The True Spirit of Scandinavia - An Elderhostel Trip

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Day 19 - Friday, June 19, 2009 - Harjattula, Finland

Most of our Elderhostel group of 23 are rather sad that we didn't have another day in this lovely setting. But we are also eager to go to Helsinki, the capital of Finland. So it is with mixed feelings that we leave this lovely spot of wild floweres, forests along the Baltic Sea. These past few days we have been blessed with the bluest of skies and purest of white billowing clouds - the sky of Finland that is reflected in their flag!
We got off the expressway around 11:30am and ate lunch in a country cafe with an excellent buffet. Our next stop was a fascinating country home (Hvittrask) located down a narrow leafy lane. We visited the home of one of Finland's noted archintects, Eliel Saarinen (1873-1950) which is now preserved as a museum. According to the general philosophy of the time Saarinen created a complete work of art when he designed his house designing almost everything inside the house as well. The furniture he designed was made either on site or in Turku. All the rugs were designed by Eliel Saarinen and woven by the Friends of Finnish Handicraft. The tiles on the large stoves were hand-made in Helsinki according to his drawings. The house was finished in 1903 using mainly logs from local trees and rocks from nearby granite.
Eliel Saarinen lived in this house with his family until 1923 when he moved to the U.S. However, he and his family used the house during most summers when they returned to Finland until 1949 when the house was sold. Since the original furniture, rugs, paintings on the walls, etc. were all there it was easy to imagine what it might have been like to live in the house. We had an excellent young woman guide who spoke British English. She pointed out the beautiful unique woven rug on the settee by the tile covered stove. She said in the winter the family would sit on the rug laid upon the settee and then pull the rug up over them to keep warm. I can imagine them sitting there telling stories or perhaps singing songs. Next was a large parlor for entertaining guests with an immense tiled stove. The composer Sibelius and other important people were often there sitting at a large round table designed by Saarinen so no one would think they were less important to their host than another. We were able to walk upstairs and see the bedrooms and the large children's playroom with its child size wooden table and chairs, cabinets and cupboards. Even the stained glass window downstairs was recreated in the playroom! The windows of the playroom looked out over the lake. What a wonderful house in which to grow up! Long before it was fashionable the master bathroom had two sinks and each had a separate window! The garden and view of the lake were lovely and it would have been an ideal summer house.
At 3:45 we arrived in downtown Helsinki at the Hotel Simonkentta located near the railway station which was designed by Eliel Saarinen. Tonight is Midsummer's Eve and this whole weekend is a big holiday in Finland. Although we call the summer solistice the beginning of summer on the 21st they call it Midsummer. Due to the holiday we saw a lot of traffic leaving Helsinki as we were driving into it. Many stores will be closed for the three day weekend as well as many museums. We were told that most people in Finland have a second home on a lake and during the holiday they often leave for their summer home.
Our group walked through the mostly empty city streets to a restaurant for dinner. We had a delicious fish dinner with the local boiled potatoes with parsley and a vegetable and dessert. We walked back to the hotel and some of us who still had some energy and a sense of adventure got on our bus to be dropped off at a midsummer eve festival. It was held on an island reached by walking across a long wooden bridge. We saw baby swans and their mother begging for bread crumbs under the bridge. A small bonfire was burning nearby in celebration of summer. The island was actually an open-air museum with many preserved old farmhouses, a church, manor houses, and parsonage, country store and many other buildings brought there from all parts of Finland to show what life was like in the past. But due to the festival they weren't actually open. But hoards of adults and children were all walking around the island enjoying the bonfires, folk dancing, music, and craft exhibits. Gene joined some folk dancers at one point and then we walked on and joined a group of children and their partents watching a puppet show. We finally found a place to sit and watch another group of folk dancers with a live band. After while a bride and groom arrived in a horse drawn cart. We found out that this is a tradition of the midsummer eve festival. The couple was married earlier in the day and they came to midsummer eve festival for their wedding dance. Scores of people were all gathered around taking photos as the couple waltzed around the dance floor in their wedding finery. We decided to make our way back to the hotel before they lit the final bonfire at 10pm since we were taking the city bus we felt it might become very crowded.
We rode back thru the almost desserted streets of Helsinki hoping we could actually find our way back to our hotel. We got off one stop too far but found our way thanks to the bus drivers directions. He told us to walk 500 meters up the street and then turn right so we had to figure out how far that was!
Almost everyone but the oldest people speak English in the Nordic countries. Even though in Finland everyone has to learn Swedish in addtion to their own language, they also all take English in school. Thank goodness! It makes traveling much easier. We were very happy to reach our hotel and grateful for our lovely room.
So we bid you tonight from Helsinki which is 7 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time. Phyllis & Gene
Note: I will attempt to add photos at the end.

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