I'm just going to come straight out with it... I almost gave this post the title HELLsinki !!
But I decided that was probably my being overly harsh on a beautiful City just because of some terrible luck and, at times, poor judgment.
The sheer amount of bad luck I managed to experience in just one single week should entitle me to some sort of prize, or at the very least, an honourable mention in a local newspaper. (Are Blue Peter Badges still a thing?)
I think it's probably easiest if I just walk you through it day by day.
Wednesday 1st December; Arrival
Halfway to Stanstead Airport I received a delivery confirmation to tell me that the Beanie Hat I had ordered weeks ago to keep me warm in Finland had just arrived 馃檮馃檮
I flew to Helsinki, No dramas of note. Just a few changes to travel that I mentioned in my previous post.
A friend of mine (Rebekka) kindly loaned me the use of her apartment for the week and arranged a bus pass for me to get in and out of the centre... so far so good!
**Thursday 2nd December; Circus **
There wasn't much planned for the day... Rebekka and I headed to the Christmas Market outside Helsinki's famous Cathedral... Unfortunately it wasn't there (The market, not the Cathedral), but we soon found it down by the water. At -17c it wasn't possible to enjoy the market for very long before having to find a nice warm coffee shop to hide in for the rest of the day away from the cold.
I will also mention that I had planned to visit Helsinkis outdoor Ice Skating Rink on this day but it wasn't there this year, with Covid19 being cited as the reason for its absence.
In the evening we got ourselves dressed up and ventured out to the Helsinki Winter Circus. I had pre booked the tickets as a way of saying thank you for the use of the apartment... We were expecting great things and we certainly had an experience that we won't forget :)
From the moment we walked through the doors into a mass of extremely lively children and very tired looking parents, I realised, it might have been a good idea to translate the description of the show before booking tickets.. Or at least booked tickets for anywhere other than the front row.
Here is a link to a little video I made of the visit;
But oh well!! you live and learn... Fortunately, the Bar (Sweet Shop) were also selling Wine, so it wasn't the end of the world. Onwards and upwards!!
Friday 3rd December; Estonia
We took the Ferry for a Day trip to the capital city of Estonia, Tallinn. As you may or may not know, I previously decided to become a YouTube Superstar and treated myself to a brand spanking new GoPro Hero 10 Black to create my awe inspiring Travel Vlogs.
The thinking was... I haven't been travelling in such a long time and I don't know when I am going to be able to go on another trip after this. And with Estonia being so close to Finland. I might as well take the opportunity to film a vlog over there as well and then I will have two Travel Vlogs from one trip... Smart ;)
Vlogging is waaaay harder than it looks. Even if you can get past hearing your own voice played back to you. There are still a load of things to make you self-conscious and uncomfortable, such as people staring at you whilst you are talking to the camera, or, realising you are just staring at yourself in the camera screen and then completely losing track of what you were talking about.
Then on top of all of that... you actually need something to talk about!! Anyway, I think I have made my point... Vlogging is Hard!!
The boat arrived at Tallinn around 12:00pm and we had approximately 5 hours to explore everything this historical city had to offer.. Plenty of time to create what could possibly be 'The Best Vlog That YouTube Has Ever Seen'
What really happened was much less 'groundbreaking'.
We had a quick trip to the Christmas Market... Which in 2019 won the prestigious award of 'Best Christmas Market in Europe'.
We still can't figure out why.. There was hardly anything there.. Maybe 15 or so little huts circling the Christmas Tree. Not really conducive to great Vlogging content but we still had a couple cups of Glogi (Mulled Wine) so that we could get the full experience.
Once the Glogi was gone we went exploring and soon found ourselves at none other than... An Outdoor Ice Rink!! We paid our money, donned our skates, and went skating!!
I am sure that, following the skating, a seasoned YouTuber would have immediately set off to film the other sites and landmarks before they 'lost the light' (as the sun sets very early in that part of the world)
We, however, cold from the skating, ended up spending the rest of the day in the Cafe at the side of the Ice Rink, drinking Wine and chatting.
It was quite lucky that the Cafe ran out of wine when they did, as it was already dark and we needed to make our way back to the boat!
YouTube Video... Failed
Once back on the boat it was a completely different atmosphere to the trip over. This Ferry was equipped with two or three different bars and a main Entertainment Hall. That particular evening there was a relatively famous Finnish singer performing and suffice to say.. It all got rather lively!
Some people use the boat to visit Estonia, or maybe they live in Estonia and are simply returning home. But the vast majority of sozzled sea-farers are there on a Booze Cruise. The Duty Free onboard and the Alcohol in Estonia is roughly 40% cheaper than the exact same products in Finland, and so they make a day of it. Drinking all the way there, loading up on bevys, and then drinking all the way back!! It felt just like home :)
I was back at the apartment and in bed by a reasonably respectable 00:00... But I wasn't in the greatest of shapes.
