Wednesday, June 25, 2014

#maevaflavedoeshelsinki

I am home from a 13-day trip to Helsinki, Finland visiting my best friend John.  The trip was incredible and - as always - I must blog about it!  I've learned that the best approach to a post-trip blog post is to try to consolidate the information as much as possible.  So, here are the top 10 highlights of my trip - not really in any particular order.

HELSINKI ITSELF & WANDERING THE CITY:
I very quickly felt comfortable navigating Helsinki.  I took the tram a lot and got to know the city centre especially well.  It's a very beautiful and clean city; an appealing combination of old European charm and contemporary architecture.  I loved wandering along Pohjoisesplanadi and Eteläesplanadi, browsing stores (see "SHOPPING") and people-watching.

Pohjoisesplanadi
I went for a great walking tour one day from my Lonely Planet Finland travel book.  Some highlights from that include the bustling kauppatori in the harbour, the Senaatintori (Senate Square), the Tuomiokirkko (Lutheran Cathedral), and Temppeliaukion Kirkko, a modern church hewn from solid rock.

Senaatintori with Tuomiokirkko in the background
Vendors in the kauppatori in the harbour
Tempelliaukion Kirkko
Before I go into my absolute favourite sights (which deserve their own highlights), shout-outs to the following sights - Kansallismuseo, Linnanmäki, Ateneum, and Uspenskin Katedraali.

Uspenskin Katedraali

KOTIHARJUN SAUNA:
When you think of Finland, one of the first things you think of is saunas.  I am a huge saunaphile to begin with (sometimes my only reason for a work-out is an excuse to go to the sauna), so it was at the top of my list to visit a traditional Finnish sauna.  My travel book recommended the Kotiharjun Sauna, so my friend Katie (who came from London, England to join me for part of my trip) and I walked from John's place to get there.

It was divine!  It was 12.00€ for an adult sauna and you could stay as long as you wanted to.  The locker room was clean and because it was a weekday afternoon, we had the place to ourselves.  There are separate saunas for men and women, and you get to the sauna right from the locker room.  Then, there's another shower room that connects to both of those areas, too.  The sauna itself was lovely and did seem very traditional.  We did a long first round, and then just spent the next 90 minutes or so going back and forth from the sauna to the shower room, rinsing off and going back for more.  We also got big buckets and filled them with cold water so we could refresh ourselves without leaving the sauna.  After we were done, we got some bottles of water downstairs and then went to a nearby park to continue the relaxing and enjoy some sun.  I highly recommend the experience to anyone visiting!  It was so amazing and rejuvenating!



KIASMA:
Helsinki has its fair share of museums, like any major city, but I didn't expect the museums I visited to necessarily be highlights of the visit.  Kiasma was the exception!  Kiasma is Helsinki's modern art museum, and I don't know if we were there for some exceptional exhibits, or if it's always that good, but I loved it!  The three exhibits we (Katie & I) saw were Alfredo Jaar (amazing video piece on Kevin Carter), Kiasma Hits (classic Finnish contemporary pieces, famous international artwork, and recent acquisitions), and an exhibit called Kimpassa / Together, which brought together the biggest names in Finnish contemporary art, design, and fashion, specifically artists and designers who'd worked with Kiasma and/or the fashion line Marimekko.  That was actually something I saw a lot of in Helsinki: a natural collaboration between people.  Marimekko designed napkins for Finnair, for example.  It seems like collaboration vs. competition between artists and companies happens a lot in that country, which I loved.  Kiasma was a great example.  Best modern art museum I've ever seen!





TALLINN, ESTONIA:
As you know, what brought me to Finland in the first place was one of my best friends in the whole world: John.  I've known John for around seven years now, and I've been hearing about his many Finnish adventures since the beginning.  One of those typical adventures - also highlighted by my travel book - is a trip to nearby Tallinn, Estonia.  So, it was a foregone conclusion that we'd take a trip there during my visit.  John booked us tickets on the speedboat to Tallinn in advance of my trip, and on the Saturday that I was there, John, his boyfriend, and myself took the 90-minute or so journey there!

John described Tallinn as the place Finnish people can go to act like American tourists; they can assume everyone there speaks their language - which in Tallinn, they do! - they can get cheap food, booze, cigarettes, and pretty much everything else.  Alcohol is one of the dominant reasons for the journey though, which is clear from the trolleys you can buy on the boat with the express purpose of packing them with cheap beer, wine, and liquor.  In fact, you can drink on the boat itself.  We had a beer on the way back, but even on the way there - at 10:00 am - our fellow passengers were getting right to it!

The visit to Tallinn was amazing!  My favourite part was the old town (see the photo below).  We wandered the cobblestoned streets, explored churches and little stores, stood at some beautiful points up the hills to stare down at the town and more modern parts of the city, too, and then browsed the market square where vendors sold souvenirs and other goods (including cinnamon-covered almonds, which were another highlight!).  After some lunch and exploring, we went shopping in the city, and then returned for some dinner later in the day (more on that in "FOOD").  Around 6:00 we headed back to the harbour to get our 7:00 pm speedboat back, and ended up having one of the best nights out of my life.  More on that in "FINNISH PEOPLE (& GOING OUT WITH THEM)".

