Liverpool Anfield

31 Dec 2017

Dan and I went to Anfield stadium and watched Liverpool play Leicester.

Planning had started a couple of months ago back in Brisbane. The first challenge was to actually buy tickets. The Liverpool web site had pages titled "how to buy tickets" that said a lot and lead nowhere. In the end I phoned them to be told "the only way to buy tickets is to become members or buy a hospitality pack". The hospitality packs were insanely expensive and included a meal. Upwards of $AU1000. The membership option dried up and that just left the thriving black market. There are numerous web sites proporting to sell tickets. I went with a mob called "Stubhub" because they appeared to be a subsidiary of eBay and they had a real person in Oz that phoned me. In the UK, I received an email advising of a pickup and return address for the contraband along with a mobile phone number. This turned out to be a pub and after signing for the tickets and promising to bring them back, I asked about drinks. The fellow said sure they are free. Help your self to some packets of nuts to take to the game. These guys are on a winner. I suspect they have bought dozens of season tickets and just scalp them at vastly inflated prices to people like me and when we sat down in the stand, it seemed all around us were from elsewhere on dodgy tickets. The guys directly in front were from the Netherlands for example.

The game started. It was red v blue. 

The Blue guys were running around with the ball and the red guys were scratching their heads and elsewhere. The Blue guys thought OK let's have a short break so they put the ball in the little white net thing which is where you put it when you want a break.

A small rectangular group of spectators rose to their feet and cheered mightily and then turned to us and advised us on certain sexual practices.

Now it was the red guys turn to play with the ball. The ref ensured that by letting them start.

I was glad of that because it was now clear that I was supposed to be excited and cheering for the red guys and if the ref didn't give them the ball then I couldn't see how they were ever going to get their turn. 

The red guys ran around for a long time with the ball. They brought it down to our end which made for much better viewing. Whenever they got close we all stood up then advised the blue supporters to check their sexuality and then sat down again with a collective groan.

Several times they wanted a break and put it in the little white net but the man on the side put up his flag and the blue goalie had to kick it back to them.

52 minutes into the game and the ball went into the net and stayed there. We were all very excited and sang songs and really advised the Blue supporters on all topics.

The ref though had to give the blue guys their next turn with the ball but the red guys soon took it back.

They played around with it until the 76th minute when they decided to put it in the net again.

The Red guys ahead 2:1 then changed tactics. Instead of focusing on the goal they thought about the clock and obviously had not practiced time wasting as the blue guys kept taking the ball back and we had to engage in some corporate groans and head shaking.

Finally after a further 3 minutes of extra time we all cheered and went home

Helsinki 9am

It's dark as and cold and drizzly.

Helsinki

TUESDAY
Arrived by ferry from Tallinn Estonia.
Team from ferry to apt.
Walked to rock church.
WEDNESDAY
Walking tour
Ferry to old fort on island.

THURSDAY
Power off in apt.
Contemporary Art Museum.
Walk through Kallio (cool district)
Fancy dinner with/for Marcus 250eu

FRIDAY
Frank & Megan walk to old Market.
Dan & Jemma  sleep in.
Fly to Manchester via Stockholm.

Christmas european trip

Tallin walking tour

Helsinki Walking Tour

Walking tour of Helsinki.  It seemes to me Finland & Estonia are kind of a edge or boundary.  East meets West.  Helsinki probably a bit more West than East but still a lot of Russian influence.  Estonia has a more eastern lean I guess because the Russians invaded Estonia after WW2.

The other edge is the effect of global warming.  Apparently they used to get much more snow. Colder winters and so on.

Helsinki Public Transport

We took a tram from the sea port to our accommodation in the down town area.  Marcus bought 5 x single tickets from a blue ticket machine.

Having a look on the net to identify public transport options.

Web Site:  https://www.hsl.fi/en

Option 1 - Single tickets
There appear to be lots of types of single tickets with two price points.
Single tickets are time limited.  Typically 1 hr.  I think you have to stay on the same form of transport.  ie if you start on a tram then you can change trams but not change onto a bus but I'm not sure on that
€3.20 bought from bus driver  and €2.90  bought on line, from ticket machine or with the App.
The out in left field price is €5.00 is for travel 2-4am.
You can get 12 hrs for €5.00

Option 2 - Day or Multi day
1 day     9,00€

2 days   13,50€
3 days   18,00€



Option 3 - Travel cards 
These are aimed at locals.  Regular users.  Not applicable to us 3 day tourists.
Personal season ticket 2017
14 days 28,70€
30 days 54,70€

Decision making

If one makes more than 3 trips per day then you are better off with a day ticket.
If you intend to make more than 4 trips in 2 days you are better off with a 2 day ticket.

Christmas Dinner

We walked from our apartment to Marcus's
Dan carried the whipped cream and the gravey
Jemma carried the wine glasses carefully wrapped and also the Christmas presents.
Megan carried the cheese and biscuits, pavlova base, fruit.
Frank carried the wine & ice cream (naturally) in his back pack and in his hands the meat wrapped in alfoil and a towel.

