PREPARATION DAY IN DOWNTOWN HELSINKI!

(Maanantai)

We decided we had not been to downtown for several weeks now and it was TIME to go again! We didn't know what the day would bring as far as weather but we didn't care!

We decided to take a 2-digit bus that would take us to Sello where we could catch a train. When we got to the train station, we found the damage still being repaired from the train wreck several weeks ago. It occurred on the unlucky train #13! This guard had a really COLD job of just standing there and making sure no one got hurt or tried anything funny!

Interesting thing about the snow that we noticed today....on the top it looked like a sandy beach. But of course under that was a couple of layers of snow and ice. It was just as hard to walk on as a sandy beach too.

One of stops today included walked to the torri to see if there were any vendors selling their wares. Can you believe there were a couple of people!

We noticed that the Bay of Finland was frozen solid. This boat looked permanently 'anchored' until the spring thaw! I guess any ferry's that go to Talliin, Estonia now are accompanied by an icebreaker to get through!

One of my favorite stores is TIIMARI! It would be comparable to A.C. Moore or JoAnn's at home. They have some really cool stuff in there. I like to go to the one in Helsinki because I can always find things there that I can't find at the one in Sello. This store still have the Christmas Tree Display up. Why not....it still looks and feels like Christmas.

On the train ride back home, Wayne noticed the snow 'dripping' off the roof this building. It wasn't really dripping because it was too cold but it looked very precarious hanging there!

Once the train got back to Sello, we caught a two-digit bus back to the asuntola. 'Slick' public transportation system here......things usually just flow with making connections. The Finns have everything very well thought out!

And as we walked from the bus stop to the asuntola, of course we have to walk past the temple. A very pretty shot......the sun starting to set (about 2:30 p.m.). And the sun was actually a bit higher on the horizon today that it has been. Can SPRING be far off! A fun P-Day......and I even had a chance to get a couple of loads of laundry done too!