Scandinavia 2008 - Day 21
Thursday Morning I awoke to another gray and rainy day outside my window. I had a quick breakfast at 7-11 (which had display cases of Chinese, Indian, and Italian food by the pint) before I took the funicular to the top of Mount Fløyen (verify). The view is magnificent, even if it were a gray day. It was midweek and early morning, so not many people were about, just a few retirees and school children chattering softly in the gray misty background. I found a hotel at the top with a cafe bar where I sipped a hot coffee with a valley view. The rain was lightening up some to a slow sprinkle, so I began the long hike down to town. It was a peaceful trail that wound back and forth amongst thick tall old trees. The forest was brighter than most, thus the undergrowth was thick and lush with greenery (included many fan-leafed ferns). Visibly it seemed more like a Pacific sierra rain forest than Ozark or rocky mountain forest. I occasionally happened upon small trickles of streams, that pooled around clean stream beds of gray boulder, and dripped out from under thick mats of moss, sometimes up to a food thick. It was magnificent. Few people used the trail, I met no other hikers, only a few young trophy housewives in tight black or gray spandex running up the hill trail. My walk lasted an hour.
The trail ends atop the edge of town, in a neighborhood of fine lovely old wood homes, built on the slopping mountainside. Most were white, and there were many rocky paths, stairs, flower box windows, low black iron gates, and high peak roofs. It was a nice place, peaceful with small parks and the occasional cry of a child from a stroller. Few cars could come up into this area, so few did, and it was nicer for it. Another hour of light walking found me back at my hostel where I showered and paced my travel pack. It was off to the airport for me, but first to track down the bus station and find the right bus. The bus station was built into the mall, and was a mess to navigate, finally I found myself in long uninterrupted tunnels that came out on the other side of the block where a frenzy of buses navigated their way into and out of traffic. I waited a while at my stop, finally catching the airport bus. The airport is just south of town, but I was shocked at the amount of suburb we drove through to get there. It was traffic circles and strip malls galore, but ever European, there were many lakes, inland marinas, and I counted 1 boat for about every low slung suburban homes. It was middle class, don't get me wrong, but it was Scandinavian middle class, and boats, skiffs, schooners, and sails were culture.
Check-in was quick and easy, and I found myself with an hour to spend at the bar, where I got to try first hand the most expensive pint in Europe, the $20 pint of beer (nothing fancy, just a Carlsberg like in most other venues, just simply expensive). Though it was a short flight to Helsinki, I got to my hotel near midnight so I just went to bed upon arrival.
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