A walk around Tooloonlahti in the snow

Tooloonlahti is the pretty bay to the north of the station. This is an excellent place to walk. There is a path aound the bay and it is beautiful at any time of the year. I started behind the station and took the path on the east side of the bay. It was looking wonderful in the snow on my most recent visit.

I don’t quite how this happened, but I’m glad it did.

The Botanical Gardens looked a bit different from when I was here is spring.

The poor ducks looked a bit cold.

The dog walking park had few takers.

A kind soul had left some seeds out for the birds.

The Winter Gardens looked very wintery indeed.

There were more hardy ducks on the other side of the bay as well.

Finlandia Hall looks dramatic in the snow.

The paths are kept open for walkers and runners.

The National Museum appears through the trees.

Bird’s nest from the last season are full of snow.

The hand sculptures are snowy.

The Museum is a great looking building. Kansallismuseo – National Museum of Finland was designed and built as a museum even though it looks like a Gothic church. It was opened in 1916.

Then it is back to the city and the very impressive Kiasma – Gallery of Contemporary Art.

I have done this walk in different seasons. I will show you autumn and spring soon. It looks quite different.

iittala…..beautiful Finnish glassware

Scandinavian design is famous all over the world for its beautiful simplicity. iittala is a Finnish company producing gorgeous glassware and ceramics. They have been around for more than a century.
Their lovely shop in Esplanadi is always one of the first places I visit in Helsinki.

The pretty Christmas window.

The most famous products made by iittala are the glassware designs of Alvar Aalto, especially the Aalto vase, also known as the Savoy vase. It was first produced in 1936 and is more popular now than ever.

The shape is beautiful and is repeated in several products.

Timo Sarpaneva joined the company in 1950, designing glassware and in 1956 he designed the “i” logo. It is amazing how modern this looks more than 50 years later.

iittala sells exquisite glass birds by Oiva Toikka.

iittala also owns Arabia ceramics. I bought these pieces in the 1960s and I still love them.

www.iittala.com

The National Library of Finland

The exterior of this building designed by Carl Engel was covered in scaffolding on my last visit to Hesinki, but it is the interior that I find delightful.

You first enter the beautiful Cupola Hall with its gorgeous ceiling.

On either side of this room are the reading rooms.

The painted ceiling dates from 1881.

The rotunda was built later than the main building in 1903 and was designed by Gustav Nystrom. It has 6 floors above ground.

The bulk of the library’s collection is housed in a 57,600 cubic metre underground bunker drilled into solid rock 18 metres below the library.

You need to be a resident to borrow books from the library, but it is worth visiting to see this magnificent building and sit in one of the beautiful reading rooms and browse.

Don’t miss this beautiful building when you visit Helsinki.

Helsinki’s frozen harbour

I got up bright and early to catch sunrise at the harbour. My second day in Helsinki was much colder than the first. It was about minus 14 with a little breeze. It was worth it to see the beautiful sky .

The ice looks thick.

Atlas was moving around the harbour to keep the channels open

The ferry to Suomenlinna was out and about.

I think it is amazing that things keep moving when it looks so cold and frozen solid.

A bit later on I saw the huge ships that leave every day for Sweden and beyond.

Time to put my gloves on and head to Fazer for a coffee.

Snowy Helsinki

I arrived in Helsinki to beautiful snow. Luckily it was not too cold, only minus 5. That may sound a bit chilly, but just days ago it was minus 20.
I headed straight to Esplandi Park to watch the sun come up over the harbour.

The sun comes up in Helsinki.

Boats frozen in.

The frozen harbour.

More from snowy Helsinki soon.

Fly Finnair, it’s great!

I am about to head off again to Europe. I always fly Finnair for several reasons.  It has been ranked one of the safest in the world and the flight from Hong Kong to Finland is a few hours shorter than flights to other destinations in Europe. On a long haul flight a few hours makes a difference. I always stay in Helsinki on my way to our apartment in Italy, so flying Finnair makes sense.

Finnair was founded in 1923 by Bruno Lucander, making it the 5th oldest ariline in the world with uninterrupted existence. The first flight was in 1924 and went from Helsinki to Tallin with a sea plane. The last seaplane flew in 1936 when the first aerodromes were built in Finland.

I have always found the seats in economy comfortable, the food is good and the crew very friendly and helpful.

