My trip to Helsinki started on a Friday morning when my friend and I woke up around 8 a.m. Our train departed at 9:18, and the journey was quiet, comfortable, and surprisingly fast. The trains can reach speeds of up to 150 km/h, which made the trip feel very smooth. Along the way, we had to change trains in the town of Tampere, one of Finland’s largest inland cities. We finally arrived in Helsinki at 13:00, excited to start exploring.
Berni was already very hungry, so we decided to grab lunch at a nearby pizzeria. The pizzas were delicious, and we were pleasantly surprised by how well the staff spoke English. After eating, we headed out to explore the city. Our first stop was the famous Helsinki Cathedral, one of the most iconic landmarks in Finland. The cathedral is known for its bright white facade and green domes, and it looks incredibly powerful standing above Senate Square. 
After taking some photos, we continued our walk to the Old Market Hall. This historic market dates back to the 19th century and is a popular place to try traditional Finnish food. It was quite crowded, but the atmosphere was lively and authentic. We then visited the Helsinki SkyWheel, a large ferris wheel by the harbor. It was Bernard’s first time on this kind of attraction, which made the experience even more exciting.
By the time we finished exploring, we had walked around 20,000 steps and were completely exhausted. We headed back to our hotel, which I had booked in a great location close to the train station, as well as several bars and clubs. After resting for about two hours, we went out again in the evening. We ended up in a bar where we met some new people and had a really fun night.
The next morning, we had to wake up early because we had a ferry to catch to Tallinn, continuing our adventure.
