Rough & Ready(?) Helsinki

When I posted a recap of Stockholm recently, I communicated the desire to get beyond stereotypes which is a lazy way of grouping people into a tidy collective instead of looking at humans as the individuals they are.  So as I started my write up of Helsinki, I was shocked to see the following sentence staring back at me.

I’m not surprised that Finland is known for great hockey players.  After our visit to Helsinki, I've seen the rough and ready attitude comes naturally.

<cringe> 

Ashamed, I stopped to ponder this further.  How was this my prevailing sentiment after our four day visit?

Did our AirBnB host Teemu fit this description?  No, in fact he was a refined young professional.  And what about the lovely young women that served us lunch every day at the Market Square food tents?  No hint of roughness there, either.

So even though I know better, why did I do it?

It's a combination of excuses, er, factors.  First, we came directly from Stockholm and though it's not fair to compare them, I did it anyway.  In contrast to Stockholm, Helsinki's rocky landscape can best be described as rugged and at times, handsome, but not conventionally beautiful.  Architecturally, there are a few Art Nouveau buildings (mostly lining Senate Square) but overall Helsinki is quite austere with many areas of Soviet influenced architecture that served as stand-ins for Russia in a few 80's movies before western filmmakers were allowed in.  Unlike the blockbuster museums of Stockholm, there are far fewer 'big draw' tourist attractions- one of the biggest being a church built into the rock.

So rougher than the typical Northern European capital.

The Rock Church

The second factor would be my actual encounters with Finns.  We spent time on four cruises either arriving or departing Helsinki and I can confirm the rowdiest people on the boat were Finnish.  I also spent four days walking the streets, and think I'm being fair when I say there are more bearded, tattooed, motorcycle gang types here than the rest of Scandinavia.  Not bearded, tattooed hipster types.  Those dudes have coiffed hair whereas the average Helsinki guy wouldn't be caught dead using hair product.  

Kind of rough.

While I can't say I love the look, I do appreciate that there is no pretense with the Finns.   They know their reputation as the unrefined cousin of Scandinavia and seem to relish it.   Even the women have the no-nonsense attitude as I found in the upscale department store Stockmann.  I was looking for some eye cream and the saleswoman made this decidedly straightforward statement, ‘I have three types- this one is no good, this one is expensive and this one is a good enough.'

Apparently, the Finnish are disparaged not just in Scandinavia, but in the Baltics as well.  Norway and Sweden have set aside their differences to unify in their mutual snootiness against Finland, but the Estonians have a legit beef.  Turns out there are multiple two-hour ferry rides between Helsinki and Tallinn, with the majority of passengers being Finns who loudly party on their way over, buy as much booze in the Tallinn ferry terminal liquor store as they can carry, then turn around and party back to Helsinki.  70%* don’t even set foot on land.

Definitely rough.

Ok, so Helsinki isn't supermodel-beautiful or flashy or filled with cultural delights, but that doesn't mean we didn't have a great time.  We just had to work a little harder.

Without the pressure to 'see something', we simply enjoyed the rocky splendor of their waterfront parks with several long, relaxing walks.

It was too warm to do a traditional sauna, so we took a day trip to the historic fortress on Suomenlinna Island.  

View from Suomenlinna Fortress

Bunkers on Suomenlinna 

We visited a couple of well-known sites like the Sibelius monument and Cathedral.  

Sibelius Monument

Helsinki Cathedral

We bummed around the downtown area, visited all of their malls and sampled Karl Fazer chocolates.  

And while we didn't visit any dynamo restaurants, that doesn't mean we didn't eat well.  We found great food at the Market Square food stalls, including hefty platters of reindeer meatballs or grilled salmon with potatoes and veg as well as huge bowls of salmon soup.   Not only were these meals filling and delicious, they were relatively healthy and CHEAP, like 8-10 euros, which after outrageously expensive Stockholm, was a welcome change.

Reindeer meatballs and sausage at Market Square

Salmon Soup at Market Square

So yes, Helsinki is a bit rough around the edges, but it's honest, and we found it to be a pleasant enough place to spend a few days.

And just like the eye cream I bought at Stockmanns', it's good enough.

*According to the informed but unscientific observation of our Estonian friend Joonas.

Things I'm Getting Used To: Part II

Greetings from Tallinn, Estonia, a small, but tech savvy country where Skype was invented and school children learn programming in the first grade.

