Well, we're here! In Helsinki! We had a smooth but long air experience and arrived at our hotel a bit after midnight. We finally got to bed after 1:00 am and then took a while to go to sleep, but got 7 hours before waking. We have already met several interesting folks, fellow tourists and native Finlanders. On our taxi ride from the airport, we shared a mini van with a Japanese couple who were also tourists. When Jon told them that we were from Seattle, the man immediately said "Ichiro!". There followed a broken conversation (almost no common language) where both sides really tried to communicate. Also in the taxi was a young woman who was Hungarian. She is beginning a Masters program in Helsinki and had one week to find lodging other than the hostel she was using at the moment. Her English was excellent because she had spent 2 years in Baltimore doing part of her BA work and then another year in Providence, RI working. There was also a young man from India who was part of a tourism promotion campaign who also spoke great English!

Today we have taken our time and tried to acclimate. The hotel is very nice and everyone is very helpful. We are trying to get our bodies on Helsinki time, which is 10 hours earlier than Seattle time, but after walking down to the market, window shopping, and having lunch, we are back in our room ready for a nap. Laurie, you were right about those berries! What wonderful stalls full of delicious-looking berries! Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries both farm produced AND the smaller wild ones, plus others. Pete and Tammy, they were just like the berries we picked on the tundra in Alaska! I found the handmade wool Finnish sweater I was looking for so I'll be plenty warm from now on! Susan, I didn't get as good a price as you did but close! There is plenty to keep us busy but we are leaving some things for the guided city tour that we will take with the Grand Circle group. They arrive tomorrow. The weather here is very Seattle-like. It's about 68 degrees and partly cloudy-more sun this morning than now-and very pleasant. All and all, a great beginning!