St. Petersburg Anyone?

Did you know that you can take a lovely cruise ship from Helsinki to St. Petersburg, spend two nights in a luxurious hotel, and return to Helsinki without all the stuff and bother of obtaining a Russian Visa?  Well you can on the St. Peter Line and it is an adventure inside of an adventure.

In talking to some friends who had visited St. Petersburg some years ago we heard that it was a dreary run-down colorless place that definitely needed some TLC if it was going to attract international tourists once again.   Presto!  It has received a humdinger of a makeover and is now an absolute treat.

Our excursion began in a comfy stateroom on the good ship Princess Maria.

We watched Helsinki recede as we sat down to  a luxurious dinner.

 

Then it was a stroll to explore the ship

 The weather was balmy and a summer sunset completed our sail on the Baltic. 

And guess what! On waking the following morning we were able to see Russia from our window.   

The St. Petersburg harbor complex must be one of the largest in the world. While we ate our breakfast we cruised silently  down a seemingly endless set of  channels lined with  ships and docks piled high with goods either coming or going. 

We hadn't seen such a seagoing spectacular since we traversed the Panama Canal. 
Upon disembarking we did have to endure some long lines at Russian passport control,  but once outside a St. Peter Line van whisked us to our hotel--The Sokos Palace Bridge. 

Our room was elegant.

The lobby was spacious.



And the dining room was out of this world or I guess more aptly under this world as it was carved out of the vaults of an old warehouse.   Ironically it was called Seville and featured Spanish cuisine.

 

Next up a tour of the city.

Porvoo Shows Old Finnish Charm

Porvoo is a charming Finnish town located some fifty kilometers northeast of Helsinki.  There is convenient bus service available that runs you down a four-lane super highway in little over an hour, but we chose to take a relaxing three hour boat ride up the coast to reach the city.

This, first of all,  gives you an opportunity to take in the stunning Helsinki harbor

 

 You glide by oodles of islands,

--some rocky and austere,  and  

some just itching to provide an angler with the morning's fresh catch.




The shoreline is peppered with little inlets.  You can often see tidy summer homes and fancy mansions tucked into the trees.





Our boat was the historic J.L. Runeberg.  This old photo was on display in the on-board snack bar. It showed the hundred year old wooden craft docked pretty much where it is still docked today.

 

Our captain was a totally relaxed Finn.  He even kicked off his shoes as we headed north toward Porvoo.




The town itself is tucked back nicely out of the way down a lazily winding stream. Negotiating that channel did take a bit more completely shod and stand-up steering-- though not with that big wheel.  He actually had two little joy sticks on a computer panel that you can't see in the picture.





Time to ease in to shore now.



Shortly after alighting you are deposited into a Finland that preceded the squared off modern of most contemporary Finnish towns and the neo-classic grandeur of Helsinki.  You quickly find yourself is a world of old waterfront warehouses,   

narrow cobblestone streets,

 
strolling families,

 

 and freshly painted buildings.  Porvoo clearly trades on its tourist pleasing look,  but it is a look well worth taking in if you are lucky enough to visit Finland. 



Nobody will go hungry in Porvoo. The town is well equipped with coffee shops, tearooms, and restaurants.


 The local specialities are snails, fish,  and chocolate.  My daughter-in-law chose the snails, but we stuck to the fish and chocolate.

The top attraction of the town is the 15th century Lutheran Cathedral and fittingly it is located on the highest hill around.  It is a climb, but on this sunny day its whitewashed stone and intricate brickwork was stunning.

 

The lower part of the separate bellfry tower dates to the middle ages and the upper section was built in the 18th century. 

 

Lovingly restored after a disastrous 2006 fire, the interior carries a comfortable beauty that seems to balance the historic with the modern.  Some early wall paintings have been preserved and restored.

The organ is 20th century but the facade dates from 1799 

The pulpit dates from 1764

 

The crucifix that hangs above the altar is from the beginning of the 18th century. 

 

We had a glorious day in Porvoo and returned to Helsinki and the 21st century in a short hour's bus ride.  Thanks for coming along. 

 

 

 

 

Jean Sibelius: Finland's Greatest Composer

 

After you start the video you can scroll down while listening. 

 

Jean Sibelius was born in 1865 and died in 1957.   He lived for over fifty years with his wife Aino in a lovely home some 30 miles north of Helsinki.  It is named Ainola after her and today is a pilgrimadge destination for music lovers from all over the world.  The grounds seem to evoke an almost cathedral like reverence.  Wildflowers carpet the paths. The predominant sounds come from the wind blowing through the trees and the calls of birds. It seems a fitting home space and resting place for a composer who spent a full life turning the sights and sounds of his native land into music.  

You reach his home from the modern visitor center on a winding path through the woods

 

Wildflowers line your way as you approach the house

 

 

 

Ainola is nestled on the brow of a hill among the trees. There is a nice open view from the living room window. 

 

Personal photography is not allowed inside the home, but I was able to reproduce a shot of the living room from a postcard I purchased. You can see the front window on the left of the frame. Sibelius' piano is in the rear center.

 

Nearby in the grounds there is an outbuilding


 that contains a bathroom,                                                         a laundry



                                                                         and a sauna.

 

 

There's a large woodshed that is still filled to the brim.  It is easy to forget how much wood would have been needed to heat a home through the long Finnish winters.  

 

A little further on is the shaded gravesite of Sibelius and his wife



Jean Sibelius and his wife Ainola around the time of their marriage

 

The gravestone

When you arrive here you can scroll back up and listen to the rest of the piece or just go on your way.
I'll be back to take you to Porvoo  in a few days.