Yeah, yeah, I know I'm slow with this, but I have a job too, you know!
Day 6 - Suomi - Finnish for "Finland"
Thursday, 9 June 2005 8:30 am Finland time we arrive in Helsinki. John was starting to get concerned because we appeared to be driving around Helsinki dropping people off at random places (and this is after the early morning cigarette smuggler drop offs in Kotka and other Finnish towns) and he makes me ask the girl when in god’s name they will let us off the bus. We practically tear our way off when it finally pulls up. No thank yous, no goodbyes, nothing, nada, good-fucking-riddance to that damned Russian bus. [Pardon my French]
We try and get our bearings in the train station, pay 2 Euros to use the toilet after finding Otto, the Finnish ATM machine, have some coffee (wow! really strong!) and a sandwich, make a $5 phone call to the hotel to make sure we can check in early and head off to the bus station. We don’t really know where that is and we sure as hell can’t read Finnish, but it turns out that all the signs are also in Swedish and the Swedish word for bus station is “busstation.” Whoo hoo! We find our bus, make friends with one of the workers on it who after some thought is able to tell us where we need to get off to find our hotel.
The hotel Matinlahti, or whatever it was called, is located in Espoo, a frighteningly clean city right next to Helsinki. It’s a nice hotel, built in the 1960s or 1970s probably, and pretty close to a little bay on the Gulf of Finland/Baltic Sea. We shower and sleep for a few hours, until about noon. Seriously, we could have slept the whole day. But knowing that would be dangerous and even more confusing to John’s system, we rouse ourselves and set off in search of a place to eat. We walk up the main street from the hotel, through a residential neighborhood until we get to a Finnish shopping mall. We zero in on an “American Grill” and order hamburgers and fries. Yum. The complimentary coffee (again strong) perks John up and he is able to sustain a conversation once again. You see, the Finns apparently love their coffee. According to the lonely planet guide coffee consumption comes out to an average of 9 cups a day per person! And most restaurants offer it free of charge. I even saw it in a pharmacy later in the trip. We wander around the Finnish mall, which looks amazingly like any other mall, buy a map of Helsinki and a Finnish-English dictionary, because Finnish is one weird language. We check out the public library in the mall, in an effort to find out where exactly the Car Museum of Espoo is located. Turns out it’s too far away to be an option. We make copies of our visas, which we had meant to do in Moscow (this will be important later), check email, I post the bus story on the blog and we walk back to the hotel.
We’ve already agreed that there will be no trekking into Helsinki today. We’re just too tired to enjoy it, even though it will be light, well forever. Instead, we decide to head to the little beach with books and just relax. I grab the dictionary, my MP3 player and John takes his book. The beach is a nice public beach with a little caf?, some kayaks hiding in the bushes, and children running around. There is also a group of Finnish youth, who in the next few hours listen to the same Bob Marley album about 20 times. Oh well. I learn that Finnish has 15 cases (!) and is pronounced in a monotone way, and that’s about as far as I get before I give up in despair. It wasn’t that warm, but the sun was warm enough to wear my bikini top (and John’s swim trunks since I didn't pack any shorts) and try and get my vitamin D levels back up to normal. We hang out there for a few hours, each of us in our own little world, which is okay, because the bus was just bad enough that we need to decompress. We later agree that it is a minor miracle that we didn’t kill each other during any part of that experience. Hunger starts to creep up on us and we decide to get pizzas from the take out place up the road and buy some beers at the grocery store nearby. We sit on the balcony in the room, eat the pizza, drink the beer, eat some Baltiskii tort (I bought 3 in St. Petersburg), and relax. We are in the West now, the European Union, all is well with the world.
Day 7 - Helsinki – the one city in the world too normal for Desi to figure out
Friday, 10 June 2005 I start my day with a sauna in the morning (after being woken up by the TV alarm – strange). The sauna is empty, and I only go two rounds because I’m kind of a wimp about those things. We have a Finnish breakfast downstairs, complete with Finnish jelly donuts, granola and yogurt, a really strange and bland pastry, and yes, coffee. Two cups each. Some of you may not know this, but I gave up caf coffee a long time ago, and coffee altogether about 3 months ago. Yeah, I fell off that wagon this trip!
We catch our bus from Espoo to Helsinki, and arrive at Kampi, the bus station, mall thing. We ponder the metro card dispenser, wondering if our 13 Euro multi-person all day pass is really what it claims to be. We’ll find out later. Then we walk back to the train station square, where we were deposited by the Russian bus from hell just over 24 hours ago. It seems different somehow, with a full night’s sleep behind us. We analyze the map, trying to figure out where the National Gallery is located. This is the only museum we want to see because it has Rodin’s sculpture “The Thinker”. Turns out the museum is right on the square. John knew this all along, but I was disoriented somehow. We go through the museum and somehow miss the Rodin. The woodcuts were cool and they had a few paintings by Repin, but the Thinker is hiding somewhere. We ask and are told that he is in storage right now. Storage? It’s very disappointing because otherwise the museum was nothing special, the tickets were wicked expensive and well, you can only see so much art, really.
