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Published: January 3rd 2010
Five Christmas Markets - Funf Weihnachtsmarkten ...part one
It began in St. Petersburg. The trees were being erected ... artificial branches stuck into triangular shapes made of steel. In most squares and in front of churches and railroad stations men in cherry pickers could be seen creating these trees that would later be lit and decorated with cardboard cut-outs of holiday decorations.
On Nevsky Prospekt, in the park where stands Catherine the Great, a small village of plywood huts covered in ice blue plasticized paper began to appear late in November. Also an ice block structure could be seen taking shape at a street corner near a delectable patisserie.
In front of the Hermitage a two hundred year old tree, which had been cut down in the forest amids full television coverage, was attacked repeatedly for two or three days with huge cranes. In the end it was grotesquely covered in lights and cardboard cut outs. Parts of its branches littered the square in front of the museum. It was sad to see such a huge proud pine reduced to a prisoner of tasteless decoration with painted wooden boards surrounding the base.
The
street decorations were lit in some areas ... apparently those with enough money. When seen on TV-News Nevsky Prospekt was lit up ... by Dec. 6 the big tree had not been lit. A small in the courtyard of the Hermitage stood aglow from, opening till closing time ... it seemed to be twilight all day long.
I assume the little huts were to hold Christmas fare ... erected a bit late because the majority of people will be celebrating Christmas Jan 6. Small decos appeared in store windows and shops had chrismas deco areas where numerous wonderous breakable things were for sale.
The huts erected in Helsinki at the St. Thomas Christmas Market allowed one to walk thru a winter wonderland of candles, felt hats, mittens, socks, scarves, sweaters woven and knit, sauna brushes, peak hatted gnomes, woodcuts, wreaths, iron monger creations, furs, silver jewellery, pretty dolls, stuffed animals and FOOD!, FOOD!, FOOD!
The huts were arranged along the two side of the Esplanade that leads to Market Square and the ferry to Suomenlinna where I was staying in a hostel housed in an old school house. It was a joy and a torture
Plywood Huts
Many of these huts were being erected in anticipation of Christmas.to walk thru this allee of small shopping opportunities each evening as I returned to my island hotel.
The little places opened each morning at 09:00 and closed at 18:00. One morning I followed a lady with a lovely white knitted angora hat on her head. I asked where she had bought her pretty creation. She told me she sold the hats from her little chrismas hut. I walked with her from the streetcar stop and after she unlocked her little wooden housie I bought one of the hats she had knit. Luckily she knit in two sizes and the bigger one fit me.
The joy was in seeing all the festive activity.
The torture was not being able to buy more.
Also in Helsinki, every year for eleven days in a theatre house across the street from Stockman, the big department store, can be found a craft market that outdoes all others I have seen.
The place was packed with vendors and the aisles were almost impassable. A table with a corner cost more than 1000 euros for the duration. As with the St. Thomas market there was much to admire ...
Ferry Stop at Suomenlinna
Only about 800 live on the island. many handmade objects, some imported from Peru, those distributed by kitchen gadget companies, and even mass produced stuff from you-know-where.
Much decoration was in evidence all over the city. Gingerbread houses, coloured christmas balls on real trees, strings of lights curled around branches, wreaths and garlands, flowers and FOOD,FOOD,FOOD!
The National Museum, visited one afternoon after a city wander, had a large tree decorated with
handmade objects standing in the foyer. The department stores had massive decorations in the form of garlands and huge coloured balls. Most lights were a clear bright white. The tree branches wewre wrapped in blue lights. In the church i visited an advents wreath hung suspended from the ceiling, red candles waiting to be lit in turn for the four Sundays before the 25th.
On the island when the ferry docked at the end of a hectic day of looking and 'shopping' a splendid tree lit in white lights standing before the church, greeted me as I made my way in the dimly lit street to the hostel.
