Day 25 - A Very Early Flight to Helsinki, a Bit of Sightseeing, and an AWESOME HOTEL!!!

We dragged our bags through the 5AM streets of Stockholm before boarding a very early train, then bus to the terminal on hour outside of the city.  The flight was short, only 45 minutes, before landing in Helsinki.  The half hour high spped train into the city center was delightful.  Brand new train cars, brisk 40^ air.  We brought out our winter gear.  Helsinki is small in comparison to other capitols so far...only 300,000 people and it felt like home.  We were really early and our rooms would not be ready for four hours, so we wandered around on our own, took a brisk walk and enjoyed lunch.

City Hall.

The Russian Church...

The Capitol Cathedral...

Wonderful architecture and lovely parks.

The Talleywacker stature.  More on that later on...

The Stone Church cut into a quarry.

Copper rod ceiling.

Parliament House.

And then the Hotel Katajanokka.  A prison until 2002 and renovated into a stunning 4^ hotel.  What a treat for the next three nights.