Helsinki

Helsinki, looking towards Helsinki Cathedral

Helsinki is a capital city on the Baltic Sea. It is a chilly city with a daily forecast of rain. Thankfully, while we were there, the rain simply threatened but never fell. Helsinki is an interesting city because it reflects the history of being part of Sweden as well as being part of Russia before gaining independence in 1917. Today, it hosts cruises and busses full of tourists visiting its churches, markets and Soumenlinna.

Uspenski Cathedral

Some of the strongest draws to Helsinki are a few very distinctive churches, all of which are free to enter:
Helsinki Cathedral -- a bright white building with green domes (1852)
Soumenlinna church -- originally completed in 1854 as a Russian Orthodox church. Onion dome removed in 1928.

Uspenski Cathedral -- a Russian Orthodox Church, complete with onion domes and interior ornamentation (1868)

Rock church -- built out of rock with a giant, copper roof (1969)

Waterfront market

However, the market along the waterfront is a pretty amazing, too. There, you can buy fresh farm produce -- I tried strawberries, the largest sugar snap peas that I've seen as well as both farmed and wild blueberries. Everything was delicious! The markets include several food stands that offer a variety of fish meals. Plus, there are the occasional reindeer food item, usually meatballs although I tried a reindeer kebab. For the serious shopper, there are souvenirs, clothing, handicrafts, etc.

Suomenlinna Island

A short ferry ride from the waterfront market brings you to Suomenlinna. This island fortress shows the influence of both the Swedes and the Russians. Originally constructed as a Swedish fortress in 1748, it was turned over to Russia in 1808 after Sweden lost the Russo-Swedish War. There are still cannons left from the Russians pointing west on the island. After Finland's independence, the island was returned in 1918. At that time, Finland used it to hold civil war prisoners. Throughout the years, the island has been inhabited, usually by military personnel and their families. However, since becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Center in 1991, the number of inhabitants on the island is strictly limited. There are several museums on the island describing its history. There is also a WWII submarine that you can walk through. While I was there, a group of actors in period costume performed outside of the Ehransvard Museum. The performance was in Finnish.

marimekko inspired art

Helsinki boasts several museums. However, I only had a chance to visit two of them, the Kiasma and the Ateneum. Both of these museums are located near Central Station. The Ateneum's current exhibition features Tove Jansson, a Finnish artist most well known for her Moomin characters. The exhibit has a lot of Moomins. However, it also showcases paintings that Jansson did in a variety of styles, including a couple wall murals. The Kiasma is currently featuring two shows -- one on the influence of Finnish design company marimekko and another on the works of Alfredo Jaar. Jaar's works are large installations that deal with sensitive political issues.