Experiencing the midnight sun from Helsinki
The main reason we went to Helsinki was to attend a friend’s wedding. They had it scheduled right in time for a French holiday which meant we can take more days off and sightsee. We flew in the summer of 2022 via Finnair and braced ourselves for the higher cost of living that awaits us in Finland.
How we got there
Out of the many airlines that fly out from Paris to Helsinki, the choice that best fit our preferences in schedule and budget was Finnair. We thought flying the carrier airline would be the best choice too when it comes to services, comfort and priority. As we will soon appreciate, it was indeed a better choice for what was to come months later after booking our flights. Most airports and airline company employees went on strike for several reasons I am not going to go into detail here. To cut the long story short: after-effects of Covid-19-related struggles, the war in Ukraine, increasing inflation rates, struggling purchasing power, and low manpower. These strikes led to either undelivered baggage, delayed flights or last-minute cancellations.
Where we stayed
We booked a boutique hotel via Booking.com called Hotel Indigo just a few strides away from the city centre for two reasons: its proximity to the wedding location, and also to the sites, shops and transportation. From the airport (Lentoasema in Finnish), take either line I or P to Helsinki central train station (Rautatieasema in Finnish), it’s a 20-minute walk from there, or accessible via trams 1, 3, 6 and, alight at Fredriksgatan stop.
How we got around
The Finnish public transport group and application is called HSL. We opted for the day trip passes for unlimited access to and from the airport and around the city where we knew we could get around considering the limited time we had. To get from the airport and to the city centre of Helsinki, we needed a four-day pass for zones A, B, and C.
What I appreciate most in public transport, especially with suburban trains was the announcement that were given stating that we’re about to leave one zone and enter another, giving passengers a chance to double-check their transport ticket.
The pass is valid for all types of public transportation - bus, tram, metro and even the commuter ferry that gets you to the island of Suomenlinna.
Compared to Amsterdam or Copenhagen, I saw few people ride bikes. I wasn’t able to pay much attention to the rental/commuter bikes either.
Where we went
My routine is to join a free city walking tour to get a glimpse of the city. We booked our English tour from this site which was scheduled to start at 11:00 am. In two hours, we get to hear about the history of Finland, stories about Helsinki, the Finnish people and customs, and food!
Havis Amanda
Senate Square
Helsinki Cathedral
The tour starts at Havis Amanda, a fountain and a statue. After a two-minute walk, we entered the main streets of Helsinki that lead to Senate Square, surrounded by the oldest streets and buildings in Helsinki. It has architecture akin to those from St Petersburg in Russia, given that Finland was under the rule of the Russian czar Aleksandr III Aleksandrovich for several years from 13 March 1881 until his death in 1894. In fact, there’s a statue of him right in the middle of the square. Climbing up the stairs, we reached the Helsinki Cathedral, an evangelical Lutheran house of worship. True to its Lutheran philosophy, everything was kept simple. B says the simplicity makes it look modern and therefore, timeless. I think the simplicity also allows the faithful to focus more on their faith than to get easily distracted by the ornaments usually found in Catholic churches.
A few blocks away, we stopped in front of a statue of a bronze sculpture of a young woman admiring the rising sun, protecting her eyes from its blinding rays, on Rauhankatu Street. This is one of the many statues located all over the capital. It’s supposed to symbolize simplicity and the feminist uprising of Finnish women. Finland, like its Nordic neighbours, is one of the most egalitarian countries in the world.
Further down the road, we stopped at The National Archives of Finland, where the guide showed us one of the many tiny sculptures to spot around Helsinki. Incidentally, this one is Helsinki's smallest & cutest statue. The purpose of these tiny creations was for people to appreciate the beauty in the tiniest corners of the city, no matter how simple and ordinary they may seem.
Statue at Rauhankatu Street
National Archive Tiny Statue
Uspenski Cathedral
We continue on down to the harbour with a good view of the Uspenski Cathedral, an Eastern Orthodox cathedral - visibly more ornate than Helsinki Cathedral. Along the way, we stopped on a corner of Kirkkokatu Street where our guide showed us an odd street sign. Street signs in Finland are often written in Finnish and Swedish. They are not usually the same name, which could potentially freak out foreigners thinking they made a mistake. We fell victim to this too. But what’s unique about this particular street sign is it also shows a drawing representative of the street. The guide explained that many years back, some Finns were illiterate. To help them find their way and identify their location, they represented streets with animals. She mentioned a certain unicorn street. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to locate it for the time being.
Kirkkokatu Street Signs
We passed by Hivalakatu Street which is hailed as the most Instragrammable street in Helsinki. We appreciated it from afar but we personally didn’t have the time to actually go through it. The guide had some interesting stories to tell about the buildings along that street.
