So my first transit was on the 1st of August. My flight from Singapore was supposed to land at 6.30 AM but somehow we landed at 6 AM! So early. I went through immigration etc and I was out at 6:45 I think. I reckon that it was too early to head to the city so I bought a cup of Chai from Starbucks at the airport and just waited for time to go by. Besides I was feeling rather tired from the 10 hour flight so that cup of Chai was so good and it helped me to boost myself.
I took the Finnair city bus to Helsinki. Love how the bus is located right outside the terminal and it will stop at the city centre. I was planning my transit, where to go how to go etc but... When I looked at the map of Helsinki, I felt pretty confused haha. Okay well first of all I'm someone who is bad with maps. And I must say the Finnish language is a bit... Interesting. So well, I just told myself lets see where my feet will take me, trusted my guts and the power of agaration.
The church near the railway station
The bus stops beside the central railway station. I went around the station and found a square with a cool cathedral. In front of the cathedral is a museum. Since I will be having another transit on the way back, I told myself that I would just be visiting a few places today. My plan was: The Uspenski Cathedral > Market hall (outdoor) > Kauppahali (the old market hall) > Sibelius monument > Airport. But then I realised my flight to Iceland is located at another terminal so I decided to go to the airport earlier, and so Sibelius monument is out for that day.
The square in front of the church, and that's the museum
The Uspenski Cathedral is really really beautiful. Probably my favourite place in Helsinki. I love the design of the cathedral from the outside. The golden domes and the orange bricks. But when I stepped inside of the cathedral I was blown away even more. There was a mass going on, and a chorus was singing. And the inside of the cathedral is really really beautiful and inspiring. But as a sign of respect I didn't take a photo of the interior. It was the first time in my life that I got goosebumps upon entering a cathedral (or can I say a church?). Very beautiful!
Uspenski Cathedral
From Uspenski I went down to the harbour for the open air market. There are a lot of stalls there from fruits, berries, vegetables, food, handcrafts, souvenirs and so on. But well since I don't wanna go to Iceland with a lot of stuff I didn't buy anything. Just looking around and eating haha. I wanted to get the awesome looking berries but don't think I can finish a box of it by myself!
Open air market near the harbour
Near the open air market was Kauppahalli which is the old market hall. Just found out it was just recently reopened after a renovation work. Hmm I reached here at 10 AM and most of the stalls were not opened yet! I was rooting for this soup restaurant as advised by Tripadvisor but it is only opened at 11. So I decided to have brunch at another restaurant.
Kauppahalli. I was too early hah
I got myself smoked salmon and shrimp salad, both on rye bread! I'm so happy to be in Scandinavia cause it means awesome salmon haha. The salmon was so fresh and good. Not too smoky, so you can taste the freshness of the meat. And the shrimp was great too. The drink you see is an organic lemon soda which is produced locally as well. What I love about this market is that the stall owners are passionate about their food. Like for example the lady in this stall was explaining to me about that soda drink and the salmon etc. So passionate of them really! :)
My lovely simple brunch
By the time I finished eating it was 10:45 so I decided to make my way back to the railway station. I walked by lots of interesting sights in Helsinki from small gardens in the middle of the city, beautiful buildings and also the intricate but organised Helsinki transport system like the bus and trams. My first impressions of Helsinki is that the city is very clean, the air is fresh and the city itself is very bustling and lively. And I really love the city trams. Everything somehow runs smoothly there.
One of the many trams of the city
My flight was at 3:30 PM but I decided to reach the airport an hour earlier (12:30 PM) so yup. That's the end of my first transit in Helsinki.
A statue at a garden in the middle of the city
My second transit happened in the afternoon, so it was a great chance to see another side of the city since my first transit was in the morning. On the 6th of August I landed in Helsinki at 2 PM and took the Finnair city bus again. Reached Helsinki at 3-ish and for my second transit, my plan was: Helsinki Cathedral > Kauppahalli for lunch > Sibelius Monument > City Centre > Airport.
Okay so actually on my first transit I was looking for the Helsinki Cathedral but... In vain. And on my second transit I tried my luck again to look for the cathedral. I was just walking around and well eventually I found it. And I was rather annoyed to realise that I was actually nearby (on my first transit) the cathedral and it was rather obvious! Oh well nevermind. The Helsinki Cathedral has a really fine architecture, and the interior is pretty beautiful too. But the interior of the Uspenski Cathedral is more beautiful in my opinion The Helsinki Cathedral is located beside the senate square which is an open square where a lot of people hang out.
Helsinki Cathedral looking fine
I wanted to join the hop-on-hop-off bus tour thingy since I think it's a great idea to see the city (plus I got 5 Euro discount!). But then I just realised it was 3:45 PM and there was only a bus left for the day, which means I will hop on a bus and... There won't be any bus to return to. That will be a waste. So I decided to go to the Sibelius monument by myself via public transport! But before that I went back to Kauppahalli to get my lunch at the soup restaurant.
