A tale of many cities: Helsinki, Tallinn, Brighton, London and Rochester

A little bit of background

This post is covers the whirlwind week I spent in 2013 in two bits: the first in Helsinki to present at a conference with a day trip to Tallinn, and then in Brighton, London and Rochester in England. Yep, you read that correctly. I did all of that in a week! Read on for more...

My reflections on this whirlwind trip and on what it meant to me are at the end of the post.

The long trek to Helsinki

It was May 2013, and I'd not long returned from our trip to Hawaii for our 20th wedding anniversary. I'd presented at the European First-Year Experience conference in Manchester in 2011 and my abstract to present in Helsinki for the 2013 conference had been accepted. I'd never been to Scandinavia before so I was super excited to be heading to Finland and to be given the opportunity to present again on my work. The conference was scheduled to run from Monday to Wednesday, with my presentation slotted in for Tuesday morning. I was due to land in Helsinki on Sunday morning and I was hoping this would give me some much-needed adjustment time after the long journey from Australia.

I left Brisbane for the first leg to Singapore, flying with Qantas. The flight is around seven hours and I was feeling OK when I arrived. I had a 6-hour wait at Changi Airport for the flight to Helsinki and I wasn't keen on that, but it's not the longest I'd come to spend in an airport waiting for the next flight. I tried to book onto a Singapore city tour but I was one hour short for my stopover to be eligible for a place. Bummer.

I managed to fill the time in somehow but by then it was late and I was looking forward to sleeping for most of the 12-hour flight with Finn Air to Helsinki. That's when things went a bit awry. I can't remember now what caused the delay, but the flight was grounded for hours and hours. The passengers were herded into the departure lounge and left there, with very little information on what was happening. I recall blankets were brought around at some point. There were a lot of very angry passengers expressing their feelings in a bunch of languages I didn't understand (mostly Russian, I think). The delay was one of the longest and hardest to sit through I have ever experienced.

I don't remember much about the flight but I do remember arriving in Helsinki feeling completely out of whack. I'd researched how to get into the city and had no problems catching the bus. Helsinki isn't very big but I still managed to get lost trying to find my hotel. I was so dazed and confused and my sense of direction is bad at the best of times. These were also the days when phones weren't as smart as they are now and I was relying on printed instructions to find my way. I recall wandering around for ages and trying many times to find someone who spoke English to help me. Eventually I realised that I'd made one wrong turn at the central bus drop-off point and my hotel was only a short walk away. Gawd!

It was late afternoon by then but I was determined to see something of the city. I walked to the main cathedral and paid €25 for a hop on hop off bus tour that was doing its last round, so there was no hopping anywhere. Still, I got to see a little bit of the city from the open-topped bus.

Sadly (and inexplicably), none of my photos of Helsinki has survived, other than the below one, which I only have in hard copy. It's of the Helsinki Cathedral, a neoclassical church completed in 1852. The cathedral is built in the shape of a Greek cross, with its pediment resting on six Corinthian pillars. There are sculptures of the twelve apostles on the roof that guard the city.

I was so exhausted from the flight that I didn't have the energy to go inside. Such a shame. I wandered around the square, though, and headed back to my hotel for dinner at a nearby restaurant.

The Helsinki conference

The conference didn't start until late morning the next day, Monday, so I had the chance to wander around the city centre first. I remember buying a shirt from H&M that I still have in my wardrobe.

I was still feeling a little out of it so I don't have strong memories of the city, other than it felt cold and uninviting. I'm sure that's completely unfair. I saw little of it, other than the university buildings, to make a lasting impression.

This is how I remember the harbour from my brief wanderings. It's actually really pretty and I recall having a nice stroll around before the conference began. The harbour has a small-town vibe and is easy to wander around. The markets you can see in the below shot were just gearing up for the day when I was poking around in them.

Here's someone else's shot of the harbour and the markets.

I bought a beautiful piece of photographic art of the cathedral in the snow from a stall there and a fridge magnet of the same scene. I still have both on display at home. I look at the artwork a lot, and wonder how it must be to experience Helsinki in the snow.

Once I was at the conference I felt more settled and I found the university staff and students super friendly and helpful. The University of Helsinki was founded in 1640 (awesome!) and its buildings sit within the city centre, unrecognisable as a distinct campus. Here's a shot of the main building where I remember going on the first day to register.

