During our trip to Helsinki, after visiting the Utherian Cathedral, we saw a boat in the distance and decided to go and have a look. There we saw the port with the sea and the huge liners unloading. We saw a Ferris wheel in the distance and it was the SkyWheel. It is one of the most popular attractions in Helsinki and certainly one of the most recognizable on the city skyline. The SkyWheel offers unparalleled views of this historic capital, where you can admire the sights from afar.

A complete turn at the wheel takes about 12 minutes, which is about three or four laps I think. On that day there was a lot of wind when we were up there and the cabin was moving around a lot but it was very comfortable and we could control the heating or the airflow directly into the cabin. Just what I find a shame is that the windows are tinted blue.
But from the top we have breathtaking views of Helsinki because the Ferris wheel is located in the beautiful Katajanokka and offers views up to 40 m high. You can see for example the Upenski cathedral or the coastline. The SkyWheel offers breathtaking views along the coast and out to sea from the top, and directly into the ocean on a clear day. You can also see many of the 315 islands on the city’s coast.

We were lucky there was no one there when we passed so we waited very little. But there is a souvenir shop to keep you warm and busy while you wait your turn. The price of the tour is quite expensive but it is worth it once.

The story of Espresso House stems from the desire of two students, Charles and Elisabet Asker, to find a favourite place to spend time. They opened a small café in Kyrkogatan in Lund, inspired by the Italian coffee culture and leisure environment. Since then, this small café has become the largest coffee chain in the Nordic countries, with nearly 500 types of coffee in five different countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and more recently Germany. They opened their first café in the Kamppi shopping centre in 2015 and since then they have expanded beyond the Helsinki metropolitan area in Finland.

We discovered Expresso House for the first time in Turku in a shopping mall and then we also found it in Helsinki in a shopping mall. You can see it everywhere, even in the streets, the atmosphere and appearance is always the same, the nature and comfort is always present. Indeed there are a lot of plants, comfortable sofas and armchairs.

They offer their own bakery products and the quality level of our coffee is very high. We felt it when we went there, their sandwich was fresh and their dessert very good. As for their coffee, only Mathilde had one.
They offer their customers coffee from only selected farms and cooperatives. Their coffee meets the quality rating of specialty coffee, and only 5% of all coffee in the world meets this quality requirement.

The environment and the employees are very welcoming, the atmosphere is very friendly. You can feel that the atmosphere is very relaxed between them which makes them very pleasant and smiling. The environment is important to them and this is a positive point.

During our visit to the capital, we first visited the famous Helsinki Library. The Helsinki Oodi Central Library is one of the 37 Helsinki City Libraries.

It opened its doors on 5 December 2018, on the eve of the 100th anniversary of Finland’s national holiday. The estimated cost of the new library is 98 million euros. The annual use of the library is estimated at 2.5 million users and its daily usage at 10,000.

The visit to the Oodi library is very long because it has 3 floors. Each of them has a different atmosphere and purpose. The first floor is intended to be a meeting place for the residents, with cinemas, exhibition rooms, cafes and restaurants. The second floor is dedicated to work and leisure, with rooms for work, music and creative hobbies. The third floor is a traditional library with a total of 100,000 works divided into seven reading oases, including a children’s section. There is also a café and the balcony offers a panoramic view of the Finnish capital.

In addition to books, users can also borrow digital readers. Users can use the music recording studio, the audiovisual room and the urban workshop with 3D printer and scanner free of charge. They can also borrow many tools, such as laser cutting machines, sticker printers, hot presses and sewing machines.

The library has an indoor playground called Loru. It is a free meeting place open to families with children. Loru offers singing lessons and physical exercises for children.

Oodi is equipped with a trolley-like robot, which can move books in the library. According to the creators of Oodi, these library robots are the first robots in the world to use self-driving technology in public libraries.

Ruissalo Island (Swedish: Runsala) is an island in the Finnish archipelago and a part of the city of Turku in Finland.
The island is located southwest of the city between the island of Hirvensalo and the Pansio district of Turku. The population of Ruissalo is about 150 inhabitants in 2007.
It is a very peaceful island. This island was recommended to us by my roommates. Indeed of really not been disappointed. For me the Breton, it was very pleasant to find the beaches.
We also find in Ruissalo one of the biggest oak forests in Finland. But the island is particularly well known for its rock music festival: Ruisrock.
I’m really looking forward to return to this island during this beautiful festival that I’ve heard so much about.

Korkeasaari Zoo is located on an island in the Baltic Sea. It is only a short distance from the city centre of Helsinki and we can even see the Helsinki and Uspenski cathedrals from the zoo.
It took us only 20 minutes to get there from a local bus. Unfortunately we didn’t have the chance to take the ferry which is only available from May to September.

Korkeasaari Zoo is home to 150 species of animals and almost 1,000 species of plants that are a testament to the diversity of nature. We were lucky enough to meet the great tigers, pygmy marmosets, snow leopards, wolverines, foals, along with elk, bears, wolverines and forest reindeer.

