FINLAND

FINLAND June 23, 2014

Late on the 22^nd we arrived in Helsinki from St. Petersburg and hailed a cab to take us to the Crowne Plaza where our camper is parked. The cab driver has an interesting English accent and a short tuft of a beard. He tells us that he is a three generation Helsinki citizen. He tells us that he has always thought that Finland must be much like Canada. The bear is their national emblem. Also roaming these northlands are elk, moose and raindeer, the latter a popular menu item in restaurants. Also it is water related, lots of lakes and sea. Forests abound, and logging is done but not replanted in straight lines as most countries seem to practice. Finland's lets the forests grow back naturally and thin constantly to let the remaining trees grow big and healthy. An informative interchange with our taxi driver.

We walk into the reception area of the hotel. David says, “We have parked our van here for a few days.” That is all it took. The man and woman on duty were waiting for us they said, wondering who would have driven an American licensed car here? I guess we had been the topic of discussion for a few days...maybe making up stories like I do? We learn that the woman had flown around the world for three months, stopping where she wanted along the way. The fellow was ready to go on a road adventure, but has small children get bored on the long drives so he will wait a few years.

Daisy is sleeping in the basement depths below which gives us a downhill walk for two floors. As we reach an outside garage door, it magically opens for us...those guys at the reception desk, pressing buttons, taking care of us. And as we reach the exit in the camper, the door magically opens again. The consierge had come out to press the open button and wave us on our way, illustrating the good and the fun in us all. 

June 23

The van starter system needs attention. After researching help at VW garages and dealers we find ourselves in a new part of town with an appointment three days away. We will stay close and do most of our exploring on foot but first we need to take care of a few things... where to park overnight...where to get a dongel for wifi. The mechanic points our way to a mall, our best bet. We pick up a dongel and a new hat for David, black, Fidel Castro style. We see RVs in the outdoor parking lot so make our way there to ask if overnight parking is allowed.

Here we meet Olka, a Finn (and artist) and Ron, a Dutchman. They are in separate RVs. Interesting, nomadic, free spirited people. This is their story: Once they were a couple who built a business together here in Finland. A successful brewery. They sold it and made enough money to purchase two RVs, one each, and travel money on top of that. For eight years they have been traveling separately with their dogs. Once a year they meet. They tell us where their favorite local place to park for the night is, a river park. We find this park familiar, like home. A beautiful fishing hole amongst the forested river. Smooth river rock on the shores. It is midnight before we tumble into bed, still light as day. 

June 24

We wake to the freshness of past rain. The grass is filled with hopping Robin-like birds, tinges of red on their breasts, but not singing the joyful song we are used to. They must be cousins to our North American robin though. Lofty, far-reaching drooping wet fir branches surround us along with a river birch with stretched white skin popped open to reveal the streaks of bumpy bark underneath. The bark wraps around horizontally, not a smooth skin like the canoes are built of. Paper bark birch. We move Daisy out into the cool sun.

David is on the computer, searching for our pathway home to the USA. Where do we ship the camper from and to? Then flights for us. It is hard to realize that we are on the last leg of an astounding journey. 

We walk the long loopy paths in this park, beginning at a walking bridge to get us to the other side of the river, where we peer down on the fishermen who have found their favorite rock and fishing hole. We choose the left trail through forest and wild flowers. Queen Ann's Lace, vetch, wild companula, lupine and an unknown tiny yellow flower...along with the sturdy dandelion. Through this section we then walk into an area of shrubs, grasses and dark green fields of grain. Rolling hills, like rolling waves stretch into the distance, farm houses and barns nestled amongst them. Passive. Sweet. Then on to a wider dirt road that finally leads us to traffic and small businesses. Staying to our right, away from the 'hub bub' we hope we will soon recognize something familiar. Another trail choice, we go through more woods and a wood bridge, along a path above the river, until we see the white restaurant we know near to where Daisy is parked. Some river waters flow quickly and some wide spots in the middle are like a docile lake. Fly fisherman gracefully cast from a wooden precipice, their lines zinging to their target, plunking gently onto the water, water rings expand, then the line drifts with the current. They are patiently waiting for that fish to grab the fly. The timing is right. It is about 7:30 in the evening. The swallows are catching flies out of the air, the fish should be catching them in the water. At this spot you can rent a canoe, get your fish smoked and stay in the inn.  

