Finland is sometimes called the land of a thousand lakes, because there are a total of 187,888. Helsinki, Finland's capital and largest city, receives many visitors year-round. During the summertime thousands of tourists approach Helsinki by cruising boats travelling across the Baltic Sea. Helsinki is known as a clean, modern and safe meeting point between the east and west. Helsinki has a reputation as the coolest party city in the Nordic countries. Other popular tourist destinations within Finland include Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Kuopio and Porvoo. Car rental company has its desks located all around the conutry, in every larger airport in Finland. There is a maze of inland waterways, with a profusion of bays, headlands and islands, sometimes opening out into broader waters, extending across the country and especially across the eastern areas. The lakes are linked by rivers, straits and canals. You can travel around them in any sort of boat from a canoe to an old-fashioned steamship. From June to August people go swimming and boating. There is a network of lakeland steamer routes, linking many of the larger towns, which provide a leisurely way to tour the country. In winter, the frozen lakes are a giant playground for skiers and skaters. The forest extends to all parts of the country except for the highest fells in northern Lapland. Pine, spruce and birch are the most common trees, with some aspen, alder and maple in the southwest. Finland has the highest percentage of strictly protected areas in Europe. Finnish cuisine has been influenced by continental, Russian and Swedish food. Traditional specialities include fish, especially salmon and turbot roe, as well as reindeer meat. Dishes to look out for include karjalanpiirakka (rice or potato pastry) and kalakukko (fish and pork fat baked inside a loaf).