The zoo was established in 1889, making it one of the oldest zoos in the world. The mission of Korkeasaari Zoo is to conserve biodiversity.
They participate in in-situ conservation work to protect the original habitats of various species.

It’s a magical place that takes us back to childhood, the reconstructed tropical areas are absolutely incredible.
It’s been a real joy to spend the day there.

We discovered a beautiful little town called Naantali.
Naantali (in Swedish Nådendal, in Latin Vallis Gratiae – the valley of grace) is a town in southwest Finland. This small town, with a population of 19,000, is located in the province of Western Finland and the region of Southwest Finland, 15 km west of Turku, the provincial capital.
Naantali is one of the oldest towns in Finland, founded around the convent church in 1443 by King Christopher of Sweden. When the convent received trading rights and some other privileges, the town around it started to grow.

In the 16th century, when Protestantism became the official religion, the convent was closed. The town did not recover until the 18th century, when the bathing establishment was founded in Kalevanniemi. In 1922, Kultaranta Manor became the official summer residence of the President after Finland gained independence in 1917.

The town’s real prosperity began in the 1950s, when the industries that dominated the town’s economy were established. Today, Naantali is one of Finland’s richest cities.

It was amazing. When you walked through the streets of the town, there was nobody around. An Olympian calm.
This city seems out of time, small shops unfortunately closed during our trip. Houses of all colors with a beautiful little port.
This city is absolutely visited when we go to Finland.

During the school holidays we visited the capital, Helsinki. Not far from the Lutheran Cathedral there is another equally beautiful and impressive cathedral.
Uspenski Cathedral is the cathedral within the Orthodox Church of Finland. It was built between 1862 and 1868 by order of Emperor Alexander II of Russia, ruler of the Grand Duchy of Finland. It is dedicated to the Dormition of Mary Mother of God.

What makes this church special and beautiful is the fact that it stands on a hill on the island of Katajanokka, a district east of the city centre, and is made of copper brick. It is therefore visible from afar and makes it one of the most beautiful monuments in Helsinki. The building is surrounded by Tove Jansson’s park.

The first day the church was closed and we were so curious to see what was inside that we came back the next day. As the interior was being renovated, we were still impressed by its equally grandiose interior beauty. There was a huge candle chandelier, red carpets and religious paintings covering the walls.

We continued our journey to the Ateneum Art Museum (Finnish: Ateneumin taidemuseo).
It is one of the main museums in Finland. It is located in the centre of Helsinki on Central Station Square. It has the largest collection of classical art in Finland.
The works were just incredible. We had the opportunity to see with our own eyes a painting by Andy Warhol, one of my favourite artists. I was absolutely smitten!
I was especially surprised by the arrangement of the paintings. Being used to visiting museums and art galleries in France, I noticed that in Finland there was not one painting per slope of the wall, but several. The paintings are staged by sculptures, and very close to each other forming like bouquets of flowers.

The history of this museum is also very special as it has had several lives.
In the 1870s Carl Gustaf Estlander took the initiative to establish the Helsinki Academy of Fine Arts, a school providing high level art education. This project was realised in the 1880s when Theodor Höijer designed a building for the visual arts. Its construction on Helsinki Central Station Square was completed in 1887 and the Ateneum building was inaugurated in 1887.
Today the building is open to the public, where major works and the visual arts archive are exhibited.

In the centre of Turku there is a covered market dating from the 19th century, built in 1896.
When you enter through the original gates, you will discover two alleys with some 70 stalls overflowing with fish, meat, vegetables, fruit, souvenirs, cheese, pastries, ecological products. The atmosphere has kept the authentic atmosphere of the halls of the time and you must take the time to observe the picturesque atmosphere of the traditional shops.

The choice of traditional or even foreign food is impressive and one wants to buy everything for everyone to taste. We had the opportunity to buy in this market two specialities. For my part I was a little disappointed, original but dry.

However the atmosphere is very welcoming and the people are very smiling and very friendly.
At the back of the market there are even restaurants with bars and tables to sit down and take the time to taste your dish on the spot. The kitchens are open and you can watch the preparations.

During a 4 day weekend with Justine in Helsinki we visited different places, among others,
Helsinki Cathedral (Helsingin tuomiokirkko in Finnish). It is absolutely incredible. It is a cathedral of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church.
At first glance it overlooks the central square of Helsinki, which is also the Senate Square, the church turns its back on the district of Kruununhaka. In Ehrenström’s town plan, the rock to the north of the Senate Square is reserved for a Lutheran cathedral. The Cathedral was built between 1830 and 1852 on the site of the former Church of Ulrika Eleonora.
The interior of this cathedral is stunning, with large luxurious chandeliers decorating the ceiling.
Despite all the simplicity that emanates from this cathedral when we are inside. It is really a place to visit, where you can relax away from the hustle and bustle of the capital of Finland.