22h cruise Helsinki-Tallinn-Helsinki. Brutally honest review

I think it’s best if I first explain what the 22-hours cruise is and what’s the point of going on one. It’s basically a party event that is hold on-board of the MS Silja Europa ship, where passengers are buying reasonably cheap booze, having lots of alcohol to drink the first evening and dealing with consequences – a slow hangover – the next day. I see it as a Finnish version of a mini spring break of some sort, that goes on and on.

Winter adventure: day trip to Turku city. Turun linna in the snow

If you’ve been following my blog from the very beginning, then you know that I have been to Turku a couple of times. But it has always been in the summer (I don’t calculate work trip since I’ve hardly seen the city during that visit). That is why I wanted to go to Turku in the winter. And not just any winter! No, I wanted it to be a magical white winter, when Turun linna (Turku castle) would look like a beautiful winter postcard. Well, at least that’s how I imagined it.

Museum tour in Suomenlinna

Suomenlinna or Sveaborg in Swedish is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s an inhabited sea fortress built on the few islands in the 18th century, when Finland was still part of Sweden. Suomenlinna is my absolute favorite place in Helsinki! You can play outdoors games here, explore the fortress, have a picturesque picnic or take the sun and simply enjoy the beauty around you. There are also museums, craft shops, restaurants and summer theater.

Snowy Easter in Kaipola

Last days of March… and spring was nowhere to be found. Grey landscapes of Helsinki and Espoo were starting to bore and depress me. It’s like weather got stuck somewhere in the middle – between winter and spring. It was snowing almost every day, and in the evenings snow was turning into slippery mud. So, I was more than happy to leave Southern Finland and spend Easter in Kaipola, Central Finland.

Helsinki Christmas market

Ah… Christmas! It might be hard to believe but just a few years ago I wasn’t really into celebrating Christmas, and catching Christmas spirit at some point was a “mission impossible”. But I guess it grew on me. And now I’m visiting local Christmas market with my husband every year. It became our tradition. Don’t know about you but for me personally X-mas market is like a little miracle. This is the place that makes me smile, it brings me happiness and joy.