Never had any cabin mates arrive last night; had a great night’s sleep.
I met two cyclists yesterday as we waited to board the ferry to Helsinki. Unsurprisingly I ran into them this morning. As we disembarked, they mentioned I should see Suomenlinna, my intended destination anyway. I asked which direction to get there, and instead they led me directly … to a ferry. I rolled off the ferry to immediately board another! My cruise ship was still docked on the other side of the harbor.
Suomenlinna, a fortress constructed in 1748, played a critical role in multiple wars. It occupies eight islands (the main three now interconnected). Suomenlinna translates to “the castle of Finland” (formerly known as Sveaborg, or “castle of Sweden”), once hailed as the most heavily fortified fortress in Europe. In 1748, Sweden occupied the territory now known as Finland, when Finland eventually emerged as a back-and- forth between Russia, Sweden, and Germany.
Suomenlina now houses a number of museums. including the remaining one (of five) submarine of Finland’s fleet.
In total there are over 8 km of walls.
I spent the day there. After a late afternoon ferry ride back to Helsinki, I spent the evening wandering the streets, finding the usual street musicians, open-air markets, and even a food truck rodeo.