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Friday
As the finale of our exchange drew near, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a group field trip to the heart of Finland, Helsinki. The journey from Turku, approximately two hours by train, was quite an experience for us. Not only was the train far more comfortable than those in the Czech Republic, but what truly caught us off guard was the delightful surprise adorning the carriage – the Little Mole as two-meter-long sticker! Our disbelief mirrored that of the Finns, who found it amusing that a character from a Czech cartoon series had found its way onto their train.
Our disbelief continued when we saw the Finnish sun for the first time in six days. Until then, its glow had been hidden by persistent cloud cover, a common phenomenon during Finnish winters when the sun appears in the sky for only five days. Fortunately, we witnessed its glow and set out to explore the Finnish capital. With our vitamin D stores replenished, we eagerly embarked on our exploration of the captivating Finnish capital. Helsinki, with its rich history and modern charm, spread out before us. Our itinerary took us to iconic landmarks such as Helsinki Central Station, the Parliament Building, the Presidential Palace, Helsinki Cathedral, and the Oodi Library.
After a cool but refreshing sightseeing tour, during which the chilly Finnish air almost froze us to the bone, we looked for some comfort with a well-deserved lunch. While many of our peers decided on typical Finnish cuisine, my Finnish partner and I opted for a familiar choice - McDonald's. Many people believe that the McDonald's menu is the same all around the world, however, at the Finnish McDonald's, there was a pleasant surprise waiting for us - ketchup was free. Although it may seem banal to some, I felt like I was in a private paradise of tomato bliss at the Finnish McDonald's.
After satiating our appetites, we continued our exploration in small groups. My and my Finnish partner headed to Helsinki's famous Christmas market and the contemporary art scene at the Museum of Modern Art. In the early evening we all gathered at the railway station to say goodbye. It was not so difficult for us, because we will see each other again in March in the Czech Republic.
from Anna´s diary
Friday
On Friday I joined up with my fellow colleagues a bit later as they hopped on the train in Turku and I boarded it when in passed through Salo. Our destination for our last day with our Finnish friends would be Helsinki again. When we arrived, we first went to see the building where Finnish parliament dwells. On the same square the Helsinki library can also be found, so we went to visit it. Then we moved to the see the Helsinki cathedral. We also inspected local Christmas market, checking out everything from food to clothes. After that we moved to see the presidential office and the harbor. By the time we finished our tour, it was already time for lunch, that’s why we went to get a proper lunch to a sushi buffet. Then I stuck with a group, who went to spend some time in the library. Aside from huge spaces with shelves full of books, the library also included area with public 3d printers, console gaming rooms, recording studio, chess room and much more. We spent the rest of our free time in Helsinki wandering there, exploring all it had to offer. We said our goodbyes to the Finnish team and ended our Helsiki tour by going back to the main train station from where we took a train to the airport. From there we were just one bus stop away from our hotel.
from Krštof´s diary
Pátek
Náš poslední den s finskými studenty. V ranních hodinách jsme se všichni potkali na vlakovém nádraží v Turku, společně jsme pak jeli asi dvě hodiny do Helsinek, vlak byl jako v pondělí velmi pohodlný a příjemný. V Helsinkách jsme nemeškali ani minutu, a hned jsme se vydali poznat hlavní město Finska. Jako první jsme se šli podívat do městské knihovny, která byla naprosto úžasná. Uvnitř nebyly jenom knížky, ale take tiskárny, počítače, 3D tiskárny, potisk triček a mnoho dalšího. Kéž bychom mohli mít takovou knihovnu u nás. Od knihovny jsme se vydali k vánočním trhům, kde bylo mnoho obchůdků od vařeného jídla po zpracované sobí parohy. Všichni jsme ale dostali obrovský hlad a začali jsme přemýšlet, kam se půjdeme najíst. Nakonec jsme dostali asi tříhodinový rozchod na jidlo, a poznávání zbytku mesta. Vetšina jsme se šli podivat do největšiho obchodniho domu v Helsinkách, Kamppi. Obchoďák to byl opravdu veliký a obchodů tam byl nespočet. Všichni jsme se zase setkali na nadraží, odkud už Finové odjížděli domů.
Následně jsme už jeli směrem na hotel, který byl blízko u letiště. Na hotelu jsme se najedli a šli se vyspat na brzké vstávání.
z deníčku Davida
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