Day 26: Helsinki to Turku

APRIL 29 - Below freezing in the morning but plenty of sun. Walk to the tram line for the short trip to the Helsinki Train Station (Helsingin päärautatieasema). On way we get some quick breakfast eats, a meat pie for Janet and Odette (lihapiirakka) and a veggie one for me (veggipiirakka).

Helsinki train station is a real art nouveau landmark. Get our tickets for Turku from the machine, as there is no longer a ticket counter with a live person. Our seats are on the second level. We are passing through a region riddled with lakes, as is most of southern Finland. The spruce and birch forests are almost solid, excepting built up areas. Again, see very little evidence of spring, other than the occasional growth of bluebells or daffodils. Wi-fi on the train, a bit slow, but its free.

Today’s route: (A) Helsinki, (B) Turku.

Arrive in Turku after two hours. About a 20 minute walk to the B&B where we are staying, just on the edge of downtown. Turku was the capital of Finland during the time the region was a part of Sweden, and is considered the oldest city in the country, having been noted in an annal from 1229 (this has been used as the foundation year of the city). From its beginnings it was known as a market town. It is somewhat more ‘Swedish’ than towns further east, as in, more native Swedish speakers. The Swedish name for the city is Åbo. It only lost status as a capital after the Russian occupation in 1809, when Czar Alexander I decided to move the government to Helsinki. This was apparently done to keep the administration closer to Russia proper. The move sped up after the Great Fire of 1827, which destroyed nearly all the city buildings.

Walk down to the Aura River, which acts as an axis along which most of the important historical structures are focused. A pleasant, car-free promenade stretches all the way to the ocean from here.

Turku Cathedral, opened in 1300. It was significantly expanded in the the 15th to 16th Century, and underwent extensive repair after the Great Fire of 1827.

Looking back toward the entrance of Turku Cathedral, with the organ above.

A number of student groups were in the parks today. Easily identified by their overalls, with each major field of study noted by the color. Each student begins their degree with a blank suit, and then fills it with patches. They are not meant to be washed.

A reminder of how the geography of this region is changing. The sign notes that in 2000 BCE, this spot would have been at sea level. While sea level rise is the norm in places like Florida and the South Pacific islands, here the opposite is happening. The west coast of Finland is rising due to isostatic rebound.

A view up the Aura River, with the Turku Cathedral visible in the background.

It may look nice and warm in these photos, but the wind chill continues to challenge us. The average of 7 degrees C today is quickly brought down to near freezing.

Finland I