I am on my way home to Australia after more than 5 months in Italy. I always stop in Helsinki for a few days…I love the city, and summer is a great time to be in Finland. On my way to Italy in January Helsinki was covered in snow, now everything is green and bright.
At 8.00pm on a lovely day people gather in the parks to take advantage of the long, warm evenings.
Restaurants and cafes have their tables outside.
I managed to track down a fine piece of salmon for my outdoor dinner.
There was rain the next morning, but I headed off anyway to walk around the Toolonlahti area. The Barnacle geese have had lots of babies this year.
A parent keeps watch while the babies look for food.
Flowers are in bloom everywhere in the parks.
I wandered around enjoying my favourite places in the city.
I usually find the man who plays music on bottles, he must be out and about often.
I stayed at the Glo Art Hotel again. It is a gorgeous hotel in a 1903 Art Nouveau castle in the centre of Helsinki.
With a bit of luck I will have a sunny last day in Helsinki before boarding the plane for home.
For more on Helsinki take a look at my Beautiful Helsinki Blog…there is a link on the right.
Glad to hear that you are enjoying yourself in Helsinki. Great photos. Have a nice trip back home and we shall see you in October.
By: mulino dominillo on June 29, 2013
at 7:14 pm
I love Helsinki, even in the rain. I look forward to our next coffee and sfoglia at Ponte a Serraglio.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2013
at 7:21 pm
What a lovely city to visit regularly. Maybe we will get there one day.
By: Jim & Kerry on June 29, 2013
at 7:27 pm
I’m sure you would love Helsinki.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2013
at 10:04 pm
Thanks for sharing these wonderful and amazing images
By: karmami on June 29, 2013
at 7:28 pm
Thank you for visiting Bagni di Lucca and Beyond.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2013
at 10:05 pm
you are welcome
By: karmami on June 29, 2013
at 10:06 pm
I love your photos of the Havis Amanda statue and the fountain. Have safe trip home.
By: Teresa Maria on June 29, 2013
at 7:36 pm
Have a safe trip home. (It seems there’s no cancel button in wordpress if you have made a spelling mistake.)
By: Teresa Maria on June 29, 2013
at 7:39 pm
There are lots of photos of the mermaid in a post I did on Beautiful Helsinki…I think she is lovely.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2013
at 10:06 pm
Your last name sounds Finnish? Thanks for visiting Helsinki!
By: reijosfood on June 29, 2013
at 8:01 pm
My grandfather was born in Sakkijarvi. I love Finland! We have driven all over Finland and we will be staying in northern Finland this Christmas.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2013
at 10:04 pm
[…] I am on my way home to Australia after more than 5 months in Italy. I always stop in Helsinki for asource […]
By: Summer in Helsinki | Home Far Away From Home on June 29, 2013
at 8:13 pm
I have not yet made it to Helsinki and would love to go!
By: thirdeyemom on June 29, 2013
at 8:41 pm
Helsinki is a beautiful city, you must visit.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2013
at 10:07 pm
Wonderful photos…….I enjoy visiting Helsinki thru your eyes!
By: Debra McElhaney on June 29, 2013
at 8:43 pm
I hope you visit in person one day.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2013
at 10:08 pm
Would love to go to Finland and Helsinki one day – when I was a school boy I had a Finnish girl pen friend I corresponded with – her name was Pirkko Peltola
By: Francis on June 29, 2013
at 9:37 pm
I went to school with a Harry Peltola.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 29, 2013
at 10:09 pm
Beautiful, Deb! So lovely to see sunshine, it’s been bucketing down here in Sydney for a week solid!
By: Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial on June 29, 2013
at 10:33 pm
I had 4 months of rain in Italy…enough rain to last me a while.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 30, 2013
at 6:28 am
It looks so lovely; I love the duck babies with their heads down while their sensible Mama watches where they are going. It’s very chilly and wet here in Brisbane this morning – that’s also my kind of lovely.
By: Jan on June 30, 2013
at 12:27 am
I am happy with chilly, but I have had enough of wet.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 30, 2013
at 6:29 am
I’ve always enjoyed your posts about Helsinki…it is so different than your snow covered visits. Thank you for sharing the opposite season.
By: Karen (Back Road Journal) on June 30, 2013
at 12:28 am
Summer in Helsinki is just lovely.
By: Debra Kolkka on July 4, 2013
at 10:03 am
Your love for the place always shines through Deb. What a great way to sweeten an otherwise sad parting with Italy for now.
By: janinevasta on June 30, 2013
at 3:47 am
I always enjoy my stays in Helsinki. Later this year we are heading off to Finnish Lapland.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 30, 2013
at 6:31 am
Looks like a very vibrant city! Great photos!
By: Ali on June 30, 2013
at 5:03 am
Helsinki is a very lively modern city…I love it.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 30, 2013
at 6:32 am
I also had a penpal from Finland when I was at school, and have always wanted to go there. It looks so beautiful. Will you miss Italy? I feel that the best of summer is yet to come. Did you feel the earthquake the other week?
By: Catherine on June 30, 2013
at 5:17 am
I start missing Italy before I leave. I helped that I had a rotten last day trying to negotiate with my insurance company over a very simple matter. What I don’t miss is the inefficiency of Italy. I did feel the earthquake, my house shook. I was terrified when I felt the first one, but I have become somewhat used to them.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 30, 2013
at 6:35 am
One of the things I miss the most from Canada is the salmon. Helsinki looks beautiful, one day … I hope.
By: Jennifer Avventura on June 30, 2013
at 5:43 am
The salmon here is delicious. I hope you visit one day.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 30, 2013
at 6:35 am
What a difference five months makes, it’s hard to believe, looking at these images, that the city was whited-out not so long ago.
By: Just Add Attitude on June 30, 2013
at 9:10 am
It is amazing that it can be so warm in the summer when you consider the freezing winters.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 30, 2013
at 6:14 pm
What a lovely city–and it is very green. Here on the equator we have 12 hours of daylight and dark all year round. It must be strange, maybe fun, to live so far north and have so many extremes in terms of light. Hope you are well, my friend.
Hugs,
Kathy
By: Kathryn McCullough on June 30, 2013
at 1:52 pm
We don’t have much twilight in sub tropical Brisbane either. The long days in Helsinki summer are lovely.
By: Debra Kolkka on June 30, 2013
at 6:15 pm
I remember walking that park through downtown. Definitely a beautiful city.
By: Frank on July 1, 2013
at 10:51 am
The park in the middle of the town is gorgeous. I love spending time there when I am in Helsinki.
By: Debra Kolkka on July 4, 2013
at 10:05 am
Great to see the Finns making the most of the long Summer days. You’ve captured the essence of Summer with gorgeous shots of the flowers. Lovely!
By: Sandra Hoopmann on July 1, 2013
at 3:38 pm
It is a beautiful time to be in Finland. We will see a much different landscape when we are there at Christmas time.
By: Debra Kolkka on July 4, 2013
at 10:06 am
Glorious summer snapshots Debra! Helsinki looks lovely, hope to get there someday. Have a safe flight back.
By: Madhu on July 2, 2013
at 1:19 pm
Helsinki is a beautiful city, especially in summer.
By: Debra Kolkka on July 4, 2013
at 10:07 am
[…] Summer in Helsinki (bagnidilucca.wordpress.com) […]
By: Bars in Helsinki | IUWFNVWIFN on July 19, 2013
at 7:22 pm