After we completed our journey through the Baltic States, the realization that we only had 3 weeks of travel remaining hit us like a tidal wave!
We had spent so much time and energy putting this year-long adventure together, and it was hard to believe how fast it all went by.
There is always some nostalgic sadness involved when big things come to an end, but the concept of some down time at home was actually a welcoming thought.
We were definitely feeling a collective exhaustion from being in a constant state of change for so long. We sometimes got so lost in the moment that we had to remind ourselves: a year of travel is no small feat!
However, we were not quite to the finish line yet, and we were determined to make the most of every day we had left.
Since we were about as far to the east as you can go within mainland Europe, we had to start heading west to get in range of a flight back to the States.
Although Vilnius, Lithuania has a fairly well-connected airport, we couldn’t find a direct flight to our next destination. However, we did find several flights that connected through Helsinki, Finland.
We figured, if we have to connect anyway, why not spend a couple nights in Helsinki and add another country to the list?
We luckily found a very affordable accommodation in a city that is notorious for being quite expensive.
In fact, that was one of the interesting discoveries we made during our time in Denmark and Sweden.
Scandinavian countries are really freaking expensive!!
Although Finland is usually not considered part of Scandinavia, it is close enough. Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland are all towards the top of the list of “most expensive European countries to visit”.
The truth is that all of these countries are really only expensive if you are a tourist!
If you live in these countries, you have access to free healthcare, free college education, and countless other social services that are available to all citizens.
On top of that, everyone is paid a living wage, so the minimum wages are much higher than almost anywhere else in the world.
Because of this, the most costly expenses are goods and services, which just happens to be the majority of what tourists spend their money on.
Hotels, taxis, trains, food, drinks, activities, tours, etc.
So in actuality, living in Finland or Sweden doesn’t sound all that bad to me, and I can understand why they gladly pay what seems like an exorbitant amount for every day goods and services.
Can you imagine how different life would be if you paid a grand total of $0 for health insurance, medical expenses, and college tuition?
Either way, we were lucky to be visiting Helsinki at an off-peak time. I guess there aren’t many tourists in in the city during mid-to-late November.
It was not a mystery why. We were entrenching ourselves in 15-20 degree temperatures for the first time all year!
Despite the frigid weather, we really enjoyed our brief stop in Helsinki.
We were able to put a really fun video together over the day and a half of exploring. I can definitely say that I was completely blown away by the city’s energy.
It is well-known for its innovative art, architecture, and nightlife. However, I didn’t really know what to expect considering the time of year we were there.
There was so much going on! The Christmas decorations in the city center were already in full swing, and everything felt very lively.
We also really enjoyed Finnish cuisine! Similar to Denmark and Sweden, we noticed that the bakeries in Finland seem to be universally amazing!
We made sure to try their traditional cinnamon and cardamom buns known as “korvapuusti”, and they were absolutely fantastic!
We also found a number of Finnish delicacies at a market hall called Vanha Kauppahalli, which was a great way to get out of the cold. We ended up spending a whole afternoon there!
The highlights included a delicious and creamy salmon soup called Lohikeitto and a hot spiced wine called glögi. Both of these Finnish winter staples brought us some much needed warmth!
We also saw several stands serving bear and reindeer, which caught us a little off guard. Similar to Estonia, it is fairly common to eat bear, elk, and reindeer in Finland.
As foreign as it seems to us, I am sure it is not all that different from beef and venison. The supply is plentiful in the wilderness of Northern Finland, so it makes sense from a logistical point of view.
The last stop we made on our full day out in Helsinki was a cozy establishment called Cafe Regatta.
This small lodge serves hot apple cider, glögi, and other hot drinks that customers can enjoy inside or by a number of fire pits situated outside.
We enjoyed another mug of glögi and some hot chocolate while roasting pork sausages over the open fire. It was the best possible way to warm up after a long day of walking around and filming.
Although we didn’t have much time in Finland, it was the perfect taste of Finnish culture and definitely piqued our interest to return for a longer stay!
The Santa Claus Village in the northern region of Finland is very high on Sidney’s bucket list. I am definitely on board since it is also a great place to catch the Northern Lights!
Another discovery that I can’t forget to mention was the fantastic experience of flying with Finnair.
This Finnish airline is well known for their customer service and reasonable prices. However, the crowning jewel of the Finnair experience is their signature blueberry juice!
We learned that blueberry juice is a very popular drink in Finland, and Finnair actually has their own brand that they serve on flights!
To make it even better, this delicious beverage is free of charge, and they even offer free refills!
When we landed in Helsinki, we looked up the origin story of this popular juice, and it turns out that the Finnair brand is sold in grocery stores all over Finland!
Blueberries are very plentiful in the forests of Finland during the Fall months, so the juice is all produced domestically. It is truly one of the most refreshing beverages we have ever had.
We made sure to buy a few cartons on the way to our AirBnB since we weren’t going to have another chance to take a Finnair flight.
If you ever have the opportunity to fly Finnair, make sure you give the blueberry juice a try! We miss it already!
Our next stop was the lovely country of Belgium, more on that next week!
You and Sid did an amazing job of making your dream year of travel a reality! I was constantly amazed at your dedication to the filming and editing of your videos, while never forgetting to take the time to actually experience the beauty and wonder of all that you were seeing. Can’t wait to see this video! Think I’ll watch it fireside with a mug of grögli!