5:56 AM
waniemy
4 Jun 2011, Saturday
Touched down at Schiphol airport, Amsterdam from KLIA after my very first loooooong flight (12 hours). Transit flight to Helsinki, Finland for another 3hr 25min. Only now I understand why people hate long flight. I did walked to the back of the plane to just stand on my two feet, can't take the seating anymore!
Checked-in the hotel. Going up to the room is a discovery itself. They have a "weird" lift ('hissi' in Finnish), see picture. It has frozen-fridge-like door which you need to open before entering! With big luggage, max only 2 persons can fit it at one go. kuikuikui... With the heavy trolley bag, I squeezed myself into my very-small single room. Imagine, half of the room is a single bed and another half is a narrow space as small as the width of the single bed. Too bad I didn't take picture of it.
And, You know what??
After the very first hour of the first day in hotel, just before I went out from the room to go to the city, I dropped my camera on the floor! Oh crap.. It's gone! I can hear crackling sound when I shake it. There goes my old camera (Ricoh) which I purchased in Singapore. What to do? In the city, I ended up buying a new camera (Canon IXUS 220) at EUR219!!
That day we discovered almost all sightseeing spots in the city.
Esplanadi Park (Etelaesplanadi)
Market Square
At the end of Esplanadi facing the sea, this open-air market sells fresh fish, vegetables, berries and other produce and souvenirs too. I was busy choosing the magnet and keychain when the seller greet me with salam. I was surprised and happy at the same time to meet the Muslims in the foreign place. The father and daughter, they originally from Middle East have been living in Helsinki for 20 years.
Watch out for the seagulls! They can scoop your ice-cream or snatch your berries out of your hands in no time.
Senate Square
Senate Square houses the palace of the Senate, as well as the main building of the University of Helsinki, both of which were designed by famed architect Carl L. Engel. The center of the square has a statue of the Emperor Alexander II. The square's neo-classical design makes it one of the most attractive squares in the European continent.
From left:
- Ateneum Art Museum and National Museum - Under renovation
- Lutheran Cathedral
- Uspenski Cathedral (Uspenskin katedraali)
- Aleksanterinkatu (Aleksi) - Rows of shops and department stores.
6 - 10 Jun 2011, Monday-Friday
Working...
On Wednesday, we had a Finnish-Scandinavian tradition fine dining with the customer at Restaurant Hvitträsk (Ravintola Hvitträsk) which is surrounded by a breathtaking and mesmerizing view of the countryside.
11 Jun 2011, Saturday
During the final weekend before leaving for Den Bosch, we took a ferry trip to Soumenlina Island, the amazing sea fortress. It's like a township of military occupants. I explored through its deep, dark and cold tunnels. I wasn't prepared for it. Exploring through the darkness without torch light, I bang my head against one of the arch. Ouch...
Check out more pictures in my facebook
To be continued with the adventure in Den Bosch in the next post!
Touched down at Schiphol airport, Amsterdam from KLIA after my very first loooooong flight (12 hours). Transit flight to Helsinki, Finland for another 3hr 25min. Only now I understand why people hate long flight. I did walked to the back of the plane to just stand on my two feet, can't take the seating anymore!
Checked-in the hotel. Going up to the room is a discovery itself. They have a "weird" lift ('hissi' in Finnish), see picture. It has frozen-fridge-like door which you need to open before entering! With big luggage, max only 2 persons can fit it at one go. kuikuikui... With the heavy trolley bag, I squeezed myself into my very-small single room. Imagine, half of the room is a single bed and another half is a narrow space as small as the width of the single bed. Too bad I didn't take picture of it.
And, You know what??
After the very first hour of the first day in hotel, just before I went out from the room to go to the city, I dropped my camera on the floor! Oh crap.. It's gone! I can hear crackling sound when I shake it. There goes my old camera (Ricoh) which I purchased in Singapore. What to do? In the city, I ended up buying a new camera (Canon IXUS 220) at EUR219!!
That day we discovered almost all sightseeing spots in the city.
Esplanadi Park (Etelaesplanadi)
Market Square
At the end of Esplanadi facing the sea, this open-air market sells fresh fish, vegetables, berries and other produce and souvenirs too. I was busy choosing the magnet and keychain when the seller greet me with salam. I was surprised and happy at the same time to meet the Muslims in the foreign place. The father and daughter, they originally from Middle East have been living in Helsinki for 20 years.
Watch out for the seagulls! They can scoop your ice-cream or snatch your berries out of your hands in no time.
Senate Square
Senate Square houses the palace of the Senate, as well as the main building of the University of Helsinki, both of which were designed by famed architect Carl L. Engel. The center of the square has a statue of the Emperor Alexander II. The square's neo-classical design makes it one of the most attractive squares in the European continent.
From left:
- Ateneum Art Museum and National Museum - Under renovation
- Lutheran Cathedral
- Uspenski Cathedral (Uspenskin katedraali)
- Aleksanterinkatu (Aleksi) - Rows of shops and department stores.
6 - 10 Jun 2011, Monday-Friday
Working...
On Wednesday, we had a Finnish-Scandinavian tradition fine dining with the customer at Restaurant Hvitträsk (Ravintola Hvitträsk) which is surrounded by a breathtaking and mesmerizing view of the countryside.
11 Jun 2011, Saturday
During the final weekend before leaving for Den Bosch, we took a ferry trip to Soumenlina Island, the amazing sea fortress. It's like a township of military occupants. I explored through its deep, dark and cold tunnels. I wasn't prepared for it. Exploring through the darkness without torch light, I bang my head against one of the arch. Ouch...
Check out more pictures in my facebook
To be continued with the adventure in Den Bosch in the next post!
