If those were the original lyrics, Al Jolson would have gotten it right. From the moment we arrived in Finland (only an hour and twenty minute flight from Moscow, by the way) it was love at first sight. Aside from anything else, the orderly, functional and attractive architectural design of the airport terminal made for a startling first impression. This positive impact continued as our taxi driver deftly negotiated the icy streets, taking the scenic route to deliver us to our hotel in the heart of the city. Not to worry, the scenic route was the only route to get there.
Arriving at night we saw the city lit up for the holidays with white fairy lights artfully strung across the streets from building to building giving the illusion that there was hidden treasure to be found everywhere. One need only take a closer look.
The next morning provided the opportunity to discover some of the riches this exquisite city has to offer. A hearty hotel breakfast in our bellies, we set off on foot to see what could be seen. Being sturdy Canadians, we bundled up (or so some of us had and others *cough* meandMr.U *cough* had not) to protect ourselves from the cold, Baltic winter weather. Have you ever noticed how it can appear to be absolutely beautiful outside yet the wind just seems to cut right through to your bones no matter what you do? Needless to say I was forced to borrow a friend’s knit cap and endure endless teasing about my appearance. I am not a hat person. I look silly in hats at the best of times and this one was definitely NOT my style yet I was instantly warmer and that was what was important. We walked around sightseeing and window shopping for about two hours or so before we all had to call it quits and find shelter and sustenance in the form of glögi (WITH alcohol, of course), beer and hot chocolate. Incidentally, glögi is now my new favourite winter drink - a heavenly concoction of mulled wine, spices, Amaretto, raisins and blanched almonds.
Our plan for our four day getaway was strictly R&R so I left Mr. U to his own devices and set off to explore more of the city on my own. **NB Setting off to explore the city on my own = return to all those shops I had mentally bookmarked while we waked around the city center. Well, helloooo Marimekko, I couldn’t help but notice your red SALE signs beckoning me to take a closer look. Indulge in a pair of socks? Don’t mind if I do. Why yes, I’d love to look at all things Finnish in the next store. What’s that, you say? A store selling handmade crafts that showcase some of Helsinki’s up-and-coming design talents? Yes, of course I’ll come in from the cold and treat my eyes to the sweetest candy that you have to offer. Not to worry, I did not blow the family’s yearly budget on trinkets and trash. In fact, I displayed quite a significant amount of restraint, if I do say so myself. Yes, of course I NEEDED new dishtowels and the coordinating dishcloths from Marimekko. I blame my Mother-In-Law for the tube of Kiehl’s hand cream. If it weren’t for her introducing me to the Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, then we wouldn’t be in this mess, would we? Of course, there was also the perfect present for Sophie’s housewarming. How could I not buy her a ... whoops, almost let the cat out of the bag there. I don’t want to spoil the surprise for her! As always, I travel with carry-on luggage only so small items are the only items I can buy. Just a thought here - the size of objects don’t necessarily reflect the size of their prices. In fact, just the opposite is more often than not very true. But I digress. Back to the R&R.
One of the joys of being in a country where English is commonly spoken is that English movies are shown in their original language. In fact, in Helsinki, English movies are shown multiple times daily in many theatres rather than once a week, if at all, in a movie theatre that is across town. We went to see The Hobbit, in 3-D no less! Deciding on an early afternoon showing to be our day’s activity, I was tasked with picking up the movie tickets while on walkabout since Mr. U was catching up on some much-needed rest in the ultra-quiet hotel room. Did I mention before that the roads were covered in ice? Did I mention that the sidewalks were also covered in ice? Well, they were and they were. As the temperature was steadily inching past the freezing mark into positive numbers (making it much more pleasant to be out of doors), so did the precipitation begin to fall in the form of liquid instead of solid. I believe the scientific term for the change of state from solid to liquid is fusion. When this process occurs, its real life effect on the coefficient of friction and traction is really quite profound. Couple that with a person who is already unsteady on her feet on a good day and you have a recipe for disaster. Can you see where this is heading? Yup, you guessed it, I performed a full body face plant in yet another city (Prague and Paris both have that dubious honour as well but that is another story for another time). This time, I was graced with Mother Nature’s tears on my palms, down the front of my coat and my pants. At least someone stopped to check on me while I was having my intimate moment with the pavement. I am still afraid that I will come across a video on YouTube of what I can only imagine was a spectacular performance. I can just see it now “helicopter arms face-plant in Helsinki.” These days you never know. It used to be, “Film at 11.” Now it is as simple as anywhere, any time on YouTube or Live Leak. All you need is access to the internet and the world of slips, trips and falls is at your finger tips. Don’t worry, I’m fine thankyouforasking. There was no blood but I have two lovely black and blue patches on my knees and my pride is somewhat wounded.
Thankfully, the bruising (of knees and pride) didn’t stop me from exploring a “must see” part of the Helsinki landscape. I spent the better part of the next morning walking around the old fortress of Suomenlinna, or Sveaborg. In order to access the fortress, one must take a 15 minute, 5€ ferry across the bay. It wasn’t a very bright and sunny day but it was certainly mild enough to stand on the deck and breathe the clean air and enjoy the wide open space. It felt like being back in Nunavut on an early fall day.