June 25

We awake at 10:30! It is not a waste of time to cuddle with your sweetheart!

As I open the back curtain I see a little family getting ready to fish. A grandpa in a jaunty wine-colored beret, is taking his two young grandsons to the river. The children have all the right gear, so cute. Maybe it is their first time as he is instructing them. I wave. Grandpa waves back and has the boys look our way. He tells them where we are from and that we are sleeping in our camper van. They wave at me, too, and then they are off down the trail in tall boots, rubber pants and their own poles. 

Ha! We have ventured too far from our mechanic! The van will not start. We get help with a jumper cable and get back to our neighborhood and stay close, parking in the garage lot tonight.

June 26

We are sitting in the van while it is being fixed. We have been moved hydraulically up in the air! There is no waiting room and it is cold outside. David has been reading E.E.Cummings to me...I knit...

If strangers meet

life begins -

not poor not rich

(only aware)

kind neither

nor cruel

(only complete)

i not not you

not possible;

only truthful 

- truthfully, once

If strangers(who

deep our most are

selves)touch:

Forever

e.e.cummings

Other than that, not too much is happening up here on our perch! 

We look at Olka's blog, in which we read “Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains unwakened.” It is engraved into a piece of her sterling silver jewelry. I knit and I knit until we are told that a new battery has been installed. We can come back down to earth. But, a fresh battery does not do the trick. So we are off to another garage for diagnostic results...then back to the first for another try at replacing a CV joint. Then return to the Diagnostic garage...the starter is the problem...so we go for a walk.

Guess what! We walk straight into the main Merimeckko plant, where some of the fabric is still produced. The shop! We have to wait in line until the doors open. This is mecca for David, a fan since college days. We spend hours in this famous Finnish design store. Mostly gawking but also buying...a bunch of the red poppy fabric, for what? We are not sure! And an orange and navy striped T-shirt, an empty book with a green, white and yellow poppy cover and two scarves of outrageous pattern. We will come back tomorrow!

By the end of this day we have a car that is in great shape...new starter, new CV joint. We spend the night outside Marimekko and watch the Danish TV series, Borgen, plugged into our little laptop. The story of the life of a Danish woman prime minister. 

June 28

Morning: Marimekko again. It is such fun for the two of us. We buy more, can't help it. A striped shirt for David, fabric for two pairs of pants for me, gifts for family and friends. Okay. That's it. Let's get out of here. We say goodbye to some of the salespeople who have become our buddies. 

Afternoon: We catch a tram into town, this time the goal is KIASMA, the modern art museum. The building is swooping and curvy...glass, wood and metal, looking like it is rushing toward us. Right away we are hit with big and bold Marimekko designs decorating the building exterior. Bold black and white drawings of people in action...paint, markers, pencils and brushes in hand. Fun and exhilarating. This is a design culture and it excites us. Inside, the second floor exhibit mimics the boldness of the exterior, created by interaction between artists, designers and art audiences. Sixteen talented people have been given a carte blanche to create any kind of work they wish...to work alone, in pairs or groups. My favorite, to be expected, was the use of fabric in making clothing of different cultures...the use of Marimekko fabric of all things! African dress, Asian dress...it was fun! Also, some wonderfully decorated pottery and figures caught my eye. It must have been quite freeing for these artists to show what they can do without the constrains of designing commercially. 

The third floor is titled 'Kiasma Hits'. Contemporary two dimensional pieces on the walls and installations on the floor, invite the viewers to pause and maybe interact. I enjoyed making my way through a 12 foot dense block of a thousand colored ribbons hanging from the ceiling. Whoops! Excuse me! There is more than me in here! A brand new experience inside this piece of art. Artist: Jacob Dahlgren. Another experience I had such fun exploring was in a small dark room. A desk sat against a wall, a lamp on it, lighted. Above the desk was a mirror. The table, the lamp and the lamplight showed in the mirror. My image was absent! I laughed out loud in amazement. I guess this is how it might feel to be invisable!

