A third church in Helsinki, which can barely be seen until you are almost on top of it, is the famous Rock Church, Temppeliaukio kirkko. The Rock Church was completed in 1969 and is built inside a huge granite boulder in the middle of an unremarkable neighborhood. Its dome is a 13-mile circle of copper tubing. The church may be unremarkable from the outside, but the inside is amazing. Workers blasted 100 feet down to construct the church and the rock walls and simple circular design are unforgettable. Temppeliaukio is northwest of the downtown area, but it is within walking distance.
Another vivid memory of Helsinki is of Market Square. The usual handicrafts and souvenirs were interesting to look at, but the produce, especially the wonderful berries, was spectacular.
While we enjoyed downtown Helsinki, some of the Silver Cloud passengers took day trips to the Finnish countryside or cruised the picturesque Helsinki archipelago.
Sailing from Helsinki, we stopped for a day at Mariehamn, one of the interesting Aland Islands.
Next, we were off to Stockholm.
