Hello Helsinki! Oct 2021

When you're asked to go on a work trip to Helsinki, you add on a weekend for exploring, of course! It was perhaps colder and darker than I was hoping for, but we still had a great time walking around the city, eating delicious food, and finding cozy spots to stop and warm up.

We flew in Saturday morning and took the train to central station - let the sightseeing begin! Central station is a very pretty building, and we were treated to more great architecture while transiting to the hotel.

At this point, it was already time for lunch, so we headed over to the Old Market Hall - a beautiful historic building with many tasty food stalls in side. It was a nice escape from the chilly outdoors, and we tracked down some fish and chips for a fun, casual lunch. Outside, there was an outdoor market, where we found Jacob a beanie because he forgot to pack one (or maybe he lost it? I can't remember). The Upenski Cathedral was nearby, so we headed over for a quick pic. After that, we took a stroll down the Esplanadi, at which point we were chilly enough to want to track down a warm spot for a glass of wine.

Later that evening, we had made a reservation for a traditional Finnish dinner at Restaurant Savotta. The restaurant was very homey and the staff very friendly. The food was a fun departure from what we usually eat - my favorite, obviously, was dessert.

We had signed up for a free walking tour the next morning, and I'm really glad we did. We learned a lot about Finnish history, in addition to the various sights that we saw along the way. We even learned a bit about why Fins tend to be so quiet - cities as a concept are relatively new, so folks aren't used to being surrounded by other people! We were once again cold after the walking tour (surprise, surprise), so we took the guide's recommendation and went to the Kappeli cafe for a bowl of the salmon soup. I was skeptical that I would like it, but it was heavy on the dill and actually quite delicious.

With another chilly afternoon in front of us, we decided to find a few random spots to grab a drink in various parts of town - we figured we would still see some new buildings and feel the vibe of a few different neighborhoods, while not being uncomfortably cold. The first place we stopped was an eclectic bar that made great negronis. Next, we headed to a wine bar that was very festive that day. In fact, they made extra brownies for a party, and ended up giving us one for free! We will definitely visit again next time we're in town.

Helsinki was a nice city with a really chill vibe. I'd love to go back when it's a bit warmer to explore even more.