Scandinavia again - Helsinki!

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One of my favourite childhood jokes has always been:

Q-Where are people not fat?

A-Finland!

As we have spent a fair number of days in all the other Scandinavian countries, we thought it was about time to add to the one day that we spent in Finland (which was back in 2008).

Having secured ourselves a reasonable deal at a mid-range chain hotel, we will be setting off towards the end of May to spend five days and nights in the Finnish capital, Helsinki.

The evenings will be light until 11pm, the language will be unpronounceable, the food will consist of berries and reindeer and should I get enough time after being in the sauna each day, further reports will follow.



First impressions.

Well, not that many first impressions because we have only been here a few hours, but you get the idea.

The travel logistics from home to Heathrow ran like a dream and we had more than enough time to grab a coffee before our Helsinki flight was called. The skies were clear as we crossed the North Sea, followed the coast of the Netherlands and flew over Denmark and the southern tip of Sweden before making our approach into the Finnish capital. Despite the Captain's promise of rain on arrival, we were instead greeted by warm, late afternoon sunshine.

Thus we have only had a chance to check in at the hotel and then to get out and find something to eat. Our room looks out over part of the harbour complex and we are also conveniently located close to a tram stop. Walking up to the main drag takes around 10-15 minutes.

Although it's evident that Helsinki has not escaped the global recession going by the number of empty and semi- derelict properties, there is certainly no shortage of bars and restaurants.

Upon the recommendation of the concierge, we went around the corner to a place serving a wide variety of dishes, many of them local specialities. Claire chose fresh salmon and I opted for a reindeer burger. I must say that once the antlers had been removed and the mince put into a nicely toasted bap, old Rudolf was very tasty indeed. An accompanying glass of refreshing local beer was also very welcome after all the travelling.

Once we had left the restaurant, the temperature was dropping rapidly and banks of thick fog were rolling in. However, the forecast for tomorrow promises sunny skies and 17C, which will be most welcome as we set out to explore the city.



Helsinki in a nutshell

A busy day, but one that has not been too energetic. But first, it's quiz time.

Can you name a famous Finn? (Answer to follow at the end of this post).

Following a hearty and healthy breakfast we set off walking across the city to the Market Square and caught the city coach tour. Over the course of two hours, the bus took us to most of the important sights in Helsinki, including the Rock Church, the Presidential Palace, various museums, national theatre and the Central Station to name but a few.

At the conclusion we found a kiosk selling sandwiches and salads and stopped for a light lunch, following which we could not resist buying a large punnet of deliciously ripe strawberries from one of the many stalls on Market Square. Thus refreshed, we spent a short while browsing the remainder of the stalls before having a brief look at the City's two cathedrals, the Lutheran and the Orthodox.

This meant that we were just in time to get back to the waterfront in order to board the 2.30 boat trip which was to meander around a few of the hundreds of islands making up part of "greater" Helsinki. Many of the islands have expensive looking summer homes owned by city dwellers, some have been developed by corporate companies into leisure resorts, whilst others are protected as nature reserves. There was not a cloud in the sky and on the leeward side of the islands it was very pleasant indeed, but on the windward side, it was a touch Baltic. Pun intended.

By the time the boat had returned to the harbourside it was late afternoon. We had a brief look around some of the art and craft shops before deciding to look for somewhere nice for our evening meal. The area around Market Square and Esplanadi is lined with expensive, designer label stores and upmarket bars and cafes, and it seemed as if the entire population of the city had come down to enjoy a Friday evening post-work coffee or beer in the sunshine.



In the end we plumped for a place called Bryggeri for dinner, a very popular restaurant which boasted its own micro-brewery. We both opted for the set menu and enjoyed a delicious meal consisting of a warm goat’s cheese salad to start, chicken breast with buckwheat for the main course and a blackwheat berry creme brûlée for dessert. Lush. And of course, as it brewed its own beers so we had no option other than to experience the five ale sampler.

So, now the answer to the quiz.

5 points if you said Jean Sibelius

4 points if you said Paavo Numi

3 points if you said Mika Hakkinen or Kimi Reikkonen (same thing really)

1 point if you said the Moomins

0 points if you said anyone else because you must have cheated and used Google. There are no other famous Finns.



Helsinki the festival city.

As the day began with a little drizzle in the air, we set off and had a wander around some of the shops before lunch. Today is "Cleaning Day" throughout the city and on every street corner and every car park and green square, the locals were out in force selling their old clothes, shoes, toys and just about anything else you can think of - cleaning out the old to make room for the new. It was almost as if the centre of town had been turned into a giant flea-market. In addition, there was a big charity related festival going on in the main shopping district, aimed primarily at fund raising, but also raising awareness about migration issues and recruiting for organisations such as the Red Cross.

Whilst we were having an early lunch, the clouds moved away and the sun came out. This gave us an opportunity to walk to the northern outskirts of the city and to the Olympic Park, the venue for the 1952 Olympic Games. (I should add that Helsinki is a very compact city and easily walkable).

