A Well-Deserved Break in Helsinki – Geocaching, Suomenlinna, and Dodging the Mosquitoes
After 8 days on the road and clocking in 2,500 kilometers, today was a much-needed semi-rest day. We took it slow this morning, enjoying the luxury of not packing up immediately for once. Up here in Finland, it’s barely getting dark anymore, and by 4:00 AM, the sun was already blazing down on the tent. By 6:00 AM, we were throwing open all the zippers to let out the heat. The Arctic summer does not play around.
With no need to rush, we picked up a day pass for public transport—metro, tram, bus, and even the ferry to nearby islands all covered. Late in the morning, we hopped on the metro to Helsinki’s Central Station and made our way to the harbor. Our destination? Suomenlinna, a historic military fortress island now home to about 800 people living in converted army barracks. The island may be touristy, but it’s packed with charm.
On the boat to Suomenlinna island
On the boat to Suomenlinna island
Church at Suomenlinna
Suomenlinna residence
Another Harbor at Suomenlinna
Of course, Michel had to indulge his passion for geocaching while we were there. With a bit of sleuthing, we managed to track down a few hidden caches scattered across the island. It’s always fun adding that little element of treasure hunting to our explorations!
Geocaching
After the island adventure, we headed back to explore more of Helsinki. To be honest, the city itself isn’t the most stunning—sprawling and not particularly picturesque—but it did serve a purpose. We stumbled across an outdoor gear store and snagged a mosquito net, which is bound to be a lifesaver when we hit the lakes next week. I had one from my last trip to Sweden, but of course, it’s sitting at home. With this heatwave pushing temperatures up to 29°C, the mosquito population has exploded early this year. Great timing for us, right?
On the boat to Suomenlinna island
St. John’s Church
St. John’s Church inside
St. John’s Church inside
Chopping center Helsinki
Chopping center Helsinki
By mid-afternoon, the city’s heat had worn us down, so we retreated to the campsite for a quieter evening. On the way, we grabbed some groceries near the metro station, ready for another round of cooking on the trusty gasoline burner. There’s something deeply satisfying about whipping up a meal using bare-bones gear, even if it feels a bit like camping 101.
Tomorrow, we’re back on the road, heading into Finland’s beautiful lake district—mosquito nets at the ready!
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