Four days in Helsinki, Finland

Bus & Tram Stop

Voinko Pidä suuri kaneli pulla? or perhaps Kan jag få den stora kanelbulle? or perhaps Can I have the large cinnamon bun, please? Yes it's a tri-lingual society here in Finland. In fact all of the street  and public transport signs appear in both Finnish and Swedish such is the history of Sweden's domination of Finland! 

But the cinnamon bun is very very Finnish and with its coffee scroll like dough heavily impregnated with cinnamon and sprinkled with lumpy sugar it is a delight!  

Finland is a country that continues to struggle with its identity given it has been a part of Sweden, a part of Russia and has suffered a civil war. Today it is politically in crisis with the True Finn Party now a force to be reckoned having taken seats in the National Parliament. 


The City is one of contrasts and contradictions. In 2012 it with be the European Design Capital a title it will share with Tallin, Estonia. It remains a question rather than an answer. 

City Hall

The city is a mix of old, new and indifferent. It is a grey city although with the sun shining and the sea sparkling it is a delight to traverse...mostly! Buildings can be heavily ornate or simply shapeless. It is a green city with trees and flower beds in rows and numbers. The trams are also in abundance criss crossing the city along narrow guage lines that go up and down and roundabout; they weave in and out between apartment buildings. 

They are a delight and easy to access and with frequency. 

They beat the 'Hop On Hop Off' buses that should be banned as they clog the city and the main attractions! I think there are more maps than people and the challenge is to read the Finnish/Swedish. 

Art Deco apartment building

The city has a population of around 580,000 and a metropolitan wide population of around a million. Its underground lite is like a tuning fork - simple and precise. The buses and trams do more of the work. The waterfront is alive! It has food - fish, simple delicious and cheap. 



  
The ferries dot the water - big ones and not so big, those bound for Estonia and Stockholm and ports to the south and those that bob around the harbour area weaving between the rocky island outcrops. Remnants of past wars and could be wars seem to dominate the islands  - yes this is a country that has not been dealt kindly by neighbours. 

Garden City - Nordic Style

Museums are many but the contemporary art space does best, decidely so. This year the ARI features perspectives on African by artist within and without. Provocative, political and moving especially the video collage on Rwanda - a country racked by genocide in 1994 and as President Clinton clip says ' We sat at our desks and did nothing'. 

Apartment Building

A Tram!

 

The Esplanade

Apartment Complex

 Finland has the euro and can claim its place in Europe. 

The City is working hard to met the challenges of a world city seeking sustainability. It's social progress as with other Scandinavian countries will be tested in future years. 

Helsinki Harbour

Art Museum