Foodies in Finland (Helsinki, N E Eur No 8)

Dear Friends and Family,

Helsinki, Finland is an easy 2.5 hr ferry boat ride from Tallinn, Estonia on the Baltic Sea, across the Gulf of Finland. There are several boat terminals in Helsinki for everything from small sailboats to ferries, cruise ships, and even huge “ice-breakers.” The ice-breakers keep the port open during Finland’s extremely harsh winters. The harbor is small and picturesque, with market tents in the center square selling grilled salmon and lots of souvenir trinkets. There’s an indoor market nearby with more goodies like salmon soup, different kinds of reindeer, and moose meats, giant cinnamon rolls, crispy meringue with fruit swirls, coffee and beer. Fins drink the most coffee per capita in the world, and they have perfected the brew! Linda was in coffee heaven! They make wonderful creamy Fraser chocolate, and a salted licorice called “salmiakki.” Fins say that eating it is practically a requirement for citizenship. We sampled the pastries, the delicious salmon soup, smoked salmon, and dried moose meats. Then we ambled down the Esplanade to the nearby crowded downtown. The Esplanade is lined with high end clothing and jewelry stores. We watched women trying on baubles as they were being served bubbly champagne. It reminded us of the Champs Elysees in Paris. At the end of the Esplanade is a high end department store, Stockman’s, with several levels of clothes, food, accessories etc. We found really good fresh bread in their bakery. Bruce loved the rye, called “ruisleipa,” which is actually a national dish of Finland. We went to a pretty cool outdoor store and the long-haired salesman and Linda bonded over fishing lures.

Our Viking line ferry docked right near our Eurohostel accommodation. It is a 5-10 minute walk from the center market square. Each morning and evening Bruce enjoyed the free sauna they provided. Our free walking tour guide pointed out that Fins love their saunas so much that many Fins have their own. In fact, there are three and a half million saunas in a country of only five million people. Even the giant Ferris wheel in the harbor contains two compartments that are saunas! The Ferris wheel overlooks the center market, the harbor, and a swimming pool complex of two freshwater and one saltwater pool, with of course, saunas. A big yellow Presidential Palace also overlooks the square. This is where Trump and Putin recently met. Young Fins like to party. We went to the Helsinki museum, where there is an entire floor dedicated to “clubbing.” (See costume photo.)

We highly recommend a private room at the Eurohostel. The hostel has a fine community kitchen, and provides crispy clean linens in a soundproof room. Helsinki is really pricey, about 50% more than Poland. Other than the irresistible bread at Stockman’s, we bought groceries at the cheaper Leidl market and saved a bundle cooking at the hostel. We found that three days, two before our St. Petersburg, Russia cruise, and one day after, were enough to enjoy this fun, safe city on the water.

The Helsinki University Library is housed in a beautiful building with a circular interior. It rises six floors, with books on each level. Libraries in Finland aren’t just for books. They are cultural gathering places that contain computers, sewing machines, and musical instruments! What a great concept! Fins use a Montessori style method to teach children. During the elementary years, children do not receive grades. They play and learn through games at their own pace. They also learn three languages, Finnish, Swedish, and English. Finland was originally founded by Swedes. The Fins were mostly peasants with their own verbal language, but largely illiterate. Consequently, the Swedes posted pictures of animals at street corners, under the street names. So they’d say for example, “meet you at the corner of elk and hamster!” In the old town, they’ve left the signs that way as part of the cultural heritage. We found more English speaking people here than anywhere else on this trip. Though people are generally very nice, they also seem shy. Our walking tour guide said there’s even a joke about it. “How can you tell the difference between a Finnish introvert and a Finnish extrovert? An introvert looks at their shoes when they speak to you, and an extrovert looks at your shoes!” 😜 Finland was the First Nation to give women the right to vote. Fins believe in gender equality. There is no “him” or “her,” in the language, just “it.” Finland has a special law called “Every Man’s Land.” It is agreed that everyone has a right to the earth. You won’t find “no trespassing “ signs in the countryside. People are allowed to ride horses, and pick mushrooms and berries wherever they like. We were here during shoulder season so the daylight and nighttime hours were divided pretty normally. During the winter, they have 18 hours of darkness, and, in the summer, 18 hours of daylight!

We went to Senate Square and saw the most photographed building in Helsinki, the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Cathedral. Of course, we took a photo. Completed in 1852, it has a diverse design that matches its diverse history. It is neoclassical style, so symmetrical, with two unattached towers. One is completely empty, and the other tower houses the church-bells. The interior is Lutheran, so it is very plain. The exterior is Catholic, with Orthodox additions, so it has ornate statues, crosses, etc., and there is Hebrew writing above the entrance!

On our last day in Helsinki, we took a 15 minute ferry boat ride to charming Suomenlinna Sea Fortress, a small group of five islands off the coast. It was only 5 euro per round trip ticket. We packed a picnic and enjoyed a whole day of walking and exploring the UNESCO World Heritage site. The bastion fortress was founded in 1748 and has a rich military history that encompasses the Russo-Swedish war, the Finnish war, Crimean war, and WWII. The fortress played an important role in the defense of Finland, Sweden, and Russia. Both the Russians and the Fins used it as a prison camp. There are grass-covered bunkers sunk into the hillsides. There are also stone arches, tunnels, and hidden rooms beneath the fortress walls. Three of the five small islands are connected by foot bridges, and there are canons still in place from each war. We actually got lost on the winding pathways at one point. It is all now a peaceful, scenic get-away, home to about 800 artisans, and primarily used for cultural events and ship restoration. The islands are covered with lots of walking paths overlooking the harbor, with great views of the Baltic Sea on one side and Helsinki on the other.

We hope this post finds you all doing well and cooling off a bit! We’ll post again soon.

Love, BnL

Author: bnlmos

We are a retired couple, together nearly 35 years, who love International travel. Having a "blog" is brand new to us, so have patience as we do our best to keep in touch with our friends and family. Please feel free to comment on this blog or contact us via personal email. brucemos@hotmail.com View all posts by bnlmos