On the downside, the Olympic Tower and museum were closed but this was because the stadium was being used for what appeared to be the regions senior schools’ sports day. On the upside, it was great to see the stadium full of colour and vociferous and enthusiastic students, cheerleaders, supporters and spectators and it being used for the purpose it was originally built.

We wended our way back to Market Square by circumnavigating Toolonlahti lake but not before passing the Lutheran Cathedral and stopping to watch a newly wedded couple and their family entourage in all their finery emerging from the main door. They certainly had a glorious afternoon for their celebrations and we wish them well.

By now, feet were beginning to ache a little, so we decided to have a bit of a sit down and at the same time do what the locals do and travel by tram. Tram line 2 is a circular route which passes many of the city's attractions and for the grand sum of 3 euros each we rested weary limbs as the tram took an hour to complete a circuit and we took in a little sightseeing.

Once back at our starting point, we joined the throng in Esplanadi Park which was enjoying the big band and vocals group who were performing on stage. Once again, the support and enthusiasm of the large crowd was generous and warm.

The last stop of the day was back in the central shopping district where a little oasis of calm and tranquillity could be found inside the recently erected wooden church. This small building has been built entirely of ash and is certainly very unusual and modern in its architecture.

Before heading back to the hotel, we needed to find somewhere to eat and thus made our way to another restaurant specialising in local dishes. This time I had a smoked salmon salad to start and pepper chicken for mains. Claire opted for salmon soup and meatballs and then we shared a Lapland breadcheese for dessert. Think melted mozzarella cheese in a single cream and cinnamon sauce, with blackberry jam on the side. Delicious!

So after our very busy and tiring but exciting day, I'm sure we will sleep well tonight!



Helsinki from above and beyond.

We have spent most of the day exploring Suomenlinna, the sea fortress island protecting the approach and entrance to Helsinki harbour.

The island is only a 15-minute ferry ride from the Market Square and was originally built in the late 1700's when Finland was part of Sweden. Over the years, various additions were made to the fortifications right up until WW2 (primarily by the Russains) and thus a wide variety of weaponry is now on display and is obviously a treasure trove for those interested in defence strategy through the ages.

As he was wearing his anorak, your correspondent's highlight was a look inside a 1930's submarine, certainly an eye opener when imagining the cramped and noisy, not to mention scary, conditions the small crew would have had to endure.

Today, the island is a UNESCO world heritage site and as well as being home to a population of several hundred, contains numerous museums, a shipyard and several exhibitions.

Once back on the mainland we wanted to have a rest from all the walking and so took a vintage tram ride around the main points of interest in the centre of the city. Although we didn't see anything new, it was something a little bit different to experience.

We have eaten rather too well over the last few days so dinner tonight was nothing more than a very tasty (albeit somewhat expensive) club sandwich on the Esplanadi. However, it was an ideal way to watch the world go by and at the same time be entertained by a magazine photographer and crew shooting a girl modelling handbags.

Before returning to our hotel we stopped off for an evening drink at the Ateljee bar. At just twelve stories, this hotel and its rooftop bar was the highest building in Helsinki prior to the Olympic Tower being built and affords spectacular views over the city to all points of the compass.

As Finnish is accepted to be one of the more difficult languages to learn, how are you getting on with communication I hear you ask. Well, the fact is that everyone, without exception, speaks perfect English so despite being taken for locals on numerous occasions, we have had no problems at all. Having said that, we have mastered the basics like hello, goodbye and thankyou (strangely, there is no Finnish word for please)!



Hei hei Helsinki

It's not been a busy day in terms of sightseeing, but it has been busy in terms of walking and souvenir shopping.

For once, the shoe has been on the other foot as the main tourist spots have been swamped with visitors off the cruise ships. Obesity of the Seas (name changed to protect the innocent) has been in port thus swelling the local population by 5,000.

As far as our day went, the highlight was undoubtedly the "create your own Magnum" cafe, which did exactly what it said on the tin. See picture below for the results!

We also spent some time in the park as there was an open mic session in progress on the main stage. Although it was a bit like watching Finland's got Talent, it was certainly a pleasant way to while away a half hour or so.

Our last evening in the city was spent dining at a very pleasant restaurant just off Senate Square. We both enjoyed a starter of warm goat’s cheese salad and lemon chicken for the main course but diverged when it came to dessert as I had strawberries with coconut cream and Claire had peanut butter brownie with coffee ice-cream. Delish!

And so, as we now pack our bags for our homeward journey tomorrow, all that remains is for us to say "Hei hei Helsinki and kiitos". (Goodbye Helsinki and thankyou.)

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Photos

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Tourist tram

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Sibelius monument

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Esplanadi

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Senate Square

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Olympic Stadium

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On Suomenlinna Island

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Helsinki from the rooftops

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Crerate your own Magnum