Hello Helsinki! Day 1

 

Sam had a three day weekend this past weekend, so we decided we'd spend a couple days in Helsinki.  It turns out we loved Helsinki!  Who knew?  This post covers Day One.  We did a lot in a couple days!

Our first stop was at the Oodi Library - Helsinki's central library.  It did not disappoint.  Futuristic, yet practical.  Lots of different Finns of all different ages were using the library.  Our favorite part was the Urban Workshop area.  We could not take photos, but it was pretty amazing - need to sew something, want to play VR with friends, want to record a song on a borrowed instrument, want to try out a new recipe in a fully equipped kitchen - it's all there!  And, outdoor seating?  Helsinki makes libraries cool.

We did a lot of walking and a lot of touristy things, including smoking sausages and having hot chocolate at the famous Cafe Regatta.  Charming, no?

The Sibelius Monument.  Scott reminded us that the Minnesota Orchestra's conductor Osmo Vänskä is a critically acclaimed conductor of Sibelius's works.  Indeed, I looked it up and sure enough the Sibelius Festival is happening this winter.  It's always nice to have Scott, the walking encyclopedia, with you when you do touristy things.

Scott and I went to the National Museum while Sam took a nap.  She was up late the night before attending a "dance" for all first year gymnasium students.  As she said, it was more like a night club and "those Europeans are crazy."  

Two of my favorite parts of the museum: 

1) The baby box provided by the Finnish government.  Right?  I don't think I need to say more.  Well, I do.  Apparently there is a company in Finland that sells the baby box to customers around the world now.  Check it out: Finnish Baby Box.  Still, why don't all governments provide this?

2) The sauna.  Taking sauna is in the Finnish DNA.  It is estimated there are 3 million saunas in Finland with a population of just 5.5 million.  Right.   Here's the thing, Finns, like Swedes, are rather private and reserved.  However, not while taking sauna.  During sauna, Finns may make business deals or it might be a multigenerational sauna.  Being naked is just part of it.  

OK, so I get all that.  I've done my fair share of naked sauna in the Ely area, but to see videos of naked people in the national museum, I could not help but giggle and giggle.  

We decided to splurge and get ourselves a traditional Finnish meal at Restaurant Savotta.  The decor and the waitress's uniforms were for sure very kitsch, but the food was amazing.  What is also amazing is how Scott thought our waitress had the hots for him.  He tried to convince me that she was always looking at him.  Oh, sweet Scott.  

Outside the Amos Rex museum.

Some street scenes. 

One cannot go to Finland without taking sauna (see above).  As Minnesotans, it's our duty to take sauna while in the "motherland."  We opted to go to the trendy Löyly for a couple reasons: 1) so we could all take sauna together (yes, in swimsuits) and 2) so we could jump into the Baltic Sea.  Other public saunas in Helsinki were more traditional with separate women and mens saunas.  While, I would much prefer naked sauna, this was a lot of fun because it was filled with tourists and Finns alike.  Yes, the water was cold, but worth it.  Check out the website to see Löyly during the day - the architecture is pretty dang cool.

See how relaxed we are after taking sauna?

Here we are on one of Helsinki's famous trams after doing all sorts of old and new Finnish activities that day.  I think this is why we really dig Helsinki, it is a perfect blend of the traditional and the new.