The fourth and fifth floors are titled 'Tonight No Poetry Will Serve' by Alfredo Jaar. An exhibit with an urgent penetrating message and I certainly felt it. I cannot imagine being an artist of this type, able to create with so many mediums, to tell his message. He uses photographs, videos, installations and textual neon works to show us what might be our own responsibility for our fate and that of others. War, genocide, refugee displacement, humanitarian help in world crisis. Jaar visably shows us how the media can help or harm with their stories, just or sensational...or silence. A monumental and memorable show for me. An example of what Jaar uses to tell his story is a large photo on the wall of American dignitaries gathered to watch the capture and death of Osama bin Laden on a television screen. Everyone in the room shows interest except... Hilary Clinton's and President Obama's faces show horror. Another group of photos show Rowandan children, unable to speak, after the killing of their parents. The North American continent saw nothing of the African genocide until it was almost over.  

During our museum tour we meet two buddies who join up with each other annually. An Irishman and a 'Kiwi' as he describes himself. They love it here in Finland. We trade our favorite sights. “You must not miss the 2 ½ hour dinner boat ride through the islands and waterways,” they say. David and I look at each other...We have time. Let's go!

The boat trip: We walk to the harbor through a garden way, historical statues at each corner, one of them being the figure of Nickoli III, a Russian the Finns actually liked! We pay 22 euros each for the ride which passes through areas of summer cabins and row boats pulled up on island beaches. Docks with bigger boats. Islands empty of  people, fending for themselves, marinas with stick masts like toothpicks, a glimpse of city buildings, towers and spires and back into summer islands. Through passageways we see tourist cruise ships and ferries from Tallinn or Stockholm, heading into the city docks. All so much like western Canada. It is a wonderful view of watery Helsinki surroundings up here on the open deck but we get hungry and head to dinner...plush tables at water level. A lovely buffet. We add 60 more euros to our evening adventure! 

June 29

Sunday, a day of rest. The sunny weather is back to grey and rainy. Good sleeping weather so we arise at 10:30! We putter and read and eat...'happy as clams'. 'Snug as bugs in a rug'.

THOUGHTS and OBSERVATIONS:

>  Olka and Ron tell us that most RVs that come to Finland are from France, Holland and the UK.

>  I see that I am the only woman with straight leg jeans. Everyone else is clad in form fitting pants from waist to ankles. Well, wouldn't I look good in that! Trends are starting to pass me by.

>  Yum! We have a new favorite cookie with a chocolate and coffee combination or hazelnut. We love them both. Hellema brand, Country Cookies...made in the Netherlands.

>  In 1012 Helsinki was voted the design capital of Europe.

>  200,000 people pass through the Helsinki train station everyday.

>  The famous Marimekko poppy design just had its 50^th anniversary.

>  Finns are in love with black and white stripes...on shirts and shorts and short skirts and dresses worn with leggings and black and white scarves.

>  A quote from David...The Bristish say, Why use one word when you can use thousands? Perhaps the Finnish say, Why use a thousand words when all you need is one?

>  In all the windows there are big letters spelling out ALE! Curious? Did the 'S' fall off? Do they have ALE on SALE? Answer: ALE is the word here for SALE!

>  From our 'home' parking spot, I glance upward through trees and see a strange movement. It seems to be some kind of a weird red car in trouble, jerking one way, then the other, up and down. What the heck? What is this? Ahhh. It is the roller coaster in the theme park in the uphill distance through the trees. 

>  A trendy clothing rage: Matching shirts and shoes.

June 30

We start this day with a BLAST! A pipe is being laid alongside the parking lot so a ditch is being dug. The ground of Finland being granite, a shovel won't do. Little 'lego' men are milling about...you know the yellow coats, the blue helmets and the short legs. They are the dynamite team and when they are finished setting the sticks an Hitachi mobile crane sets big grey 'blast mats' on top with its amazing flexible arm ending in claws. These mats are made of old tire strips sewn together with chains attached to each end. The crane claws find a piece of that chain and pulls it up and over to the dynamite sight where it lowers the mats one by one. 'Red hat lego man' gives directions to the crane driver until there are many mats piled up. The worker men go to the sidewalks to stop all traffic, walking, bicycling and driving...the alarm sounds loud and clear, starting slow and accelerating the cadence until BOOM! The mats jump a few feet and the deed is done. 