From the museum we walk to Senate Square, stopping to see a rather strange sculpture of naked men hammering something. It’s a very constructivist sculpture, and a little out of place in such a seemingly calm and peaceful city. It’s easy to forget that Finland was either dominated by Sweden or Russia for all of its pre-20th century history, and that it fought a devastating war with the Soviet Union for its independence during the Second World War. And I'm sure there's some strange Scandinavion psychology mixed in there, too.
Senate Square is not that big, smaller than the square by the train station, and it is absolutely overwhelmed by the Lutheran church that rises above it. The church is a gleaming white with turquoise cupolas and the day was so bright and the sky so clear that it was almost blinding to look at. We later discover that the real effect comes from looking at the church from the seaside – since it is built up so high it is visible for miles around. The square was packed for some sort of festival and street fair. Musical groups performed on a stage and there were all sorts of booths selling local crafts, produce and food.
We walk down to the water, look at some souvenirs, share a salmon steak for lunch and split up for about an hour. I walk up to the Russian Orthodox church on the hill over the harbor, climbing the steps through blooming lilac bushes. I go inside to check it out, buy some postcards, write them and then walk down a neighboring street along the water. I make my way back to the market via Sofia street, a street that has its name up in Finnish, Swedish and Russian and appears to be one of the oldest streets in Helsinki. Meanwhile, John goes off in search of an internet caf? and tries to convince the University library to give him a library card for 1 day so he can use their computers. They found that request to be rather amusing.
It’s about 3 or so in the afternoon and we have yet to use our 13 Euro transit card at all. I look at the Helsinki map and decide that the Tram museum (which appeals to both of us) and the Olympic stadium are near each other just a few stops up on a tram line. So we try to figure out where to catch said tram and walk through the Esplanade, a little park filled with flowers and people enjoying the afternoon sunshine. We eventually find the tram, get on it and ride up a few stops. The trams are on the honor system apparently, as no one looks at our ticket. We wander for awhile, and eventually come to realize that we are nowhere near the tram museum and that I have gotten us lost. Clearly Finland is too normal and logical for me and I surrender all pretense at navigation over to John for the rest of our stay in Helsinki. So we get back on the tram, after buying water and snacks at a gas station and I discover that gas station bathrooms are pretty much the same all around the world. Alas, the tram museum is closed. We walk over to the Olympic stadium and sit for awhile in a park.
We decide to hit the zoo, which is a tram ride, metro ride
and bus ride away. I haven’t been to a zoo since 1999 or 2000 in D.C. and John is curious to see how they do zoos in other parts of the world. Wouldn’t you know it but the metro is on the honor system too. We just walked on, no turnstiles, nothing. I think the 60 Euro fine for riding without a ticket is probably good deterrent. The zoo is small, on a small island connected to the mainland by a foot bridge. Good protection if any of the animals get loose! I am regaled with more zoo stories and learn a lot about how they work. Unfortunately it is now late in the afternoon and most animals aren’t visible to the public. We do get to see the bears and the snow leopards (which are just beautiful. We’re tired and hungry by now and want dinner. We wait for the bus and begin our trek back to central Helsinki, having definitely gotten our money’s worth out of the transportation pass.
We’re both so tired that we’re having trouble deciding on a place to eat, with the help of the Lonely Planet guide. Eventually we decide on Zetor, in part because we know where it is, and because the description of the cheesy tractor motif is too tempting for me to pass up. Zetor is weird. Clearly it caters to foreigners as the menu comes in Finnish, English, German and Russian. And yes, there are tractors everywhere. The general theme is Finland’s agricultural success in the 1950s (who knew?). For an appetizer we order a Finnish “delicacy” – smoked vendace fish which comes served right in its can. When it arrives, we raise our eyebrows at each other and open the top. At first we are so shocked to see, well, little fish, that we close it quickly and reconsider for a minute. Then we decide, what the hell, it can’t hurt to try it. Turns out it’s pretty good and even better with some rye bread and butter. Also made easier by the fact that the fish heads and stuff aren’t there. We finnish most of it [ha ha! Finnish - finish get it?] Dinner takes forever to arrive and we spend the time updating the notebook with our latest adventures. When my Finnish pie and your reindeer ribs finally arrive we eat as much as we can, and then work our way through a blueberry “pie” muffin thing that the waitress gave us comp because of the long wait. We are full.
Day 8 – The day I challenge John’s comfort zone and we almost spent the night in the Tallinn Radisson
Saturday, 11 June 2005 But before we get to that, we have to get out of Finland first!
That morning we check out of the hotel, catch our bus, get into Helsinki and take a tram from the Kampi to the harbor. We stick our luggage in a locker and buy tickets for an afternoon “ferry” on the Linda Line Company.
