Destination North - Finland

Helsinki!

After getting immersed in Stockholm's spectacular scenery it was time to make our way to the docks to board the Silja Lines Serenade for an overnight Baltic "ferry" cruise to Helsinki.

Destination North

Finland

(Travel Poster by Finland's living treasure Eric Bruun)

I put quotes around the word "ferry" because when I think of a ferry boat the vessels that come to mind include the Washington State Ferry and Alaska Marine Highway System.

The Helsinki ferry, other than two levels of car decks, bore almost no comparison to any ferry I have ever sailed on. The Silja ship was the love child between a super jumbo car ferry and a cruise liner.

Upon boarding you enter at level 7 and find yourself in a five-story light-filled atrium called the Promenade Deck. A live band welcomed us.

The promenade deck contained an espresso bar, luxury boutiques and a variety of cafes. There were glass elevators at each end whisking passengers up to the 4 stories of cabins and the Sky Deck above. 

Above that was another level with a formal cocktail lounge. 

At one end of the promenade was a casino and showroom. At the other was the entrance to the ships massive grand buffet. There was an almost entire floor of duty free shopping below too. Elsewhere there was a kids club and health / fitness areas.  The Serenade was a floating resort.

The Serenade's Promenade Deck

Silja ships travel year-round connecting Stockholm - Riga, Stockholm - Tallinn and Stockholm - Helsinki. 

During summer the ships are filled with sun worshippers and tourists. During winter the ships carry more business people along with locals on holiday going to Christmas markets etc. As we left Stockholm two ships chased us past hundreds of spectacular islands and the Stockholm Archipelago.

Two Ships Chasing Us Into the Night

While everyone that booked through the tour provider had luxury cabins, I booked the closing portion of the trip myself and booked the least expensive cabin possible. Once I boarded the ship I realized that my cabin was the Di Caprio Suite in steerage (below even both the car decks). In fact, if the ships evacuation plan graphic was correct, my cabin was below the ship's water line. 

It was compact, immaculate and had a good bed fitted with great linen. I had figured "low in the boat" meant less sway and an easier time sleeping. Although I was worried a bit about claustrophobia, I took solace that Scandinavian's are world-class mariners. Despite that I laid out a flashlight and warm clothes "firefighter fashion" at the end of the bed before turning in. If the all hands signal clanged I was ready to get my ass in gear.

But before turning in I watched the sun dip into the Baltic Sea while working on my blog on the Sky Deck. Then about midnight I descended down to my little cabin and slept like a pup. When my alarm woke me at 6:00 am I returned to the grand buffet for an amazing breakfast and witnessed our ship glide into Helsinki past its vibrant waterfront market.

Helsinki's Art Nouveau Havis Amanda Fountain

(Ville Vallgren's once controversial sculpture has welcomed visitors since 1908)

We all disembarked and found our respective hotels. Mine was the Hilton Strand and it was really nice. My lovely room came with a view of one of Helsinki's canals. It was a parade of paddle boarders and kayakers.

I rejoined the group at the waterfront's outdoor market where you can't miss the Havis Amanda Fountain at the end of Esplanadi Park (that runs up the hill away from the waterfront). Today the fountain stands as one of the most beloved icons of the city (although it had been soap bubbled on our visit).

The artist meant the symbolism of the sculpture to symbolize the rebirth of Helsinki. But the women of Helsinki objected strongly to the nude "French Whore" imagery they felt served to objectify them with. Some further felt the sea lions (with their tongues out) surrounding the sculpture represented men's lust. Like the fury that can surround architecture (think I.M. Pei's now beloved Louvre Pyramid) good architecture and good art softens, then wins over, even the hardest hearts over time.

We then climbed aboard a local ferry to the former military island fortress of Suomenlinna. 

Suomenlinna is a Unesco heritage site that preserves repurposed buildings from its days as a maritime fortress in the mid 1800's. The fortress was intended to protect Finland's eastern territories. But at the start of the 19th century it was overrun run by the Russians who controlled Finland until Finnish Independence in 1917. 

Signs of Russian influence remain throughout Helsinki. Especially in the two prominent cathedrals placed atop hills overlooking the harbor. Even toys in Suomenlinna's Toy Museum featured highlights from the Soviet Era.

Canine Cosmonauts from Russia's Soviet Era

I loved the old metal toys (what we used to call Campbell's soup toys).

More Antique Toys

After a day spent visiting the island (and an amazing lunch at the Island's Brewery) I decided to hit my hotel's executive lounge for a drink and snackies and call it a day.

The following morning we visited the Design and Finnish Architecture museums. The Design Museum had a major exhibit entitled Secret Universe by COMPANY: the studio of Aamu Song and Johan Olin. This couple has traveled the world seeking inspiration from the "endangered skills of traditional craft". They turn this global inspiration into design ideas for all sorts of products. 

Some characters by COMPANY

The Museum of Finnish Architecture (MFA) featured two interesting exhibits. One was a retrospective showcasing the 1904 art nouveau masterwork Suur-Merijoki Manor. The other exhibit showcased the work of Eric Adlercreutz. The Adlercreutz exhibit highlights the the important role that drawing plays in the profession of architecture. 

Suur Merijoki Manor was a country home commissioned by a wealthy St. Petersburg businessman, Maximilian Neuscheller. He hired not one but a trio of promising young architects: Herman Gesellius, Armas Lindgren and Eliel Saarinen (father of Eero) to carry out the commission. He spared no expense having the art, textiles and all furniture custom designed. In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution of 1919 the house was sold to the Finnish government who allowed the Finnish air force to use it until 1939. After it was badly damaged during the Winter War it was ceded to the Soviet Union in 1944 and eventually razed.

Saarinen's Sketch - Suur Merijoki Manor

Sketch by Adlercreutz

From there we enjoyed lunch at Karl Fazer's art deco flagship cafe (Fazer is the Finland's chocolate emperor). We had salads and open faced sandwiches and (of course) deserts; all yummy!

Lunch Selections at Karl Fazer

After lunch we hiked up the hill to the iconic Uspenski Cathedral with its shining onion domes glistening in the summer sun.

Uspenski Cathedral
(The largest orthodox church in western Europe)

From the Uspenski you can see the even bigger Helsinki Cathedral on an adjacent hill.

Helsinki Cathedral

(Until Finnish Independence in 1917 Helsinki Cathedral was St. Nicholas Cathedral - named after Russian Tsar Nicholas the Grand Duke of Finland) 

At the end of the day I said my final goodbye to my traveling chums and checked into the airport Hilton rather than catch a crazy early shuttle. My hotel room came with an unexpected feature I truly loved; my own personal in-room sauna! I made good use of that after all the walking and cycling over the past couple of weeks.

Helsinki Airport Hilton's In-Room Sauna!

In the morning it was time for me to begin my journey home via London.

Scandinavia was a lovely place to spend a couple of weeks. Seemingly everyone spoke fluent English, the countries were immaculately clean, food was wholesome and fresh and we came to love Fika! 

We took some Finland, Sweden and Denmark home!

Roadboy's Travels © 2019