Nordic Adventures

A whirlwind two week tour of three countries, three cities (four, if we add a forgettable 24 hours in Tallinn) and successful meetings with PR companies in each. From Copenhagen we flew to Stockholm, where I'd booked accommodation in a funky new hotel called Story, superbly located in downtown Stockholm. Self-checkin, eclectic design, excellent restaurant, comfortable room, yet remarkably quiet - and close to the Östermalms Saluhallen, a fabulous old market hall selling delectable delicacies. We immediately headed there for a late lunch of salmon and herrings washed down with a glass of Pinot Gris.
A more thorough exploration of Stockholm has to wait for another visit though, because two days later we were on the overnight ferry to Helsinki. Our ship left at 5, and it was a gorgeous evening so we stayed out on deck for an hour or so watching the archipelago glide past us. It was a 17 hour journey, and next morning we were on deck again marvelling at our huge ship's passage through the narrow channels of Helsinki's harbour.
Our first hotel was the Haven, a new and luxurious place on the waterfront - its only drawback that our room, with its glorious views, had no opening windows. More glorious autumn Nordic weather here too, if a little colder than its more southerly neighbours. We wandered out to inspect Helsinki, loving its compactness, broad boulevards, and magnificent architecture, stopping for a leisurely coffee at Strindberg on Pohjoisesplanadi, soaking up the sun and Helsinki from our outdoor table. Dinner that night was at Juuri,  a selection of succulent "sapas" (Finnish tapas). Superb, but how much better they would have been with our delicious light avocado oil instead of the heavy oil they'd been cooked in! Our immediate task - to educate these Nordic chefs...
We took the Linda Line catamaran to Tallinn on Saturday. A pretty little old town, to be sure, but on this weekend it was awash with tourists, many of them all-night revellers, a number of those, unfortunately, staying in our hotel. We were ready to return to heavenly Helsinki next day - but the Baltic wind came up and our sailing was cancelled! Thankfully, we managed to get the last two places on the slow Estonian ferry back. An interesting trip, locals laden with duty-free grog, daytrippers dancing to the live band in the lounge bar...
This time we stayed at the Hotel Glo, in the heart of the city, where we were given, oh joy, a room with an opening window. A stunning hotel, lovely clean design, great breakfasts and a perfect position for further exploration of Helsinki.