First off we visited the “Church in the Rock” which has been cut right into the rock in downtown Helsinki. The acoustics are said to be splendid. They charged 0,50 Euro to use their WC.
Onward, we drove through nice gardens and stopped for a look at the Sibelius Monument. Sibelius was a famous Finnish composer whose works sound dirge-y and harsh just like the long frozen winters here in Finland. Depressing. Probably suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Anyway, the thing most interesting at that park was the porta-potty. It had a HUGE 3 ft wide, wok-like stainless steel basin that you hang your ass over, aim at the hole and go. When you flush, the water swirls in roaring, eddy-like fashion and if you slip and fall in, you will surely be sucked down the drain. Wish we had taken a photo of it.
Continuing on, we visited Finlandia Hall. Lucky for us, a military marching band was doing some kind of drill. Lots of guards and soldiers on this trip.
It was a good day for walking around the old town and doing a bit of shopping. Not so good for the statue of a horseman whose head is used as a perch. (Those pesky birds show no respect.)
After checking into our hotel, we walked down to the open market along the waterfront plaza. Mostly a farmer’s market, many stalls sold fur hats and scarves. PETA people would not likely be welcomed here.
