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The Best of Helsinki, Finland

Best: Walk
Eastern shores of Lake Töölönlahti. Scenic and quiet, it showcased old-style wooden homes.


 Best: View
From the top of the 72 meter (236 foot) tall Stadium Tower. Only a minute walk from my hostel, the tower had impressive views of the entire city.


 Best: Grocery Store Find
Hallowed out loaves of rye bread filled with various meats, cheese, vegetables and who knows what else.


 Best: Meal
Vegetable soup and rye crackers at the open-air market. The soup was delicious and the ambiance of the open restaurant right on the water-front was unbeatable. Plus for only 4 Euro it was one of my cheapest meals.


 Best: Activity
Old Market Hall and Market Square. This place had everything and was humming with people gathering ingredients for supper.


 Best: Unexpected Find
University Botanical Gardens. I stumbled upon the entrance to the gardens and although all the vegetation markers were in Finnish (thus I still know nothing about local flora and fauna) the grounds and substantial greenhouse where lovely. If I lived here I could picture myself on the lawn, reading a book on the weekends.


 Best: Exhibit

AIR, Smell of Helsinki, Budapest and Paris by Hilda Kozari. Acrylic bubbles hung from the ceiling that gave a complete sensory vibe of each city.


Best: Awkward Moment
At several outdoor markets I saw small, dark purple berries that were unfamiliar to me. Considering that Lingonberries where a local specialty, I assumed these purple berries were something similarly exotic.

So I asked a vendor what they were. She just looked at me and in a tone that said “you stupid foreigner” she told me they were blueberries. Several people nearby unsuccessfully stifled their laughter. But honestly these berries were tiny and much darker than the blueberries I’m familiar with. Helsinki: 1, Stupid American: 0
Best: Texture

Metal building siding on the Metro Hospital.


Best: Monument
In honor of the composer Sibelius, this monument was a warped, undulating mass of steel pipes that looked different from every angle.

 

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This Post Has 4 Comments

  1. Anna October 8, 2010

    I particularly like these photos because I love Finland! My husband is half Finnish so we go there a lot. I love the market.

  2. jessiev October 9, 2010

    oh, i so want to go here. that filled bread looks delicious, and so much beautiful art around – incredible. thanks!

  3. Dominique October 10, 2010

    I was thinking the same thing as Jessie…the filled bread looked tempting.
    I also loved the steel pipe sculpture, especially from the unusual angle in the last photo.

  4. Anna Patrick October 12, 2010

    I plan to visit Helsinki soon, and your photo helped make my mind for even sooner!

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