A Heck of a Good Time in Helsinki
Just like that, we made it to our last stop in Scandinavia for what would turn out to be our favorite country of this region! Our plane arrived early in the morning, and we were greeted by the bustle of Helsinki and a rainy day. Despite all our experiences with public transportation so far, we had quite the time trying to figure out how to get to our hotel, since lugging our backpacks through streets in a downpour didn’t seem like the best option.
After a mad sprint from the airport to the train station, trying to make sense of signs that were totally unclear, and feeling like we were never going to find our hotel, we were stopped by a stranger who asked if we needed help. When this stranger stopped and asked if we needed help in a thick Russian accent, we both fumbled and exchanged nervous looks, trying to telepathically decide if we should tell talk to him or just pretend we knew what we were doing. Keep in mind, we actually had no clue what we were doing or where we were, and we’re convinced it would have taken us a very long time to figure it out ourselves. So, with great hesitation, we told him where we were headed, and were taken aback when he told us to follow him. But this was our best option in the moment, so we did. He led us outside, down a few streets, asked us questions about ourselves the whole way, and delivered us to an outdoor tram stop where we could catch the tram to our hotel. He said it was nice to meet us and headed back to the train station where we had come from.
After he left, we were stunned and still a little confused by what had happened and simultaneously realized how bad we felt about it. This genuinely kind stranger walked out of his way to make sure we got where we needed to go, and both of us were skeptical and on edge the entire time. When had we become so untrusting of people?
We weren’t proud of our reaction, but we did learn from the experience. We were perfectly nice, yes, but we weren’t as friendly as we would have liked to have been — or should have been considering what he did for us. It made us realize a bias neither one of us knew existed within ourselves. On the bright side, it forced us to reflect on why we felt the way we did, and promise ourselves and each other we would do better next time.
Now that we’d found our hotel, we were able to store our luggage, play cards in the lobby until the rain died down, and then start the quest for food. Just around the block from our hotel, we found one of the most highly rated sushi places in Helsinki, which happened to be all-you-can-eat and in a basement restaurant. Seriously, it was one of the most unique sushi-eating experiences we’ve had!
We ate our fill of sushi and then walked back in the freezing cold to our hotel, where we were finally able to check in to our room, put on more layers, and then head into town. Our hotel was just on the outskirts of what would be considered the downtown area, but it was a beautiful lakefront location. Plus, with the tram stop right across the street, it was easy to buy a day pass and go wherever we needed.
One thing to note is that Finland is the world’s leading consumer of coffee. Obviously, we were going to fit in very well! Once we reached downtown, our first logical stop was a coffee shop. We found a cozy shop, Paulig Kulma, on the main street and immediately felt at home. It was a two-story shop with a coffee bar on the first level and a barista school on the top level. The mix of boho-inspired crochet swings and modern seating nooks made it one of the coolest and coziest coffee shops we’d visited — and would visit again before our time in Helsinki was over.
Now that we were properly caffeinated, it was time to wander. We walked up and down the streets, window shopped, took in the Christmas decor that lined the streets. Helsinki is a beautiful city bustling with energy that’s so easy to get lost in. I couldn’t even tell you exactly where we were headed, but we eventually found ourselves at the Christmas market, which was set just outside the capitol building. Something about the twinkle lights, the giant Christmas trees, the small collection of stalls, and the capitol dome lit up in the background made this one of the most charming Christmas markets yet. The smell of roasted nuts, the laughter of friends gathering around picnic tables, and the bitter chill in the air were just what we wanted for our first night in Finland. We felt at home, we felt safe, and we felt the joy of the holiday season warm our hearts and prepare us for one of our favorite stops yet. There was a blacksmith demonstrating his trade, grandmas selling knitwear, carpenters selling kitchen utensils, and stall after stall of artisans selling handmade Christmas ornaments. After making the rounds, we headed back to the hotel to do laundry and eat Indian food in the comfort of our room, and then we called it a night to prepare for another exciting day ahead.
If you know us well, you know our best days cannot start without coffee. And, like I mentioned before, Finland is the place to drink all the coffee! This time, we bundled up and headed out to a coffee shop on an island called Johan & Nyström. This shop had a more distinct bohemian vibe than the one downtown, and it was set right near the water so it had both a cozy ambiance and a killer view. The espresso was exceptional, as well!
We then walked around the island, around and through an Orthodox church, and back toward the Helsinki harbor. The views around the city were beautiful, and we loved getting to see it from every angle.
Back at the harbor (near the Christmas market we had visited the night before), we found an indoor market for lunch. It was essentially a shotgun-style food court, filled to the brim with sandwich shops, meat and cheese counters, juice shops, and small craft stalls. We settled for a juice and handprinted postcards, then made our way back to the Christmas market to an ornament and a candle.
It was almost impossible to say goodbye to that market, but we knew it was time to go and wanted to visit a design museum before we had to leave the city. It probably goes without saying that Scandinavia is known for their design prowess, so the Design Museum Helsinki was actually quite fascinating. Their exhibits ranged from Fiskars scissors and video games to furniture and fashion. The main exhibit, oddly enough, was all about California and the design, tech, and culture that shaped the history of that state and of the entire U.S. If you ever make it to Helsinki, we highly recommend you take a few hours to explore this museum. We haven’t seen anything like it, and we had no idea just how many common things had been designed in Finland.
With that, it was time to board our overnight train to Rovaniemi, Polar Express style. I’m not kidding — the train was called the Santa Claus Express! We found our sleeping area — a cozy room with bunk beds, tiny window with an equally tiny writing surface and chair, and a bathroom that could be converted into a shower stall by simply moving the wall. It was tight but it had everything we needed! Just as we were settling in, a sudden shock of realization hit Gabriel: we hadn’t gotten our train ticket stamped!
Long story short, Gabriel sprinted into the crowded train station to find an agent to validate and stamp our tickets while I waited in the train, figuring out how I would manage to get all our luggage off the train if he didn’t make it back in time. Two minutes before departure, the final announcement had been made, I’m glued to the small train window watching the platform, and here comes Gabriel in a full-out sprint. He boards with one minute to spare, sweating but with validated tickets in hand! *whew*
Thankfully, our actual train ride was much less eventful. We ate meatballs and potatoes in the bar car, watched the Polar Express in our room, and tried to get a few hours of sleep while trying to contain the excitement that we were going to wake up in a winter wonderland! Get ready for some serious magic coming your way from Rovaniemi…
Biggest hugs,
Jules