Helsinki

After we landed, we rested a bit and then took a walking tour around the hotel. Our hotel was near the Baltic Seq, which unbeknownst to us, is a freshwater or brackish sea. It freezes over, though an ice breaker can get through it. The next morning we took a bus tour of downtown Helsinki. The architecture is not particularly notable, although we did comment that most of the buildings are only 4 or 5 stories high. In the downtown, a few skyscrapers exist, but they are rather new. The area resembled those of the other eastern bloc countries, which makes sense since Finland was under Russian occupation until 1917. We learned about Finnish women being the first to get the vote (also 1917), about World War II and how Russia took some land after the war ended, and about several other wars. But this very peaceful group of people tries to avoid war and stay out of Russian politics. Many other cities have more spectacular sights to see, but Helsinki has a certain feel of peace and tranquility that many lack. I could return here - not for the architecture but for the more easy pace and friendly people.