Helsinki 2

Today's highlight was the Rock Church, which is basically carved out of a large boulder in the middle of Helsinki.   The bottom half of the walls are from the boulder, and it is covered by a beautiful copper roof.   The only defect was the Christmas music playing in the background...

Pictures:

We took a long tram ride through various parts of the city, and had lunch in the market by the water.   Vera found her happiness in some sort of fish thing, washed down by a glass of vodka.

I found happiness in the train station, designed by Eliei Saarinen, and finished in 1919.
The waiting room:

Two guys out front....

I also went to the Finnish National Art Gallery, to see what Finnish painting is all about. Interesting, in that I know nothing at all about it, with no preconceptions.   Most paintings date from the early 20th Century onwards, and, no surprise, feature Finnish landscapes.  Some interesting Symbolist paintings, including this one, which is apparently Finland's favorite painting.  The Wounded Angel:

An excellent dinner at a Nepalese restaurant; there are a lot of these in Helsinki.  No reindeer curry, luckily.  

It's off to Russia tomorrow, by train.