National Museum of Finland
A Memorable Event
The delightful receptionist at our apartment made a booking at a classy restaurant called Restaurant Kappeli. This restaurant was established in 1867 and is housed in a beautiful old building on ‘The Esplanadi’, a tree lined esplanade in downtown Helsinki. We took a chauffeur driven stretched limousine to the restaurant! Our table for two was in a unique semi-circular atrium away from the rest of the diners. Our three course meal with matching wines for each course was sensational and a great way to celebrate the big day.
A Short Cruise
Next day we took a sightseeing cruise around the Helsinki Archipelago. This is a magnificent area for holiday homes on the numerous islands, for pleasure boating, swimming and relaxing. The only problem is the short season. All boats have to be taken out of the water in winter as the ice can be up to a metre thick and would crush the hulls of pleasure boats. We then had lunch in the ‘Old Market Hall’, a unique food market with small cafes, plenty of food shops and salmon to die for. After lunch onto a Panorama Bus to see some of the outskirts of Helsinki and to visit the Arabia Design Centre.
The Temppeliaukio ‘Rock’ Church – Built into solid rock with a magnificent domed roof and filtered light
Restaurant Kappeli in downtown Helsinki
Our private atrium table in Restaurant Kappeli
Holiday House on one of the islands in the archipelago
Old Market Hall – Small cafes and many food shops
Continuous Daylight
What we are struggling to get used to is the continual daylight. Whilst the sun is setting at 11:00 PM and rising again before 4:00 AM it never gets dark. Between 11:00 PM and 4:00 AM it is like dusk in Melbourne. People are still out in the park opposite our apartment having picnics at midnight. Winter is different, only 6 hours of daylight. Light at about 9:15 AM, dark at 3:15 PM. An interesting sideline. In Croatia there are ATM cash machines on every corner. In Helsinki we could only find 6 in the entire city and none in the tourist areas. Finland is almost a cashless society.
A Ferry To The Fortress
An early start with the tram to Market Square and a ferry to the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress. A video presentation and the museum gave a good understanding as to why the fort was built. We then went on a guided tour of the fort giving a great insight into the history. Back on the ferry and lunch at the Old Market Hall. Delicious smoked salmon on rye bread. Then onto the hop-on hop-off bus for a tour around Helsinki. This really is a beautiful city with some stunning architecture along with usual crappy buildings all cities have. A stop at Senate Square where we disembarked to walk up to the Helsinki Cathedral and then descended into the Crypt where Liz became an “angel” for a minute! What a magical place.
Downtown Helsinki
Downtown Helsinki for our third day, first to the Amos Rex Private Art Museum, a walk around the city and then to the Ateneum, The Finnish National Gallery. This is a beautiful city with some sensational buildings. It is hard to believe that Helsinki only has a population of 650 thousand people and Finland a population of 5.5 million. On the way back to our apartment we called into the modern Helsinki Central Library and were blown away. This place is amazing. Not just a library, but a meeting place and learning centre for everyone. Hundreds of people in the library, children everywhere and two cafes. Over three floors, the top floor being the library, the second floor a learning centre with computers, 3D printers, robot labs and even sewing machines and ironing board. All for everyone to use.
Suomenlinna Sea Fortress
Suomenlinna Sea Fortress
Senate Square & Helsinki Cathedral
The Crypt at Helsinki Cathedral – An art display in the crypt
A Day in Tallinn, Estonia
Up at 5:00 AM this morning for our day trip to Tallinn, Estonia to visit the ‘Old Town’. Ferry departed at 7:30 AM and arrived in Tallinn at 9:30 AM. A 15 minute walk and you are in the ‘Old Town’. We wandered the streets searching out the main sights, the Gothic Town Hall, Aleksander Nevsky Cathedral, Toompea Castle and other notable sights. A late lunch in the ‘Old Town’ then we wandered back to the ferry via the Nautica Shopping Centre located close to the terminal. On the way back on the ferry we watched people going crazy buying clothes, food items and especially alcohol to take back to Finland. Duty free allowances are very high in the EU so people had trolleys stacked with beer, wine and spirits.