After a mentally taxing trip to St. Petersburg, I'm thrilled to be here.  We've been blown away by the beauty of the Old Town, the foodie culture (at non-foodie prices) and exceptionally friendly people.  So far, the only negative is that we were awakened once at 3 am by the drunken patrons of Kismiss, Azerbaijani Restaurant & Disco.  I believe they were speaking Russian, but since the language sounds unbelievably angry to my ears (lots of harsh 'sh' sounds), I couldn't tell if a fight was breaking out or if the person was drunkenly repeating 'I love you guys' over and over again.

The heavy duty walking continues, with our year-to-date high being 15 miles (30,000 steps) during one monster day in St. Petersburg, but while my food consumption and walking have been in good ratio, Estonia might blow it for me.  Coinciding with our plan for a bit of down time (less touring) would be my discovery of kohuke: individually wrapped cheesecakes.  One of very few truly authentic Estonian foods (they have been occupied by Sweden, Russia and Germany and have integrated many of those countries' food traditions), these things are everywhere and cheap, too, like 25 euro cents each.  

Individual.  Cheesecakes.

My pants are crying out for mercy.

And now, more random thoughts from the road with the latest installment of Things I'm Getting Used To

The Kindness of Strangers

We had heard about these 'magic moments' of travel with locals, but it's not like we were combing the streets looking for them.  Until Estonia, we have had fun interactions with locals, but nothing I'd consider magical.

• Drinking beer with Arild and Philip in Norway while they built an IKEA shelf and made disparaging comments about the Finnish
• Discussing the NBA with Frederick and Michael in a British pub in Stockholm
• Helping Tero, a Finn, practice his English while listening to a story about his trip to Germany where he drank apple wine and listened to an organ grinder.  PS.  The Finns have a specific word for organ grinder but he couldn't translate it into English so he walked around the Helsinki ferry terminal asking anyone if they knew the translation.  At last, a kindly babushka came over with the words written on a piece of paper.  How a Russian grandma had this information, we'll never know.

Knows 'organ grinder' in Finnish and English

But the most memorable experience thus far has occurred in Tallinn.

Perry is a long-time practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and over the years has attended classes in different parts of the world while traveling, which he has found to be a great way to connect with local people.  It can be intimidating, especially where they speak a different language, but with his easy going personality and the generally welcoming BJJ community, he has always had great experiences.  He found a place he wanted to try in Estonia and when he returned that night, he conveyed how nice everyone was and that he was going back the next day for a daytime class.  

Meanwhile, I was trying to figure out a way to get a reservation at Rataskaevu 16, the number one rated restaurant on Trip Advisor.  I don't always select restaurants this way, but the reviews were just so rapturous, I had to experience it for myself.  I had stopped in personally once and called twice and was told they were fully booked every time.  

So you can imagine my shock when I got a text from Perry advising me to meet him at Rataskaevu 16 at 3 pm.  He was cordially invited to lunch after his training session by a guy who works 'at a restaurant in the Old Town.'  Turns out this restaurant was indeed the one that was seemingly impossible to get into, Rataskaevu 16!

I'll cut to the chase.  It couldn't have been more magical if I had been served by Penn & Teller.  These folks are doing something really special here with simple food expertly prepared and beautifully presented.  But it's the service that really sets them apart as the servers truly care about what they are doing and speak with such affection, I don't even think my grandmother made me feel as loved at the table.

What made the experience especially meaningful, however, were the people we dined with.  We traded stories and laughs with the Estonian BJJ guys for over three hours. We learned what it was like growing up in the Soviet era and heard some inside jokes about Latvians.  It's been a long time since I've had such stimulating dinner conversation only to be outdone by the food we were eating.  We had a multi-course meal that was out of this world...and we paid nowhere near what it was worth.  

This alone was generous enough, but our host then gave us a list of insider tips for places to visit the next day and also invited us back for dinner the following night, where he personally served us yet another gastronomic experience complete with local digestifs of sea buckthorn and Vana Tallinn.  

Sea Buckthorn juice

I tell this story not to boast, but only to illustrate how the kindness of strangers makes the world a beautiful place.  Someday soon, I vow to make a foreign person feel as welcome in the USA as we were made welcome in Estonia.

Love Means Never Having to Say Your Gray is Showing

In the name of saving money, Perry has reluctantly agreed to help touch up my roots with box color.  It turns out that his attention to detail and natural artistic talent lend themselves perfectly to the task of painting my head.  Love that guy.

Food Shopping Shenanigans

You would think that after 25 years of grocery shopping (and cooking) for myself, it would be like second nature.  But for some reason, the first time I enter a new store, my brain encounters some sort of paralysis where I can't remember the ingredients for a grilled cheese sandwich.

