Näkemiin Finland!

My 40-day Finland vacation will soon be over and it’s time to say bye to the cold summer weather, the midnight suns, and so much more. I am grateful for having stayed here in Pori at my big sis’ flat which is located right at the heart of the city, near the Eetunaukio Square which has an open stage where shows and programs are regularly held. On Tuesday afternoons, we can even hear the music of the brass band playing.

My stay here has added more to my travel memories such as having a picnic at the Kirjurinluoto Park and walking by the Kokemäenjoki River, dropping by the Central Pori Church (Keski-Porin kirkko), checking out the Jazz Street during the recently concluded Pori Jazz 43rd Festival, learning about Pori’s history at the Satakunta Museum, enjoying a sunny Sunday afternoon at Yyteri Beach and shopping around some of the department stores and shops in the city center.

With niece Az and nephew Rj at the Satakunta Museum

Outside Pori, I am so blessed to have visited these interesting places in Finland:
Turku – where I can’t forget my tour inside the medieval Turku Castle and our long hike along the Aura River just to drop by the Turku Cathedral.
Helsinki – where we had a great time at the city museum, the Helsinki Cathedral, the market square, the Sibelius Park and the other historical buildings.
Tampere – where we had a sightseeing bus tour around notable tourist spots and visited four churches that day.
The world heritage sites of Old Rauma and Sammallahdenmäki.
The scientific exhibition at the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant in Eurajoki.

I still have to blog about some of the above-mentioned sites (Kirjurinluoto Park, Satakunta Museum, Pori, Helsinki, Tampere, Sammallahdenmäki and Olkiluoto) but my photos are yet to be organized. Hmmmm… I haven’t visited the famous Juselius Mausoleum here in Pori but never mind…maybe next time.  🙂  There was even a plan to visit Stockholm since Sweden is just nearby and can easily be visited via cruise from Turku. But this idea didn’t materialize for some reason. Nonetheless, it’s been a great vacation even without some side trips to a nearby Nordic country.

And what about the food? Some unforgettable tastes for me are: the Norwegian smoked salmon with blue cheese bought from the market square, mini salami sausage, marinated steaks, baked chicken, Finnish chocolates and the yummy sweet buns which my 12-year old nephew baked.

Here’s my trip itinerary (approximate time):
Depart at 1200nn (Pori) > Arrive at 500pm (Helsinki-Vantaa Airport) via bus
Depart at 700pm (Helsinki) > Arrive at 815pm (Prague) via Czech Airlines

I’m halfway packing with my bags (I still have one last pasalubong to buy later)… please pray that I’ll have a safe and happy trip. See you in Prague!

* Näkemiin = “Bye/See you again” in Finnish