Amos Rex Private Art Museum
Ateneum – Finland National Gallery
Library 3rd floor – Book, reading areas and lots of children
Library 2nd floor – Computers, 3D printers, sewing machines, robot lab
Tallinn Gothic Town Hall in the centre of the ‘Old Town’
Aleksander Nevsky Cathedral
A Trip Out of Town
A slow start next morning due to the big day yesterday. We took a local bus to Porvoo about 50 km from Helsinki. What makes this town unique is the beautiful old wooden houses and shops painted in soft pastel colours. An excellent tourist walking map is supplied so we walked the streets and looked at the highlighted sights of the ‘Old Town’. The cobbled streets are a feature but certainly not good for wheelchairs, bikes or scooters.
A Moment of Silence
Back on the bus to Helsinki and our last tourist stop was the Kamppi Chapel or as it is known ‘The Chapel of Silence’. A non-denominational church built of timber and acoustically designed. You walk into this building and it is totally silent from the hustle and bustle of Helsinki. You can sit and contemplate life without interruption. At the entrance door are counsellors and a priest and if you are having any issues, they will confidentially talk with you and help if they can. Just a great way to finish our 9 week trip.
Porvoo Old Town – Unique wooden buildings in pastel colours
Porvoo Old Town – Cobbled Streets
Kamppi Chapel – The Chapel of Silence in downtown Helsinki
Kamppi Chapel – Total silence once you enter
Category: 2019 UK & Europe
Documenting our trip to UK, Croatia and Finland in 2019
Dubrovnik, Croatia
We Depart The UK…. Our drive to the airport on leaving Matlock was via Market Harborough, a typical English market town and on a Saturday morning lots of activity including Morris Dancing. I had to hold Liz back from trying to participate! From there we headed to Stansted Airport for an overnight stay, before catching a 6:25 AM flight to Dubrovnik the following morning.
The Old Grammar School in Market Harborough
Croatia, A New Experience…. Arrived in Dubrovnik and caught the Airport Express bus and walked to our apartment right in the middle of the ‘Old Town’. No cars allowed but there were thousands of tourists. Apparently, this is the most visited tourist city in the world and we now know why. We were met at our accommodation by our host and even though we were 2 hours early for check-in our apartment was ready.
Restaurants outside our apartment. So many to choose from.
We Walk the ‘Old Town’…. After unpacking we walked the ‘Old Town’ to familiarise ourselves with our location and the main tourist hot spots and quickly decided every street and laneway is a tourist hotspot with most being filled with either restaurants or gift shops. Dubrovnik ‘Old Town’ is a medieval city surrounded by a wall which runs uninterrupted for nearly 2 km and completely encircles the town. The walls were built in the 9th century and fortified in the 14th century with a series of forts, bastions, quadrangular towers, and detached forts.
Main street in the ‘Old Town’, Placa
Hitting the Tourist Trail…. We visited a few of the free tourist spots; St Blaise Church, Cathedral Treasury and the Old Port. During these travels we found a hole in ‘The Wall’ with a sign saying ‘No Topless’, ‘No Nudists’ and being curious stuck our heads through only to find this amazing ‘Mala Bar Buza’ clinging to the rocks below the wall and overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Well, we had to have a beer and take in the magnificent view. Just be warned, beer and wine are not cheap in this bar, but the ambience is worth every penny.
Bar Buza outside the town wall
On the bus…. The next day we wanted to see a bit of the countryside so jumped on a local bus taking us east along the coast. After 30 minutes we jumped on another bus which took us west until we reached the main port of Dubrovnik and was politely told by the bus driver to get off. Another bus then took us back to the ‘Old Town’. We purchased a Dubrovnik Visitors Card (Kuna 250, A$60 per person) and this entitles you to many of the attractions in the ‘Old Town’ including walking the wall.
The Old Port from the bus
We walk ‘The Wall’…. Late in the afternoon we visited the Franciscan Monastery Museum and then took on the walk of the ‘Old Town’ wall. This 2000 meter walk with several hundred steps is a “must do” and was a highlight of our visit. There were photo opportunities at every turn and at the top of every set of stairs. Halfway round what better way to take in the sights than to stop for a beer at one of the bars on the wall. It took us 2 hours to walk the wall and we finished just as it was closing. All up, we had walked 14,000 steps that day and this seems to be the average in Dubrovnik.
Dubrovnik from the wall
An Early Start…. Our Dubrovnik Card was valid for 24 hours so the next day we were up early and visited the Maritime Museum located inside Fort St John, then to the Cultural History Museum inside the Rector’s Palace. From there just around the corner to the Pulitika Gallery and Studio.