This was teamed with baked vegies prepared by Marcus,
An amazing ratatouille by Frazer,
A very refreshing salad by Simone.

After dinner we lay around and then played Articulate then Charades and then Telestrations.

Christmas dinner prep

Megan has done a Stirling job under arduous circumstances.  She's cooked up a French turkey and Irish beef roast in a foreign oven.

Gravy had to be fabricated from first principles as we could not find gravox or similar.

We wrapped the hot cooked meats in alfoil and a towel and carried them over to Marcus's.  Along with ice cream, bottles of champers and a bottle of sprite.

To make the Pavlova, we had to buy a whisk and beat the cream manually.  Dan and I took turns because the instructions were to do it quickly / vigorously.  This caused exhaustion of the arm to set in pretty quick.  Left hand whisking is not as easy as it sounds.

Christmas Church

Christmas Day started with a video conference to Megan's parents at 7:30am.

Then back to bed.

Re rose and took the bus to the Dome church.  We arrived as the bells were chiming meeting Marcus and his entourage coming up a street with coffee in their hands.

1hr 40min service in Estonian.  No idea!  We recognised a couple of hymns and quickly looked them up on the internet and sang along in English.  Gazed around looking at the shields on the wall.

At the end we all lined up to shake the priests hands and discovered one was an Aussie from Sydney and the other was in Australia for Christmas last year.  Small world. :) 

Sunday - Tallinn

Song Festival Grounds
Beach
Museum
Tram home
lunch at home - hot chocolate with sprinkles
Bought new jacket.
Shore line walk - Prison, tower
Dome Church Concert
Dinner with Marcus - Pizza, ice cream, Card game.

Sunday
Song Festival Grounds
Another bitterly cold windy day.  Another music venue.  This is the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds.  Every four  years many thousands create a choir and many more come to listen and I assume sing along.  We took the bus from down town and walked around.

After we had looked around the song festival grounds we walked down past the shell and out the lower gate.  It was blowing a gale but Megan had spied the sea so we just had to go and look at the beach.

Beach
The beach was a beach in name only.  coarse sand with dirt and grass.  solitary ducks looking at the water.  A shipping container brightly painted and offering surfing.  Ominously it sported a chimney.

About now I was thinking hot chocolate and maybe a pee.

Museum
Megan mentions hot chocolate and then spots a building in the distance in the park so off we trudge.  It's closed of course but spectacular gardens.  Megan advises she needs a pee and so we had better find a cafe.

The sign says cafe 50m.  Google says it's open.  Alas it is closed.  We see a restaurant in the distance and begin to walk.  It's closed.  Consult google need tram #1 and wallah one comes past.  The tram stop is 100m back up the road.  We start to run.  I'm thinking it will leave without us.  We get on and sit .... and sit.  Finally it starts up and takes us home.

Arrive home and there is competition for the toilet.

Ahhhh

Then it's home made hot chocolate using chocolate sprinkles - most excellent.

Down to the local shopping mall called Nautica and bought me a new jacket.  This one has a hood.  It's 2XL but I suspect a skinny version.  It was the largest size they had.  Either all the fat people have already bought this years jacket or more likely no fat people in Estonia.

Afternoon Walk
Linnahall Revisit - Daylight this time


We met up with Marcus and commenced a walk along the shore.  We revisited Linnahall.  This time in the day.  Interesting we could see in through the doors to the administration section and the lights were on.  The doors were locked and a sign warned of shooting.

 

Walked past the old soviet jail.  Also closed.  A pity both places would make good adventure tourism locations.

 Marcus and Dan peeled off and returned to their respective homes. 



Concert
Megan, Frank and Jemma proceeded to walk toward the Dome Church with the intention of listening to a concert.  This necessitated climbing a serious set of stairs.  We had come down these stairs in the tour the other day.  This time we were going up and it's good exercise.  This time it was not raining and that was a bonus.  Much more pleasant and a better view.

Town Hall Square

After the concert we went to "Town Hall Square" again.  The key point was to visit the markets and buy last minute Christmas presents.  Megan and Jemma rushed around and I bought a glass of hot wine called "Glog".  The present buying took a while as the wanted stalls seemed to have vanished in the crowd.  Finally another glass of Glog and we were away.  Walked to freedom square and took the #5 bus back.  Dropped into home for a pee and to warm up.  Then Megan and I went to the supermarket.

At the supermarket bought freshly made pizza (~€8) and other supplies for the Christmas feast.  It's quite hard to find things in a foreign store full of foreign labelled goods.  Obviously becuase their tastes and diet are different to ours, the range of food it different.  Google Translate was mildly helpful but it's grasp on the Estonian language is not as good as it's mastery of Dutch.
Cream to whip or whipped cream seemed impossible.  We did end up with something but we wait and see.    

Back to the unit.  Pizzas into the oven to reheat / keep hot.   Marcus walked over.  We had a very enjoyable dinner of pizza & wine followed by dessert of banana and a small slice of the Estonian version of Vienetta (Ice cream)  

Sunday - Tallinn - Museum gardens

Sunday Tallinn - Beach