First Impressions

At 9:06 am we set off towards Frankfurt Airport. Luckily, we were driven by car. As soon as we arrived, the excitement increased by more than 100%. First, we wanted to get rid of our luggage, so we searched in vain for the baggage drop-off counter. After a round and multiple back-and-forths, we were able to realize that this counter is right next to the entrance! No problem. We lined up, it's our turn, and the tension is rising! How heavy is the suitcase actually? I have to admit, I added a little bit in the morning, but only small things. Like makeup! Maybe a bit too much of it, but it was a pure panic reaction! Just like us with the 4 scarves! Now there are a total of 3. Well, the suitcase is allowed to weigh 23 kg, and it weighs 23.4 kg. All good, those 400 grams don't make a difference! Luckily, otherwise we would have had to repack. Before going through security, we packed the "liquids" such as hand cream, disinfectant, etc. into small bags. Don't forget, it has to be done and it must not exceed 100ml. Afterwards, we made ourselves comfortable in a café, had breakfast, and drank coffee until it was time. At this point, we hadn't really realized yet that we were now going to Helsinki! We were more than excited!

The flight went well. No complications, seat neighbor okay, and of course a beautiful view! I was just a little nervous, but that kindly subsided during the approximately 2-hour flight. We flew with Finnair. We didn't notice anything negative on this short distance, although the guy at the security checkpoint there tried to tell us otherwise! We can't complain.

After we picked up our luggage, we headed to the nearest source of food. Tuna sandwich and water. Very modest. Then we went to the train. Only 2 trains are running. The "I" and "P" trains. Both go to Helsinki Central Station. The I train takes about 5 minutes longer. Tickets are purchased at the machine. Contrary to what some guidebooks say, tickets cannot be purchased on the train. Well, you can, but only with a card loaded with money. For 5 euros you get a single ticket and for 35 euros a 4-day ticket. Since we were determined to see as much as possible on foot, the 4-day ticket was not an option for us. For now! Let's see what else comes! The journey was completely unproblematic, everything is well signposted.

Hotel:

HotelFinn. A pretty cool, small, very centrally located hotel on the 6th floor of a typical city building. It has charm, the elevator, which is located in the middle of the staircase, is just big enough for 2 people and a large suitcase. Just. The corridors are narrow and the hallways are winding. We were handed plenty of information materials at the reception. Among other things, a city map and a long list of opening hours of sights and upcoming events. We gladly accepted that. Our room is manageable. A double bed, small bathroom with underfloor heating, towels and hair dryer, a dresser, TV, and a hotel-owned tablet with a travel guide and tips.

After we changed clothes, curiosity drove us out. First, we strolled around a bit and then spontaneously decided to visit the Ateljeebar. A bar on the roofs of Helsinki. It is located on the top floor of a hotel and is right in front of our room window. After we drank a completely overpriced hot chocolate with Baileys for 15 euros and enjoyed the wonderful view, we continued the search for food. We walked around a little disoriented and actually just wanted to go towards the water. We passed the Esplanade and realized that we were almost back at our hotel. I think we are moving within a 500m radius around our hotel and have felt like we have seen all of Helsinki! ;-)

Jokes aside, it was about food! Because we had already seen the Hard Rock Café before and wanted to eat there during our stay, we simply went there today! A nice, manageable Hard Rock Café with a stage for bands. We were lucky, because there was live music tonight. The band is called "The John's of Helsinki" and they perform there every Friday. The music is good, cover songs in a very unique style, and the guitarist plays the guitar left-handed. It was fun to watch the two of them! The cocktails and the food were good. Classic Hard Rock. Our waiter, Jonathan, looked like Johnny Depp...

The day was exhausting and exciting, so we went back to the hotel and prepared for the next day.