Photo taken from the university website.

I was working at Queensland University of Technology at the time, in the Business School. The 'show and tell' format of the conference packed a bunch of presenters into one room for an hour on a related topic, each with only a few minutes to speak before Q&A time at the nearby display area. I was in the group discussing curriculum and course development. My presentation focussed on the first steps towards work-readiness work I was doing through a new approach to teaching graduate attributes in core units. I remember that my presentation went well, but that it was a long way to travel for such a brief opportunity to showcase my work.

The bottom lefthand shot is of a t-shirt I bought at the university bookshop. No longer in my wardrobe (I wore it out!), I'm glad I took a photo of it.

I'm writing this post in 2024 and I must admit that I don't have strong memories of the conference presentations. I do remember the British contingent of delegates and the laughs we had at meal and mingling times. Lunches and dinners were provided and I recall a lot of fish and potatoes on the menu. There was a reception at City Hall on the first evening, too, that made us all feel like royalty. You can see the City Hall (blue building) with the magnificent cathedral in the background in the below shot. I just wish I'd been more with it during the time I was in the city. The travel delay really knocked the stuffing out of me.

Photo taken from a Finnish architecture website.

Tallinn

The best part about my conference experience was meeting HB, a delegate from Leeds University. We ended up in the same workshop on the first day and sat next to each other. If you ask HB, she'll tell you how out of it I seemed! We still managed to make a connection on that first day that has turned into a lasting friendship 💞.

There were only a couple of sessions on the last day of the conference and HB and I decided to skip them and make a day trip to Tallinn. I had booked and paid for a return ticket before I left home, to head over to Estonia after the conference finished at lunchtime. I changed my ticket and we left first thing in the morning.

I could scarcely believe I was heading to Estonia when we boarded the ferry! I've long had a fascination with Eastern Europe and I was so excited about the day trip. The crossing takes around about 2 hours, covering 76km, or 41 nautical miles. As you can see from my photos, the Baltic Sea was smooth as we crossed the Gulf of Finland that day. The lefthand shot is the first glimpse of the Old Town from the port.

The shots above that I took show the stark and rather basic port that greets passengers when they disembark. What's great about it, though, is that the walk up to the Old Town is only short. The below shot, from a blog post in 2017, gives you a better idea of the distance. You can see the mediaeval buildings in the foreground in relation to the ferry port.

The Old Town looms large when heading towards it from the port. I felt like I was walking into a fairytale as we entered the town. It is surrounded by urban sprawl and high-rise buildings which only makes the medieval structures seem more magical somehow, as if a movie set has been plonked there.

The Old Town is separated by class, with Toompea at the top of the hill where the aristocracy lived and the Lower Town that once housed tradespeople. The Old Town is surrounded by walls and turrets and the streets are paved with cobblestones. The below collage only goes some way to capturing the beauty of Tallinn. It still rates as one of my favourite places in Europe.

We spent the day just wandering around and soaking up the atmosphere. As the day wore on the town became busier but there is enough open space to avoid feeling hemmed in, and I don't recall it being super crowded.

A day in Tallinn can easily go by just from wandering around. We had lunch in the main square in the Lower Town, and sat people-watching and enjoying the blue skies and warm weather. That's HB and me in the top righthand shot, with her Leeds University colleague who joined us on the trip in the bottom lefthand one. The Town Hall that you can see in the bottom two photos was built in 1370 and is one of the best preserved Gothic town halls in Northern Europe.

These are some of my favourite shots, showing the walls of the town and the pretty trees that framed them. Tallinn really is a magical place.

There are quite a few bits of the ancient city walls remaining where it is possible to gain access and walk around. I can't recall whether we paid to walk along the walls. The perspective of the town is interesting from up there even though it's not super high up.

The Alexander Nevsky cathedral, an Eastern Orthodox church, dominates the Toompea skyline. It was built in the 1890s when Estonia was part of the former Russian empire. There are five distinctive onion domes to the cathedral each topped with a gilded iron cross, 22 bells cast in St Petersburg, and building base made of Finnish granite. The cathedral is quite a magnificent sight in the town and my first ever experience of a traditional Eastern Orthodox church.

