Zuiderdam MegaVoyage 2018-2019, Helsinki, Finland, Part 2 of 2

What to do when your ship arrives in Helsinki in the dense fog at 7am...  Start taking foggy photos and keep trucking!  We were the first ones off the ship and found little in terms of transportation options…  shuttles started and hour and a half later, no HoHo buses yet and no taxis…  We did the next best thing…  we boarded the city bus from Hernesaari Terminal into the center of the city. Coming into Helsinki at 0700 on a Sunday morning was going to be a challenge!  Very few places would open before 10:00 or 11:00.  Overlooking the Gulf of Finland, Helsinki blends its rich history with an easy-going, urban vibe. The city’s buildings speak of its time under Russian and Swedish rule, while its maritime heritage adds an extra, interesting dimension to its history. We started to explore and find our way around....the first spot we came upon on our walking tour was the Helsinki Art Museum (HAM) and then a few blocks away the Atheneum Art Museum, Finnish National Theatre and the Central Railway Station. The streets of Helsinki were deserted as we made our way to the Esplanadi Park and past the beautiful Kappeli restaurant. We arrived at Market Square (the city’s main market site selling souvenirs, fresh food and more) just as the vendors were starting to setup for the day. We crossed the street to see the Presidential Palace and meandered to Senate Square. This Square is flanked by the iconic landmark, the Helsinki Lutheran Cathedral. Next, we made our way along the harbor to the Uspenski Cathedral...waiting for the fog to lift even more, we stopped for a break along the South Harbor at Cafe Johan and Nikstroms located in the historic Market Hall, a cozy cafe with wonderful pastries (best I’ve ever eaten)...wandering along the harbor we could see four Ice Breakers docked in the distance. Finally, the fog started to lift and we returned to Senate Square for some more photos...leaving the square we made our way back to Market Square and did some more shopping...There was a break in the weather and we hopped a ferry to Suomenlinna Island...Suomenlinna is an 18th-century sea fortress and nature area off the coast of Helsinki, with centuries-old artillery and defensive walls, spread across 6 linked islands. We spent an hour on the island...a quick but great decision. The sun came out just as we were taking the ship back to Helsinki and got a taxi back to the ship...all in all a great day in Helsinki.