. Past the Olympic Stadium, we came to a most amazing place. It is the famous Temppeliaukio Church. Blasted out of bedrock, it is a stunning example of modern Finnish architecture. The vast rotunda of the "Rock Church" is topped by a huge dome covered with copper wire, joining the natural elements of the rock to the manmade. The rock, the copper wire, and the beautiful wood furnishings made it one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen.
The Rock Church
On our way back to the ship, we stopped at Sibelius Park where noted composer Jean Sibelius is honored with a sculpture. As we drove through the city, we admired Helsinki's pastel buildings, many of which were built of local pale granite, and the reason Helsinki bears the title "White City of the North." It's all aboard at 6 pm as we soon sail for St. Petersburg, Russia.
Return To The Index
On our way back to the ship, we stopped at Sibelius Park where noted composer Jean Sibelius is honored with a sculpture. As we drove through the city, we admired Helsinki's pastel buildings, many of which were built of local pale granite, and the reason Helsinki bears the title "White City of the North." It's all aboard at 6 pm as we soon sail for St. Petersburg, Russia.
Return To The Index