It took me an hour by bus to get to the second oldest city in Finland, Porvoo, today. The return trip cost just over 20 euros, which I thought was a bit steep. But nearly everything is expensive here in Finland.
In the historical centre of town, there are quaint little shops selling antiques & wares & they're lovely to browse through. The free tourist guide includes a walking map that points out important historical sites. In fact, about 200 years ago, Porvoo was the place to be in Northern Europe. Why, even Alexander I, the Russian Emperor, convened a gathering here - called the Porvoo Diet - when the war between Sweden & Finland was still going strong.
A cute place, it didn't take a long time to take most of it in - I was there 3 hours. The cathedral is lovely, as is a stroll by the lake looking back over the town.
I only went to Helsinki so you are seeing a lot more of Finland than I did. Are you going on to St Petersburg? I hope so. Finally seen how to post a comment. I expect you have heard from Damien.
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