Copenhagen and Day 1 in Helsinki

I arrived at the Copenhagen airport at about 1:30pm local time, and got my passport stamped. However, I did not have to go through customs/security. On the way home from this trip, I have a six-hour layover in Copenhagen, so I wanted to figure out what documentation is needed to leave the airport. I also found out that Denmark does not require a special visa, if are a U.S. passport holder. Some countries (like Turkey), require you to pay for a special visa before allowing you to leave the airport. Good knowledge for next time.

The Copenhagen airport is beautiful, with dark hardwood floors, lined with cafes with plenty of seating and tables available for patrons. The terminal also has a who's who of high end stores, Burberry, Pandora, and Hugo Boss, to mention a few. Overall, the terminal felt more like being at Northbrook Court (shopping mall) than being inside of an airport? Did I mention that the airport has free Wi-Fi?

After two hours, it was then time to board my flight from Copenhagen to Helsinki, which is only an 80-minute commute. This time the plane was much smaller, similar to what one would take on a domestic flight. When I arrived in Helsinki, I got my luggage and then went to get some Euros at the ATM. From there I waited for the Finnair bus, which goes from the airport to the center of Helsinki. The airport is about 19 km outside of Helsinki in a satellite suburb called Vantaa, so I was on the bus for about half an hour. I then got off the bus to meet my brother Gabriel, who is a medical research assistant at the University of Helsinki.

After we dropped off my luggage, we went to go get some traditional Finnish cuisine. I opted for a smoked reindeer sandwich which came garnished with lettuce, tomato, and some sort of mayo. The reindeer meat was delicious. I would compare it to summer sausage. However, the sandwich and accompanying salad were not very filling (let's just say it wasn't like what you would get at Manny's deli). Finnish food is not cheap, and there are basically three categories: McDonald's, ubiquitous pizza and kebob places (typically €7), and everything else is pretty much over $20 USD. Since we weren't full from the meal, we decided to go to McDonald's. McDonald's, by the way, does have a dollar menu, for those who are curious. I ordered a schnitzel-like sandwich and a doughnut off of the dollar menu. Both were pretty good.

After McDonald's, Gabriel showed me some of the city, including the Senate Square, where the beautiful Helsinki Cathedral is located. I was also able to see some of the pricing, which is outrageously expensive compared to US prices. At a bookstore, the books on display were the equivalent of $50 USD. More surprising was a Crate & Barrel type store with modest Finnish furniture, some priced at €2,000 or more!

So far, though, I have enjoyed my first day in Helsinki. It is very easy to get via tram and there are many sites with beautiful architecture.