We waffle a little abut how to spend our last day in Helsinki, do a little shopping, and eventually catch a ferry to this old Swedish fortress called “Sveaborg” (or “Swedish Fortress” in Swedish) or “Suomenlinna” (in Finnish), or “Hobbiton” (our personal designation) located on a group of islands off the coast from the city. It was built in 1748 to protect Finland from Russian attack. The ferry ride lasts about 15 minutes and gives great views of the city, and all the little islands surrounding it. Sveaborg is pretty damn cool and is a UNESCO world heritage sight. We walk around admiring the island, which includes the old fortress walls, lots of cannons and other sorts of firepower, old barracks and munitions storage built into hovels in the ground, hence the name Hobbiton. There is much more to explore than we have time for, disappointing, as it is the sort of place to easily spend the whole day walking around, enjoying a picnic, etc.
We head back to Helsinki about an hour or so later, buy lunch in the harbor again (paella this time), and split up to finish up our shopping. We end up with too much time to spare and hang out at the ferry terminal for awhile, before passing through passport control, only to sit in a caf? looking out at Helsinki, without officially being in Finland anymore. We get on our “ferry” which turns out not to be one of the large, hulking ferries that carries cars and the like across the gulf, but a little hydrofoil that chops across the water. Oh boy. Good thing we have beer because I needed to be slightly not myself to make this trip. The inside looks just like a Lufthansa plane – I think they used the same seat manufacturer. Did I mention it was a windy day? Well it made for a really, really bumpy ride, worse than almost any turbulence I’ve ever felt on a plane. I’m both nervous and slightly seasick as we pass out of sight of land for the first time in my life. At least the trip is only one and half hours long. Before we know it, the Estonian coast rises in the distance (okay, so it doesn’t really “rise” but I can’t think of a better word!). We pull up to the ferry terminal, disembark, and go through passport control again, while talking to an American woman en route to take the Trans-Siberian railroad to China (a stab of jealousy gets both of us). The lady stamping John's passport was not too pleased with herself and felt the need to do it twice.
Look Toto! We’re not in Finland anymore! But at least its still the European Union...sort of. John and I leave the ferry terminal and immediately realize that we don’t know anything about Tallinn, we don’t know where we are, and we don’t really know how to get to the Bed and Breakfast where we’re staying, and the ferry terminal part of town looks pretty run down. I am not worried by this, and secretly relieved to be back in a part of the world that somewhat resembles Russia and where at least some of the people speak Russian. John is concerned for exactly the same reasons. Can you get lost if you don’t know where to go in the first place? We pull out our Lonely Planet scrap of Tallinn map that I ripped out of the guidebook before the trip. Unfortunately it only covers the very center of town. We find a tram stop which thankfully has a map of the city posted in it. The map, however is also in Estonian. I notice that an old lady waiting for the tram speaks Russian so I ask her for directions to the square where we are supposed to find the bus for the B&B. After debating whether to just walk it, we get on a tram and ride a ways until John realizes we’ve passed our square. Oops. So we get off the tram and orient ourselves once again. The first thing I notice is that Tallinn seems really quiet and deserted for a Saturday night. The second thing I notice is that I really have to pee.
Really. We find the square, but are confused as to where to get the bus and what direction to take it. We cross under the street several times, and John finally runs across the street. I physically can’t run so I go under the street, only to find the public bathroom which had been closed a minute before, miraculously open! This is my chance! The guy in charge goes to get change for my 100 Kroon note while I pee. Thank god. I’ve left John street side wondering where the heck I went to, but we eventually find each other and set off again. Still not in agreement about what side of the street we need to be on, we look at the map and decide to walk it – it can’t be
that far. So we walk some and realize that yes, it probably is that far. Just about then, a bus comes – our bus! Whoo hoo! We get off at the right stop, find the street and find the house. By this time, it is about 2 hours since we got off the ferry and we are now in a really residential area no where near the center. I ring the door bell.
A girl answers the door and looks more than a little surprised to see us. It seems they weren’t expecting us until tomorrow. John and I come inside while she disappears upstairs to figure this all out. The house does not look like a bed and breakfast at all. I begin to get really worried that I’ve dragged John around town looking for a place that either a) doesn’t have a room for us, or b) will turn out to be an Estonian homestay – something neither of us in the mood for. I shrug my shoulders and smile hopefully, thinking to myself “oh boy....”
The girl and the guy who run the place come downstairs and say that the room is available, but isn’t ready quite yet. We get directions to and ATM and a Georgian restaurant down the street and head off. The neighborhood is mixed with house-cottage type places and cement apartment buildings like in Russia. The sidewalk is neither straight nor well defined, also like Russia. John is questioning the decision to come to Tallinn and I am feeling right at home. We get cash and go to the restaurant, where my Russian helps make friends with the waitress who is tired of dealing with some Finns who only speak English. We have a delicious dinner of stuffed mushrooms, shashlik, Estonian beer and a veggie plate with some of the most delicious tomatoes I’ve ever had, all at a price that doesn't make me have an aneurism. I buy dinner, in part because I'm still afraid for what sort of living situation I've gotten us into. But the food perks us up and we head back. We are taken to the house next door, which looks more like a B&B and are greeted by a huge black lab who is sweet as can be. Turns out we get a little apartment located over the garage with its own bathroom and kitchen. Its brightly decorated in orange and very pleasant. And it costs all of 40 Euros a night! I am greatly relieved and we now have a home for the next 3 nights.
Random Finland pictures here
