If anything is palpable as soon as one arrives in Helsinki, the capital city of Finland, it is that the air is crisp and delicious. In fact, the country is supposed to have the best air quality in the world and it felt almost like breathing straight out of an oxygen cylinder.
I arrived at the city’s Vantaa Airport, on a chilly September evening and headed straight to a kiosk to pick up a 12-euro day pass that would entitle me to unlimited travel on the city’s public transport for 24 hours. It took me a trip in a fairly empty metro into the city and then a tram ride to reach my hostel for the night, Eurohostel.