Tourism, Travel

Oulu-Helsinki-Stockholm-Lund-Copenhagen

It’s back on the train heading to Helsinki.

Boarding at Oulu
Ice on the window.

I had not reserved a seat. The train conductor pointed out that the train was going to get very full. She found a seat with a cancelled booking for me.

Ängeslevänjoki
Some of the trees are heavily laden with snow.
Snow on the overhead cables.

Some pretty houses on the way.

Crossing the frozen Oikolanjoki
Bright sunshine approaching Helsinki.
Disembarking At Helsinki Central

Its then on to a tram to go to the ferry.

Helsinki Cathedral

It’s warmed up in Helsinki do the snow is getting slightly slushy.

Government Palace

We get sightings of the different waterways from the tram.

Some interesting buildings on the way.

The tram arrives at the ferry terminal

The Gabriella from the tram.

Checking in and going through passport control is fast and straightforward.

View from the walkway.
Boarding

Off to find my cabin which is on the fifth deck, the level we entered on.

Bit of a maze
My cabin

The sun is setting as we leave Helsinki giving some magical views.

How close !

A wander round the boat, some food, then to bed. There is live music on board and a massive dinner buffet. However I got up for the breakfast buffet. Again with a view.

Local ferry
Arrived in Stockholm

Then it’s a trip with a bus and underground to the Central Station.

Next to the Slussen stop

Temperatures have risen since my previous visit.

View from the underground train

A little walk to the central station.

Klara Church
Central Station
And we’re off.
Crossing the Årastaviken
And the Igelstaviken
Passed through Norrkoping
Near Linkoping

The snow is reducing.

Gripenberg Castle

I changed to a regional train at Lund. No pictures as I spotted a train leaving before my planned connection so did a rapid change. Now I was 35 minutes ahead of schedule.

Malmo

The sky is grey with very low cloud.

Malmo sky

Disappointingly the crossing on the bridge from Sweden to Denmark is very foggy.

The bridge crossing.
Modern buildings not far from Copenhagen Airport
Arrived at Copenhagen station.
Tourism, Travel

Helsinki

It is cold and snowy in Helsinki.

Catching a tram.

I had plenty of time before checking in time for the hotel, so decided to ride the tram to the end of the line and get the flavour of Helsinki.

Uspenski Cathedral
Helsinki Cathedral
National Museum of Finland

Got to the end of the line having passed the central station. Hopped onto a different tram on the basis that it would go to the central station, which it did.

Central Station

It’s one stop up the line on the train to where I am staying.

From the local train.
Snowy forest near hotel.
The hotel is in the Tripla mall which is attached to the railway station.
Good views from the hotel dining room.
Hotel breakfast is very good.

Had some good food in Helsinki.

Soup
Finnish vegetable stew
A very hot Chinese dish in the mall.
View of the station from the restaurant
Sun about to rise Kaiseniemeniahti – frozen.

The snow is often not cleared but strewn with grit to help the grip. Most of the time this is fine but just occasionally I found a slippery patch.