Photo Friday: Helsinki, Finland

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Before getting mowed down by a cab, I did have a few short hours to soak in Helsinki—quite literally. It didn’t stop pouring the entire time I was there.

I did thank my lucky stars, for once, I decided to throw my rain jacket in my carry-on last minute.

But jacket or not, the wet and cold (40 degrees in JUNE) still didn’t make for the most pleasant day of seeing Helsinki by foot.

Nor was it good for my camera, which dodged raindrops like bullets. (And try as I may, I couldn’t correct all the water spots in Lightroom.)

The thing is, while the architecture was beautiful, Helsinki, to me, could have been any ol’ Scandinavian city. There was nothing particularly defining about it.

Prior to my trip, quite a few travelers told me Helsinki’s a 24-hour city. I usually don’t believe that any place can be absorbed in such a short period, but this time I’m inclined to agree.

Next time I’m in Finland, I think I’ll skip the capital entirely, and head straight to Lapland where the reindeer play.

*All photos taken with a Canon XTi, 10-20mm lens (but my 17-85mm is back and good as new—finally!).

**For more Photo Friday fun, head over to Delicious Baby.

COMMENTS
  • July 10, 2009

    I’ve heard the same thing said about Helsinki, not much of anything. Somewhere in the city there is this glass toilet where you can see out but no one can see in, and it’s sitting right in the middle of a busy street. Great pictures.

  • July 10, 2009

    It is an interesting collection of architecture. But the land of reindeer sounds more exciting to me. Glad you got your camera back.

  • July 10, 2009

    My dad used to work for a Finnish company, and he was in Helsinki at least a couple months a year. This is the first time I’ve ever seen pictures. All he ever talked about was the beer. Priorities.

  • July 10, 2009

    Looks adorable, at any rate. I love how you photograph architecture at such interesting angles, rather than straight on. It brings to light some interesting features that one might otherwise miss.

  • July 10, 2009

    Great pics! I’ve always wanted to see Helsinki… maybe it’s the name!

  • July 10, 2009

    I love the last picture…very cool view of the boat with the city in the background!

  • July 10, 2009

    The third picture from the bottom? I want to live there. At least for 24 hours.

  • July 10, 2009

    I think it’s lovely, but I’m biased, I suppose.

  • July 10, 2009

    Methinks you might still be ticked and Helsinki for the whole car hitting episode ๐Ÿ˜€

  • July 10, 2009

    In my next life (or when the kids leave home) I want your job.

  • July 10, 2009

    Rain doesn’t scare me:) Even though I never bring my rain gear anywhere and then complain aobut it. however, if I was there, I’d deal with the rain too:)

  • July 11, 2009

    You amazed me with your photos. Even with the rain, the shots are still amazing!

  • July 11, 2009
    kelly

    Agreed. Didn’t think there was much to see in Helsinki when I was there (in Jan ’98). But I do have a nice (film) photo of a statue on the street wearing a scarf.

  • July 11, 2009

    Your photographs are awesome! Can you tell me how you take such tack sharp images?! ๐Ÿ™‚ I hope to go to Scandinavia one day. Thanks for giving an honest feedback on certain cities.

  • July 12, 2009

    I’ve always wanted to travel to Scandinavia..thanks for this small glimpse ๐Ÿ™‚

  • July 13, 2009

    something tells me that with your track record you should most definitely carry your rain jacket at all times ๐Ÿ˜‰

  • July 15, 2009

    I felt the same way about Helsinki – a nice city without any particularly defining features compared to other Scandinavian cities.

  • March 16, 2020

    We had two days in Helsinki and while it’s not my favourite European capital, we had a great 48-hours. It did help that the sun was shining though! You should definitely visit Turku next time – my favourite Finnish city.

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