Storytime: this is where the guide showed us a picture of Moomins. Looking at the picture took me 11 years ago when I received a postcard from a random Postcrossing member in Tampere, Finland, of which I was a member too. To me back then, it was simply a cute picture of what I thought could be a local animation but now it made more sense when she talked about it and I get to see it everywhere myself. They even showed a clip of this during the flight to Helsinki! End of storytime.
The tour ended at the marketplace, just behind the meet-up place of the tour, with a view of Helsinki’s big Ferris Wheel. One of the carriages on it s actually a sauna! The actual spot where we parted ways was also the hub to get on a ferry to Suomenlinna - a Finnish military fortress classified under the UNESCO World Heritage site, which we would visit the next day. The tour ended at 1 pm, just in time for lunch. This leads us to…
What we ate
We were told that pastries like an almond cinnamon roll were a must-try. We tried those for the first time from Café Regatta. I had another bite from Ekberg 1852 Café for breakfast, which was conveniently located across from our hotel. Research shows me that this is Helsinki’s oldest running café. It’s also worth noting to grab coffee or snacks at Robert’s Coffee.
We also had a go at our first reindeer meat (my pretentious vegetarian self wasn’t pleased) from a booth at the marketplace. It was good, a bit dry for my liking and maybe too much serving but it was worth a try!
It was quite remarkable to see a lot of cafés around town. The coffee-enthusiast side of me is happy! We were told that Finns are big consumers of coffee. According to our guide and this website: Finland is the world's biggest consumer of coffee on a per-person basis. The average Finn drinks nearly four cups a day. Coffee is so popular in Finland that two 10-minute coffee breaks are legally mandated for Finnish workers.
During the wedding, the couple chose a well-thought-out mix of Asian and European cuisine.
Nordic Meatballs & Reindeer Meat
Cinnamon Roll at. Ekberg 1852 Café
My notes from the road to Helsinki
My 2020 version of myself is proud. Back then, I was reading every day about Nordic life. To me, these people know how to live, and really live. Why? Since most of the essential parts of their lives are taken care of by the State from birth, to education, to health until retirement, they can enjoy life just by living it. The Nordic countries are known for their life concepts of hygge (Danish), lagöm (Swedish) and sisu (Finnish). I haven’t read anything about Norway and Iceland yet so I’m open to recommendations!
I was especially pleased when our guide talked about the Finnish concept of Sisu which I have only read in books. To have heard about it first-hand from a local was astonishing to me. Briefly, Sisu means determination, or literally translated as grit in English - the persistence to do something and that sparks something in me.
Moreover, I’ve always admired Nordic design concepts which are rooted in simplicity, elegance, cleanliness and minimalism. Side note: it’s admirable how clean everything was in Finland!
I also got the chance to speak to my friend's husband’s sister, who is Finnish about the Finnish stereotype of being timid, quiet and shy. I read about this in books saying that this is a way for them to show respect. She confirms this idea by saying that Finns like to respect people’s time, space, attention and boundaries. And I highly appreciate that. Once a Finn does get to talk to you, they can be the chattiest people, albeit keeping discreet and calm.
We also got to talk about vegetarian and vegan options. I asked how she thought these options were accessible because I seem to notice that there was a constant indication of allergens, but also the availability of vegetarian and vegan options everywhere. She confirms this and said it was relatively recent, and that the government has really been putting effort to make it even more accessible to the public, even if the prices of these healthier options are quite more costly in this day and age.
Half way through the blue route in Suomenlinna
I also appreciate their respect, promotion and love for nature. It’s impressive how much nature and greenery are accessible from the urban setting of the city! For the first time in my life, I saw moose! We also saw other wild animals in their natural homes like rabbits and deers, just a drive away from Helsinki!
All in all, I felt in my element, that I was in my place during those four brief days. It was Utopia for me, and I would like to see if this environment is better suited to the ideal life I’m trying to craft for myself. Nature, design, minimalism, simplicity, security, calm… I can go on and on. I’m writing these notes a week from our trip when I think I have taken enough time to step back and have a good look at those four days. I think I still need more time to gather my thoughts about everything I’ve experienced, observed and currently learning about the Nordic countries. When I have more thoughts, I’m sure to share them here!
To read more on the Nordic way of life, here are books I’ve personally read myself that inspired me to visit these countries, appreciate their lifestyle and embody them no matter where I am, as I dream and hopefully one day - actually live in one of these countries:
The Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia by Michael Booth
The Nordic Theory of Everything: In Search of a Better Life by Anu Partanen
The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking
Teach Like Finland: 33 Simple Strategies for Joyful Classrooms by Timothy D. Walker
Tucked away in the 8th arrondissement, the Chapelle Expiatoire sits quietly at 29 Rue Pasquier, inside the Louis XVI Square. Constructed by Louis XVIII, on the site where King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette were initially buried after their gruesome executions during the French Revolution, the chapel serves as a reminder of the tumultuous events that unfolded in the late 18th century.