Today we visited Porvoo, located on the Gulf of Finland. According to our itinerary, we were going to “admire the views of the coastline and the archipelago along the way, strolling through the Old Town with its cobblestone streets, colorful wooden houses, and artisan boutiques.”

With every step, I winced as I walked over the bumpty cobblestones, made uneven by centuries of pedestrian and vehicular traffic. and creating rolling paths that challenge ankle stability. A few years ago after walking through the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, I came home with plantar fasciitis, and it took six months of relieve the pain. I’m hoping to escape that fate this trip!

Look at all these cobblestones! Luckily no one has fallen yet, in spite of these sometime steep streets.

We visited the 15th century Porvoo Cathedral, with some parts dating from the 13th century. An organist was playing when we walked in, but the music and instrument was not remarkable. According to Wikipedia:

The church has been destroyed by fire numerous times; in 1508 by Danish forces and in 1571, 1590 and 1708 by Russian forces. It was also badly damaged in 1941 by a bomb dropped by Russian forces during the Continuation War, even though the bomb didn’t explode. On 29 May 2006, the outer roof collapsed in a fire, but with the inner ceiling undamaged and the cathedral interiors intact. An 18-year-old man was convicted of arson and sentenced to six and a half years in prison. The cathedral was reopened on 2 July 2008.

As we walked through the very pretty little town, one section took us on a trail through the forest. We also stopped for coffee cake in a local bakery and coffee shop.

Earlier in the day we stopped at a chocolate factory outlet. The prices on some items were very cheap, and I bought a couple of items. But when I left my purchases in the bus while we went touring, upon my return I saw that some of the chocolate had melted! I was so sad!