Viking Line and Reisisidam A Terminal, HEL-TAL

A sneak peek of the boring beauty to come

I'd arrived in Helsinki at about 8:30 am, and the ferry, operated by Viking Line, wasn't due to leave until 11:30, which I thought was a very reasonable transfer window. The Viking Line was a very comfortable, midway-luxury ship, far posher than the PR Maria though somewhat a notch down from Silja. I walked around, looked carefully at all the restaurants, decided that I didn't feel like forking out for them after all, and then went to the tax free shop and got myself a tube of white chocolate pastilles which I happily munched upon. For some reason I was also tuckered out, so I found a nice secluded sofa to myself, put my backpack down on the farther end of the sofa and napped till the ship reached Estonia.

Hello, Tallinn, and hello Estonia. This was the Reisisidam A Terminal.

I am going to quote what I wrote in my travel diary itinerary:

From seaport - 14 mins by foot. Walk toward the concert hall - 'Linnahall'. From there, go in the direction of the Old Town. Cross the tram tracks and enter the Old Town through the Pikk Gate (right next to Fat Margaret).
Once past the gate, take the first right you come across. Pass the church and turn left. You are now on Lai Street. Alur hostel is located just 150 m down Lai from where you are now, on the left-hand side. 27 EUR – not sure if they’ll decide to charge me when they feel like it because apparently that is a thing.

(Yes, I feel the incorrigible need to be sassy even in my own travel journal.)

Fat Margaret

Gangway

Manoeuvering into Tallinn port

Tax free shops on the ship

A playroom aboard yon ship

Another Viking Line

Goodbye, Helsingfors!

Watching Helsinki fade away into the horizon

Helsinki, part V - Helsinki West Terminal and Katajanokka/Olympiaterminalen, revisited

I got up early the next morning, collected my few belongings, and ran up to the sun deck to watch the ship re-enter the docking bay of the West Terminal. I was incredibly pleased to be on my way again, on my own way. I don't know how people manage to stomach travel groups. It just detracts from the entire travel experience.

I darted off the ship and went through customs, chatted a bit to the hunky blonde Finnish customs officer as you do and had a great conversation with him - I always do. "How was St. Petersburg?" he asks, with a smile. I look at him - he is probably in his early to middle thirties - a handsome, Balticly rugged man with the icy blue Finn eyes I have gotten so used to gazing into. I say that SPB was nice and he asks me where I'm going next, and I say, Tallinn. Will you not tarry longer here, he says. I was here three days ago, I answer. He asks me if that's all the luggage I have, which I affirm. He goggles at me, says he's very impressed, which I bet he is, and wishes me safe travels. I smile and thank him, and take my leave of him.

I walked out of the port, and down Tyynenmerenkatu, past Mechelininkatu, and somehow found myself on Bulevardi. I have a fairly good sense of direction - I would have to have one to navigate all these countries on my own, and without a compass - and knew that I was going in the right direction, up north, so any road going that way would do. Bulevardi, as it turned out, was a lovely road to walk down, and I sauntered along without a care in the world. It was about 14 degrees, I was listening to Duele el Corazon, the sky was the colour of periwinkles and there were plenty of trees lining the roads, providing leafy green shade from the mild Baltic sun. I hadn't had my morning coffee yet, so I stopped at a supermarket express and got two Starbucks, and sipped along happily. The cashier smiled at me - he was probably from the local university - and I walked out of the mart, thinking that this stereotype of cold Finns was somewhat unfounded.

Off I go. I arrived at Katajanokka, and had a bit of time left, so had a careful look at all the vendors. I wondered how much I wanted cream of sea soup and chips, and decided maybe next time, although it was fun to see other people enjoying them. The food really did look very good, but 13 euros - nah.

St. Petersburg, part II - St. Peter's Line in the Gulf of Finland

I know it's been ages since I updated continental #5. There's really no excuse for that, unless real life commitments and jobs and travelling in other countries are valid justifications. Which they actually are, haha.
I am on the Princess Maria, on the easternmost side of the Baltic Sea, and the ship is sailing smoothly into the port of St. Petersburg. I am standing on the top deck and watching the rugged coastline of the port pass us by, St. Petersburg is not as cold as I thought it would be - it's colder than Stockholm and a little colder than Helsinki - but not chilly as I imagined. The skies are a stark but clear grey, and it is eight ish in the morning. I cup the black coffee I bought from the lower decks, and concentrate on sipping it without my hair getting in the way, because when you have waist length hair it gets into everything, and I do mean everything.

I laugh, and I say.. well.. life is a maze.

The port of St Petersburg is slightly dilapidated yet majestic. Everything here is just big, even from the lofty heights of the liner. I breathe in the Russian air, and close my eyes, and allow myself to bask in the moment that I am in fact in St Petersburg, a city I've always wanted to visit ever since I was a very young child. St Petersburg, Petrograd of old. I turn ever so slightly and gaze upon the Gulf of Finland, then I cast my eyes back to St Petersburg and look upon European Russia and wonder what I will make of this city and what it will make of me.

More to come.