Turku

Following our stay in Pori, we decided to take the train down to Turku before starting our exploration of the Archipelago Sea between Finalnd and Sweden. Turku, the oldest city in Finland, is known for its deep history and high concentration of students. Upon arrival, we had the pleasure of running into Moritz and Elisabeth, who were on their way to Helsinki after staying a few days in Darryl and Kiira's apartment. We got some good food and sightseeing tips, and then headed off to track down the apartment.

After months of living in our tent, having access to a kitchen was excellent and I spent the night cooking supper and enjoying the privacy while David started exploring Turku by bike. The next day we headed out to explore, touring the medieval Turku Castle and checking out the Turku cathedral. The evening was spent enjoying a beer on a boat on the River Aura. These boats line the river, and provide drinks, food and entertainment.


Darryl and his family arrived the next day, so we moved out of the apartment but decided we didn't want to leave Turku just yet. We biked out of Turku to Ruissalo Island, slightly west of the city. It was lovely and quiet, with a very nice campsite, and made an excellent home base for some more exploring and odds and ends. After arriving and setting up camp, we headed back into Turku to pick up some needed items (biking gloves that we had forgotten in Switzerland, a clock, sunscreen, etc.) and work on the blog. We then checked out the Turku Kauppahalli (market hall), and I met Darryl and his parents for a beer at the Panimoravintola Koulu, a former school house that is now a restaurant and brewery.
Our day in Turku complete, we picked up some food for supper and headed back to Ruissalo, and I completed the 7th Harry Potter book on the bus there. We had a nice evening, complete with an hour of sauna before turning in for the night.