Friday, July 25, 2014
It is good to be in Finland. Probably the easiest border crossing we had on this trip. While sitting in our car, with the engine running, we handed over our passports to the immigration officer. Thirty seconds later we got our passports back, and that was the end of the entry process. No customs, no search of the vehicle, no wandering around trying to work out what to do.
We arrived at our pre-booked hotel and soon checked in and headed to the lounge for a much needed latte. A good friend had sent replica license plates to this hotel, and these were waiting for us when we arrived. Stephen spent 30 minutes fitting the replica plates to Sterlin. Pretty sure these fakes will not be stolen. Will be interesting to see if the Police will notice that the plates are not real. The hotel agreed to waive the 24 Euro a day parking charge for us, which saved us quite a bit of money. The hotel also helped us reserve the ferry to Tallinn.
We enjoyed free drinks in the lounge before heading out for a long walk around the nearby water. We watched the sunset over the harbor, very nice.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
We had a very enjoyable time walking around Helsinki. It was quite a bit quieter than we expected. Turned out there was a bit of a lull in the middle of the busy summer season with lots of locals actually headed off to their summer retreats. It was nice just relaxing and not having to do anything in particular. The late afternoon was spent relaxing.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
The main event for the day was a visit to the Sea Fortress of Suomenlinna. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site and tourist attraction. It was a beautiful day for a visit. We caught the public ferry over and back and in the middle wandered around the various islands. Finland and this fortress has been under the control of Russia and Sweden at various times.
We had lunch back at the hotel and did a few chores. The last of the bad Uzbekistan fuel was emptied out of the Jerry Cans and into Sterlin’s fuel tank. Our USA sticker was added to the rear of the car near the fake license plate. We suspected that European Traffic Police are going to want to see that sticker.
In the evening we meet Mainfred and Regina in the hotel lounge. We had a very nice evening talking to them and getting their perspective on Finland and other places and events. The plan is to meet up with them again when they visit San Francisco next year.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Up early to catch the ferry to Estonia. Sailing time was 10:30m.
