Our Lifestyle Adventures: Getting a Chance to Tour Russia!

St. Isaac's Square, less known cathedral in St. Perersburg

When Bill inquired about tourist visas to Russia, he found out that it would cost us about $600. A 2-night, 1-day cruise from Helsinki is a little more but is inclusive of a 2 night cabin stay, breakfasts and dinners, and a visa-free one day tour of St. Petersburg.  We thought it was such a great opportunity because, although St. Petersburg with 5 M people is the second largest city after Moscow, it is the cultural capital. The Historic Centre and Related Groups of Monuments constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Valentina and Boris with us on the best seat in the ship

In the afternoon of May 26 we embarked on St. Peter Line’s Princess Maria at the Lansiterminale in southeastern Helsinki. At 5:30 pm we went to the dinner buffet where we had the best seat in the house. There we met Valentina and Boris who were going home from a tour of Helsinki. They recommended that we visit the home of Fyodor Dostoyevsky. We also found out from them that the day we were visiting St. Petersburg is the city’s 311th anniversary of its founding.

Bill with the pretty Cruise Manager

We wanted to be up early for the 9:30 am excursion to the former capital of Russia so we skipped the 10 pm Show at Columbus Bar. We were at the breakfast buffet by 8 am. Then the tour participants were led to the car deck. And when they opened the door, a blast of Russian cold hit our faces. We wondered how people could live there during winter! It was cloudy, in the low 50s, with light showers, and winds of 16 mph in late spring. But a small band was there to welcome us.

flames and flags for the 311th anniversary of St. Petersburg

Peter and Paul Fortress

The city is located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. Founded by Tsar Peter the Great, it was the imperial capital of Russia from 1713 to 1918. Huge flames and countless flags were on display all over the city. On Zayachy Island, Peter the Great laid the foundation for the Peter and Paul Fortress, the first building of the new city, whose cathedral became the burial vault of Russian emperors from 1725 until the end of the era. The names of Saints Peter and Paul coincidentally were the names of the first two assassinated Russian Emperors, Peter III and Paul I.

Palace Square and the Alexander Column

During its first few years, the city grew around this Fortress. By 1716 the city centre was transferred to Vasilyevsky Island which is shaped by a rectangular grid of canals. Peter the Great appointed a chief architect but in 1725, he died at the age of fifty-two and his plan was not completed. In 1736 the city suffered from catastrophic fires. A new plan was commissioned in 1737. Palace Square became the main square of the Russian Empire and the setting of many events of historic significance.

St. Nicholas Church

part of the Hermitage

Our excursion turned out to be an introductory city bus tour of the highlights of this city-museum where each building is either a piece of art or history or both. But we were plagued by a van that died several times on us, interrupting and cutting short the tour. We were still able to take pictures of many attractions as we passed them such as the Russian Orthodox Church and the place where Rasputin was killed. We made stops at Santa Claus’ St. Nicholas Church, The Hermitage, Russia’s equivalent of the Louvre or the Smithsonian and a huge souvenir shop where I had several samples of Russian vodka and liqueur to counter the cold!

Maria dolls galore

With the emancipation of the peasants undertaken by Alexander II in 1861 and an industrial revolution, the capital experienced a significant influx of former peasants. Poor boroughs emerged spontaneously on the outskirts of the city. St. Petersburg surpassed Moscow in population and industrial growth and it developed as one of the largest industrial cities in Europe. In 1881, however, Alexander II was assassinated by Narodniki. In his honor His son built the fascinating Church of the Spilled Blood.

at more known Church of Spilled Blood

the ship that launched the Revolution

We also stopped to view the ship that fired the shot that launched the Revolution of 1917. It began in St. Petersburg when the Bolsheviks stormed the Winter Palace. In March Nicholas II abdicated both for himself and on behalf of his son, ending the Russian monarchy and over three hundred years of Romanov dynastic rule. On November 7, 1917, the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, stormed the Winter Palace in an event known thereafter as the October Revolution, which led to the end of the post-Tsarist provisional government, the transfer of all political power to the Soviets, and the rise of the Communist Party. On March 12, 1918, the Soviets transferred the government to Moscow.

