Day 266 Sun 8 Jul 2007 Helsinki to Porvoo, Finland

The morning finds us on another boat, this time heading across the harbour to Suomenlinna, a group of islands fortified by the Swedes with money provided by the French to resist Russian power in the 1700’s. Once the largest naval fortifications in Europe and intended to be resilient to maritime attach it fell to the Russians after only a short land siege in the 1808s who nearly lost it to the French and Brits a few decades later in the Crimean war. It’s a bit like Cockatoo Island in Sydney with massive dry dock and naval repair installations dating from its inception to the 1960s when it became a national park. Oh and yes its on the world heritage list. It’s all very interesting with some good displays and museums, cafes and art studios.

We return to the city and after a plate of salmon and vendace (like small mullet or sardines) in the harbour marketplace we make tracks for Porvoo, Finland’s second oldest settlement 45km east. Although the town with its red timber houses lining the river bank and cobbled street with trendy restaurants and arty shoppes is a popular tourist destination it has few and very poor hotels. We call a b&b on a farm outside the town but have to wait until the owners get back from their weekend camping trip before checking into a room above the stables. We pass the time having supper in an old sailing vessel moored on the riverbank watching the sun set over the forests at 11pm.