July 19, 2015
Ferry to Helsinki, plus some sight-seeing: Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday, July 17th - 19th 2015
The ferry to Helsinki was scheduled to leave at 10:55 pm. It was coming from Stockholm, and Mariehamn was just a quick stop. There were quite a few bikes (and their riders) getting on, and just a handful of cars. When I booked my ticket there were no cabins available, so when I got on I parked my bike but grabbed my mattress and sleeping bag to take with me. It was a bit of a party boat, with music and bars and lots of drinking and even singing going on. I scouted out a quiet spot, a little used out-of-the-way locker room, spread out on the floor, and actually had a decent sleep. I was up early, and had to wait for the restaurant to open, and had some cold eggs and bacon for breakfast.
After the ferry docked at 9:15 am, I found my way to the tourist office, and asked about finding a place to stay. They warned me that there were 25000 people in town for the World Gymnastics Competition, and wished me luck. I went on-line and booked a private room for 2 nights at the Hostel Domus Academica, and then found my way there. The hostel is a dorm at the University of Helsinki, and is only used as a hostel during the summer. It's a big place, and was crowded with gymnasts. I put my bike into their bike storage area, and hauled my bags to my room.
Then I went and walked around the neighborhood. I found my way to the Church of the Rock. The church is actually built into a large rock formation. Construction was started in the late 1930's, interrupted by the war, and finished in the 60's. I'm not sure whether the design is true to the original plan, but it is quite striking. There is also a nice organ inside. I got to hear it a bit. I think the organist was warming up for a wedding. The church is popular for weddings, and in the afternoon it is open to tourists for 15 minutes each hour. The other 45 minutes are used to rush weddings through.
After the church, I admired some of the architecture, bought some groceries and cooked dinner, and had an early night. I guess I hadn't slept as well as I thought on the ferry, as I was pretty worn out.
Note that the only distance on the bike was to get from the dock to the hostel. I left the bike parked through my visit to Helsinki so that I wouldn't worry about locking it up at tourist spots. Helsinki is very walkable.
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The next morning I set out to see more of Helsinki. That is, after booking the ferry to Tallinn and booking accommodation using the computer at the hostel. I've sort of lost track of time, forgetting it is Sunday and some things open late or not at all.
I visited the train station, which shows off some 20th century Scandinavian architecture, and then went on to the National Museum to learn about the history of Finland. The exhibit covered pre-history through middle ages pretty well, but was weak on modern history. Then I wandered a bit more, and went back to the hostel, checked on my bike and tightened up some bolts, updated this journal, and relaxed a bit.
It has continued to rain each evening, and I've been happy to have indoor accommodation. I hope it will be drier in Estonia!
Today's ride: 6 km (4 miles)
Total: 227 km (141 miles)
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