Saturday 4th December; The Hangover
I cannot even begin to describe to you how hungover I was.. It wasn't the Wine, It wasn't the Beer and I'm pretty sure it wasn't even the Finnish Long Drinks (Gin & Grapefruit Juice).. I am fairly confident in pinning the entire blame on the shots of Minttu! I think Minttu might just be an early version of Mouth Wash, back when the alcohol content was much higher.
I downloaded a food delivery app, ordered some Finnish food (Pizza and Fries) and spent the rest of the day and night sleeping.
Aside from the Hangover to end all Hangovers... England made a change to the travel rules and now required a pre departure covid test on top of the arrival PCR test. The new rules would be implemented on Tuesday morning... My Flight... Wednesday 馃檮
Sunday 5th December; Christmas Tram
Still feeling the aftermath of the 'Minttu Madness' I finally managed to tear myself out of the apartment around 15:00... By this time the sun was already starting to go down. But, I was determined to not waste my entire trip laying in bed and so at the very least I would use what was left of the day to visit the Sparakoff (The Pub Tram).
The Pub Tram is an old Tram that has been converted into a Bar/Restaurant. You simply make your way to the start point, pay for your ticket, and then sit back and enjoy a few drinks and a bite to eat whilst taking a 1 hour tour around the City. Preferably I would have liked to have arrived a little earlier to have the light for filming but not to worry, I can just see how it goes, and if its amazing but there isn't enough light, then there is nothing stopping me jumping back on on Monday or Tuesday.
Still on my quest for YouTube greatness, whilst sat on the bus to the Centre, I decided to Google the Pub Tram to get some more information on it that I could recycle in my Video. For example, I knew that from the end of November to Mid January the Sparakoff becomes the Christmas Sparakoff, where they decorate the inside with Christmas lights and serve Chrismas Drinks on the Tour.
I found the website and happened to glance at the opening times. Closed: Sundays. But it's Sunday today.. Man that's unlucky, Never mind, what time is it open tomorrow?..... Closed Mondays & Tuesdays 馃槶
Well that's the Christmas Tram out of the Vlog then!
As I was already in the Centre, I went for another look at the Christmas Market but it was still too cold, so, a little deflated, I made my way back to the apartment and back to bed.. Probably for the best though, as tomorrow was going to be Finnish Independence Day and I would be jumping into the 0c icy cold water of the Baltic Sea.
Monday 6th December; Independence Day
Still rising later than I would have liked I got myself ready to visit Loyly Sauna. It was around 40 minutes journey from the apartment and required transit via both Bus and Tram to reach. Loyly Sauna is a modern Sauna located in Helsinkis Port District. The venue has a large Bar/Restaurant alongside it's famous Sauna, Comprising 3 separate and differing styles of Sauna Rooms. Saunas are everywhere in Finland, Most people have a Sauna in their house. The thing that makes Loyly Sauna different is that the building is met on one side by the Baltic Sea. And so Visitors Warm up in a Sauna before heading outside and taking a dip in the water... Followed by hurriedly reentering one of the Saunas.
If I'm honest, I was worried about getting into the water... I wanted to film it, but I have never been in water anywhere near that cold. What if the shock makes me drop the camera? What if my hands freeze to the metal on the ladder like Jim Carreys tongue in Dumb & Dumber? What if the sudden drop in temperature kills me? 馃槼
A 40 minute journey to my potential death has it's positives and negatives.. On one side, it gives you way too much time for all of these concerns to enter and and set up camp in your mind. But, on the other side, it's also enough time to completely psych yourself up! Positivity, Power, Success... YouTube Greatness!!
I did a quick piece to camera outside of the building but that was it, it was time... I walked in determined, focussed, ready! I had made the decision that I would get the the cold water part over with straight away before doubt could set back in.
This was the plan.
- Go To Desk
- Pay
- Get Changed
- Jump in the Sea
- Sit in the Sauna and enjoy the comfort of heat and accomplishment.
This is what happened
- Go To Desk
- Informed that the Sauna is full and fully booked for the rest of the day.
Damn It!!!!!! I had psyched myself up for nothing!! I would have known there wouldn't be a Christmas Tram if I had tried to book.. Why didn't I learn from my mistakes and book the Sauna in Advance??
So what now? No Tram, No Ice Rink, No Sauna, No Cirque du Helsinki... There is no way I'm wasting another evening in the apartment.
I took a third trip to the Christmas Market.
It was dark by the time I arrived and I had the feeling that I was the only person there alone. Everyone was merrily drinking their Glogi's and shopping for the latest fashion in wooly Gloves whilst, I, was just bloody cold again.
I walked a little bit away from the market to the water side and suddenly had a great idea. For days I have been carrying my drone around with me and barely had time to use it due to the weather or lack of light. I bet an aerial shot of the Christmas Markets would look amazing in my Vlog!! So I battled the pain of removing my gloves to put the drone and controller together and sent it up in the air.