Besides the festive flavour of Christmas, the city has interesting architecture in the form of Finlandia the Opera House,
the Olympic Stadium erected in the 1930, used for 1952 Olympics and now serving partly as a youth hostel, The National Museum built specifically to house the history of Finland in the 1920's, numerous shopping malls, and Suomenilla, a fortress ... among others.
The transportation system is phenominal ... even in finnish , a language akin to dialects from galactic outposts, I was able to make my way without difficulty. Trams run everywhere and make numerous 90degree turns as they service all areas of the city. The buses are comfortable, frequent and on time.
The Metro is quick, accessible and niery a human in site. Had to get some instruction as to how to aquire a ticket. On arrival I bought a weeks pass ... which I lost two days before my departure. Had to buy a two day pass. And even with that I was still ahead when one considers that the daily two way trip to my island hostel was included. One trip costs 2euros. I took an average of three rides a day... 6x7=42 ... I paid 37euros for the two passes ... the first pass cost 27euros. Too bad I lost the
St. Thomas Market
The length of the Esplanade displays festive winter fare. first one.
It must be revealed that most people approached or engaged in conversation could communicate in english ... another phenominen ... making me think I had stepped off the Repin (Russian train to Helsinki) and into heaven ... especially after the non-english situation in St. P.B.
The streets are clean, the people well dressed, the children cute ...dressed in cuter clothes...especially the boots. Everybody is bundled up ....distinctive hats, mitts, scarf, snowsuit (kids 😊 ), and great coats and jackets. Backpacks to carry stuff is the norm. Doggies accompany people ... lots of dogs!
The Old Market building which has been around for hundreds? of years is still being used. In the beginning the market took place on the wharf. Now in winter the building was well visited, smells good and offers a great breakfast of thick hot soup ... welll maybe I was there closer to twelve than to nine. On the wharf there were fish mongers, sellers of underground roots and vegetebles, chrismas wreaths and pine bows, furs galore, and fragrant food.
Sausages, buns, little fried fish, roasted potatoes, sweets, and breads ... all luring a hungry stomach. In the hostel was
a small kitchen and since I was the only guest during the week, it was a pleasure to cook a little something and eat while watching television.
I could not face another museum and no more art after a month at the Hermitage. My temple of culture, my touring mecca in Helsinki, was the Stockman Dept Store ... did not even go to see the Picasso Exhibit ... the theatre was closed, the ice rink looked cold.
Ferry travel is most common in this Baltic area. I took one whenever possible.
The ferry to Luebeck from Helsinki was a whole drama in itself. I was sad to leave Helsinki but Luebeck and marzipan awaited.
I had bought a map at the map store in Toronto. Who knew the map was old and did not show the new mooring for the ferry. The first clue came while reading the map and the required Metro stop was marked as 'planned'. The Metro stop existed. Whenn I went to the area it was so deserted I went right back into the station and took the train back to the centre of the city.
As turns out the
new mooring for the ferry was 30km out of the city ... tooo expensive for a taxi ... strange what becomes expensive and what one is willing to pay enormous amounts for eg. postage.
A very helpful man at the hostel helped me find my way via public transport. Island ferry, tram, walk to metro station because the one at the tram stop is closed because of flooding, Metro, Bus 99A after a wait and I arrived at the Viking Ferry office. THEY were waiting for me ... and two cars. Apparently when they are loaded they leave...
One great sleep, a lovely buffet x 4 and the meeting of two mucho simpatico people, made the crossing a joy.
And the best is that the couple from Berlin were so kind that they took me with them in their Mercedes to Luebeck and in the end right to the door of my hotel ...Hotel Stadtmaur ... the best so far.
Very happy,I am ready to achieve my next goal ... coffee at Niederegger's Marzipan House every day.
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Eliisa
non-member comment
Visit to Helsinki
As I was born in Finland and went back for a visit in 1975, it was wonderful to read about your trip to Helsinki and how you enjoyed it. If I win the next lottery, I'm booking my flight! BTW, I see that both you and I are on Ravelry and we both live in Sudbury!