Just like driving on autopilot where you suddenly realize you can’t remember the last 5 minutes, you don't realize how the mind shops on autopilot.  In the cart it goes:  bananas, carrots, bread, milk, etc, etc.  You know the aisles, you know when your ketchup is on special, you know where to find the individual Haagen-Dazs bars that can be eaten in the car and evidence hidden before you get home.  

So when I actually have to think about what to buy, the paralysis sets in.

Um, where's the half and half?

So far, it's happened in every country and every store.  It starts out fun.  Oh, look at this.  Hello, what is THAT?  And so on.  But at some point, you look in your basket and there is only coffee and chocolate.   Nothing that spells out a meal.

Then there is cooking in a foreign kitchen.

If you have ever had to cook in a different kitchen from your own, you might have encountered a bit of difficulty in deciding what to make.  Are the proper spices in the cupboard?  Is there a peeler for the carrots?  Is there a colander to drain the pasta?

Because of this, you aren’t going to write your grocery list the same way.  At home, you look in the fridge and cupboard before writing down supplemental ingredients, or maybe you holler ‘What do you want to eat tonight?’, adding whatever the other person responds with.  In someone else's kitchen though, you can throw the list out the door.

Consequently, my current on-the-road cooking repertoire is uber-simple and reminiscent of my early post-college attempts.  You have money for something more than ramen, but lack the experience and kitchen accoutrements to make something really good.  Chicken stir fry.  Pasta and canned tomato sauce.  Frozen veg and jar of curry.  The most gourmet thing I've made so far is caprese salad.  

Perry is a champ though and eats whatever I make without complaints.  Love that guy.

Being Underdressed for Everything

If you know me, you know I like clothes and dressing up such that I often tend to be overdressed.  I knew going into the trip that I would have to set aside those ways and embrace a new casual side of me.  Neat and tidy, but definitely function over fashion.  

I was fine until we hit Russia.  I had heard that Russian women dress up for everything, which is part of their reputation for beauty.  It's true, and the women in heels particularly astounded me.  Young mothers navigating baby strollers on cobble streets and older women striding along running errands- they were all doing it dressed to the nines and in sky-high heels.  

Prior to Russia, I thought my city joggers, flats and daypack looked traveler-chic.  Now, I'm just a slacker, but Perry never complains.

Love that guy.

Next time on Gobsmacked...

Rough & Ready Helsinki

Beyond Stereotypes: Stockholm

Quick, what do you know about Sweden?

If you’re like me, you might have come up with the following:

• IKEA
• Absolut Vodka
• The Swedish Chef (from the Muppets)
• Swedish meatballs
• Swedish Bikini Team 
• ABBA
• Swedish Fish

I've got to break the news to you.  The Swedish Bikini Team was conceived by the marketing folks at Old Milwaukee Beer and were really Americans in platinum wigs, while Swedish Fish originated in Norway.  Even my stereotypes aren't actually Swedish.

With precious little knowledge of Sweden, I decided on this Stockholm trip to get beyond pop culture references and stereotypes.

We left Oslo on Swedish SL rail for the five-hour journey to Stockholm.  I love traveling by train, but especially when it’s as relaxing as this.  Pack a lunch, including a bottle of wine (no fluid restrictions here!) and simply step from the platform into your comfortable seat, complete with plug-in for your phone or laptop.  No pat downs, no charge for luggage.  Did I mention the wine?  So civilized.

Five hours through the Norwegian and Swedish countryside passed quickly and there we were in urban Stockholm, on a night that felt like a film noir set.  Outside the Mariatorget metro station, here was the scene:  pitch black with wet pavement illuminated by a lone streetlight, empty streets and air completely still, interrupted only by the clip of my boots as we walked.  I kept expecting a man wearing a trench coat and fedora to step around the corner and ask me for a light. 

Light up with Bogey?  Well, just this once...

But this wasn’t a detective novel and instead of a seedy hotel, we were staying in a cute top-floor studio apartment in Sodermalm.  It was so dark, I forgot to put on my sleeping mask, even though our host cautioned multiple times (OBS!) about the bright early morning sun coming through the skylights.   

Skylight in the apartment where we stayed in Stockholm.  Photo credit Perry Argiropoulos (perryja.com)

When I was awakened by the sun at 4:45 am, it was like going from black and white Kansas to technicolor Oz.  Despite being a large city with 1.5 million people, Stockholm is so full of waterways and parks that blue waterways and green spaces catch the eye everywhere you look. 

