Just can't keep Jim off the water

In Helsinki it is overcast and yes, we have some summer showers. We get our rain slickers and head down to the harbor to find a place to eat. We want to see the lindaline fast ferry “Merlin”. As we look over at the big red catamaran, I say to Jim;

“What’s that small green boat tied up to that rather large yacht?”

Jim exclaims;

“That’s the King of Norway’s 8 meter!”

HRH is an Olympic sailor and is coming to Helsinki for the 8 Meter World’s.

 We see the captain of a dining cruise boat standing outside her yacht. 

 She encourages us to take the dinner cruise. Jim says; Let's go!

 3 million saunas in Finland for the populaiton of 5 million! Here is one in the Helsinki Archipelago

 Onboard,we see these mother-daughter tourists from Milan, Italy - We meet them as we disembark - what fun people!
This morning we find them at the table beside us at breakfast at our hotel!

Thank you

Thank you = kiitos ( key toes )

Opera in Savonlinna

We drive to eastern Finland  to attend an opera in a castle. 

Norppaooppera – The Seal

Rock Church in Helsinki

A short walk from our hotel takes us to a church carved out of a rock. Great acoustics and being inside a rock mesmerize us as we listen to someone playing classical piano. Thankful for this enchantment, we wonder what other unique venues this city offers. 

Visit; sacred-destinations.com/finland/helsinki-rock-church-temppeliaukio

A visit with the Ambassador of Finland

I feel privileged to meet with Her Excellency, Dr.  Maija Lahteenmaki, Ambassador of Finland.

Dr. Maija Lahteenmaki is a Winsor graduate.  She tells us about her senior year as an AFS student - class of 1963.

She and I realize we had the same English teacher; Ms. Nancy Leverick. The director of Winsor when I was there, Ms Virginia Wing, was her senior home room teacher. Dr. Maija, my friend, and I really enjoy sharing fun memories of our "different but same" times at Winsor. 

Her Excellency is a career diplomat with more than three decades of experience with postings including Canada, Sweden, Egypt, Chile, USA and Spain. Ambassador Lahteenmaki was appointed Ambassador to Australia in January 2010, with non-resident accreditation to New Zealand and Fiji.

It is interesting to learn about Australia from her point of view. I think she is surprised when I tell her Jim and I lived in Adelaide, SA in 2006-2007. 

Finland is Australia’s second largest market for nickel, importing around 29% of Australia’s nickel for stainless steel manufacturing.
Finland has few natural energy resources. As a result, the Finnish Parliament has approved the construction of three new nuclear reactors (Finland currently has four reactors) to meet increasing energy demand. Nuclear power is the cheapest option for Finland. In 2007, all four reactors provided 28.4% of Finland’s electricity and they are among the world’s most productive. Finnish people are among the most nuclear power-friendly nations in the European Union. 

Maija spends part of her time in the Domincan Republic as her husband is from there. She is interested in helping the poorest of the poor in that country. Her interests are both global and local as she helps people all around the world.