Cliff(y) Goes Travelling

Helsinki, Finland Helsinki is the capital city and the most populous municipality of Finland. It's the third largest city in the Nordic countries after Stockholm, Sweden and Oslo, Norway. I feel that Helsinki, as one of the highest urban standards of living in the world, is rather slow-paced compared to many other major capital cities across the globe.

Mechelininkatu, Helsinki, Finland I was unsure whether to write on Sibelius Park as a separate post or include it somewhere in a future post since I didn't take lots of photos there. However, I think the park that's situated within the Töölö neighbourhood of Helsinki deserves its own entry due to the presence of a cool-looking monument there.

Lutherinkatu 3, Helsinki, Finland Opening hours vary throughout the year Generally opens at 9.30am-12.00pm and closes at 5.00pm-8.00pm daily A place of worship unlike any I'd ever seen prior to my visit to Helsinki, Temppeliaukio Church is a Lutheran church built directly into solid rock. Visited by approximately half a million people annually, the church was constructed from February 1968 to September 1969.

Puistokatu, Helsinki, Finland Situated at the tip of Helsinki peninsula, Kaivopuisto Park is said to be one of the oldest and most loved parks in central Finland. Especially popular in summer for sunbathing, the park offers a breathtaking view of the sea, along with winding paths and varied terrain.

Eteläranta, Helsinki, Finland Market Square, known as Kauppatori in Finnish, is located on the eastern end of Esplanade Park in Helsinki. It holds an interesting tradition of displaying old American cars on the first Friday of every month, but I didn't get a chance to see them last June.

Liisankatu 21, Helsinki, Finland Daily: 10.00am - 6.00pm The Moomins are a family of hippopotamus-like creatures designed by a Swedish-speaking Finnish illustrator named Tove Jansson. Originally appearing in a series of comic strips and books, they've been made into TV series and films as well. As a fan, I made it a point to drop by one of the cafés in Helsinki.

Unioninkatu 29, Helsinki, Finland Daily: 9.00am - 6.00pm Helsinki Cathedral is one of the most recognisable landmarks of Helsinki, which picture is commonly used during news weather reports. It's a Lutheran church that was built between 1830 to 1852 as a tribute to Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, who was then the Grand Duke of Finland.

Annankatu 1, Helsinki, Finland Located in a relatively less busy part of the capital city near St. John's Church, Hotel Anna (3*) has got a total of 64 guest rooms. It has been serving guests from far and wide since 1985, although the history of the building dates back to 1925 when it was first used as a church.

Lentäjänkuja 1, Vantaa, Finland Hilton Helsinki Airport (4*) is 5 minutes away by foot from the arrival area of Vantaa Airport via a covered walkway. Providing a total of 330 guest rooms, the hotel is pet-friendly. It also offers early breakfast from 3.30am to 6.00am for those who need to catch early morning flights.

BRU-HEL (2h 25m) Embraer 190 ETD: 7.20pm (GMT + 2)  ETA:  10.45pm (GMT + 3) It was time for another flight with Norra (Nordic Regional Airlines), Finnair's regional wing. Having tried the Business Class cabin onboard AY1141 that brought us from Helsinki, Finland to Warsaw, Poland, my BFF and I flew in the Economy Class of AY1546 from Brussels, Belgium back to Helsinki.

Upper Level Opposite Gate A42, Brussels Airport, Zaventem, Belgium Daily: 5.00am - 9.00pm Brussels Airport provides two lounges named Diamond Lounge that are accessible to all travellers, one each in the Schengen and non-Schengen areas. One can gain access to the lounge by paying €32.00 (~S$49.70) , but my BFF and I used our Priority Pass cards to enter.

Zaventem, Belgium Brussels Airport is located at Zaventem, a Belgian municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant. It's among the top 25 busiest airports in Europe. Besides serving as a hub for Brussels Airlines and TUIfly Belgium, did you know that it's also one of the global hubs for Singapore Airlines Cargo?

Brussels, Belgium Brussels is the capital city of Belgium, covering an area of approximately 32 square kilometres with a population density of close to 5,500 inhabitants per square kilometre in 2017. It used to be Dutch-speaking until a gradual shift to French took place from the late 19th century. Today, it's officially bilingual in French and Dutch.