Another highlight of my day was visiting the stone-hewn Temppeliaukio Church. It took slightly longer than expected to get there as I was now much less sure-footed since the day before’s incident. When I finally did arrive and entered the sanctuary, I was impressed by the feeling of warmth and calm that emanated from the cavernous space. I expected it to feel cold and unwelcoming but just the opposite was true. It was, in fact, warm and intimate. The acoustics were incredible in the round theatre that was the main chapel. How do I know this, you ask? Sadly, it is not because of the lilting classical music playing softly in the background. Ms Klutz over here was trying her best to be respectful and quiet while skirting the pews to circumnavigate the seating area in order to reach the grotto wall to see the flickering candles. Wouldn’t you know it, one of the chairs in the back row lunged at the very moment that I was walking past!? The solid metal legs scraped across the floor as it came into contact with yours truly. So much for being incognito. I’d make a lousy cat burglar.
In order to help me relax and shed some of the tension built up over the past few months, I decided to take advantage of the spa offerings of our hotel and booked a massage. After 80 minutes of pampering followed by a quick trip to the sauna to relax my sore and tired muscles, I was ready to head out to a late dinner and to ring in the new year with Mr. U and our great friends.
Cheers to 2013 and the unknown possibilities that it brings.
Arriving at night we saw the city lit up for the holidays with white fairy lights artfully strung across the streets from building to building giving the illusion that there was hidden treasure to be found everywhere. One need only take a closer look.
The next morning provided the opportunity to discover some of the riches this exquisite city has to offer. A hearty hotel breakfast in our bellies, we set off on foot to see what could be seen. Being sturdy Canadians, we bundled up (or so some of us had and others *cough* meandMr.U *cough* had not) to protect ourselves from the cold, Baltic winter weather. Have you ever noticed how it can appear to be absolutely beautiful outside yet the wind just seems to cut right through to your bones no matter what you do? Needless to say I was forced to borrow a friend’s knit cap and endure endless teasing about my appearance. I am not a hat person. I look silly in hats at the best of times and this one was definitely NOT my style yet I was instantly warmer and that was what was important. We walked around sightseeing and window shopping for about two hours or so before we all had to call it quits and find shelter and sustenance in the form of glögi (WITH alcohol, of course), beer and hot chocolate. Incidentally, glögi is now my new favourite winter drink - a heavenly concoction of mulled wine, spices, Amaretto, raisins and blanched almonds.
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| I haven't a clue what any of this says. |
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| photo: Mr. U |
Our plan for our four day getaway was strictly R&R so I left Mr. U to his own devices and set off to explore more of the city on my own. **NB Setting off to explore the city on my own = return to all those shops I had mentally bookmarked while we waked around the city center. Well, helloooo Marimekko, I couldn’t help but notice your red SALE signs beckoning me to take a closer look. Indulge in a pair of socks? Don’t mind if I do. Why yes, I’d love to look at all things Finnish in the next store. What’s that, you say? A store selling handmade crafts that showcase some of Helsinki’s up-and-coming design talents? Yes, of course I’ll come in from the cold and treat my eyes to the sweetest candy that you have to offer. Not to worry, I did not blow the family’s yearly budget on trinkets and trash. In fact, I displayed quite a significant amount of restraint, if I do say so myself. Yes, of course I NEEDED new dishtowels and the coordinating dishcloths from Marimekko. I blame my Mother-In-Law for the tube of Kiehl’s hand cream. If it weren’t for her introducing me to the Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, then we wouldn’t be in this mess, would we? Of course, there was also the perfect present for Sophie’s housewarming. How could I not buy her a ... whoops, almost let the cat out of the bag there. I don’t want to spoil the surprise for her! As always, I travel with carry-on luggage only so small items are the only items I can buy. Just a thought here - the size of objects don’t necessarily reflect the size of their prices. In fact, just the opposite is more often than not very true. But I digress. Back to the R&R.
Thankfully, the bruising (of knees and pride) didn’t stop me from exploring a “must see” part of the Helsinki landscape. I spent the better part of the next morning walking around the old fortress of Suomenlinna, or Sveaborg. In order to access the fortress, one must take a 15 minute, 5€ ferry across the bay. It wasn’t a very bright and sunny day but it was certainly mild enough to stand on the deck and breathe the clean air and enjoy the wide open space. It felt like being back in Nunavut on an early fall day.
Another highlight of my day was visiting the stone-hewn Temppeliaukio Church. It took slightly longer than expected to get there as I was now much less sure-footed since the day before’s incident. When I finally did arrive and entered the sanctuary, I was impressed by the feeling of warmth and calm that emanated from the cavernous space. I expected it to feel cold and unwelcoming but just the opposite was true. It was, in fact, warm and intimate. The acoustics were incredible in the round theatre that was the main chapel. How do I know this, you ask? Sadly, it is not because of the lilting classical music playing softly in the background. Ms Klutz over here was trying her best to be respectful and quiet while skirting the pews to circumnavigate the seating area in order to reach the grotto wall to see the flickering candles. Wouldn’t you know it, one of the chairs in the back row lunged at the very moment that I was walking past!? The solid metal legs scraped across the floor as it came into contact with yours truly. So much for being incognito. I’d make a lousy cat burglar.
Cheers to 2013 and the unknown possibilities that it brings.
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