Helsinki, Finland
Aug 14, 2025
I had imagined a basic ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki. But this was no mere ferry, it was a huge ship. I have never been on a cruise ship but I imagine it must be similar to this. Multiple decks at multiple levels, cafes and restaurants and even duty-free shops that are exactly like those in airports. I stared goggle-eyed for a bit and then went back to the conversation that had begun in the ferry terminal in Tallinn. I had met two Finnish women there and we spent the couple of hours chatting companionably. I learned of the foods to try and tried the best salty licorice, thanks to one of them.
Helsinki itself was a surprise as well. I am not quite sure if I had had an image of it before, but if I did, it would have been a streamlined version with modern buildings and sleek streets. Instead, it was a mishmash of chrome and glass, older 20th century buildings, a few statues along the pedestrianized stretch and a fountain with seals spouting water. There cannot be that many places in the world that merit fountains with seals!
There is an area with shops and cafes and the pedestrianized street with mostly modern buildings. But one of them has carved grotesque grimacing masks at the door. It takes me by surprise. What is it with the apparent passion for gargoyles that is rampant in northern Europe? I have no answers.
Most of the houses might be modern, but there is still one small block in the city where the houses are all old wooden ones. I was expecting to see wooden trims like the ones I saw in Siberia or even in small towns of Lithuania. But these are plain with none of the fancy woodwork that entrance. It was very commonplace except for one thing. While most sport a fireladder mounted on the wall, one had a foldable ladder that was drawn up and hung on a hook. I can think of plenty the fire department at home would have to say about that but find it quaint that here the old ladder stills holds sway.
The Senate Square is so called because the long low buildings once housed the senate but no longer. But it is still the place where the change of guards takes place ceremoniously once a week. I must have good karma; I happened to be there on the right day, at the right time to watch it unfold.
The beating heart of the town is of course the harbor at Kauppatori. The orange and yellow brick building of the Old Market Hall now has restaurants inside but most of the action seems to be outside. A long line of orange tents sprout next to the water everyday, in the summer and are the closest that one comes to a street food market in these parts. It looks mouthwatering! Large slabs of salmon lie cooking atop griddles with lemon and berries for flavor. Raspberries, blueberries and even ones that look like mini kiwi tempt me from one aisle. Along another aisle are burgers and sausages made of reindeer. I remember well the summer I spent with the Tsaatan in Monglia.
The Tsaatan herd reindeer but do not butcher them often; the reindeer are too valuable and are used mostly for their milk from which are made cheese and curd. In Finland though reindeer are farmed for their meat and it is readily available. I had never tried reindeer meat before and lost no time in trying it here. It tasted no different from a pork sausage!
Postscript
I had wondered about the gargoyles in front of a building but nobody I asked knew what they were about. It was only when I met a Finnish traveler in Serbia that I learned what they depicted. These are characters from the Finnish epic poem Kalevala, compiled in the 19th century from stories that were handed down orally. Like all epics, there are heroes and villains, tales of daring deeds and betrayals, quest for a beautiful maiden and a wicked witch of the north. In the best traditions of any self-respecting saga, there are a multitude of stories interweaved together and tales of avarice, triumph and miracles abound. It makes for interesting reading.
ITCHY FEET TRAVELS 