Old Town, Tallinn

SUOMENLINNA:
One of the must-see sights in my travel book was Suomenlinna, and fortunately John and his friends agreed that I couldn't leave without seeing it.  Suomenlinna, or Sveaborg in Swedish, is an inhabited sea fortress.  I was so excited to just walk around it, and we were lucky enough to have beautiful weather, so we hopped on the ferry at the harbour and took the 15-minute ride there (which I could use my transit pass to pay for!).  With the sun shining, we grabbed some beers at the grocery store, and just wandered around.  It was beautiful (see below).  It was on one of my last nights, too, and it was just John and I, so I soaked it in.






SHOPPING:
People who know me know that I don't like shopping.  In fact clothes shopping is one of my least favourite things in the world.  However, when you've set aside a budget for gifts for yourself and others on a trip you've diligently saved up for, shopping suddenly feels more fun (rather than indulgent)!  I still wasn't interested in clothes, but I had a lot of fun browsing - and buying - in the stores I visited.

My favourites include Marimekko where I bought a number of gifts (and was lucky to be in Finland for the 50th anniversary of their Unikko pattern [see below]), Aarikka where I bought a lot of Finnish-made jewelry for family and friends, the Moomin store for all Moomin-related merchandise, the beautiful Akateeminen Kirjakauppa book store where I wandered aimlessly, Stockmann (a.k.a. Helsinki's Holt Renfrew, or at least The Bay), and - my favourite - the Iitala / Arabia outlet store where I splurged on Moomin mugs!!!

Marimekko's Unikko pattern
Shout-out to Emmaus where John recommended I go on my last day.  Apparently visiting Helsinki without going to a flea market is sacrilege, and I'm glad I went.  I picked up some really random goods there, but I'll always think of my trip to Helsinki when I see/use them.


FOOD:
Food is always my favourite part of travelling!  Food brings me joy on a daily basis, so trying new foods in new places is my idea of heaven!

Restaurant highlights included Alppitori for some traditional Finnish fare, randomly Monte Etna for what turned out to be an amazing spaghetti and meatballs, Café Ekberg hit the spot one morning with a Croque Madame (and bottomless coffee, which is a rare find in Helsinki), Vapiano for pasta made right before your eyes, Eat in Tallinn for pelmeni, Hesburger (Finland's McDonald's equivalent) for their version of a Big Mac (also in Tallinn), BLNIt for Russian food, and Zucchini for some vegetarian food in the city centre.
Alppitori - salmon soup with dark bread, followed by meatballs over
 mashed potatoes covered in brandy gravy with a side of jam
Café Ekberg - Croque Madame
Hesburger - their version of a Big Mac, in Tallinn
BLNIt (great Russian food) - blini with sour cream, red onions, and roe
But here's the thing - more than just looking forward to eating in Finland, I looked forward to eating John's cooking.  I lucked out having John and our other bestie Waleed as friends in my undergrad.  They were the only undergrad students I knew who at any point in time might have a delicious cut of meat marinating in their fridge.  They are master chefs in their own right, and I was spoiled having them cook for me so often back in the day.  I missed John's amazing cooking, and was spoiled once again while staying with him in Helsinki.  He cooked me all sorts of things, including some classic Finnish fare.  Below are some of my favourite meals he cooked.  Thanks, John!

Potatoes, salad, smoked trout, and pickled herring
Salad with chicken, pistachios, blue cheese, and beets with a side of
cracked wheat with sun-dried tomatoes and red onions
Dessert that evening; a funny hybrid of bread and cheese as
well as sweet and savoury, topped with jam
A sisters sausage soup with dark bread covered in cream cheese on the side
Arguably the best meal of the trip - roasted chicken
on top of a beet risotto
My favourite! Karjalanpiirakoita - a rice-stuffed pastry topped with egg butter.

FINNISH PEOPLE (& GOING OUT WITH THEM):
One of the best things about visiting a friend in another country (aside from free accommodations!) is meeting real people from that country.  You might run into a few locals while travelling solo, but being introduced to people who are really important to someone who's really important to you is really special.

I got to meet John's boyfriend, and really get to know him, and that was a real treat.  He's a wonderful man!  I got to be reunited with John's friend who came to visit us during our undergrad; it was amazing to see her again, laugh about our amazing three weeks together five years ago, and see how she's grown up.  I got to meet a friend of John's who he met through his boyfriend, who I partied with (more on that in a sec) and realized was my Finnish soul twin.  We live across the ocean from each other, but we had an instant connection.  And finally, I got to meet one of John's closest friends, who I've heard about since I met John, and who I've had as a Facebook friend for quite a while myself.  Meeting her in person was incredible; she has such a warmth to her and positive energy.