City view from Sodermalm

View from Tantolunden Park

A stunningly beautiful city, Stockholm (technically an archipelago) covers 14 islands connected by many bridges.  The major districts include Norrmalm and Ostermalm on the main city side, Sodermalm to the south and historic Gamla Stan in the middle.

Gamla Stan

Gamla Stan view from Sodermalm

After the previous day on the train, we were ready to hit the streets and decided to start our visit by circumnavigating Sodermalm.  Billed as a trendy, hip 'design' neighborhood, we were anxious to see what the fuss was all about.   

There was a great vibe, being a Friday afternoon with warm and sunny temps.  True to its reputation, every hipster seemed to be outside, but it was particularly rowdy with droves of high school graduates crowding the streets in what looked to be sailor caps.  

High school graduates in traditional caps

We left the noise for Tantolunden Park, a large, hilly green space famed for its allotment gardens- tiny gingerbread-house cottages (sheds!) that are fenced in for growing flowers and vegetables.  Then, at the waters edge, it was a chaotic scene with boats being lowered into the water for the season while crowds sipped beer and soaked in the sun alongside riverfront bars and cafes.  Nearby, in contrast to the drinkers, was an outdoor gym area called utegym (literally, out gym). 

Tanto allotment gardens.  Photo credit:  visitstockholm.com

I could not bring myself to photograph strangers working out, so ripped this one off the internet instead.  Photo credit:  visitstockholm.com

Finally, we stopped at highly recommended Fabrique Boulangerie for a bit Stockholm's famed coffee culture.  Stockholmers love to fika, which is a coffee break with baked goods, and Fabrique makes it extra special with touches such as china serving plates and real roses.  Our food didn't disappoint either- the coffee was strong and fresh, and the Swedish kanelbullar (cinnamon roll) for me and ricotta cookie (for Perry) were perfection! 

Shall we fika?

We finished the day by climbing the highest point in Sodermalm, Skinnarviksberget, to watch the sunset.

View of the city from Skinnarviksberget in Sodermalm

The following day, we decided to tackle the city- Norrmalm and Ostermalm.  Unaware when we booked, turns out we were in Stockholm during the lead up to Eurovision.

Eurovision advertising in the city

Euro-what?  Don't worry my fellow Americans, I had no idea what this was before I moved to the UK and had one of those embarrassing 'How have you NOT heard of Eurovision' moments.  The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition among European countries that send one entrant to represent the nation.  It's a huge source of pride to be the winning country (you host the following year) and at times,  has launched the international careers of the winners, such as ABBA (1974) and Celine Dion (1988).  

It helped explain the interesting fashion we saw on the street over the next week, styles that can only be described by the derogatory (apologies!) term 'eurotrash'.  But I digress.  Back to the city!

The center, especially near the water has an interesting combination of architectural styles, including Renaissance, Neo-Classicical and Art Nouveau, borrowing ideas from all over Europe.  While they were building, city planners thoughtfully included plenty of green spaces and tree lined boulevards.  

Tram in Norrmalm

Crossing into the city centre from Gamla Stan

But the further in you go, the more modern and urban it becomes.  Central Stockholm is brimming with shopping malls and fashion is big here (H&M headquarters in Stockholm), so we checked out two of the best- Ahlens and MOOD.  Ahlens is the John Lewis/Nordstrom of Sweden, while MOOD is a new concept fusing cool modern spaces with unique shops.  We loved MOOD so much, we went twice just to soak up the ambience- and to trick my mind into believing I had done some shopping.  PS.  It's hard not to shop with all the cute clothes I keep coming across while I wear the same thing day after day.  Oh, boo-hoo, I'll get over it.

Stockholm City Center with Ahlens Shopping Mall (triangle lights and red trim).  Photo Credit:  dorothytours.se

Mood Shopping Center.  Photo Credit:  visitstockholm.com

Day three was a relatively lazy Sunday with a leisurely stroll down tree-lined Karlavagen towards the circular plaza, Karlaplan.  

Karlavagen

After, we headed to a nearby British pub, the Tudor Arms, where we watched Leicester City draw with Manchester United while we chatted with local Swedes about, of all things, the NBA!  One guy was a huge Spurs fan and made bold comments such as 'Michael Jordan was nothing without Scottie Pippen.'  Okaayyy then!

A bit of Britain in Sweden

Monday, we had a visit to the US Embassy, which you can read about here. 

