Helsinki- Finland

1 August- caught a very large ferry across the Baltic Sea to Helsinki. Took approx. 2 hours. The boat had numerous food places including a formal restaurant, a supermarket, shopping and a live band. There was not much to see- Stephen unoriginally asked me what was I expecting: ' the Hanging Gardens of Babylon' ? Hah. Anyway was just a lot of water- some surprisingly shallow water it seemed. Hotel is yet again in a very good location and is comfortable- near the main square where tomorrow's tour starts . We walked around the old part of the city this afternoon. Some cute markets down near the water and saw the 2 main churches- Uspenski Catgedral which is a Russian Orthodox one and Helsinki Cathedral- White Lutheran cathedral- very plain inside but is definitely a landmark on the skyline. The area with the markets is in a square called Market Square. Walked past a yellow brick building we liked the look of but was closed. Just checked and is a 19th century Old Market Hall. It is also right near the waters edge. May go back tomorrow. Most buildings seem to date from the 19th century. Are some impressive buildings with impressive statues.. Saw the main railway station- that has huge statues outside. Very imposing looking. Lot of buildings very grey block- like looking though- quite severe looking. Lots of shops and shopping areas are very pleasant to wander around. Low key Italian meal tonight. Is summer here of course but back to wearing warmer clothes as is definitely cooler around 18 degrees. Get a city bus tour tomorrow.