An Impression of Finland

The plane arrived in Helsinki at around 2:00 p.m. The sun had already set by the time I got to the city center and wherever I went, I could only see the illuminated neon red color...

It only took me five minutes or so of walking to get from the hotel to Helsinki Cathedral. The white church in the dark turned even whiter in the light of tiny flashing bulbs...

There is a vast open-air market located in front of the church where small handicrafts of today and the past all reflect the strong local culture...

I have already said that nothing is more important than eating a good meal. I was planning to enjoy a good meal after touring the church...

The charm of Helsinki during night time...

At 10:30 a.m., it is only dawn here. I am preparing to visit the Fortress of Suomenlinna...

I went past the open market located on the wharf. It is said that this is the largest market in Helsinki and I found nearly everything here, from daily foods to fur hats, overcoats, flowers, sidewalk snack booths...

Now I am eating, but I will be setting off in a few more moments...

During winter, it is really enjoyable to drink a bowl of salmon soup...

Uspenski Cathedral gives off a strong Russian feeling.

It is true that every city has a lovers’ bridge...

The hilarious boat ticket price list...

Getting on the boat to Suomenlinna costs eight Euros for each person. Please prepare your coins...

Suomenlinna is ranked the most popular attraction in Helsinki. It is a museum which shows the 300 or so years of history in Finland and it also happens to be an important military fortress for Finland’s maritime defense. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991. Compared with the capital, this place looks clean and fresh. Each boat docks at the wharf every 30 minutes and it only takes 15 minutes to get to the island...

Finlandia Caviar is a small restaurant at the wharf where you can eat caviar. There are only 10 seats at the restaurant and I ate the most expensive egg (45 Euros) ever in my lifetime. Haha.

Haha, this is the egg...

Havis Amanda, daughter of the sea...

The Rock Church, commonly known as Underground Church, a round church built inside hard rocks, does not have the bell tower that most churches have. It looks like a church hidden in the city...

After eating demo in the evening, I couldn’t help but to go to a restaurant named Kappeli. I passed by it twice and found that it was really beautiful. The restaurant is located in the park near the wharf and the view from the window was stunning.

At 9:00 in the morning, the couple at the airport admiring each other...

Rovaniemi is located at the northern altitude of 66°33’ in the Arctic Circle. The moment the plane landed, I only saw a wide expanse of white. It was my first time visiting a place which is so northern and also my first time to visit a snow kingdom like this...

In the polar night of winter, the sunrise began from 11:30 a.m. and ended at 1:30 p.m. I have never cherished sunlight like this. During the time when there was still light, I enjoyed myself and was afraid of missing any time...

The Artic Snow Hotel is the wonder of the polar region. It melts away in the following March. You can try staying here when you come here in winter...

Rovaniemi is the hometown of Santa Claus. Like in the fairy tales, you can meet Santa Claus, his cabin, his reindeer, and visit a small village of white snow. Everything seemed so real...

The Sami People in Lappi are said to be the last aboriginals of Northern Europe. This is also the last area that still preserves its original appearance...

Nili Restaurant, situated along the pedestrian street in the center of Rovaniemi’s, completely keeps the style and tableware of Lappi. This restaurant won the title of the most delicious restaurant in Finland in 2012...

This is bear meat, which tastes bad and has a strong flavor...

Late at night; a strip of northern lights floated in the sky and disappeared after a while. The only disappointing thing was that I didn’t see the legendary Revontulet, but what was lucky was that I saw the northern lights...I hope you come here to see the Revontulet someday. Good luck!