HELSINKI, Finland - Friday, May 12, 2017

For a European capital, Helsinki is small, but its history and a Finnish spirit are larger than life. The elegant capital is known as the "White City of the North" for its neoclassical beauty and Art Nouveau grace. 

 

Arts, politics and education converge in Senate Square, a wide-opened space surrounded by the University of Helsinki and the Government Palace.

 

The city's centrepiece is the magnificent Helsinki Cathedral. It's colonnaded entrances echo Ancient Greece and its green domes recall grand old Russia.

Locals and visitors gather at Market Square, buzzing with open air stalls, crafts, souvenirs and news of the day.

 

 

We even found a couple geocaches in the area.

 

We visited the unique Temppeliaukio Kirkko (Rock Church), carved into a block of underground granite beneath a domed copper roof.

 

 

The drive out to view Sibelius Monument took us through parks and beaches. It was still very cold, but the locals love the many islands and all have boats.  

 

 

Sibelius monument ...  impossible not to photo bomb here!

We loved the feel of this city. They call it a mini-St. Petersburg.  Easy to get around and there are more than 400 islands in the city.

All for now, love to all