Inside the Helsinki Train Station, Helsinki Finland by Ella Derbyshire

Nikon D80's

I wandered around Helsinki for a few days before and after our ride on the icebreaker to the North Pole. Lost in Helsinki one fine morning, I wandered into the Helsinki Central Railway Station. where I was surprised by how few people were trying to catch a train.

The station is huge, with a surprising modern look that speaks very well for the design and maintenance of a transportation facility that was opened in 1911. The design by Eliel Saarinen has certainly stood up well to the test of time.

The trains of three rail lines leave here for neighboring cities and for long-haul routes to destinations such as St. Petersburg, Paris, Monte Carlo or Madrid. Oddly there are trains to Russia and to Sweden, but there are no trains to Norway.

New arrivals in Helsinki can link to the city's metro system by an underground walkway. Thisw seemed like a very comfortable place to wait for a train.

Even with the help of digital cameras and my GPS, I am seldom so certain of the time I snapped a panorama as I am for this one. The 11 frames were photographed with a Nikon D80 and stitched with Autopano Pro.