FUN-travel: Helsinki, Finland – Day 6 – Princess Baltic Cruise
July 29, 2014 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Helsinki, Finland – Day 6 – Princess Baltic Cruise
Day 25 – Friday, July 25 – Helsinki, Finland – Princess Cruise – Day 6 – not a cloud in the sky – 80 – sunrise 3:57 – sunset 10:44
What I LIKE
- 7:30 – wake up
- Fall back to sleep
- 9:30 – down for hot cappuccino
- 10:45 – head off ship for self tour
- $12 shuttle to town – RT pp
- 11:20 – arrive
- short walk thru Esplanade Park to…
- – Market Square – next to harbor
- – filled w/vendors selling food, fish, fresh veggies & fruit, clothing, souvenirs, lace, etc
- – searching for good souvenir deal on grandkids stuff
- – find nice man who does & another lady
- Up to Senate Square – old buildings – University & St Nicholas cathedral
- Looking for water & wine to take back to ship
Senate Square
- Stockman – on corner @ end of Esplanade – huge department store
Market Square
- – sells everything from clothes, to electronics, to groceries
- – just like Corte Ingles in Spain
- 1:30 – shuttle back to ship
- 2:00 – take laptop down to cruise terminal for free & fast wifi
- 2: 30 – finally get connected – internet but no email
- 3:25 – board
- 3:30 – pepperoni pizza on Deck 16 – pretty good
- 4:30 – sail away – lots of little islands
- 5:00 – little nap
- 7:00 – happy hour martini’s deck 7 – more good stuffed olives
- Tonight’s captains gala
- – invited to cocktail reception but opt out
- food usually better on this night
- 8:15 – dinner in Concerto deck 6
- – Symphony dining on deck 5 full
- – escargot & ravioli starters, salads
- – Lobster & shrimp – Elements 2009 Sonoma Meritage
- – $15 extra charge – good but not that good
Market Square
- 9:15 – Princess Live – Marriage Match Game Show
- – like the Newlywed game – pretty funny
- 10:15 – sunset really spectacular
- – ship is going very slow & water is like glass
- – colors in sky & sea unlike anything I’ve ever seen before
- Get another hour back
What I DON’T LIKE
- 8:15 – my 7:30 hot cappuccino is now lukewarm
- – get thrown out of one vendor stall when I asked for better price
- – I kid you not!
- – they have sign that reads 1 for $5 – 3 for $12 – 10 for $35
- – wanted to buy 11 things
- Can’t connect to free wifi
- Escargot has no garlic – the French would be appalled!
- Chris always carries a camera & didn’t
- – run back to room for movie camera – miss sunset
FUN-fact – Finland is the home of Nokia and the creator of Angry Birds.
More FF – Helsinki was chosen to be the World Design Capital In 2012.