Helsinki was indeed über-cool as expected, it was also extremely cold.
Really we should have known by Finland's iced reputation, but we were lulled into a false sense of security by the sunshine and departed the boat in shorts and a tshirt, regretting this error within moments of getting on today's bus.
There is an apparent fundamental floor in the principle of Hop-on / Hop-off buses, in after hopping off another bus should arrive fairly soon in order to hop-on again. The time spent at various attractions waiting for a bus appears to grow more lengthy at each stop and in every country. An hour spent waiting in a wind tunnel left us both dithery & wanting the toilet. To move away from the stop almost guaranteeing that a bus will arrive, a lose lose situation.
Again the bus stop was directly opposite not one but two record stores. I'm very conscious of how boring it must be for Liz to hang around these places, often in the least salubrious of locations. Today's was a pretty exceptional store, which if I had known we would have a lengthy wait outside I would have explored more thoroughly.
I firmly believe that if you spend any significant amount of time in a record store searching you will eventually uncover a hidden gem and after seeing stuff remaining in the racks from Record Store Day whilst in Stockholm I believe some great stuff is sitting on Scandinavian shelfs just waiting to be picked-up (just not by me it appears?)
Finland, along with Sweden and Norway is renowned for it's notorious Black metal music scene shrouded in mystery and dark tales. Many from all over the world make a pillgramidge to Scandinavia to search out artifacts and visit significant sites (making it sound like a Munisco World Heritage site) So it is smart business sense to stock an (un)healthy back-catalogue of the scenes innovators as well as the current pioneers, all stores feature albums liberally decorated with occult symbols, goats, demons and devils.
All of which scares the crap out of me, the closest I've come to Black Magic is the disappointing chocolate box. The music itself is something which holds equal appeal with eating a pick'n'mix of staples, drawing pins and paper-clips, I have always feared the metal and am most fearful of this particular celebration of the macabre. Just seeing the sleeves in the rack makes me desperate to flee and to hear it playing over the PA ....
I'm such a musical sponge and I am hopeless beyond words at linguistics, I am fearful that some evil incantation would enter me by musical osmosis and I'd be unable to expel the Nordic chanting.
So still waiting ... by the time a bus did arrive we were both feeling that we were ready to head back to the Oriana, sadly another City which we hadn't done justice to in anyway. We grabbed a coffee and a bite to eat which left us slightly better disposed to seeing further sites of Helsinki, but once back in that biting wind our resolve disolved. The bright yellow funnel of Oriana pulled us back with promises of warmth and delicate afternoon tea type things.
Liz heads to bed once we're back, we are concerned that she has caught a chill? Despite the Oriana's best efforts following her Slimming World successes she doesn't have the padding to match me and is still shivering an hour after going to bed. She's still struggling to dispel the remnants of her sinusitis and continues to report a drippy nose. I don't think we can afford a second visit to the medical centre, I am slightly less well disposed towards them after finding out we were charged over £5 for 12 paracetamol tablets. I think they would have dispensed more but Liz told them we already had some in the cabin, so this was clearly the preferential option to giving us NONE?!?
Liz's little sleep stops provide me with the opportunity to catch up here, read and explore previously missed areas of the boat. With our cabin towards the rear of the boat we have tended to base ourselves at that end, so whilst Liz snores I venture towards the front discovering another dining area and bar that does more hearty (and less bread focused) snacks from 10am until 6pm. I had a tiramisu just to show that I wasn't there simply for a nose around and had arrived with a purpose, the purpose of pudding. Sometimes it's probably best Liz isn't with me, it would only bring shame ...
Returning to our home end at the back I parked myself up in one of the sun bathing areas, although little sun could be seen. Again trying to make polite conversation with the lady next to me whose book was being blown asunder I commented that it was a bit blustery ...
"Blustery! Blustery! Where's your Dunkirk spirit?"
I really don't know why I bother, her Dick Francis could of blown in the drink for all I care.
"I think I must have left it back in Staffordshire ... I've been mainly drinking Boddingtons since I came on board the Oriana!"
Back to the cabin I go for Liz to wake briefly only to tell me she's still cold. I lay more bits of fabric (throws, towels, dressing gowns, etc) on her in an attempt to try to warm her up, like an exaggerated and over sized version of Buckeroo knowing she'll wake with a start and I'll have to pick 'em all up again.
I retreat onto the balcony wearing layers, it really is awfully difficult to read in the pitch black that is required to assist Liz to get a 'Better Value' sleep and the tic-tic-tic of my iPod would no doubt disturb? It's fairly cold and windy still, but at least it provides some shelter, shelter until I find water pouring down onto the balcony as they was the windows on the floor above. A bit of sharp chair shuffling and some equally sharp explosions of language, mean I avoid getting very wet and I place myself up tight to the patio doors to avoid further deluges. I await the Sing-along Sail-away with bated breath.
It just seems like one of those days?!?
We are due to depart for Russia shortly for our full-on two days in St. Petersburg, the only official tours we have arranged up to this point, a surprise considering how successful our self-motivated exploring has been. From the literature being distributed by P&O it seems that the majority of passengers will abandon the ship tomorrow, it all seems very well organised, we await our paperwork telling us exactly when and where we must muster in the morning.
Perhaps this is why we are so vulnerable highlighting our mega-tourist status; if I was criminally minded I know I wouldn't be focusing my attentions on people such as us, looking instead towards the more vulnerable and infirm, but perhaps there really is honour amongst thieves? For this reason I will be keeping my roubles in my socks, god help us if we need to make a purchase.
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