Passing through Helsinki, Finland

     After the wedding festivities, we took the train back to the rainy Helsinki, our main travel hub.  I say rainy because that it did every day we were there.  Upon our return, we checked in at the Hilton, where PDub was able to use his points for the room (if it's free, it's for me!), and proceeded to prepare for the next leg of our trip.  During our preparation and over the evening and next day, we did get to do some touring of Helsinki.

The Hilton...Our first free night and the largest room yet.  (The bathroom even had a floor warmer).

     Helsinki is the capital of Finland and located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland.  Although Helsinki dates as far back as 1550 (first established as a trading town), it was appointed by Russia as the capital in 1812 to ensure Swedish persuasion was minimal.  It was around this time that the city center was built, and this area is where we spent most of our time.
     Our favorite area to stroll was called the Esplanadi, consisting of two main streets overseeing the water and garden and lined with several shops and cafes.  Nearby is the Uspenski Cathedral, which was built from 1862-1868 by a Russian architect and overlooks the city of Helsinki.  Although we were unable to go inside (closed), I have heard the interior is lovely.  Another church in the area, the Helsinki Cathedral, cannot be missed seeing that it is the distinctive landmark for Helsinki's skyline, like the Eiffel Tower for Paris or the Arch for St. Louis.  It was built around the same time as the other church, started in 1830 and finished in 1852, and it sits on one side of Senate Square, the area where citizens did and still do congregate.  Lastly, you can't miss the more recent church that was built into and out of a rock, Temppeliaukio Church (opened in 1969).  Think we have a thing for churches....or is it just this city?

Uspenski Cathedral....PDub can't handle keeping both eyes open when the sun is out.

Up close.....no worries for the looming storm cloud, it does contain rain.

One of the Love Lock Bridges we saw on our trip.  You get a personalized lock for you and your love and put it on one of these bridges....an expression of locking down your own love and ditching the key (a pair of bolt cutters would probably ruin this symbolism pretty quickly).

Overlooking the Helsinki Cathedral from the Uspenski Cathedral....pocket pose.

Standing in Senate Square looking up to the Helsinki Cathedral.

Overlooking Senate Square from the Helsinki Cathedral.

Inside the Helsinki Cathedral.  Everything was very white....very pure in my mind.

Martin Luther himself....stone pose.

The organ in the Helsinki Cathedral.

The Temppeliaukio Church (Church of Rock).  Again, don't worry about the storm cloud, gettin' caught in the rain is no biggie.  It's almost like the Finnish are unfazed by it.

The interior of the Church of Rock.  All natural light makes it very earthy....it could be that it was also built out of surrounding stones.

The altar of the Church of Rock.

     Other than one more layover, which consisted of several chapters in Game of Thrones in the Esplanadi, I hereby conclude our Finland time.