I understand there was a desire by the Estonians to tear down the cathedral in the 1920s and 1930s, but it still stands today in all its unique architectural glory. After Estonia gained full independence in 1991 the exterior and interior of the church were restored.

St Nicholas church was originally built for German merchants who were invited to Tallinn in 1230. Its construction preceded the Town Hall so the church initially had a defensive function but was later a church that was redesigned in the 15th century (as it looks today). Unfortunately, the church was partly destroyed in a Soviet air raid in 1944 but has since been restored although not consecrated, and it now houses a museum.

The below photo from a blog on Tallinn gives you a good idea of the skyline of the town and the main buildings. You can see the Town Hall, Alexander Nevsky cathedral, and St Nicholas church. The distinctive red rooves of Tallinn's residential buildings are on full display here, too.

At the time of our visit it felt like Tallinn had retained its historic charm and wasn't overrun with tourists and commercialism. That said, there were plenty of souvenir shops and touristy things on display.

To be fair, the guy in the above photo approached me rather than the other way around!

I loved wandering around the cobbled streets but it was also cool to see the town from up high. In addition to the city walls walking we did, we also climbed up the medieval bell tower in the Town Hall for these magnificent views. The tower is 64 metres in total but to reach the bell chamber, it's a climb of 115 spiral steps (see below) to 34 metres.

We also went up to the Kohtuotsa viewing platform. It's on the northern side of Toompea. This platform provides panoramic views of the old and new parts of Tallinn with the Gulf of Finland in the distance.

One final spot worth mentioning is Freedom Square, a popular meeting place and pedestrian plaza. There is a Monument to the War of Independence in the square. The square was so named in 1939, went through a few name changes after that, and settled back into its original name in 1989. The Victory Column was built in 2009 to commemorate the Estonian War of Independence in 1918-1920. The church you can see in the top lefthand photo is neo-gothic St John's, built between 1862 and 1867.

We had an early dinner and took the ferry back to Helsinki around 7pm. It was super busy compared with our morning crossing. I felt quite overwhelmed at the ferry terminal as there were people everywhere, some of whom were already three sheets to the wind. Announcements were being made that we couldn't understand.

The three of us ended up squashed into a double bench seat with a table in between. HB's colleague went to sleep with her head against the window but HB and I had to face two men across the table who were drinking beer the entire crossing and trying to engage us in conversation. We did our best to ignore them but they ramped things up the more they drank and the closer we got to Helsinki. This was one of the few times I have felt frightened while travelling. They seemed annoyed with us, either because we couldn't understand what they were saying or because we wouldn't engage.

By the time we docked in Helsinki, I was ready to get the heck out of there, but one of the men stood as we did and asked for my phone number. Huh? We fobbed them off and made a quick exit. HB and her colleague walked me to my hotel as I didn't feel safe at that point.

It was an odd experience on the sea crossing and not the best end to my time in Helsinki. I was glad to get back to my hotel and prepare for the early start the next morning. Even that weird incident did not spoil the absolutely magical day I spent in Tallinn.

Brighton

From Tallinn to Brighton! The day after the conference finished I flew with British Airways to London to be met by my friend, MM. I'd met MM at the Manchester conference in 2011 and we'd stayed in touch as I wrote a chapter in her student experience textbook. I was able to swing the time with MM as part of my ongoing professional work.

We drove the hour or so down to Brighton where MM lives. I was only able to spend the one night with her but it was enough for us to catch up on personal and professional matters and we are still friends to this day. I'd not been to Brighton before so it was lovely to have a poke around.

One of the places on my bucket list was the Choccywoccydoodah shop. We'd watched the bizarre cake-baking show for years and it was kind of cool to visit the shop. I tried to buy an empty cake box to take home as a souvenir but the sales assistant was having none of it. Oh, well. I should have bought something so I could have the box!

I understand the shops in Brighton and London closed in 2019 and the show has since stopped being produced.

Of course the main attraction in Brighton is the pier. These are some of my favourite shots as they just scream British beach! The pebbles, deck chairs for hire, and the pier are iconic to me and I JUST LOVED being there.

The pier is a Grade II listed pier, established in 1899. It attracts millions of visitors each year and continues to resist modernisation, with its nod to beach holidays of old, with fairground rides and candy floss and toffee apples. Here we are enjoying all the kitsch!