traditional eats

At about 1:30 pm we had to decide whether we wanted to return to the ship or explore a bit more. Unfortunately, the weather was very inhospitable, rain started to fall, and the wind made the cold even colder.  But we wanted to see a little bit more. So Bill and I looked for a restaurant where we could be warm. We found a local eatery at the famous Nevsky Prospect (the city’s main street) and had local favorites (probably) but we did not get to know the names of the dishes. Then we had enough energy to tour the magnificent interior museum of St. Isaac’s Square. At 3:15 pm we looked for the tour van that would take us back to the ship. Fifteen minutes later, after running around the Square, we found it!

Kronstadt!

Back at the Princess Maria, we had another buffet dinner. As we sat at comfy chairs looking out to the ocean, Kronstadt, a municipal town with a population of over 40,000 suddenly came into full view. It belongs to the federal city of St. Petersburg land is ocated on Kotlin Island, 19 miles west of the city near the head of the Gulf of Finland. It is St. Petersburg's main seaport, the seat of the Russian admiralty, and the base of the Russian Baltic Fleet, guarding the approaches to the city. The historic centre of the town and its fortifications are part of the World Heritage Site of St. Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments.  

The next day we had another buffet breakfast then disembarked at around 10 am. We took Tram 9 then shifted at Hainikem to Tram 7B and took our set of big luggage that we had stored at our hotel in Helsinki, Hotel Ava. We then took Bus 615 to the airport for our flight at 4 pm, arriving there 3 hours early (glad there was free wifi!). At 6 pm we found ourselves in Stockholm, Sweden!  

Our Lifestyle Adventures: Continuing our Nordic Experience in Helsinki

Helsinki has been ranked 3rd in Monacle and 8th in EIU as best livable city in the world for 2013!

on canal cruise around Helsinki Islands

Helsinki is the capital of Finland with a population of over 610,000 (SMSA of over 1,3M), making it the fourth largest among Nordic cities, after Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Oslo. She placed eighth best overall In the Economist Intelligence Unit's August 2012 Liveability Survey of the best and worst cities to live in. And we quickly found out why!

'almost flying carpet' in Arabia

Every day a vibrant Market Square sells souvenirs and Finnish food on the waterfront and a 40-foot ferris wheel is a prominent landmark on the harbor busy with large and small cruise ships. Just after the harbor, a fashion show, a folk music festival, and hosts of people milling around were happening all at the same time on Esplanade Park, Helsinki’s version of Central Park. May 24 was National Cleaning Day and everywhere you look, on grass lawns, even at tourist spots, people laid out their used items for sale in a giant national yard sale! I even found a huge yellow C and matching yellow C balloons at the Kamppi Shopping Centre in an enthusiastic campaign for awareness about hepatitis C.

Carol and white dinner plates

Bill, in peacock suit

In 2009, Helsinki was also chosen to be the World Design Capital for 2012 by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design.  A Design Museum in the Design District south of Esplanade Park attests to the industry’s achievements. Bill had fun donning a men’s costume inspired by peacocks at an exhibit of Takis’. The next day, we went to a town called Arabia, a residential area northeast of Helsinki where all developers are, by law, required to use 1-2 % of building investments for works of art. The Arabian Museum, an exhibit of Arabia’s ceramic products through the years, is part of the Design Museum.  Fiskar’s exhibit is a very creative expression of scissors and other everyday items.  Many other high quality brands have their factories there. Around the upscale neighborhood of residential condos many artworks like ‘The Almost Flying Carpet’ are featured. We saw why Finland got the Design Award!

beach sauna outhouses

Helsinki was established as a trading town by King Gustav I of Sweden in 1550. The construction of the naval fortress which today is called Suomenlinna in the 18th century helped improve Helsinki's status. This was one of the spots on the Beautiful Canal Cruise we took around the islands of the Helsinki Harbor. The biggest island, Lauttasaari, is now a large residential area with summer homes of the rich. We saw many sauna outhouses built close to the water for the famous hot/cold therapy and water toys for the big boys. The tour guide said there are 2 million such sauna houses around Helsinki. Another island is Korkeasaari, site of the biggest northernmost zoo in the world. There was even a dog beach set apart for man’s best friend.

