"Helsinki Rocks!" a Helsinki Travel Page by illumina

I went to Helsinki in September 2005, primarily to see one of my favourite bands, Sentenced, on their final tour. I have been a bit obsessed with Finland and Finnish bands for a few years now, so it was a dream come true to finally visit, even if it was only for a few days.

It's very strange, but I felt instantly at home here. I'd read so much about the place, and seen so many pictures, that walking through the city to our hotel I recognised a lot of the landmarks straight away! It just felt very comfortable, a sensation that only grew the longer we were there. I think it helped that Helsinki is quite a small city - we walked from one side to the other in less than an hour.

One of the best things about Helsinki was that it feels so close to nature. It's almost surrounded by the sea; there are parks everywhere, full of trees; and I loved the cemetery, where I saw red squirrels for the first time, and had even the birds eating out of my hand! I'm told that the squirrels on some of the islands are even more tame - oh well, just another reason to go back!