Authentic Finnish sauna in the extreme cold of Helsinki, January 2024【109】

Woke up at 8 am and headed to a café for breakfast.

The Old Town of Tallinn early in the morning is deserted and picturesque.

Enjoyed coffee and a croissant at the café.

Returned to the hotel to pack and check out.

Headed to the A-Terminal to board the ferry.

While walking, stumbled upon the "Fat Margaret" tower.

Arrived at the terminal about an hour early, already crowded.

Waited for the ferry in a spacious waiting room.

The ferry departed with a slight delay.

Took a seat on a sofa in the ferry's café as seating was unassigned.

Arrived at Helsinki's port in 2 hours from Tallinn.

Stepped outside in Helsinki to a fierce snowstorm.

Bought a ticket and took a tram to the city.

Checked into the hotel and set out for dinner after dropping off my luggage.

Braved the slippery, snow-covered streets in minus 15 degrees Celsius to a ramen restaurant.

Had pork bone ramen at a place called Fat Ramen.

Feeling full and warmed up, I returned to the hotel.

Planned to go to the hotel gym, but it was under renovation, so I used a nearby gym as a guest.

Worked out for a little over an hour and then headed back to the hotel for a rest before going out into the night.

It was incredibly cold.

Just a 5-minute walk would freeze my face and feet.

Dinner at Friends & Brgrs, a burger joint.

The burgers and fries, made from scratch including buns and patties, were delicious.

Bought water and protein at a nearby convenience store before heading back to the hotel.

Woke up at 8 am and had breakfast at the hotel.

It was incredibly lavish and tasty.

Set out for sightseeing right after breakfast.

Took a ferry across the frozen Baltic Sea to Suomenlinna Island.

Walked around the World Heritage island for about an hour in the snow.

Perhaps due to the early hour or the cold, there were hardly any tourists.

I enjoyed the quiet snowy scenery, but by the time I returned to the ferry terminal, my whole body was chilled to the bone.

The return trip by ferry took about 15 minutes.

Back in Helsinki, I warmed up at a cafe.

Incidentally, I bought a day ticket for public transport that day, which also included the ferry.

Returned to the hotel and went to the gym, then to the sauna.

I had reserved a session for a traditional Finnish sauna experience called "Löyly" starting at 3 PM, so I headed there about 15 minutes early.

Enjoyed five sets over two hours.

The sauna was fantastic, but the ice-cold Baltic Sea plunge pool was especially invigorating.

It was so cold that I yelled every time I got into the plunge pool.

After the sauna, I returned to the city to watch the projection mapping at Helsinki Cathedral.

For dinner, I had mixed noodles and pork bao at Fat Ramen.

The spicy mixed noodles warmed up my chilled body.

After returning, I drank protein and went to bed.

Woke up at 8 AM and had a breakfast buffet at the hotel.

Since I had time before checking out, I went to the gym for a leg workout.

Checked out of the hotel and went to look for souvenirs.

I bought a mini bag at Normal, a drugstore from Denmark.

Walked to Helsinki Central Station and took the train to the airport.

After passing through security, I browsed shops like Marimekko and Moomin.

Tried a semla for the first time at a cafe.

Cream overflowed from all sides as I tried to eat it. The cream was not too sweet, and the cinnamon-scented bread was delicious.

Thus ended my long journey, and I returned to London.

HP Author