6 August - Helsinki, Finland: Our day in Helsinki was somewhat abbreviated by a late start and a scheduled early departure. We opted for the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus for a general overview of the city with a couple of strategic stops to see specific sites. In general we've had good service and success using HoHo buses all over Europe, with just an occasional glitch usually created by people shore-side who don't know how to deal with pre-purchased tickets. In order to preserve cash I usually purchase tickets online, which either upsets or baffles the representatives at the kiosks.
Our general impression of Helsinki was an incredibly clean and safe city without many compelling sites to see. I'm the first to admit that my impression may be completely myopic and I just need to explore the opportunities available before deciding that Helsinki isn't worthy of a future visit. That said, I'm keeping it on my list of potential destinations until I can make a more informed decision.
One of our specific stops was the Temppeliaukion kirkko, or The Rock Church, a Lutheran Church carved out of rock in a downtown Helsinki square. Known for having quality acoustics, the church is mostly used as a performance venue. On days that it is open to the general public (there is an admission fee) there are almost always a series of performers. We had the pleasure of sitting and listening to a pianist for a while. We easily lost track of where we were and nearly lost track of time. Come for the architecture, stay for the entertainment!
We also participated in a little local economic stimulus, purchasing a fair quantity of gifts for family. Ultimately we ended up back on the bus to complete the circuit around the city before being delivered back to the ship just prior to departure.
7 August - Stockholm, Sweden: If I were forced to pick a single word to describe my initial experience in Stockholm it would be "surprised." Without any real idea of what to expect after visiting Helsinki, the only thing we really knew Sweden had going for it was Abba. A friend has spent a significant amount of time in Stockholm for work, and a distant (older) cousin married a Swede long ago and lives somewhere in Sweden - but that's the sum total of my knowledge before our arrival.
 |
Gamala stan |
Stockholm immediately passed my "vibe" test. I've heard all the things people say about the Swedes being distant and cold, but our impression couldn't have been more different. I'm not saying we experienced hospitality like you would in the southern region of the United States, but we certainly didn't get what we expected.
The city is complex (just pull up a map) thanks to being spread over a series of islands. There are tunnels, bridges, cross-overs, switchbacks, and I'm sure a few traffic configurations I can't even identify. This makes navigation close to impossible for the newcomer - even if you choose the HoHo bus as your primary transportation.
The old city (Gamala stan) is a series of walkable, narrow streets filled with shops, cafes, and restaurants. One street will be nearly empty, then the next will be filled with people, but everything is civilized and polite. The afternoon light reflecting off the buildings in these streets is mesmerizing. If you're any kind of photographer you'll find yourself waiting, clicking, and waiting a bit more as the scenes transform in real time. I can't tell you why, specifically, I want to return to Stockholm - I just know that I do. The public spaces are lush and perfectly groomed. There are massive parks where kids play soccer (football) in the warm months and ski in the winter. Maybe it's the sensation that there's always something to discover around the next corner (very few streets are straight, almost everything bends and twists.) It's captivating. Maybe I'll be disappointed, maybe it will become another favorite city. All I know is I have to figure out which it is.
 |
Stockholm Shadows |
No comments:
Post a Comment