I was right.. The markets and the city looked beautiful lit up in the night. I smiled to myself, I haven't had much luck this week but there is still a chance that I can pull together a half decent Vlog.
At the same time as I was trying to bring the drone in to land, with completely numb fingers, inside big winter gloves, I had the feeling that I had gained some company. A quick glance behind me confirmed my suspicions as the two Police Officers separated to come to a stop either side of me... "Hello" I said... "Land the Drone" Came the reply.
I won't go into too much detail, I will just go so far as to say that, after being taken to the Police Van, I was reminded that it was Finnish Independence Day & informed that the exact location that I had been stood (which may or may not have been in close proximity to the Presidents house) was a No Fly Zone (Just on Independence Day). I tried to talk myself out of trouble by stating that, if it really was a NFZ then my Drone App would have told me and prevented me from flying. The Police officer kindly further explained that it was a new law and not even the Finnish people had been made aware.
It still didn't stop them from issuing me with a fixed penalty fine before sending me on my way.
Before I got to the bus station I passed an Irish Bar.. I figured I had earned a pint. So I sat down and enjoyed a Kronenbourg before taking the Bus back to the Apartment and once again, going to bed.
Tuesday 7th December; The Cafe & The Camera
Rebekka and I went to a place called Cafe Regatta. A little wooden hut at the waters edge that serves Hot Chocolates and different snacks that you can warm up over the open, outside fire.
There wasn't really much reason for going there, apart from my having seen other people go there on YouTube, and as I didn't have massive amounts of content I decided it couldn't hurt to add it in.
Once again it was cold.. Really Really Cold. The Cafe wouldn't let anyone in due to Covid restrictions so we tried to keep warm around the fire. We were told that we couldn't fly the drone. I didn't mind too much as I had a feeling, the way my luck was going, I would probably just end up crashing it into the water.
I tried to get some video of the Cafe but without being allowed inside, there wasn't a great deal to film. Anyway, we were to cold. so we left.
I took the opportunity to go for my Coronavirus test at one of the Shopping Centres. And then we went back to the apartment and were joined by some more friends for an evening of traditional Finnish Foods and Drinks. That part was lovely!!
When everybody left I grabbed my GoPro out of my jacket pocket so that I could put the battery on charge.
Its was baking hot in my pocket... I dont know if I had accidentally pressed a button on the camera whilst it was in my pocket or if I hadn't turned it off properly but it was super hot... and completely dead!
I took the battery out and put it on the side to let it cool down. And then I went to bed. I can sort this out tomorrow.
Wednesday 8th December; Final Nail & Flight
During the food tasting, My Friend Eero had agreed to visit Loyly Sauna with me for another attempt and the icy water.
He rang me to say that he was in the Centre waiting for me and wanted to know how long I would be... I was still in bed. Lets get everything in order of what needs to be done today..
Go to Loyly, Clean the Apartment, Pack my Bag, Eat Something, Fly Home.
Ok, no problem... I will go to Loyly and then sort everything else out after. So all I need is my Swim Shorts & the Camera. As I didn't put the hot battery on charge, I only had one battery for all day. But, there wasn't going to be much of the day that needed filming anyway, so one battery should be fine.
I inserted the battery, Turned the camera on... DISASTER! Immediately I was met with a warning message 'SD Card Error'.. I frantically removed and reinserted the SD Card, removing and reinserting the battery, turning the camera on and off again, over and over and over but it was no use. So I Inserted the SD Card into my laptop, it couldn't detect it. So my last shot, I inserted the Card into my phone. 'SD Card Error, To Fix Error, Format SD Card'.
The realisation that I had lost all of the videos that I had made since the Estonia trip took a few seconds to fully hit home. But when it did, it wasn't a great feeling. I doubt the outcome would have been different if I had removed the SD card when I realised that the camera had overheated as the damage was probably already done. Couldn't have hurt to have tried though, if I had been quicker thinking.
I popped a different SD Card in and the battery and off I went.
Loyly was incredible!! The feeling you get when you sit in the Sauna after just exiting the water is beyond refreshing. I commented that I wished I had visited there on day 1 of the trip because, had I done so, I would have gone there every day following.
The rest of the day went without fault. Back to the apartment, a quick pack and tidy around. Into an Uber, straight onto the plane and a nice smooth flight back to Blighty.
Conclusion
It has always been a belief of mine that some of the best times are had when there is no plan. The belief goes against everything I know as an Event Manager who finds comfort in detailed planning.
I have been on trips where every single moment is planned.
I have been on trips where there has been no planning at all
Both trips have been equally successful and equally enjoyable.
The lessons that I will be taking away from this trip are;
- If you want to be a YouTube Superstar you have to Plan and Book
- Back up your files at every opportunity
- Exploring without planning is more difficult when it's -17c
- Vittu means F**k in Finnish. It can be heard a lot around cold water.