Helsinki - City of athletes and snake dogs

We needed a 13-hour sleep to recharge our inner body battery and go exploring.

Under sunny skies and pleasant 18 degrees, we walked across the city, through the government district, to the market square with its adjacent port. Countless tourists crossed our paths, including more Germans than expected.

But what stood out even more were the many physically active people. Joggers constantly ran past us. We also seemed to be in the way of every cyclist. Luckily, the Finns are a friendly people and we never really got any remarks (we wouldn't have understood them anyway).

During our stay, several street festivals took place. Multiple parks were equipped with street food stands, attracting large crowds of people. In the so-called 'Pest Park' (where several hundred plague victims were buried in the past), we then encountered the legendary snake dog. A slightly larger woman was walking him on a leash. At least one meter long, but its short legs kept it hovering only 15 cm above the ground. Due to this body shape and some excess weight, it moved in a zigzag pattern on the ground, as its hind legs prevented a different mode of locomotion. Poor thing.

Other things that caught our attention or are worth mentioning:

- Finns don't talk much (even at the market, you're not constantly pressured to look at something)

- Even couples separate to make way for you on the sidewalk

- The majority wears sportswear, even if they're not currently doing any sports

- There are Lidl supermarkets here, as well as an expensive supermarket (S-Market) and a student-friendly supermarket (K-Market). Guess which one we went to first...

- Vegans must be rich here, as vegetables and fruit are extremely expensive.

- Alcoholics and sugar junkies must be rich here, due to high alcohol and sugar taxes. Luckily, we found a bargain on Havana rum at the airport.

- Parking is not a strength of the Finns. Our business idea to introduce a parking service here is still in development.

- Helsinki has a very European feel, which makes getting around much easier.

- The Helsinki Card is highly recommended for a city trip. Many discounts or even free entry to interesting tourist attractions. (The only thing we were missing were white sports socks and sandals)

- The sun usually comes out in the late afternoon, balm for the soul. Generally, the weather isn't as bad as you might imagine. It's a bit cooler, of course, but T-shirts and shorts were worn more than once.

As a conclusion to our city trip, the larger 'night of the arts' festival was held here. Many street artists offered insights into their art.

Since we had already loudly supported the Finnish national volleyball team earlier and they actually defeated Estonia, the feeling of national unity was strengthened.

This afternoon, we will take a kind of 'Flixbus' to Lappeenranta, our home for the next 4 months. More rural and with much more Russian influence.

Bring it on!