In fact, she had a dinner party while I was visiting, which was another major highlight.  She and her husband hosted us in their beautiful home, and I think there were about nine of us in total.  We were all speaking English (lucky me!), but almost everyone was from a different place.  There were three from Egypt, two of whom were raised in London UK and another who was raised in Sweden.  Three from Finland, but all with different backgrounds.  And then two Canadians (I'm not sure where the ninth was from).  We were all so different, and so many of us were strangers to each other, but there was such an ease to conversation, and it was such a nice night (including more delicious food!).  That's the kind of experience I love to have when travelling.  I was really lucky.

I enjoyed Finnish people so much in general.  I don't want to generalize, because I know everyone is different, but there were some common elements, I found.  Finnish people don't have a big fake smile on their face, even in service industries.  There's no fakeness, small talk, or over-the-top friendliness.  But there's also not snobbery or rudeness; people just are who they are.  There was a definite sense of more introversion than I find here in North America, but people are very kind... they're just more real.  I liked that; it was really refreshing!

But like I've already said, I was able to really connect with a number of people, and I loved all of John's friends.  We had one really great night out that I mentioned before, the evening of the day we went to Tallinn.  We'd been up really early that day, but we were armed with cheap booze from Tallinn, and we had to go out.  The evening started with a long karaoke session at John's boyfriend's place, which was a blast!  Then we went to a gay club called Hercules, which was amazing!  Great music, lots of people, and so much dancing!  Here's one of the most surreal moments of my trip: we left the club at 4:00 am and it was totally light out!  Finland gets a lot of light during the summer; maybe even 22 hours of it at certain points.  It was 4 am, yet it looked like noon!  Very bizarre; you don't really want to be illuminated by the sun when you leave a club at 4:00 am, but it was a great Finnish experience and a great night out!


CHILLING:
Going into my trip, I was grateful for the length, because it meant I could see lots of sights, but also have lots of time to relax, rejuvenate, catch up with John, and just chill.  Sometimes that was as simple as spending a few hours in a café - traveller's guilt free - writing postcards, journalling, and plotting out what sights I would see next.  On my first full day there, I spent 2+ hours on a hill in a park near John's place, reading and soaking in the sun.  It was so nice to have that luxury and not feel guilty about wasting time.  I was seeing a new city, sure, but I was also on vacation.  I wanted to relax!

Chillin' on a hilltop
I loved having lots of time to hang out with John, too.  A few days - especially after great nights out - it was nice to just laze about his apartment... cook and eat food, and watch lots of TV.  We watched season two of "Bad Girls Club" while I was there (high-quality TV), as well as season one of "RuPaul's Drag Race", and also "Orange is the New Black"!  John and his boyfriend were half-way through season one when I got there, so I watched that with them, and then we watched all of season two together which I hadn't seen yet.  Major highlight!  Downtime on a trip is important, and I took full advantage.


JOHN:
You know what the #1 best part of the trip was though???  Seeing John!  Reuniting with one of my best friends was the thing I was most looking forward to, and it was the #1 highlight without a doubt.  John and I used to spend every day together in our undergrad, so it's been hard not seeing him in the flesh for nearly two years.  Reuniting was incredible!  It's like we picked up where we left off and nothing had changed... but so much has changed in our individual lives, so that's even better!  Even across the ocean, we're growing separately but not apart.  And seeing him in his element, in a city where he feels his best, was so wonderful.  I got to see how happy he is, and how much he's thriving, and as a best friend, that's all you could want.

Thank you, John, for your love, food, and hospitality!

Another trip for the books!

Monday, June 2, 2014

When a chore becomes second nature

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but if I was to look back at my health & fitness journey (11 months and counting) and pinpoint the thing that I'm most proud of, it would be this: going to the gym becoming part of my routine.  Put another way, I am so proud of getting to a point where I genuinely want to go to the gym.  Even better, I need to go to the gym.  I had a pretty indulgent weekend; it was my best friend's bachelorette and indulging was par for the course.  I drank, I ate, I partied.  As a result I felt sick, bloated, and my immune system was shot.  I got back home from the debauchery yesterday afternoon and you know what I did yesterday evening?  I went to the gym.  Going "off-track" or indulging food-wise could've made me feel like I'd failed, but I hadn't, and I still really wanted to go to the gym.

I woke up this morning feeling totally under the weather.  I very seriously contemplated calling in sick... I even had my sick day email drafted up, but then I thought of how much I wanted to get done and how lame I felt at taking a sick day after a bachelorette weekend.  So, I powered through, crushed up vitamins in my smoothie, and went to work.  The day went great - I made a point of eating really nutritious food and drinking lots of water - and then you know what I did?  I went to the gym again after work for my regular Monday Body Pump class.  I may not feel 100%, but I feel pretty great, and I have a feeling that with more vitamin C and a good sleep, I'll feel even better.  My, how I have changed!

Who's visiting?