NEW YEARS IN HELSINKI!

HAPPY NEW YEARS TO ALL!!!!  We had an exciting New Year's Eve in Helsinki!  There was a Young Single Adult Conference with about 100 in attendance from all over Finland!  We were busy with that on the 30th shopping for and preparing 60 sack lunches for after the "Beach Party" themed dance and then served 40 more kids at a hotel who were from out of town.  The next morning we were responsible for the breakfast for 100 at the hotel and then the kids chose either sand volleyball at an indoor facility, pedicures, or a drama class.  We then helped serve the pizza lunch at the hotel.  Since all the afternoon activities would be in Finnish at a church building we decided we had fulfilled our assignments and didn't need to go so.... we left our home at 10:30 to walk to Senate Square in the center of Helsinki, at the National Cathedral to see the entertainment and fireworks there.  It was the first time we had ever been in a hugh crowd for New Years and it was quite exciting!!!

About every 15 minutes the light patterns were changed on the buildings around Senate Square.  This is the main building of the University of Helsinki!

Here is the National Cathedral!  There was a stage with entertainment and huge screens showing what was on the stage!

What you see here is the National Library of Finland.  
Behind us was the  National Palace:

It is very beautiful at night all lit up!!!  And then at midnight there was a short butSPECTACULAR  fireworks display in front of the cathedral

and on the roofs of the other buildings!!!

Since the Center was closed for the holidays we took time to see 

some of the beautiful sights!  

We walked along the waterfront to see the cathedral at a distance!

The parking lot by the ferry has booths and Old Market Hall which is filled with food booths with fish, meat, and produce:

Paul did have to sample some of the smoked salmon but...

we did not buy any caviar!  Nor did we buy any stawberries:

You'd have to REALLY want some strawberries to spend $12 a pound!!!

Yes, we finally got snow in 2012.  Saturday morning we woke up to 3 inches of snow and walked to the Temppeliaukio Church, better know as the "Rock Church" as it was blasted from the granite bedrock.

We had seen this church last summer when we were here on our 
Baltic Cruise!  The ceiling is made of copper and very beautiful!

Another day we hiked to Uspenski Cathedral, built in 1868.  It is the largest Orthodox church edifice in Western Europe.

The day we visited this church it was filled with Russians as they have holiday the first week in January and flock to Finland!  There were many busloads full of tourists!

We woke up on Sunday morning to 7 degrees! YIKES!!!  It is now back to a balmy 27 degrees!  We walk to many sights so we have learned to bundle up and enjoy the exercise since parking is a major hassle and we are within walking distance of most major places of interest!!!