The soup was indeed very good. I got myself the seafood soup which is very taste and has a generous portion. Also there's free flow bread where you can dip it inside their homemade dipping oil (made with mint and a few other herbs) and the soup itself. They only have 3 soup options per day. When I was there I was left with 2, the chicken and the seafood one. I got myself the latter because I think chicken is too mainstream hahaha. Highly recommended!
The awesome seafood soup
So after lunch I made my way to the Sibelius monument. I realised the monument is located nowhere near the city centre. Thankfully I found a visitor information centre and asked for directions. The lady was clear to give me instructions and was even kind enough to used some app on her phone to check when the bus will arrive. I went over to the bus stop as I only had 8 minutes to go heh. I made it in time, but there was a problem: I didn't know where to stop.
More tram rails
I was just staring outside the bus window all the time trying to spot the monument. The sceneries outside the bus was beautiful cause it was a sunny summer day. But somehow there was no air-conditioning inside the bus so it was mad hot. I was sweating like a dog and everyone was staring at me. Super embarrassing. I feel the bus is kind of similar looking as the ones we have in Singapore! It was Volvo and yeah the seats look the same too. An interesting observation is that dogs are allowed on board (small ones I think) and a great thing about the bus is that: the bus captain can give you change, so don't worry about having to pay exact fares! :D
Inside of the bus
And also here's how it works. So I took the bus at 3:52 PM. I paid 3.50 Euro (if I'm not wrong) and that ticket works for one hour. So if I take another bus within 4:52 PM, that ride can be paid using the same ticket. The ride to the monument was quick, about 15 minutes. And I made it within that one hour rule. So yay! Two bus rides for the price of one. Oh and it works for both buses and trams. So yep, pretty convenient rule I suppose.
The Sibelius monument is located inside a beautiful park. After being inside that hot bus for 15 minutes, the walk along the park with the summer breeze was pretty welcoming. The monument is a very interesting one. There are different pipes and each pipe resonate to a different sound. I thought I was alone so I was singing inside the pipes to try which note resonates in which pipe. Then I found out there were 3 other people nearby. Oh gosh it was so embarrassing.
Sibelius monument
"cues brass entrance for Finlandia"
From the monument, to go back to the city centre, you gotta walk a bit further to the east to another street. As I was trying to fit in that one hour rule, I went over quickly after snapping a few shots. So after walking, trying to follow the map, I somehow landed myself in a totally wrong street. That's where the fun begins! Hahaha. I asked help from a local and thankfully this kind lady showed me the right way to that street. I gotta walk a bit more further down to reach it.
Helsinki has a lot of cyclists! And they have a bicycle path too
This time round I took a tram back. Similar to the bus, not knowing where to stop. But thanks to the logic I learned in Singapore where "if there's a lot of people dropping off the bus, it should be a famous landmark/area", I just followed my guts. Another interesting observation is that... I found out that some people were able to board the tram without tapping their cards/paying the tram captain. I almost did that, because I entered the tram from the back door (yes you can do that). I saw some locals beside me just stepping inside without going in front. But I was being a guai kia (as always) so I went in front and showed my ticket. And I was good to go.
I just spent the rest of the evening walking around the city centre. Went inside a few malls but didn't get anything. I went to Stockmann department store to look around, and I went inside the music area. It's amazing how they have quite a large collection of classical music from operas to symphonies and concertos! Usually it is the pop/rock music that dominates, leaving a small part for classical music. Well I am in Europe after all. So yeah.
I won't leave a country without doing something: Checking out their grocery store/supermarket! Haha. There was a supermarket opposite the railway station and I was just walking inside. They have a great selection of delicatessen, fresh meat and vegetables. I wish we can have such a complete selection here! And also at Stockmann, there is like this take-away store where you can choose pre-packed food that is made on the same day (I think) for you to take home and eat. and the food there look so damn good. I wanted to get one but I remember I don't carry a microwave oven with me.
After that I went back to the airport. It was 8 PM when I took the bus back to the airport. Thanks to the midnight sun it was still bright outside! Heh. My flight was at 23:55 PM. But I decided to chill at the airport again, eat, and buy drinks etc. Well it was kind of a wrong move. Because most of the shops at the airport was closed (damn!). But thankfully there were a few cafes still open so I got myself some food to eat there. It was a sad day for me because my adventure was coming to an end. But then I realised I killed 2 birds with one stone in this trip by visiting Helsinki so no complaints!
A building in Helsinki with the window reflections from the opposite buildings
Helsinki is the first city which I explore without much use of maps. Because I find it confusing to be honest, so I ditched it at just trusted my guts there! And it's worth it I suppose :P Getting lost in a beautiful city is always a great thing to do. I really love the architecture of Helsinki. A touch of the past merged with cosmopolitan and modernity. The friendly locals made my transits really wonderful. I hope one day I can explore the city, and country for days and not just hours. It's a beautiful city, and I am very sure the country is even more beautiful too.
Kitos Helsinki! Till we meet again.
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