Assorted slices from a Friday afternoon exploring Helsinki

My bus back from the Porvoo daytrip dropped me off a little after 3pm. That left me about 3.5 hours before sunset, so I tried to make the most of it with an admittedly loose agenda:

* Walk / bike along the southern edge of the city
* Check out the Old Market Hall
* Pass through that stretch of Bulevardi to pick up something for Judy

The pics and notes below are what I could grab / thought to take. As I was using a City Bike for a decent stretch of this and can't snap and ride simultaneously, I'll just have some of those memories in my head.

First move was to simply start walking south from my apartment in Ullanlinna. Took a few vibe shots of what is a stylish, upscale little area. Enjoyed staying here and would recommend it for sure.

Google tells me my apartment was about a 15-minute walk from Kaivopuisto. Maybe that's right. I was zig-zagging a bit just taking it all in. Could have sworn I had taken more pictures that what I'm seeing in the fotoroll. Might have been distracted just enjoying the day. You'll have to trust me or seek out other pics of that park, but it's beautiful. Great place to enjoy some nature in the city. That is a theme I definitely noticed. Read about it before arriving and experienced it while there.

Pretty sure I picked a City Bike at that location highlighted on the map below (the unmarked heart icon is where my apartment was). This was my first time cashing in on the 10 euro week pass I has secured upon arrival. Little snafu prevented me from using them earlier. But nicely responsive customer service via email helped me figure out my issue and this time I pulled the bike w/o any problems.

It was a beautiful time for a ride. Sunny, clear, crisp. Park was surprisingly empty. But maybe everyone had been out enjoying it earlier and was now getting ready for their evening plans. Or, I guess it was Friday late afternoon. i.e., still working hours for many.

One sight that inspired me to hop off the bike and take a specific foto was the juxtaposition of modern and traditional waterfront homes. These two shots were taken just a couple hundred meters apart from each other. Both pretty great vantage points for enjoying the setting sun over the coastal horizon.

I did want to check out the Old Market Hall, so I doubled back on the bike and headed toward the center of the city. My route is largely what you see in that dark blue line below. First leg south was me walking through the park to the City Bike, then biking along the waterfront before taking it to the center.

Dropped off the bike near Savoy, which is apparently a very nice Finnish restaurant, and the Royal Bank of Scotland, which has an eye-catching exterior.

Also liked the look of this Taito shop that I walked by on the toward the Old Market Hall.

I did not take any pictures inside the Old Market Hall. Did a very quick lap. Looked mostly like food options as other shops had closed earlier. Unsurprisingly, it felt pretty touristy. As I mention in a previous post, if I do make it back to Helsinki --- or if you're heading to Helsinki --- Hakaniemi Market Hall is the one I would want to check out. However, the folks using their boats to merchandise their wares was a nice touch. Nothing I was in the market for. But if you're a more adventurous eater than me (likely 99% of the planet, tbh), then you might spend more time chatting these folks up to learn more about what they had on offer.

Snapped a pic of the Upsenski cathedral standing out there in the sun.

Had to keep it moving as I was working the clock before some of the shops along Bulevardi closed for the evening. I had spotted Chez Marius the day before and wanted to get over there to find something for Judy. Some other window fronts caught my eye along the way. Fasetti is apparently a furniture store. Sure. I just liked that fanciful circus ostrich thing in the window.

Argentinian Embassy has a nice location. I'm sure there are worse postings around the globe.

Couple of general vibe shots. Really liked the feel of this area.

Pieni astiakauppa also jumped out to me. Anything ceramics will get my attention. Did remind me of what we saw in Bolesławiec. I scanned the shelves quickly through the window in case there was an obvious espresso cup I could secure for myself. But I did not go in. Sitting here now I'm kinda wishing I did. But I had other things to take care of.

I did take care of those things at Chez Marius. So, mission accomplished, I hoofed it back to the apartment. Kaisan pitseria which is maybe 50 meters up the street from where I was staying looked great. Snug, cozy. Took the pic before seeing online that the reviews are spectacular. It's a must-visit next time. Wasn't going to step solo into an 8-seat little local joint and ask for spot.

Called to mind Angelina Ristorante in Chicago, which I'm delighted to see is still going strong 28 years after I first spotted it and thought it represented everything I liked about my new city. Understated, authentic, warm.

With that, I retired to the apartment with another prepared meal from K-market and a nice Finnish IPA. Tomorrow would be another full day.