Helsinki

We arrived into the port of Helsinki on a grey morning,cool,cloudy and wet dockside visible from the top decks so we  anticipated a raincoat would be needed.
The day started with immigration checks as we are non EU citizens so we spent about an hour getting processed first by the ships security crew and then by the Finnish authorities all before breakfast.
We had a tour planned for the afternoon to see the reindeer so we decided to catch the shuttle into town for a quick look at the city itself.
We walked up to the Russian Orthodox Cathedral known as the Uspensky Cathedral and went inside out of the rain.Elaborate fittings and  notable icons feature in this church.Mere mortals do not pass through into the sanctuary and seating is not a feature in these church's. The walk up was noted for the lilacs flowering and the perfume as we passed.
The Senate Square was overlooked by the Lutheran Church of Saint Nicholas, a much more restrained and somber interior but restful and more familiar.Most citizens are Lutherans.
We did not get time to see the Dome church or the Sibeleus Monument as we had to head back for our coach trip out to Nuuksio Reindeer Park.
We did get a quick look inside a market hall near the shuttle pick up where we saw reindeer pate,elk meat,cuts of reindeer meat and other delicacies of the area.There were some of the crafts and linens on show too.
The drive out to the park was worthwhile because we travelled quite a distance through fresh green forested areas with a number of small lakes dotted with summer houses and residences of varying sizes.It was fairly flat and well cared for. Good roads too.
We did go up into a hilly region where the National Park was situated.It was on top of a rock outcrop surrounded by fir trees,latches and aspen trees.The reindeer are fed lichen by tourist but there were stands with hay available to them plus a green herb like plant.
We had time feeding the reindeer,it had stopped raining so it was quite nice outside in the fresh air before we were taken into the Kota, a Laplanders traditional home rather like a teepee.The Sami people live in Lapland and are nomadic in nature so are found in Sweden and Norway too.
More reindeer than people live in this part of the world.They are an interesting animal as their hair has double follicles for better insulation and their hoofs stay warm.They also have an adapted circulation which allows their bones to grow very quickly-more so than for other animals and allows them to live in very cold temperatures.
These reindeer live here in the National Park all six of them but they prefer to be in the wild and do not like to be patted.They were happy to line up for the lichen so you got a good look at them.There are games laid out for them to stop them getting bored our guide explained.
We went into the Kota for our team and cinnamon buns a traditional treat here.It was cozy inside.We sat around on reindeer skin rugs on stools or with feet into a pit beside the round fire in the middle of the tent like structure while our guide talked about their lives here and in the city.
Our trip ended with a scenic drive through the city before boarding the ship in time for dinner and a show from Strictly Come Dancing stars.They are a resident attraction on board.