A very, very comfortable night on the train. The best sleeping carriage I’ve ever been on. Supremely quiet and fantastic suspension. So much so, that I struggle sometimes to determine if the train is moving or not.
I forgot to mention that in the bar last night was a dead ringer for Lesley Philips, the actor, “Hello poppet…”. Uncanny resemblance!
Despite the superb environment, I awake after 2hrs kip at 0300hrs and struggle to sleep again. It’s soon 0630hrs and I have to rise as the train terminates in Helsinki just after 0700hrs. Feeling somewhat jetlagged I grab a quick coffee and the freshest, nicest croissant I’ve ever had.
Find tram 4 outside Stockmann dept store and it’s a short 10min trip to the hotel. A converted 19th century jail. It’s too early to check in as it’s still only 0800hrs. As I’m a bit stinky in Helsinki, deposit a load of washing on the poor receptionist and dump my rucksack in storage.
It’s so early and Helsinki hasn’t quite woken up yet so hardly anyone about. I’m absolutey shattered so drink coffee to try and wake me from my torpa. Mosts shops and attractions don’t appear to open until late morning so it’s a cafe crawl in search of caffeine.The architecture of the city centre is quite interesting in a…..Gothic Ghostbusters sort of way. Receive an email from a birdspotting friend who asks me to look out for the Scandanavian Whistling Goose. I’m afraid to report the nearest I’ll find will be the Grey Goose………..vodka.
Enter Stockmann department store – think John Lewis and Waitrose combined. Greeted by a blonde Finnish girl at the Nespresso counter. “Would you like a coffee?”. As it’s a freebie I partake in the shot of espresso. We used to drink these thimbles of espresso whilst working in the tropics of Salvador, Brasil. The coffee lady made her way around the site office with a tray of thick, really strong, sweet, coffee. She couldn’t pronounce “coffee” and instead said “coff”. The British contingent (and there’s at least one of you reading this!) always did a little cough as she said this before taking our shot in the arm. It kept us amused! I end up buzzing around Helsinki high on caffeine.
Return to hotel mid afternoon and my room is available. Partly due to middle age and partly due to being so knackered I need an afternoon nap and crash out for a few hours. Wake up feeling worse.
There’s live music in the jailhouse courtyard bar so instead of being behind bars I’m in front of the bar having a pint listening to that whilst writing diary (oh yes, I’m running two books – the diary and the blog…..you only get to read what I want you to read….!!). It truly is jailhouse rock!
Dinner comprises an excellent carpaccio of reindeer and fillet of ox – which is so good. The last time I had fillet of ox was in Granada, Spain, whilst looking out at the sun setting on the Alhambra. So tasty, so Moorish.