Maritime Museum inside Fort St John
Museum in Rector’s Palace 
Pulitika Gallery
Back on the Bus…. When we emerged from the Gallery the town was packed with tour groups, so we decided to make use of our 24 hour bus pass and head out of town again. This time to Babin Kuk to the west of Dubrovnik. We jumped off the bus at the end of the line and walked to the Cave Bar which is part of Hotel More. From the reception area you take a lift down 9 floors and come out in the middle of a cave system complete with stalactites, stalagmites and a cocktail bar. The cave lets you out onto a patio level near the waters edge and you can walk down steps to swim in the Adriatic Sea.
Cave Bar in Hotel More
Pulitika Gallery…. After a cleansing ale at the Cave Bar we caught another bus down to Sunset Beach at Lapad. Not a sandy beach but pebbles and for A$28 you could rent a banana lounge and umbrella for the day or if you were really keen a Cabana Lounge for a cool A$170 for the day. We decided this was a private beach and we didn’t need to swim.
Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach has numerous restaurants and bars along a pedestrian walkway leading down to the beach and would be a popular holiday spot for Croatian and European holiday makers. Back on another bus which took us back to the ‘Old Town’. An interesting day and another 12,000 steps walked including once again, lots of steps.
Pedestrian Walkway down to Sunset Beach
Tomorrow we depart on our 8 day Croatian Cruise to Split and that starts with a tour of Dubrovnik so we would expect to get more history of the town and an explanation of the key sites.
A Week In The Peak District
Our drive from Windermere to Matlock of 140 miles (224 Km) was in constant rain but as we arrived the rain subsided and within half an hour there were patches of sun. English weather? We stocked up with supplies at the local supermarket then went to our cottage just out of downtown Matlock. Our cottage is a converted barn and is appropriately named Field Barn Cottage. A good pick as it is on the edge of town with views over the countryside, the local playing fields and a lane leading into the woods. Very quiet at night.
The lounge at Field Barn Cottage
A Hidden Gem…. Next day we woke to sunshine so up early and headed off to Lumsdale Falls just out of Matlock. A local walking his dog up the lane told us about this place. This area is a hidden gem and took us by surprise. The valley is home to a series of magnificent waterfalls, ponds and the ancient ruins of three water mills. You find one of the largest collections of water powered industrial mills in England. The area is a scheduled ancient archaeological site and much work continues to preserve this beautiful piece of English heritage.
A small section of Lumsdale Falls
After the strenuous 4 km walk, much of it up steps and steep rises to view the falls we decided we deserved a treat, so headed for the Tansley Tavern for a beer. Sitting outside in the sun was very pleasant and a good finish to a nice morning. We returned to our cottage for lunch before taking a drive to familiarise ourselves with the region.
Lumsdale Falls and a section of the historic water mill
We Go to New Heights…. We woke to a nice morning and took off early as rain was predicted in the afternoon. We went to Matlock Railway Station, parked the car and jumped on the train to travel one stop (4 minutes) to Matlock Bath to visit the “Heights of Abraham”. Taking a cable car from street level, you travel up the mountain to reach the attraction which consists of spectacular underground lead caverns, exhibitions, play areas, picnic spots, cafes and restaurants all set in a park environment. The complex has stunning views over the surrounding countryside particularly from the Victoria Prospect Tower built in 1844 to celebrate Queen Victoria’s reign.
Cable Car to “The Heights of Abraham”
Into The Caves…. Our first destination was the Masson Cavern which was a lead mine in the 17th century. What was unusual on this mine tour is we walked up 150 steps inside the mine and still ended up 120 feet underground. The tour guide gave an informative overview of mining in the 17th century along with an appropriate sprinkling of English humour. After a nice coffee in the restaurant we went to the second mine, the Rutland Cavern. This mine was much easier walking as it was level with only a few steps, and we exited on the same level.
Deep within the Masson Cavern, an old lead mine
The only problem was the entry of this mine was about 200 feet below the main visitor centre and we had to hike our way back up a winding path for lunch, to visit the other attractions and to descend back down on the cable car. Very good exercise for the day.
View over Matlock from the top of the Victoria Prospect Tower. 54 steps to the top
We took the train back to Matlock and returned to our car then drove back to Matlock Bath to visit the Masson Mills Shopping Village. This is an old textile mill that has been converted to a museum and shopping village with several discount stores. Our impression of the fashion in some of the country areas of England is that fashion is focused on the “matured aged person” who would like twinsets and cardigans!! We then returned to our comfortable cottage for happy hour.
