Thread: Toymaker at large.....

No sleep-in [the sun rose at 4am ] back into training after breakfast....then pack up, lunch, meetings and transfers into Helsinki proper...but not before a photo from the same spot of last nights sunset....

We had a sort of a mini sightseeing tour with the bus trip into town...

Tracey & I were in a hotel in the middle of the CBD,
while the team had dorm like accommodation in a local school on the edge of the city with the chaperons...

World Gymnaestrada 2015 Helsinki begins.....

Feeding everyone daily at lunch time was a military exercise....3 hours of a continual stream of people for a meal...

The Opening Ceremony started in some light drizzle but the sun came out for the gymnastics as they entered the old Helsinki Olympic Stadium; after each country marched on they proceeded to the stands to watch the opening performance....the teams looked great in there country colours & uniforms with the show something special...

Then on mass the whole 25000+ people descended upon the transport system and restaurants for an evening meal...it was almost chaos with long queues for everything and many places just not fully prepared or coping with the huge influx of people...finally we got the kids feed and on a bus back to the school, encouraging them to be in bed early as the week was going to full on, non-stop..

Something like 9-10 performance halls with displays from 9am to 5pm changing every 20mins....our team were participating in 5 displays along with practices plus seeing other displays, transport, eating, and the carnival atmosphere of the festival....

Wonderful photo's Pete,must have been quite a spectacle.

The shows begin....so much variety and difference...some simple, some colourful, some funny, some very skillful and others a combination of all...WOW what a treat for the senses, tiredness wasn't an issue as there was too much to see....

Oh and I was asked by a Portuguese coach to swap shirts; red doesn't really suit me but he looked good in Aussie green & gold with my my hat borrowed for the photo....he and his wife run a small club together of about 100 gymnastics, only bought a small team due to the low wages [5-6euros an hour] and costs....

The large outdoor events were in the Helsinki 1952 Olympic Stadium but with time constraints we missed out on a 2euro trip to the top of the tower, would have been a great view of the city & top photos.....

Stop the press - You just got to love this forum and its people....

Look what arrived in the post from Peter in Griffiths.....WOW!!!

QUOTE "I just thought that the Boys and Girls deserved something for their efforts over in Helsinki".

The quality of the people on this forum is so up there, THANK YOU Peter...
The scroll work is superb, the club colours are spot on...it'll be framed and hung in the club hall for all to see..
Cheers, Peter

Originally Posted by crowie

Stop the press - You just got to love this forum and its people....

Look what arrived in the post from Peter in Griffiths.....WOW!!!

QUOTE "I just thought that the Boys and Girls deserved something for their efforts over in Helsinki".

The quality of the people on this forum is so up there, THANK YOU Peter...
The scroll work is superb, the club colours are spot on...it'll be framed and hung in the club hall for all to see..
Cheers, Peter

It makes it all worth while being with a great bunch of people who are always willing to give information freely a great big thumbs up to your mate Peter I am sure the club will like that

Breaking News....

Springwood Boys & Girls Club have won the AirGym...

A huge THANK YOU to all the forum members who added there vote...

This means the kids who put all the time and effort into fund raising over an 18month period, did extra training for 6-8months have won for the community this fantastic piece of equipment which will be a great asset for the coaches teaching the kids plus a whole heap of otherwise fun to work on..

Again, one and all, THANK YOU... Cheers, Peter.

Gymnaestrada Helsinki continues with more displays and performances....

From the very big display in the Olympic Stadium to the halls....lots of variety...lots of high flying....lots of colour....

The festival seemed longer than 8 days...

With the closing ceremony we were allowed us a half day of sightseeing and I found some WOODEN TOYS!!!!

Glad you are pleased with the plaque Pete & am also equally pleased that the kids got their Air Gym, well done.

Just as we left the markets I saw a beautiful old wooden framed tram....

Of course I ran across the street to see it and nearly missed the ferry to the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress....

Across to Suomenlinna Sea Fortress....we only had a few hours but you could have spent a couple of days looking around....
People live and work on the island...
The ferry can transport vehicles....
We even saw a wedding party coming onto the island as we were leaving...

Suomenlinna Sea Fortress Suomenlinna is one of the biggest sea fortresses in the world, founded in 1748 and built by Field Marshal Count Augustin Ehrensvärd on islands off the coast of Helsinki. Suomenlinna remains as one of the most popular attractions in Finland and was included in UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991 as a unique monument to European military architecture. An important part of any visit to Suomenlinna is a good meal or a refreshing break at one of its cafés. The fortress has a selection of restaurants and charming cafés. The Visitor Centre and Suomenlinna Museum, situated in the middle of the fortress, are a base and information point for visitors as well as the starting point for the walking tours. Suomenlinna is explored on foot. In summer there are daily guided tours in English, Finnish, Russian and Swedish, in winter the tours are held on Saturdays and Sundays in English and in Russian.

And of course with gymnastics, it's a must to do handstand photos wherever they go!!!!

Just a few more hours of sightseeing and it's back to the hotel for the airport transfer....

The last afternoon in Helsinki from the ferry wharf walked to

Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral

Completed in 1868 in the Katajanokka district of Helsinki, the Uspenski Cathedral is the largest orthodox church in Western Europe. With its golden cupolas and redbrick facade, the church is one of the clearest symbols of the Russian impact on Finnish history.



and on to Helsinki Cathedral

The beautiful and historically significant Helsinki Cathedral is an Evangelic Lutheran church, and for many it is the symbol of Helsinki. The church was designed by architect Carl Ludwig Engel in the 19th century as part of the Empire-style-downtown Helsinki area. The cathedral was completed in 1852.


Followed by a walk down cobblestones streets to a tram to return to the city centre and the train for the kids while we returned to the hotel for our airport transfer...

It was so strange riding "shotgun" on the right hand side of the car....

The airport greeted us with a beautiful sunset while we waited until midnight to board our plane home via Singapore.. [the airport shops were still open and wow, what prices]...

What a shocker Finnair "cattle class" is more "SHEEP CLASS" with no wriggle room & only 40mm for your knees; so darn uncomfortable when I was so tired and just wanted to sleep.....the inflight service was very ordinary too...sorry but I'd never recommend or fly Finnair again....

I forgot an explaination - the large wooden building in the square opposite our hotel....

Kamppi Chapel of Silence is located in a corner of the Narinkkatori square in Helsinki, at the entrance of the Kamppi shopping center. The Chapel is intended to be a place where people can have a moment of silence and meet each other. It offers an opportunity to calm down in the middle of perhaps the busiest area in Finland. The entrance to the chapel works as an exhibition area as well where it is possible to the meet the priest and the social worker.