Helsinki

All year my sister, Nat, my niece, Peppa and I have been planning our holiday. Month after month we’ve sat together on weekends, piecing together the itinerary, booking flights and food tours and going down the rabbit hole of family history.

And finally, after nine months of planning and a torturous 26 hours of travelling, we have arrived at our first stop, Helsinki, in an explosion of hair products, chocolates and puffer jackets.

Travelling together so far has not disappointed.

We’ve visited the Herring Festival and sat on reindeer fur in cosy tents drinking chocolate hot enough to burn your oesophagus. We’ve climbed the steps to Helsinki Cathedral and wandered through shops full of Moomin and Marimekko.

We’ve sampled salmon soup, rice pies, shots of sea buckthorn, salty liquorice and Finish pancakes, and we’ve dunked ourselves in the freezing Gulf of Finland – twice – after steaming hot saunas.

Nat has researched and announced aurora sightings unlikely, but clouds 100%, and has declared she could happily live here.

Yesterday we crossed the Gulf in a massive ferry to explore the old town of Tallinn, Estonia. Nat has declared she could happily live there.

Of course many things we’ve done have been accompanied by a happy stream of merciless family ribbing.

Nat left the lid open and emptied the entire contents of her giant water bottle into her bag, leaving her sitting at breakfast in a puddle of water.

Peppa padlocked her suitcase shut and then left the key back in Australia.

Nat and I scoured the hotel room for two days looking for a hairdryer, only to be told by reception it’s just under the sink.

I brought my teeny tiny water bottle with me, giving Nat and Peppa endless amounts of material every time I take a sip.

But my absolute favourite has got to be Nat doing a post or some such thing on her phone, with Peppa looking on.

I swear this is word for word.

‘Well you do it’……. ‘No, no, no just swipe up and’….. ‘I know, I’m just’…. ‘There, that..oh, nope too late’….. ‘No but I did that’….. ‘No but you didn’t’…. ‘Well why did it’…. ‘Surely you know how to’ … ‘I do but’…

‘Have you even used a phone before?’

It is only Day 2.