Local train back to Matlock
We Go to the Derby…. A wet day was forecast so we headed back to the Matlock Station and caught the train to the city of Derby, a journey of 35 minutes. The rain had stopped when we arrived, and we walked to the Derby Intu Shopping Centre on the edge of the city. A large shopping centre with all the High St shops, a large theatre complex and restaurants. After spending some time exploring the shops different from Australia, we walked the town, albeit in light rain.
Derby Cathedral
We walked to the beautiful Derby Cathedral and then walked down Sadler Gate, a pedestrian precinct with a combination of fashion shops, classy bars and popular eateries. It was then back to Derby Station for our train journey back to Matlock. This train journey takes you through the Derwent Valley alongside the Derwent River and is a pleasant journey in a very comfortable train. A nice day despite the windy wet weather.
One of the unique pubs in Sadler Gate
Off to Bakewell
Bakewell is a village about 10 km from Matlock and a popular tourist destination. Situated on the banks of the River Wye it is the biggest town in the Peak District National Park. It’s mellow stone buildings, medieval five-arched stone bridge and quaint courtyards are very attractive. You can’t visit the town without trying the Bakewell tart or Bakewell pudding which is famous. We headed for Thornton’s Coffee Shop, ordered coffee, a Bakewell Tart and a Chocolate Brownie. The coffee was excellent, the Brownie delicious but mixed reviews of the Bakewell Tart because of the strong almond essence taste which is not Liz’s’ favourite.
Wye River at Bakewell with 5 Arch Bridge 
Pedestrian Bridge across river. Thousands of locks 
Unique Shopping Arcade
After walking the town and checking out a few of the shops we then headed for our next destination, the Thornbridge Brewery just out of Bakewell. This small brewery offers a guided tour and samplings of their many beers. The tour leader was very passionate and knowledgeable about the brewing process and how the brewery had grown over a 15 year period. We tasted a traditional ale, an Indian Pale Ale and a Lager and both agreed the Lager served nice and cold was our favourite. As part of our tour, as well as the tasting, we were able to bring home three bottles of the lager. A great tour and extremely good value.
Thornbridge Brewery Barrel Room for tastings 
Brewery Canning and Bottling lines
We had been in the Peak District of 5 days and had not spent any time in Matlock where we were staying and so parked the car and wandered the streets of the town. It is a beautiful town with a large very well kept park (Hall Leys Park) right in the middle of town and the usual selection of shops all housed in older style buildings. We then met up with our good friends Bob & Lindsay Ballard who had just flown in from Australia.
Matlock Town Centre
We had a nice lunch with them at the Grouse & Claret Pub in Rowsley then returned to our cottage for a quiet afternoon. The first in 5 weeks. Later in the day Bob & Lindsay joined us in our cottage for an early dinner before retiring after a long day.
Hall Leys Park in Matlock
We Catch the Tram…. A later start on Friday and as the rain had eased, we headed for the Crich Tram Museum. We were able to join the first guided tour of the day conducted by Kkkken. It turned out to be a highlight as Ken was a laugh a minute. He was about 4 ½ ft tall and was wearing a suit at least 4 sizes too large for him but his sense of humour and his enthusiasm was fantastic. There are a vast range of vintage trams in the museum and all had been beautifully restored and were in running condition.
Our favourite guide, Ken
Following the guided tour we went to the historic pub in the museum for morning tea and then took a short ride on a vintage double decker tram and then walked back through a bushland trail which was part of museum. The museum, rated 4½ stars on Tripadvisor is certainly well justified.
Historic trams at the Crich Tram Museum
From the museum we headed to Lumsdale Falls as Bob & Lindsay were keen to see the falls and the mill ruins. Then back to Matlock for a quick walk around and to visit a huge antique shop before heading back to our cottage for a late afternoon rest. We then headed back into Matlock for a drink at a local pub, The Remarkable Hare and then went for dinner at “Thailand 1”, an excellent Thai restaurant in the heart of Matlock for a birthday celebration dinner for Lindsay & Liz. A lovely end to a nice couple of days.
Dinner at Thailand 1, Thai restuarant 
The birthday girls, Liz & Lindsay
Our 5 ½ weeks in England has now come to an end. Tomorrow we head to Croatia spending time in Dubrovnik, Split and a Croatia cruise.