Hi Guys & Gals. I am in Stockholm for a week now and have just returned to Stockholm from a cruise to Helsinki and believe me it has been a very pleasant, memorable & informative experience.
Sweden to the west, the tip of Norway in the north, a long border with Russia to the east, and Estonia to the south, that is Finland. A northern country Finland is the northernmost country in the world after Iceland
Finland is land of islands (30, 000) and lakes, almost 200, 000 & two thirds of the country is covered with forests. The country was part of the Swedish realm for many centuries, then became part of Russia but in the 19th century became independent.
Finland has two official languages: Finnish and Swedish. The most widely studied foreign language is English,
Helsingfors (Helsinki, city that has often been called ’’the Daughter of the Baltic’’ is capital of Finland. It is the leading seaport and industrial city .Its green parks and waterways, fresh sea winds with seagulls flying over the busy fish market, and many open-air cafés make Helsinki a pleasant place to visit. The city retains a small-town feel: there are no high-rise buildings, and the fish market is still surrounded by 19th century architecture. Built on a peninsula, Helsinki is linked by bridge and ferry to Suomenlinna Island in the Gulf of Finland, which is perfect for picnicking day-trippers.
Every morning up to noon the market place is crowded with small stalls, in which diverse articles, mainly foodstuffs, are sold. The whole domestic life of the common people is illustrated here, and a most interesting hour can be spent among the booths, studying the quaint habits, and costumes, and fare of the people, and picking up some souvenirs.
The Esplanade is as wide as the market place itself - it is, in fact, more of a park than of a street. A broad expanse of trees and garden and lawn. In the center of the Esplanade a fine monument to the national poet, Runeberg, designed by his son, has been erected.
The sauna is part of the Finnish way of life, in fact, the word itself is Finnish. Saunas are found everywhere; in private homes, as well as in hotels, motels, holiday villages and camping sites. Finns think of saunas not so much as a luxury, but as a necessity
The sauna has to be experienced, because no attempt to describe its pleasures can get the message across fully. No visit to Finland can be complete without enjoying a sauna that is as real as it can get.
There is a small community of Jews in Helsinki. During the period of Swedish rule, Jews had been forbidden to live in Finland. Once the country became part of the Russian Empire, however, Jewish veterans of the tsarist army had the right to settle anywhere they wished within the empire. The Muslim community in Finland is even smaller than the Jewish community .The Muslims first came to Finland from Turkey in the mid-nineteenth century and has remained there ever since.
Salmon soup, sausages served with mustard and beer and reindeer stew are few of the delicacies of the Finnish cuisine.
Winter in Finland is a time to relax in peace and quiet, enjoying the snowy landscapes, lingering dawns and dusks with a short day in between, and snuggling down with candlelight, the fragrance of log fires
You are most likely to meet Santa Claus himself at his town residence on the Arctic Circle in Lapland if you venture a trip there.