We plan another fully packed day, our last full day in Helsinki. By the way, this is a city that I would feel very comfortable living in. Because of the 2^nd WW and the extended war with Russia, its buildings are not old, but rebuilt to the look of the old in an extremely dignified way. We hike around the park we have been calling home, and catch a number 10 tram to the Design District... starting in the Design Forum shop. I find a table that would work well on our small balcony. Maybe I can make this with what we already have at home. I take a photo. This is a good store with the best of design. 

Next we hit the Design Museum of Helsinki, a must if you love design. Oh, those wooden chairs I have always admired. They were designed by a Finn, Ilmari Tapiovaara (1914 – 1999) whose work always reflected his need for social responsibility. For him, responsibility encompassed 'the ideals of democratic manufacturing and solidarity across geographical borders, and the importance of ecology, local industries and the conception of the good life'. After the wars, to help pull together all they had lost, designers used wood as the natural choice to rebuild. There is an abundance in this land. Well designed Finnish wood chairs went out to the world! And also on display, a myriad of gorgeous dishes from 'then to now'. I am excited to see my Arabia stoneware that I have had since 1964. There is so much to inspire here. I draw little sketches of 'stuff' I love. We have lunch in the cafe and move on through the Design District. But, after seeing the best, the rest pales, so we make our way up Fredrikinkatu Street. But wait, this little shop is interesting! Primavera Interiors owned by Anneli Kukkonen, a spunky lady who chats with us and shows us things. Her store has a more unique collection of merchandise that other stores in this district. It's a treat. One last thing of interest is the very large statue of a nude Artemus, spear in hand, standing on top of a boxy pedestal in a Design District Square. 

We continue on to the Rock Hewn Church. We have found it in our guide book as a 'must see' in Helsinki. It is hard to explain the lovely and unique character of this building. David takes photos but finds it difficult to find the right angles to show it off. The church sanctuary is surrounded by natural rock which was dug into and hewn into this shape. Simple and powerful. Piano music much like Windham Hill is playing in the background. We stay awhile. This place is full of the serenity of nature. Lutheran Evangelical. 

July 1  Canada Day

This morning, before we leave Helsinki, we drive to the east side, Old Arabia Helsinki where the large ARABIA manufacturing plant was. Today the block long building is packed with stores that carry product of Finnish design (Fiskars scissors), various design trades and the part of the factory that is still used. Also the building houses the Aralis library and the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. After wandering the shops of furniture, lighting, kitchen products, fabrics and assorted stuff we take an elevator up to the gallery/museum. I love it here. More sketching in my little book.

First we wander into an exhibit displaying Moomin, a lovable hippo character of childrens' book fame. Shall I read you a bit of a story? “Moomintroll curled up into a ball once again and put his paws under his warm stomach. He let himself fall asleep. His dreams were undulating and blue, like the nocturnal sea.” Sweet and dreamy! A remark of his as he reads in a tree, all comfy and satisfied...”ALL RESPONSIBILITIES ARE ONLY A NUISANCE”. 

The next room is filled with so much honest beauty. Dishes: cups, bowls, plates, and Flatware: so simple and elegant. Incredible stunning designs. I notice that many are designed by one woman. Greta-Lisa Jaderholm-Snellsman. I find a large photo of her as a young designer and an oil painting of her in middle age. She was such an important designer. She is able to stretch her ideas into many different looks. She was the first designer to have a show here in this gallery, and the first woman. I looked at her long and hard. We are only here such a short time on this earth and some people have so much to give and leave to us. Thank you Greta-Lisa. I find much more of my Arabia stoneware and find that it is designed by Ulla Procope (1921 – 1968) My set was produced from 1961 to 1998. It is a dark, mottled, brown-black stoneware. 

There is so much more to see in this area; Majstranden, an old and rundown neighborhood turned into bold contemporary architecture and the Annala Garden with an orangery, formal gardens and allotments and a church in ruins. We rush through these but are shortly driving through forests on our way to the town of Turku where we will catch an 11 hour ferry ride to Stockholm. Much of our time will be spent asleep in our little cabin. I have packed snacks and breakfast, a movie and our computer.