Saturday, July 24, 2010

The River May Keep You Drowning, But South is Only a Home

July 20, 2010

On this day we spent half a day in Savonlinna, home of, according to Lonely Planet, one of the best castles in northern Europe.

We checked out of the steamboat, and walked to the Savonlinna market, about 50 meters away. For breakfast, bought about 8 of these 3-4 inch smoked fishes (with heads and faces), some coffee, and some Finnish meat filled pastries, the names of which I cannot remember. Delicious, but super filling.

Walked along the river to the church, check. And then to the other end of Savonlinna for the castle (stopped along the way for ice cream and a playground for children). Castle was impressive, and surprisingly large. This is where the operas are played when it is the opera festival in July, and while I do not watch much opera I think I would have liked very much to see it in this place. For a little while we looked at a seagull. It is always good in a city in Europe to see both the church and the castle and to eat some small smoked fish whole.

By the afternoon, had another ice cream (there was a funny man there who got lots of ice cream in his mustache), and then went back to the car for the long drive back to Helsinki.

Dropped off the car at the Europcar spot, and went to Nepalese for dinner. I think that Nepalese in Finland isn't very different from Indian in the U.S., but maybe a little bit less spicy, but still very good. Stopped for drinks in another spot near the city center (cider again).

**Fiery Furnaces -- South is Only a Home

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