Brighton itself is actually quite lovely and it's rather a sought-after place to live. Below is a selection of shots from our afternoon wanderings, including the Grade I listed Brighton Pavilion, built between 1787 and 1820. The original building was constructed in the Indo-Saracenic style prevalent in India in the 19th century, but its current design can be attributed to John Nash who added the domes and minarets in 1815. The original purpose of the building was a seaside retreat for the reigning monarchs.

London

My third time in London! Friday morning I headed back to London on the train and spent the night with my friend KP in Limehouse. KP had to work on Friday so I wandered off on my own, taking a stroll through St James's Park, one of my favourite spots in London. It was May and the weather in Helsinki, Tallinn and Brighton had been sunny and mild, but it was freezing and dreary in London when I got there. The lefthand shot in the middle row in the collage below was taken from my perspective as I walked down The Mall with a hot chocolate to warm me up.

I only had time to do one thing that afternoon before meeting KP for dinner. I chose to visit the Churchill War Rooms on Horse Guards Road near St James's Park, Downing Street and the Cenotaph. If you're interested in WW2 history, the War Rooms are a must as there are loads of interesting displays and exhibitions that give an authentic sense of what the cabinet war room activities were like. It is possible to stand close to where some of the most important decisions were made about the course of the war.

In the evening, KP and I walked to The Grapes, the pub owned by Sir Ian McKellen in Limehouse. It doesn't look much from the outside, but it's lovely inside and the food was delicious and what you'd expect from an English pub.

Here we are on our journey back to KP's place. I've included shots of KP's uber eclectic London home as I just loved staying there and will always be grateful for KP's hospitality.

Rochester

I was due to fly back to Australia on Sunday evening so I had two days left of my whirlwind trip. Saturday morning I met up with my friend, AD, at Victoria Station. We had met online the year before and this was our first in-person meeting. AD lives in Rochester in Kent but we spent Saturday in London together at the Victoria and Albert Museum (bottom two shots) before catching the train to Rochester. I stayed in a motel in the town.

The left and righthand shots show AD's street and house and the top shot is of her two boys. It was pretty surreal to meet someone in person after an online friendship but after initial nerves, I found no difference between the digital and face-to-face friend.

We spent Sunday at Leeds Castle, only 20km from Rochester. The castle stands on islands in a lake formed by the River Len to the east of the village of Leeds. (No, not the city of Leeds in West Yorkshire, but a village in the Maidstone district of Kent.)

The castle is a Grade I listed estate and has existed on the site since 857 BC. The listing summary states that it is early to mid 12th century, with alterations from the 13th through to the 16th centuries. King Edward I lived in the castle in the 13th century, Henry VIII in the 16th with his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. The modern castle dates largely from the 19th century and was once privately owned. It was left in trust and opened to the public in 1976.

I loved visiting the castle. Its beautiful grounds are extensive and there's much to explore in and outside of the castle structure. The centre is on a raised viewpoint which contains an exit through a shell grotto. It's a bit like a theme park, though, but I guess that's what attracts visitors. It's rather a nice day out for families as there are plenty of kids' activities and lovely spaces to run around and picnic.

My whirlwind week

I was only away from home for a week but it felt like months. I sure did pack a lot into my time away. Helsinki, Tallinn, Brighton, Rochester and London - what a unique group of cities to visit over the course of a week! t's no surprise that Tallinn was the highlight, though. To be fair, I didn't have much time to explore Helsinki and I was knocked out by the flight delay, but it wasn't a city that left a huge impression on me. Again to be fair, nothing could really compete with Tallinn! I hope my post has encouraged you to visit. I'd return again in a heartbeat.

My Helsinki conference experience was also about friendships. New ones were made - with HB, whom I met by chance on the first day of the conference. Old ones were revisited - when I stayed overnight in London with my friend of some 27 years, KP, who has always welcomed me into her home. I was was wonderful to see MM again and to enjoy her lovely hospitality, cementing our friendship and experiencing the quintessential British seaside city of Brighton. It was also cool to meet AD in person.

I was back in England a year later for the same conference, this time held at Nottingham Trent University. Again, I just had a week away from home and managed to pack a lot in, although only within England this time. It has been such a privilege for me to have seen so much of the world through conferencing and work projects.