Television star!

May has been on TV today. She attended the consecration of the new Bishop of Espoo where an old friend was singing in the choir and had managed to obtain tickets for the service. I'm not a great churchgoer, so didn't attend, but May reported back that she had very much enjoyed the service, particularly as my friend's father went with her and was able to explain anything she didn't understand. What she found very interesting was that a range of bishops were in attendance, including one from Scotland and one from Namibia. The whole thing was televised live, so May is now a TV star! I'm surprised she can bring herself to talk to me now she's a celebrity!

We also had our own private concert when my friend Markku was joined by his father, Pena and his brother Ekku when they got home from the service with May. The three of them entertained us with some wonderful singing and piano playing while the snow fell gently outside. After that, they took us to a lovely restaurant in Helsinki - you may have noticed, dear reader, that there is a gastronomic theme running thrugh this blog - where we dined greedily on such delicacies as salmon and dill soup, pike loaf with carrots and cauliflower, Jerusalem artichoke soup and chocolate gorgeousness (I forget the name, but it looked good!) with mint.

Sundman's Krog, Helsinki

When our friends had left for home, May and I took a very long walk to wake ourselves up after such an orgy of glorious food! We went on a two hour hike through the centre of Helsinki, admiring the Jugend style architecture, and along the harbour, past Café Ursula (excellent coffee and cakes, if you're in Helsinki) and the Silja Line ferry terminal, stopping only to take photographs of massive icicles suspended from a rock opposite the ferry terminal. 

Icicles by the sea

By the time we got back to our hotel, we were exhausted and, would you believe it, beginning to feel hungry! Then I discovered I'd lost my toothbrush, so I had to hurry to the Railway Station tunnel where the shops were still open; although the temperature is now only -4C, there is quite a lot of ice on the streets, so it was rather an adventure to walk to Asematunneli without falling over and damaging myself. However, the expedition was successfully accomplished and my teeth are safe from falling out immediately.

Tomorrow, we intend to buy a one day travel ticket and make very good use of it...