When in Helsinki, take the tram

I really like using Helsinki’s public transport. Within a couple of minutes walk of the Stockmann store at Aleksanterinkatu you have the superb Art Deco Central Railway Station for suburban and long-distance trains, local buses departing from the two squares adjacent - Eliel Square (Elielinaukio) and Railway Square (Rautatientori) - a Metro station, the Kamppi shopping centre with its complex of regional buses and Metro, and the focal point of the extensive tram network.
















I especially love the older trams. I bought a three-day version of the HKL Tourist Ticket (€12) from an R-kiosk on Esplandi (these blue and yellow kiosks are everywhere and are the simplest place to buy tickets): you validate this on board the tram and it’s valid for 72 hours (you can check the expiry date and time on board as well). They generally run every few minutes and the central city stops have timetable information in real time. As most people travel with prepaid cards, which you normally only have to validate on first use, boarding trams is quick and easy. I only recall having my ticket checked once in five days. The Tourist Ticket includes use of the municipal ferry from the Market Square (Kauppatori) to the island of Suomenlinna – a world heritage site, of which more later.

The 3B and 3T tram route is generally quoted as the one most useful for tourists, as it traverses a roughly figure of eight circuit that’s really interesting in parts and connects many of the key tourist sites. While this is true, don’t neglect to try out other lines that take you to the less fashionable suburbs, the industrial or port areas.

Valtteri fleamarket

The Helsinki fleamarket known as Valtteri is one of the city's discoveries - it isn't mentioned in any of the guide books I've seen, (though it is in the Wikitravel entry on Helsinki) but it's a great insight into the real Helsinki. It's on Alexis Kivis gata, near the junction with Sturegatan. Tram 7A stops outside the entrance, trams 3B/3T and 1/1A pass nearby. Go at the weekend when it's busiest and you can see the indoor market - inside a large redbrick building - and the partly covered outdoor market at the rear. It has clearly defined sections indoors for books, for clothing, and for general bric-a-brac. Outdoors you can find furniture and more bric-a-brac.

When I went on a Saturday in October the market was really crowded, but the atmosphere was great and I spent around an hour and a half there quite happily and took quite a few photographs. It seems to be something of a good place for a family outing. The bookshop has a huge selection of books for one Euro, though I came away empty handed on this occasion.

Other markets to try: Hietalahti Antique and Art Hall , Hietalahdentori; for food, try Hakaniemi Market Hall (Hakaniemen kauppahalli) - Metro: Hakaniemi. Unpretentious ands with a superb range of bread and cakes, including Russian specialities; Old Market Hall (Vanha kauppahalli), right next to Market Square, an old brick building with a fine range of more gourmet food stalls.

A flying visit to Tallinn

Tallinn is a curious place. The old town sits demurely behind its town walls and is circled by swaths of green. Centred on the town square, Raekoja plats, it manages to be both charming and fashionably shabby, with Pikk Jalg winding it way up to Tompea, a collection of embassies and smart restaurants and on its edge, a superb view back over the town and across the harbour towards Finland.

A city of contrasts: within minutes you go from the old town with its designer shops, churches, and shabby chic, to the mundane rail station with bus and tram interchange alongside, and then to the indoor and outdoor market - a glimpse of Tallinn off the tourist trail, with its stalls selling all manner of foods, clothing and household goods.

The cost of living was cheap and the people were friendly. Though we only had a couple of days there and didn't manage to travel outside the centre, save for walking to the ferry terminal to catch the boat to Helsinki. That city's the subject of the next post.

Try to see it my way

This is a blog about my photographic journey: about how taking pictures helps me understand the world and understand myself. It's a learning process. It will allow me to write about places I have seen and how and where I have chosen to take photographs. This process is still in its infancy and will evolve in unpredictable ways.

A little about equipment. I own a Canon EOS 400D for the serious stuff; a Canon Ixus 40 for the more casual side and a Sony Ericsson K800i mobile for the unplanned and candid shots. Having said that, there are certainly times when I'm inclined to take pictures of more or less anything and everything with whatever comes to hand. I have had photographs exhibited at the Norwich Arts Centre's 'Little Things' exhibition in the summer of 2008 - but definitely no other claims to fame. A few of my earlier photographs - from my pre-digital SLR days - can be found on the photography web site stripescreative.co.uk , which was a starting point for grouping and didplaying some of my early favourite images.

I will be posting about places I have been and my impressions - a personal and photographic journey - beginning shortly with Estonia and Finland, where I went in October 2008.