HELSINKI – 4 September
Another port – we were told that the town was about a good hours walk from the ship. We walked it and it didn’t take us that long. We enjoyed the city. It is quite compact and has a vibrant market in an old market building. There is also another square, Senate Square, which boasts the Helsinki Cathedral, (Lutheran), the Parliament and the National Library. We had a coffee and sticky bun in an ornate restaurant on the esplanade. We caught a 3T tram which does a circuit of the city, so had a good general overall picture of a lovely city including going past the Olympic Stadium of many years ago. Most of the cities we visited are no larger than Auckland, and in some cases smaller, but their transport systems are amazing. They have underground trains, trams and buses. All seem to be integrated and one ticket covers the lot. Try doing that in Auckland!!