Fun in Finland ...
Although not on Alizee or any other boat for that matter, we had a lovely two-week trip to Helsinki and Tampere, Finland. As you may know, if you've been reading Newsweek magazine, Finland is first among one-hundred nations in a number of categories, making it the best country in the world in which to live. Well, say we, indeed it's probably so for the summer months, but we'll take a pass on the snowy rest of the year, even if they do have saunas to warm you up.
We landed in Helsinki four days before my annual history of technology symposium started in Tampere, which gave us plenty of time to recover from jet lag. Our first stop was the Hotel Katajanokka, which served for a century as a prison and was converted to a Best Western hotel two years ago, keeping as much of the original prison interior as possible. After a day or so of recovery, we had plenty of time to wander around this beautiful city on the archipelagos of southern Finland. There are multitudes of lovely sailboats along the quays, from traditional Baltic fishing and freight schooners to modern fiberglass boats ... and for those of you who sail in more moderate climes, remember every one of the Finnish boats must be hauled and winterized at the end of the relatively short sailing season. But they were certainly a treat to look at.
Pen and I missed the sauna night, but we did go for dinner with the symposium group on a nearby island, so we got a boat ride. And the banquet on the last night was really one of the best we've been to ... no rubber chicken, that's for sure. Maybe Finland is the best country in the world after all ... although the Swiss are challenging the Newsweek tallying of points.
After a week in Tampere for the symposium, we returned for two more days in Helsinki and enjoyed dinner with some friends we'd not been able to connect with at the symposium. Then it was off to the elongated silver tube of transport for the trip home. And, here we are!
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