the Helsinki Cathedral

Uspenski Cathedral

But it was not until Russia defeated Sweden in the Finnish War and annexed Finland in 1809 that the town began to develop into a substantial city. Czar Alexander I of Russia moved the Finnish capital from Turku to Helsinki in 1812 to reduce the influence of Sweden and bring the capital closer to St. Petersburg. The Uspenski Cathedral, largest Eastern Orthodox Church in Western Europe lording over a hill across the waters, and the majestic Helsinki Cathedral that towering over the Senate Square and the Tori Quarter were all built to resemble St. Petersburg, only 190 miles away.

Karuna Chapel in Seurasaari Island

One day, we wandered farther out from the City Centre and took Tram 8, instead of the usual 7, to get to the Olympic Tower, the Sibelius Monument, and the island of Seurasaari. Helsinki was the site of the 1952 Summer Olympics (originally for the 1940 Games which was cancelled because of WWII). We were so lucky because on the day we went, the Stadion was again abuzz in a track and field competition among schools! The Sibelius Monument is dedicated to the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865–1957). The monument consists of a series of more than 600 hollow steel pipes welded together in a wave-like pattern, capturing the essence of his music. Finally, Seurasaari is the island devoted to a celebration of old Finland’s old homes and farms relocated to the island from outlying regions, like Oslo’s Folk Museum.

Rock Church

The oldest structure there is a church built in the 1600s, the Karuna Church where a wedding was being held that afternoon. When we got to the Rock Church fashioned out of a huge rock near downtown Helsinki, another wedding was also being held that afternoon. Then we walked another 4 blocks to see the finest example of wooden architecture in Finland, the Kamppi Chapel at the grounds of the Kamppi Shopping Centre. Finland is 80% Lutheran so all these churches are Lutheran.

Begel Lunch at Esplanade Park

But we also have to tell you about how we did on our one-great-meal-a-day policy in Helsinki.  First, after arriving from the airport, we had a Japanese buffet of sushi, miso soup, gyozas, and beef, pork, and chicken teppanyaki.  Next, at the Belge restaurant near the Esplanade, we had excellent beef lasagna and pan-fried chicken in Bearnaise sauce with green salad and traditional dark and dense rye bread of Finland. Third was at Seurasaari for traditional wiener schnitzel and blueberry cake. Fourth was at the  seafood platter of fried Vendace, little fish like the Filipino ‘dilis’, grilled salmon, calamari and potatoes, carrots, and green beans at the Market Square. Fifth was a simple soup and salad buffet at Arabia.

@ the Market Square

lunch at Seurasaari Island

In preparation for my next book, Bill and I tried a suburban boutique hotel after the failed hostel experiment in Oslo. The Hotel Ava is attached to an Institute and had a lovely park in front, so the room had a beautiful picture window of green treetops. Aside from comfortable beds, a TV and a well-provided bathroom suite and ample closet space, there was a shared kitchen and laundry room, even a fitness center and a sauna each for men and women. The only hitch was that it is 20 minutes away from the city centre. Our Helsinki card paid for all of the museums we saw, cruises we took, and public transport we used. We saved less than our savings in Oslo because Helsinki did not have a special card for seniors. We definitely liked this hotel better. It was as if we were going ‘home’ every day after tours.

Hotel Ava and Institute

We loved Helsinki, especially the downtown area we came to know so well. It is well laid out with little nooks and corners of greens amid the concrete. The people are so warm that every time we looked at a map or maybe appeared a little lost, one Finn, whether a teenager, an old man, or a woman with a child, on the bus, on the streets, or inside malls, would approach and ask what we were looking for. Everyone was eager to help so we were always saying ‘Kiitos’ whence they would readily reply, ‘Ole hyva!’