Day 13 – 26/04/26

We had to wake up early because we were taking a boat to Estonia at around 9 a.m. We got up at 7, got ready, and headed to the port of Helsinki. The cruise took about 3 hours, during which we rested and had breakfast. When we arrived, we walked around the city until we reached the PoCo Pop Art Museum, where we saw famous artworks like those of Marilyn Monroe. After that, we visited some clothing shops, such as Bershka, to see if they were different from those in Spain. Since we didn’t have much time, we quickly went to the old town of Tallinn, which is very different from the modern center, with older architecture, traditional houses, and stone streets. We then went to a viewpoint to see the whole city and later visited a well-known church with a unique design that stood out from the others. Inside, we were surprised to see small shops where visitors could buy items. After that, we explored more local stores, especially ones selling amber jewelry, which is very typical of the region, and bought some souvenirs for our families. At the end of the day, after walking around and visiting some shopping centers, we met Jimi’s mother at a hotel and returned on the cruise to Helsinki. The trip back also took about 3 hours, during which we had dinner and relaxed. When we got home, everyone went to sleep, while we took some time to do homework and study for upcoming exams.

Day 12 – 25/04/26

Today we woke up more relaxedbecause it was the weekend, but soon after getting up, we went to the harbor and took a boat to an island where there is a famous castle in Helsinki. However, we got lost and instead we found an old bunker in ruins, which we explored for a while. After that, we walked around the island and then returned to the boat. Back in the city, we visited different shops to buy souvenirs and gifts for our families. We also entered some luxury stores, like Louis Vuitton, where the door is usually closed and staff welcome you, ask what you are looking for, and guide you through the products. Of course, we didn’t buy anything. Then, we went to Stockmann, where everything was also quite expensive. Later, we had lunch at an Asian buffet, where we tried different types of chicken, all very tasty. After that, we visited the Helsinki Central Library, a large modern building with several floors and excellent facilities. We also explored some shopping centers. They are smaller than in Spain, but much closer to each other and even connected underground. This allows people to move around easily without going outside when it’s very cold or snowing. These underground connections also link shopping centers with the train station, metro, and tram, making transport much more convenient in winter. At the end of the day, we took the tram and went back home.

Day 11 – 23/04/26

First, we went to school, where there was a darts tournament. The top 10 players could qualify, and Ignacio just missed it by one position. After that, we continued with our classes until the end of the day. Then, we went home and later traveled to Helsinki, the capital of Finland, Ignacio by train and Enrique by car. When Enrique arrived, he explored the neighborhood where Jimi grew up, walking through the forest and noticing how different Helsinki is compared to Tampere. Later, they met a friend and went fishing on an island. Jimi explained how to fish, but we only managed to catch some rubbish, like a plastic bag, pieces of wood, and even some mud. Meanwhile, Ignacio arrived in Helsinki and visited the city center, seeing some of its most famous landmarks. Later, Enrique also went to the center, where he met Ignacio. We talked about our day and made plans for the next one, deciding to explore the city in more detail and buy souvenirs for our families. After that, Enrique continued exploring the center with Jimi and his friend, visiting different churches, both Lutheran and Orthodox, as well as the city hall, the president's palace, the harbor, and other places. Meanwhile, Ignacio went back home to get ready, as later he went out for dinner with the family at a restaurant in Helsinki’s train station.

Day 10 – 23/04/26

After waking up, we went to school, but we didn’t stay for the whole day. Jimi’s mother picked us up mid-morning so we could visit some museums, which close early, so it’s better to go in the morning. First, we went to a museum where we visited different sections. The first one was about football, showing the history of various national teams and clubs, with decorations inspired by this year’s World Cup. Then, we explored a video game section, where we discovered that some famous game developers are from Finland. There was also an area about radio, explaining how it worked in the past and how it has evolved over time. After that, we visited two of the most interesting sections, one about Finnish wildlife, showing the animals and how they live in different seasons, and another about ice hockey, with trophies, famous players, and even a place where you could shoot a puck at a virtual goal. Later, we went to another museum focused on old textile factory machines, where they explained how they worked and even showed their internal parts. To finish the visit, we went up the tallest tower in Tampere, about 120 meters high, where we enjoyed amazing views of the city, the surrounding towns, the large lakes, and Finland’s nature. To end the day, we watched a hockey match (Tappara vs Ilves) at a friend’s house. The game ended 5–1 for Tappara, and after that, we went home to rest. 

 Day 9 – 22/04/26

In the morning, we went to school and alternated classes so we could stay together. During the morning, we had decided to meet in the afternoon to walk around the city. After school, each of us went home to get ready, and later, around 5 p.m., we met up. At first, we walked around a lake, going through the forest and enjoying some very beautiful natural spots. After a while, we took the tram to the city center to find something to eat. We were recommended a buffet, but it was closed, so we ended up having dinner at Taco Bell, one of the few places still open, since things here close quite early, usually around 7 or 8 p.m. After that, we each headed back home to rest.

 Day 8 – 21/04/26

In the morning, it was another calm school day likethe previous ones. We went to class, did our work, and then each of us went home. Later, we got ready to go to an ice hockey match, the semifinals between the two local teams from Tampere. When we arrived, the stadium was impressive, with a capacity of around 10,000 people. During the game, there were different performances, such as restaurant promotions, professional ice skating shows, and music. The match was very exciting, full of speed and adrenaline, even more than football in Spain. Enrique supported Ilves, while Ignacio supported Tappara, the two rival teams in the city. The game ended 3–2 in favor of Tappara, but everyone enjoyed it, even if their team lost. After the match, each of us bought a shirt of our team and then went home to rest. On the way back, we met a group of university students from Cantabria who were on Erasmus in Hervanta, and we talked with them about university life and the differences between Spain and Finland.

 Day 7 – 20/04/26

Ignacio:
After going to classes, we had lunch and spent some time resting and doing schoolwork. In the afternoon, since my partner was still in Lapland, my exchange student and I went to the gym for a while, where we trained together. Coming back from gym we went to a supermarket and we bought a croissant dought in a can. Later, we had dinner and prepared the croissants all together.

Enrique:
We woke up late after resting from the previous day and walked to a public grill in a small cabin. Before eating, we visited some local museums that showed how people lived in the past, including how they transported wood and information about typical Finnish traditions like animals, skiing, and fishing. After that, we went to the grill and lit a fire to cook traditional Finnish sausages. Going to public grills is very common in Finland, especially in winter, when people meet in groups even though it can be difficult to light the fire because of the cold. Later, we returned home, packed our things, and got ready to leave. At 6:20 p.m., we took a bus to the train station, and around 7:40 p.m. we got on the train back to Tampere, a journey of about 11 hours. During the journey, the train stopped around 50 minutes in Oulu, a famous city in Finland, so we went to visit une of the main monuments there, a statue of a policeman.