Day 17 Helsinki Ateneum & return flight

Day 17

7 April 2024

After a leisurely breakfast we pack our suitcases. In theory we can stay in the room until 12 noon, but that doesn't make sense for us as we want to do something in the morning until midday. Our plane home doesn't leave until 5 p.m.

With our suitcases packed, we go to reception, leave our suitcases in the storage room and set off on foot to the art museum " Art Museum Ateneum ".

The entrance fee is quite steep at €20 per person (but children under 18 are free!), but we can't think of a better way to spend the morning. The exhibition about the "local" Finnish artist "Eero Järnefelt" also sounds very interesting. The exhibitions with "modern art" aren't quite to my taste (OK, the dish brushes a la Van Gogh's sunflowers are quite funny), so I'll devote more time to the paintings of the Finnish artist.

Around midday we walk back to the hotel and take the tram to the train station where we had just been (although we didn't feel like dragging our suitcases to the station).

The train ride is again problem-free. The express train goes to the airport every 10 minutes, so it's not tragic that we narrowly miss the first train.

It goes past the Linnanmäki amusement park (still closed) to the airport. There are even power sockets on the train. How convenient!

We arrive at the airport at around 3:30 p.m., check in our luggage, get sandwiches for lunch/dinner at the supermarket and go through security to the gate. I treat myself to a Finnish "Jaffa" lemonade and then it's off to boarding.

The return flight was smooth. No wind shear, no wake turbulence and a go-around... phew... lucky!

We land in Frankfurt on time at 6:30 p.m. and are surprised by the first warm spring day! We park on the apron and when I get out I run into a "wall" of +25 degrees. Wow, it's so warm here!!!

A few days ago it was -27 degrees!!! My body doesn't find the temperature difference of over 50 degrees funny at all and reacts with heavy sweating attacks!!

Of course we are still wearing winter clothes, with a winter coat, scarf, hat, sweater in our hands, and we are all wearing thick shoes. Phew... I have to get out of these clothes!!! I coped better with -20 degrees than with +25 degrees! I am a winter child after all 😅

What works without problems in other countries obviously doesn't work at all at a large international airport (again)! We stand at the baggage carousel for a full hour until it finally starts moving! Unbelievable! Welcome to Germany at Frankfurt International Airport! Embarrassing... 🤷🏻‍♀️🙈😡🤦🏻‍♀️

Eventually the luggage arrives, lucky us!

Home sweet home - I already miss the "Winter Wonderland"!

Lapland -- a dream in white!!!🥰🥰🥰