Helsinki, Finland - It's Next to Sweden!

Helsinki bound, we used our last 10 euros on a baguette and we hoped on the plane for an uneventful flight to Finland.  As usual, we caught a bus (No. 165) to the city center and walked ten minutes to our AirBnB studio rental.  Jazz had a mega-headache and laid down as soon as we got to the apartment, which gave Lee time to research what to do in and around Helsinki.  Turns out there is not that much!  That said, what there is to do is quite relaxing and laid back, which mixed with overcast skies and drizzle rain, made for a lazy few days in Finland J.  To wrap up our first day, we grabbed some groceries, had some expensive (but tasty) Japanese food (Helsinki has a ton of ethnic restaurants) and watched Sucker Punch on the laptop.

Bright and early the following morning (ok ok, probably 9 am or so) we set out to walk around the city, meandering our way down to the water front – the perfect setting for a cup of coffee while huddling in comfy Finish wool blankets (take a look at the pics – they have the blankets out for people to use!  In Chicago there would be no blankets and the chairs / tables would be bolted down!).  We then made our way along the water to Kaivopuisto Park where they had set up crane bungee jumping (amusing to watch).  

Eventually we arrived at the Eteläranta‎ docks and strolled the outdoor food and crafts market with all sorts of offerings (e.g., herring, garlic marinated in all kinds of good things, breads, salmon, other fish, meats, fruits and even pralines and chocolates).  For lunch we visited the well known Sundman’s Krog for their Fish Buffet (€19 per person) which was quite good, with all sorts of herring (some marinated with dill and others with cardamom and sugar).  The buffet seemed small; but trust us, we still managed to stuff ourselves! Afterwards we walked straight up the main road towards Hakaniemi‎ Kauppahalli. Lee had read that this was a great place with boutique shops, but it was sort of a disappointment after the docks.  Our tired feet directed us to home, even making us skip out on a blues show at a famous bar and restaurant.

The following day we explored the neighborhood of Kanavakatu, situated on a small peninsula on the east side of the city (Warning: Bit of a history and cultural lesson to follow – feel free to skip the next two paragraphs if you’re impatient!).  The neighborhood is graced with enormous and beautiful art noveau style buildings built in the 1900-1910’s.  Massive doors and fanciful balconies reminded us of Sevilla but with a Nordic twist.




We also checked out Seurasaari for the open air Finnish History Museum.  The park included old buildings that had been transplanted from all over Finland. Most of the buildings were constructed in the 1700’s – 1800’s and range from mills, storage houses, barns, granaries, family homes, etc. We had a short tour in English as well so had a chance to ask a few things from our guide.  We learned that Finnish identity is tied up with Russia (controlled Finland from 1809- 1917) and Sweden (controlled Finland from 1200-1809). If you take a look at a map you’ll see why Finland served as a natural front between Sweden and Russia.  While they tend to identify more with the Swedes (they were generally treated better by the Swedes than the Russians), they have a strong Finnish identity.  For a primer on Finnish identity, check out the Kalevala, their national epic poem compiled by a doctor named Lönnrot in the 19th century. 

Most Finnish houses were made from wooden logs, since forest land is abundant.  In western Finland people lived in farmsteads (with courtyards in between buildings) and had a different yard for the people and stables for the horses, while keeping their other buildings and barns for the oxen, cows, chickens, pigs, sheep, and goats to the side (horses were cherished, hence why they shared the courtyard with them). The western Finnish made bread only twice a year so it had to last. Their “bread” is a hard, round, flat and thin disk that was stored with the grains.  In general, western families were wealthier with larger houses, where the left side of their home (guest room, heater, and big meeting room) was solely for visitors (teachers, priests, etc.) and town meetings. School was held there and the priest or teacher would arrive and stay for three to four weeks to teach before moving on to the next village.  A funny custom was that while servants and family members generally lived and slept together in the main living room, in wealthier families the oldest marriageable daughter had her own room so that she would be “kept pure.”  In contrast, families from eastern Finland generally lived in one building with their animals on the ground floor and their living area on the upper floor.  The sauna (according to the Finnish – a Finnish invention hotly debated by the Russians!) was used at least once a week for bathing (you sweat a lot then pour cold water over yourself). They even birthed their children in the saunas since it was the most hygienic place in the home. Okay, history lesson over J.

On Sunday we took an hour bus ride to Porvoo, a small town with a historic center along the river. We walked the town and stopped by a second hand store to find Jazz a scarf and a sweater for a few dollars.  We even got to enjoy some tasty Finnish pizza (thanks for the recommendation Lauren!).  Lee’s slab of pizza included salami, smoked reindeer and olives, while Jazz’s included kebab meat, greek cheese, bell peppers, red onion, garlic and oregano (with bread sticks as “crust”).  The town itself was so-so; lots of interesting buildings but also a fair number of tourists and kitsch shops. 

Other notes on Helsinki – food is expensive (1.5 to 2 times US prices), bathroom floors are heated and for some reason there are a lot of old Chevy, Ford and US branded cars. Our impression of Helsinki (and therefore Finland) was a laid back place with a comfortable style of fashion (lots of cozy sweaters and nautical colors).  People are friendly and while there are plenty of bars, the city is not exactly an entertainment mecca.  Although people are reserved during the day, apparently after hours it’s common for men to spill into the streets in drunken brawls (happens around 2AM).  And if we were to return to Finland, we would head out of the city and find ourselves a warm cabin tucked away in the forest, with a cold dip in the lake in between sauna sittings.  Next Up: From Russia with Love.