After a smooth nights cruise we arrived in Helsinki early and after breakfast we left for a bus tour of the city and free time before returning to the ship. We were able to get an overview of the traditional sites of the city including Senate Square, the large Lutheran Cathedral and the Olympic Stadium which built for the cancelled 1940 games and then used when the games were held in 1952. We stopped at the Sibelius Monument which is a modern piece of art honouring the famous composer Jean Sibelius. It is made of 600 stainless pipes and depicts a forest of trees. The park is located near the water and we were able to see a pair of swans and their 3 small ones sunning themselves on the rocks. An other unique site was the Rock Church. This church was constructed in 1969 and was blasted out of the rock to form the interior of the church. A large copper and skylight dome covers it. This dome contains 13 miles of braided copper ribbon. The natural light is allowed to enter from the sky light area around the peripheral edges. The acoustics are fabulous and it is often used for special events and concerts. After the formal tour we had a couple of free hours to wander the open air market at the dock area in the center of the city. We had a bowl of fantastic soup for lunch before returning to the ship.
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