Helsinki, Finland - 19 Aug 2000 What we did and where we went in Helsinki
	We were madefast just after 9am and we set off at around 9.30am. It was a beautiful sunny day with a light breeze. It must have been around 80°F, although officially it was 66°F/19°C at noon it was a lot hotter than previous days! I wonder if that should have been 76°F. The sun stayed with us all day. The Marco Polo [Orient Lines] was here a bit further along the quay. Helsinki was founded by Gustav I Vasa, king of Sweden, in 1550 on a site some distance inland from its present location, to which it was moved in 1640. In 1713, during the Northern War (1700-1721) between Russia and Sweden, the city was destroyed by a retreating Swedish force; the present fortifications were begun in 1729. Finland was incorporated into the Russian Empire in 1809, and Helsinki was made administrative capital of the Grand Duchy of Finland in 1812; since 1917 the city has been the capital of the Finnish Republic. Helsinki was the site of the 1952 Olympic Games. We were required to be back on board by 5.15pm and we departed at 6pm, the pilot staying for an hour. 174 NM to St Petersburg.
	What we did and where we went in Helsinki My photo album of Helsinki

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