DAY 12: LEAVING SANTALAHTI IS SAD.....

We'd really love to stay here just for another week, or two, or three....





It's perfect here!






I'm writing this at 11.30pm in bed on the Silja boat, somewhere in the Northern Baltic!
We got up early this morning, at around 7am, and once we'd had breakfast, it was time to load up the car. It's true that whenever I have gone on holiday before, I am invariably looking forward to coming home by the end of the holiday. (sometimes even well before!) Not this time. Anna and Sandy both said they were going to miss Santalahti, the house, Kotka, and Finland. I had to agree. The sun was blazing through the trees as usual as we took a few final photos around the house. I couldn't help but think how much this holiday had meant to me. The planning of it all. The journey to get to Finland. The wonderful setting of Santalahti. The amazingly beautiful house. The weather. The fact that Anna's folks had been able to come, and had so obviously enjoyed it all. Yes, it had all been almost perfect, apart from the fact that Olga, Anna's sister, hadn't been able to make it. Now, it was time to leave, and start the long journey back across Northern Europe, to Scotland.
Olivia seemed to sense we were about to leave. She waved her hand to say goodbye. It was quite sad driving out of Santalahti, but we had already agreed that we will make every effort to return.

WE left around 11am, and soon were cruising along the E18 highway west towards Helsinki, covering the 135kms in around an hour and a half.
Helsinki was very easy to navigate around as we arrived. Before we knew it, we were in the centre, partly because the roads were so quiet.


In the centre of Helsinki!

You'd hardly believe you were in a capital city, on a Friday afternoon! Also, I again noticed how clean it all looked, like the whole of Finland in fact.


Central Helsinki, close to the harbour.


We parked by the Olympia Terminal, close to the boat, and had our packed lunch, before wandering down to the most wonderful open air market around the harbour. Wow! There were so many stalls selling mouth-watering fish, fruit and vegetables as well as souvenirs.



This is about half of the length of the inside of the Silja Serenade boat, looking at inside cabins' windows, and the walkway which is lined with bars, shops and restaurants.






Beautiful Helsinki, from the top of the boat.

By 3pm, we were checking in. Our cabin was again on the 9th floor, just along from the one we had on the outward journey.



The Viking Line ferry, about to depart alongside us, for Stockholm.

At 5pm, we went for the buffet dinner. At 32 Euros each, it sounded expensive, but I tell you, it was one of the best meals I've ever had! There was an unbelievable selection of fish, cold meats, salads, hot dishes, sweets- and free drink as well! Anna had a bottle of red wine, I plumped for a bottle of white! No wonder you had to reserve in advance for this meal!

Sandy and Olivia played in SiljaLand, we visited the kids' disco which was very well organised, and bought three photos that had been taken of us on the top deck just as we left the dock. (I don't want to say how expensive they were!) Ah well, you don't do this sort of thing every day do you?

Tomorrow, it's the drive right across Sweden westwards, from Stockholm to Gothenburg.