The first things that strike you are that, hmmmmm, it's cold -- and it gets dark early! It was 39 degrees when I walked home tonight. And, when I landed yesterday at 3:30 p.m., it was already just about dark. That was partly because it was raining a little and was very overcast. Today, with relative sun, it did not get dark until 4:30. That puts a premium on getting up-and-at-'em at an early hour (which is not my strong suit).
The architecture here is fantastic. I'd read that and it's true. It's sort of a mix of Scandinavian cool and Baltic Russian. The overall impression it gives is fantastic. People dress well too. I luckily planned ahead on that front. There are also tons of stylish design stores -- for housewares, furniture, etc. -- everywhere. What churches are to Rome, design stores are to Helsinki.
Speaking of churches, there are a couple of beauties here. But Christendom does its churches differently here than in southern Europe. Finnish churches have an extremely different look-and-feel. I include a couple of examples below.
Food is good in Helsinki. Way better than I expected. Very nouveau. A sophisticated cocktail culture thrives here too.
The Finns speak perfect English, btw. This has startled me a bit. I'm so used to speaking Italian virtually all of the time that I have to make an effort to speak inglese.
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| The new music hall |
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| An American architect designed the Kiasma modern art museum. |
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| The gorgeous Orthodox Uspenski Cathedral |
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| The gleaming white (especially at night) Lutheran Cathedral that sits atop the neoclassical Senate Square |
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Very cool train station  |
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