After the Embassy debacle, we took the day off on Tuesday to chill in our apartment, catch up on reading and do some laundry.  Our host had returned from her meditation seminar and graciously washed our things at her place downstairs.  Prior to this, Perry experimented with washing clothes in the sink, which he mentioned on his website. 

Wednesday, we focused on Gamla Stan, the medieval old town that also houses the Royal Palace and Cathedral.  

St George slaying the dragon

Stortorget Square

Stockholm Cathedral

Gamla Stan medieval street.  Photo credit Perry Argiropoulos (perryja.com)

Our last day, we finally made it Djugarden, the museum island. Conventional travel wisdom says you shouldn't wait to visit an attraction on your 'must see' list because random closures can happen.  I may have tempted fate, but I definitely saved the best for last.

Djugarden houses the key museums of Stockholm:

• Vasa Museum, containing an intact 17th century ship that sank in the nearby harbor in 1628
• Skansen, the world's oldest open air museum featuring heritage Swedish buildings and a zoo
• Nordic Museum, displaying a large collection of Swedish social history
• ABBA Museum, no explanation needed

Bear in mind, we are not typical tourists on a two week vacation.  We are living on the road for a year and so visiting every museum we come across is not possible lest I and my bank account burn out within 3 months.  We need to be selective, and Vasa was my 'can't-miss' museum in Stockholm.  Vasa is a Swedish war ship that sank on her maiden voyage about two miles out of town, in front of horrified crowds who had gathered to watch the spectacle of such an ornately carved and painted ship.  I learned about Vasa during a visit to the Mary Rose museum in Portsmouth, UK, which houses an old Tudor ship that sank in the 1500s and was recovered in the 1970s.  But Vasa is REALLY special because of two factors- 1) how intact it is and 2) the remarkable exterior decor.

Look closely at the prow, where a lion straddles the top

We went during a particularly sunny and glorious day which worked out perfectly- there were no crowds as everyone was visiting the outdoor attractions.  We had the whole place to ourselves and I nerded out on all the exhibits and took a ton of photos.  

The dark brown is original and light brown reproductions.  Not bad for over 300 years at the bottom of a channel.

This was a war ship?

The museum is spectacular- even Perry, not a museum lover, enjoyed it.  In addition to explaining the story of Vasa with visual displays, the museum does an excellent job showing life in 1628 Sweden, plus it tells the stories of the crew that died on board.  A bit morbid, but they have the skeletons found inside the ship on display with clues about their life gleaned from the forensic analysis of their bones.  Such gems as:

• Broken femur as a child did not heal properly so probably walked with a limp
• Teeth show malnourishment occurred during childhood
• Disfigured skull means she probably always wore a hat
• Was suffering from painful periodontal disease at the time of death

YIKES- and these were people in their twenties.  Life was tough!

Anchors aweigh!

Our time in Stockholm came to a close with a cruise to Helsinki.  As we sailed east, I thought about what I picked up about Sweden and Swedish culture between tourist attractions.  

• Money Talks

It's definitely one of the most expensive places we have visited, so if you go, bring extra cash.  Socialism doesn't come free...but it makes for a pleasant vacation destination!

• Coffee Rules

Great coffee and lots of it.  Don't forget to fikapaus!

• Blondes AND Brunettes

Yes, there were plenty of tow-headed people, but it's not a sea of yellow hair.   

• Design Matters

The land that brought the world H&M and IKEA has a creative passion- from fashion to home goods to art and architecture, the Swedes take good design seriously

• Forget the Meatballs & Candy Fish

Swedish cuisine is way more sophisticated.  I don't care what IKEA is selling.  Also, I didn't see any Swedish Fish, but we did buy an interesting package of candy with the flavor Salvi- which turns out to be salted licorice.  Even with my Jaegermeister-loving ways, I couldn't eat them.

• No Bork Bork Bork

I didn't hear anything even remotely resembling the Swedish Chef and the Swedes are understandably irritated by the comparison- reminds me of the crap we Minnesotans took when the film 'Fargo' was released.

• Absolut-ly French?

The Swedish state sold Absolut Vodka to French group Pernod Ricard for $5.6 billion in 2008, and the marketing department has been focused on building a mega-brand outside of Sweden ever since!

• ABBA Fever

There is an ABBA Museum, however, I was too embarrassed to go in.  I did see a one of those face hole board thingy's out front where you and three friends can put your heads into this image.

Some stereotypes persist, I guess.

Farewell Stockholm, Hello Helsinki!

Next time on Gobsmacked:  

Things I'm Getting Used To:  Part II