Salut, mes amis! For those just checking in now, Beci and I have arrived in Finland (Suomi in Finnish) for the start of our winter break! We are currently in the capital city, Helsinki. ***Update on the luggage situation: it arrived! Two days late but in perfect condition, we are happy to say we have access to face wash, clean clothes, and Beci's winter jacket (see the proof in neon pink below). Officially titled the Republic of Finland, Suomi is a Nordic country bordering Sweden, Norway, Russia, and the Baltic Sea. With a population of 5.5 million people, Finland is the least populated country in Europe and has two official languages: Finnish and Swedish (but thankfully for us Anglophones most signs also have English translations). If you're wondering why Swedish is one of the official languages. . . well because of history! From the 12th century to 1809, Finland was a part of the Swedish kingdom. During the 18th century, Finland served as the unfortunate middle ground between the Russo-Swedish wars until 1809 when Finland became a part of Russia after the armies of Alexander I took over. They were given autonomous status as the Grand Duchy of Finland with the Russian Emperor ruling as the Grand Duke. This changed during the Russian Revolution and Finland gained its independence; by 1918, Finland was officially recognized as a Republic. Note: For those of you who are wondering who is this Finnish guy in some of our photos - the answer's simple! He's a good friend of mine who happens to be a Helsinki local. We met four years ago during my high school exchange, and luckily for us enough he became our tour guide for the entire trip! Thanks for everything, Tommi! Now, let's get to the adventure! DAY ONE: Still without luggage today (but in good spirits) we made our first historical stop at Seurasaari, an open-air museum that lets visitors explore the traditional Finnish lifestyle over the past four centuries. Relocated from their original homes from all across Finland, these cottages, farmsteads, and manors spread across the entire island. Continuing on, Tommi led us to the city-centre where we stumbled upon the Christmas market and got to fulfill our beautiful buildings section of the trip. Firstly, we have the Helsingin tuomiokirkko (Helsinki Cathedral), an Evangelical Lutheran cathedral originally built between 1830-1852 as a tribute to the Grand Duke of Finland, Tsar Nicholas I of Russia. Then we have the Uspenskin katedraali (Uspenski Cathedral), an Eastern Orthodox cathedral designed by Russian architect Aleksey Gornostayev and built in 1862–1868. And lastly, we took a ferry across the water to Suomenlinna, The UNESCO sea fortress built in 1748 by the Swedish crown to protect Helsinki from Russian expansionism (and for good reason considering they did expand sixty years later). The island is now a popular tourist destination with beautiful stone walls, canons, rocky coastlines, and more. We were lucky enough to catch the sunset (see beautiful photos below). DAY TWO: Today was a museum day to say the least, and we became more familiar with Finland’s history and culture. To start we headed to the Kansallismuseo (National History Museum) where we got a crash-course on all things Finland. Highlights include the Finnish composer Sibelius, Nordic furniture and clothing, and a bit of context on their Aboriginal population, the Sami. Next stop the Ateneum Art Museum with a Henri Cartier-Bresson exhibit (we can never get away from the French) and Finnish artists such as Albert Edelfelt and Akseli Gallen-Kallela. After this, we took a turn into the Luomus Naturhistoriska museet (Natural History Museum) where we got up and personal with Finland’s geography and natural animal habitants. To top of this educational adventure, we had the pleasure of trying poronkäristys, a Finnish meal composed of sautéed reindeer with mashed potatoes and wild cranberry (or similar berries and in our case we had lingonberries) prepared by Tommi’s mother. We enjoyed sharing and comparing Canadian and Finnish culture, breaking out the map to explain our home roots, and learning more about Finns. Not to mention we got to have joulutorttu for desert: a traditional Christmas pastry filled with plum jam on the inside). We can’t have had a better end to our day. DAY THREE: Today, Finland 1 and Canada 0. In other words, we went skating. Not specifically that Beci and I can’t skate but more along the lines that we don’t skate well. However, we laced up our rentals in the Rautatientori Square (Railway Square) at the jääpuisto (Ice Park) and let Tommi skate in circles while we attempted to stay standing. In the end we didn’t fall, so we call that a successful skate. Next stop, Beci and I decided to embrace our natural selves and try out the Yrjönkadun uimahalli (Yrjönkatu Swimming Hall), otherwise known as the first and oldest public swimming pool and sauna in Finland. Built in 1928, it was designed to represent Nordic Classicalism by Väinö Vähäkallio. In traditional Finnish style, people swam and used the sauna’s naked and only in 2001 have people been allowed to wear bathing suits. Now, also traditionally, men and women use the facilities separately. Needless to say, it was a bit of a cultural change for us Canadians but when in Rome! To end the day we tried out a local draft beer, Koff, and hit the streets to see all the Christmas lights and nighttime architecture. DAY FOUR: Today marked our last day in Helsinki before we head up north to Vaasa (where we will be spending the holidays – more on that to come). So we hopped onto the metro and went searching for Nemo at the Sea Life Aquarium. Inside we found octopi, sharks, sting rays, fishies, and Beci’s sassy puffer fish. Thus ended our trip to the capital city. It was a slice, Helsinki! Now off to the train for the holidays!
-Jen Quote of the post: “Lentokonesuihkuturbiinimoottoriapumekaanikkoaliupseerioppilas (technical warrant officer trainee specialised in aircraft jet engines).” ― Tarja Moles, Xenophobe's Guide to the Finns
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