Picture: Beautiful Helsinki Cathedral
Today was our first excursion away from our little home away from home in Jyvaskyla. We got up early and walked in the dark through the softly falling snow across town to the railway station. We’d gotten up an hour earlier than we really needed to because it’s just still so dark here in the mornings (sunrise at 9:30 am-ish) as we thought we’d sleep in. Our roller suitcases acted more like sleds in the powdery snow; twin lines marked our passage along quiet streets.
We met the Freedman family at the railway station and soon boarded our double decker train bound for Helsinki. We had a 40 minute stop at Pieksamäki to change trains and enjoyed taking some photos to pass the time. The train was a super smooth and fast and the kids enjoyed the comfy chairs and the dining car. So good to be able to stretch legs and walk around. I particularly enjoyed the viewing seats up top that were spaced about 4 feet apart with their own little side table and were oriented to huge viewing windows offering views of the seemingly endless forest. Eventually we made it to Helsinki, and stepped out into a bustling metropolis. Our initial impressions (only strengthened during our stay) was that Helsinki seemed to be a mix between a modern western city such as London and old school Eastern Europe. Some of the buildings had a distinctly soviet era look to them, which is not really all that surprising. No matter, this was Helsinki in wintertime! So cool.
We checked into the Scandia Hotel on Siltasaarenkatu a Unionsgatan (NE from the Central Railway Station). This is a major street with lots to do nearby and easy access to the trams and Metro, both of which are cheap and ridiculously easy to use. You can even buy one way or 24 hour multi-use tickets at any R-Kiosk (like a 7-Eleven store). The Scandia hotel is also a great place to stay and has a very tasty and varied breakfast buffet which we probably enjoyed a little more than we should have. Across the street is the Hakaniemi Market place which I would definitely advise a visit to if you are in the neighborhood. This temporary building (apparently) holds about 40 small stalls that sell everything from great quality baked goods, fish, meat, crafts, soup, and gifts inside a welcomingly warm setting. Not as big as the Market Food Hall down by the harbor, this little gem offers some great and well-needed food when the body feels drained after sightseeing.
That first day we enjoyed ice skating at the rink right beside the Central Railway Station. There are no handholds, so beware if you are a beginner like me. However, the Helsinki city lights grew brighter as the sun faded and we enjoyed being together with the other Fulbright grantees and their respective families as we slid happily around the ice. As we ended our session and walked to our next event (a coffee experience at Paulig Kulma) large fluffy snowflakes danced around us giving the evening a festive air. The event at Paulig Kulma was a fun affair where we learned much about coffee and the process of bringing it from bush to cup. My daughter and son both engaged in the background learning, roasting, and tasting/pairing of coffee. Sadly our daughter now wants coffee every morning just like her bleary eyed parents. Thanks, Paulig…
The next day, the grantees were busy working giving family members the chance to get out and see Helsinki. Our family decided to go see the Helsinki City Museum (free). There was a very typically Finnish nature resting area complete with hoop swings, beanbags, greenery, and piped meditation music. The museum was hosting an exhibition called Fear in which the artist explored the concept of fear and what it means to different people. The kids really enjoyed the mildly upsetting exhibit as it really opened the door to conversation about fear and how it impacts our lives. I was proud as my kids wanted to share ideas that would prevent fear or at least put it into its place.
Later that afternoon, we met up with the grantees and boarded a coach to Lake Vitträsk and Villa Hvittorp, a well known mansion that hosts conferences and has a huge sauna next to the lake for cold water dips in between sauna sessions. While the grantees left to participate in their breakout sessions, the family members joined Johanna, a sauna expert, to enjoy a quiet sauna. The Villa Hvittorp sauna can easily hold 30 people, but we 8 or so people loved the experience of quiet meditative sauna followed by avantu (cold water swim) in the frozen lake. I’d been a little concerned because the hole chopped into the lake was a good 30 feet from the wooden dock. As I’m not a seal, I wasn’t sure if I could haul myself back up from the hole in the ice to safety (and continued life) without a ladder. Thankfully, the staff chopped a new hole so I wouldn’t have to embarrass myself by opting out. The water was uniquely cold as I walked barefoot across the ice on the dock and without any further ado went straight down into the water up to my chin. By now I have kind of mastered breathing slowly and steadily in such cold water rather than gasping and holding the breath which is a little dodgy and, ironically, makes the water seem colder. Johanna had said that taking avantu during a sauna session was fine, but doing it without sauna was unthinkable and much colder. I wondered how this was possible, yet as I pulled myself up the ladder with aching shins (why there?) I knew that I was a convert and would try to do it as much as possible. In fact, I did it another 3 times during my 2 hours in sauna. I’m also proud to say that my kids and Robyn, too did a fine job also! I think it’s more of a psychological barrier rather than a physical one.
The next day, we visited Espoo Museum of Modern Art Emma and enjoyed a private tour and lunch courtesy of the Saastamoinen Foundation who support new artists and the work of many researchers in Fulbright Finland. We had lunch there and then left the grantees who were going to visit a local high school. The kids and I opted to visit the Natural history Museum and were surprised to see it filled with military officers with much braid and medals on their uniforms. Many looked like generals to me! I saw Russian, Finnish, Estonian, and American uniforms as we wandered around the small but great museum. So strange what you will encounter when traveling…Generals and dinosaurs 😉
Next stop Tallinn, Estonia!