On Sunday, many places are shut in Helsinki. So we headed to Haltia, The Finnish Nature Centre. It was a popular start for hiking in Nuuksio National Park. Google Maps said the 80-minute journey needed two buses to get there. We walked to the first bus stop but couldn’t find it. Then we saw a … Continue reading / view photos Haltia — gateway to Nuuksio
Category: Travel
Oodi — an ode to community
Oodi – which means ode in Finnish – is Helsinki’s Central Library. The original idea of a central library was floated in 1988. The Oodi leaflet for newcomers goes on to say that construction eventually began in 2015 and was opened a few years later to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Finland’s independence. In … Continue reading / view photos Oodi — an ode to community
Design museum, coffee and cake
Our first full day in Helsinki started with a walk to the Design Museum. Since it was Saturday, I was expecting to see lots of people out and about, shopping, and going to places. However, despite being 10am, the streets were fairly empty. When we got to the Design Museum, it was shut! Opening time … Continue reading / view photos Design museum, coffee and cake
A drizzly and cold Helsinki
After we’d boarded the plane, the pilot announced there would be an hour’s delay. We’d missed our slot. The passengers collectively groaned. Just as we’d accepted our fate, we were moving on the runway: the pilot said we’d been given another slot for take-off. We’d soon be flying to Helsinki, the capital of Finland, and … Continue reading / view photos A drizzly and cold Helsinki
Fort William, Cow Hill, and The Wildcat
We woke up to a blue sky. It was a bit chilly but otherwise the perfect day for a hike. Our original plan was to hike up Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK. However, for assorted reasons, we couldn’t have a whole a day in Fort William. We, therefore, decided to hike to … Continue reading / view photos Fort William, Cow Hill, and The Wildcat
Stornoway, Unilever, and a German frigate
We had the morning to look around Stornoway before leaving Lewis and Harris to take the ferry back to the Scottish mainland. We started at Lews Castle. It was built by James Matheson in 1847 and then bought by William Lever (Lord Leverhulme). These two Victorians had a noteworthy influence on the island. In 1844, … Continue reading / view photos Stornoway, Unilever, and a German frigate
The Butt of Lewis and Dùn Èistean
Cath was feeling under the weather for our final full day on Lewis and Harris, but she told us of a scenic walk at the northern end of the island, taking in the Butt of Lewis. It was a short walk, about 6km, but the 50-70kph winds made it seem longer. During the walk, we … Continue reading / view photos The Butt of Lewis and Dùn Èistean
Deers, cows, and Harris Tweed
We were back on the road again, being driven around our friend in Lewis and Harris. Two items were on the agenda for the day: a shopping trip to Tarbert (where we had landed a couple of days ago) and a hike. We first went to a shop selling Harris Tweed, which the island is … Continue reading / view photos Deers, cows, and Harris Tweed
Bothies, brochs, and standing stones
We were lucky to be staying with Cath, who lives on the island of Harris and Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. For our first full day, Cath drove us around the island. It was beautiful and I kept wanting to get out of the car to take photos. I was happy when we did a … Continue reading / view photos Bothies, brochs, and standing stones
Old Man of Storr and Fairy Glen
When I woke up after our first day in Scotland, I stepped out of the shepherd’s hut in Broadford and was greeted with this beautiful sight: Before sailing to the Outer Hebrides, we had two places we wanted to visit on our drive to the ferry port. The first place was the Old Man of … Continue reading / view photos Old Man of Storr and Fairy Glen