Helsinki

A stunning day in Helsinki- the weather was perfect; 12 degrees but amazing blue sky which showed the buildings off to their best. We took the HoHo bus to Sibelius park to marvel at the monument of 600 steel pipes to evoke a sound wave. ( Picture)We then walked to Temppeliaukion Kirkko ( church of the rock ) which is hewn into solid stone and lined with copper.
We then wandered back via the botanic garden in Kajsaniemi, the art nouveau station of Rautatientori , to Senate Square, where by chance on the steps of Tuomiokirkko ( Lutheran cathedral) we caught the Presidential Guard band marching . Finally , by now fluent in Finnish , we walked past the Uspenskin orthodox cathedral and down to the market square to browse.
We returned to Balmoral for a late lunch , and have spent a couple of hours enjoying the sun on deck before sail away. Dinner tonight is in the Asian fusion restaurant Colours & Tastes.