Shopping

 Stockmann is the large department store and Otava is the book store across from our flat.

Outdoor Swimming Pool & Sauna

It was fun to run on a snowy deck and swim some laps outside after a steaming sauna. 

The Allas Sea Pool has one large freshwater pool and another freshwater pool for children.

Both pools are filled with water heated to 27 degrees celsius.

There is also another sea water pool which has been filled with purified sea water which is the temperature of the sea: cold!

Karl Fazer, the favorite place to eat

Bakery

The Esplanadi Park

Swimming and Sauna, Yrjönkatu Swimming Hall

 The oldest swim hall in Helsinki was open and for the cost of 5 euros, I spent the afternoon getting some exercise.  The saunas were great and the place was spotless.  They serve meals on the second floor!

Uspenski Cathedral, Christmas Eve

 We walked up the steep steps to the cathedral and were delighted when people slowly filled the great sacred space.  Priests came out from the iconostasis and began the mass.  It was a wonderful way to spend Christmas Eve.

The Uspenski Cathedral is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos. Its name comes from the Old Church Slavonic word uspenie, which denotes the Dormition (the "falling asleep" or death of Mary). Designed by the Russian architect Aleksey Gornostayev. The cathedral was built after his death in 1862–1868.

 Skywheel Helsinki, the largest observation wheel in Finland, is equipped with a passenger cabin that is a sauna!  It costs 240 euros to sweat while you ride the wheel.

Helsinki architecture is beautiful. The eclectic mixtures of neo-Gothic, neo-Romanesque, neo-Classical and neo-Renaissance architecture continued even during the beginning of the 20th century, with architects using different styles for different projects or even combining elements in the same work.