I wish to point out here that I am not paid by Finnair, I am just a regular passenger. I have recently joined Finnair Plus, their frequent flyer programme and I hope to be getting benefits any day now.

Having said that, if anyone at Finnair is listening, I am open to upgrades and I would be happy for them to fly me all over Finland so that I can photograph and write nice things about this gorgeous country.

Helsinki’s Botanical Gardens

The beautiful Kaisaniemi garden is owned by the University of Helsinki. The greenhouse is home to more than 800 species of plants and its grounds to more than 2,800 plants of different origins.

The Palm house was built in 1889 by Gustaf Nystrom.

The gardens are a delightful place to wander in. There are well established trees in the outer parts, providing cool shade in the summer months. Squirrels, hedgehogs, butterflies and birds can be seen in the grounds.

Of course the gardens wouldn’t be looking like this just now, I imagine they are covered by snow.
I will find out when I go back to Helsinki in about a week, can’t wait.

The Botanical gardens can be reached from Unionkatu street, or Kaisaniemenranta road.

Have you eaten Lapp food?

On a recent visit to Helsinki we were delighted to find  Saaga, which serves traditional and modern delicacies from Lapland.

Lapland is an area of Finland and Sweden mostly within the Artic Circle. It refers to the land inhabited by the Sami people, known for their wonderful colourful clothing.

Entering the restaurant is like walking into a Lappish wooden house, with a room at the entrance to offload your winter coats (and skis if you were arriving that way)

the entrance to Saaga

The interior has the touch of Lappish artisans and a definite atmosphere of Lapland. We went to Finnish Lapland a couple of years ago and found it enchanting.

a pretty window

We were the first to arrive at the restaurant so I was able to have a good look around.

the rustic setting

I found all the details around the rooms fascinating.

traditional footwear

It would be fun to have a pair of those shoes.

moose head

I hate to think what happened to the rest of him.

looking down from the second floor

The food…

the menu

I love Finnish rye bread.

delicious bread and butter

The restaurant uses only pure Lappish or Finnish products where possible, sourced from small producers. The dishes include reindeer, Altantic char, bear (we didn’t eat it), mushrooms and berries. Everything is served on wooden platters, in kuska wooden mugs and cast iron pots.

Atlantic char with potatoes and mushrooms

Our fish was grilled on a wooden board and assembled at the table. It was delicious.

the mushrooms

 

I am a sucker for anything with cloudberries, so ordered Lappish cheese in cinamon cream with sugared cloudberries.

sugared cloudberries

 

Cloudberries grow wild all over Finland. I would love to see them growing.

my delicious dessert

If you go to Helsinki try Saaga, at Bulevardi, 34, it’s great. (09) 7425 5544

There were photos of scenes from Lapland on the walls.  The Sami people are still reindeer herders, but use modern equipment to help them these days.

a Sami family from another time

 

a reindeer sled

 

The wonderful Pohjola Building

One of my favourite buildings in Helsinki is the Pohjola at 44 Aleksanterinkatu, in the heart of the city.

It was designed by Eliel Saarinen and built in 1901. It is in the Finnish National Romantic style and constructed from granite.

the Pohjola building

The decorative ornamentation was inspired by Finnish nature and folktales.

The door is especially lovely.

a wonderful door

I would love to go inside

Esplanadi Park

Esplanadi Park

For me, the beautiful park that sits between Pohjoisespalnadi (North Esplanade Street) and Etelaesplanadi (South Esplanade Street) is the heart of Helsinki. It the first place I head for when I arrive in the city.

It runs from the Swedish theatre to Kauppatori (Market Square) by the sea. The park  is lined on either side with shops, restaurants and cafes, and even though the streets beside it are busy, it is a delightful place to sit or wander.

The park was opened in 1812 and immediately became a favourite place for people to promenade and be seen. On a spring or summer day it is filled with people enjoying the warm sunshine. I would love to be there in mid December to see the Christmas markets.

a sunny day in the park

spring flowers in the park

the statue of Johan Ludwig Runeberg by his son Walter

a different angle

a closer look

the poet is popular with seagulls

the food is good at Kappeli restaurant

Art Nouveau style

springtime

Eino Leino in the park

the poet standing tall

the little kiosk from 1893

2 pretty girls

take time to have a coffee

 

the coffee is good

having fun

late autumn at Kappeli

 

not so busy when it is cold

Kappeli at night

 Be sure to spend some time in Esplanadi Park – known as Espa by the locals.