Finland – One of My Favourite Places

Conde Nast Traveler published an article called  5 Life Tips from Finland, the Happiest Country in the World.

For me, the number 1 tip would be “Be like a Finn.”  What does that mean?  In my 4 visits to Finland, I found the people to be kind, respectful, humble, sincere, hospitable and generous.  Each visit was for work, and they were wonderful hosts.  And I remember laughing a lot with them.  Though I did not see all of Finland, I did go to Helsinki, Oulu and Tampere, in the months of September, October, January and May, and I hope to return to spend more time there.

Below is something that I had written about Helsinki but did not publish, until now 🙂

Helsinki’s creativity makes it one of the most interesting places that I have visited. With its music, architecture, design, clothing and food, Helsinki bursts with creativity while remaining harmonious with its history and environment.  These are the things we see as a tourist.  What we don’t necessarily see though we certainly benefit from are their innovative approaches to many things including education.  The country is not afraid of looking at something and being imaginative and courageous in coming up with new ideas and solutions, always in harmony with who and where they are.

As a starting point, the Sibelius Monument, though slightly off the beaten path, may be the best introduction to Helsinki, because, being dedicated to their beloved Jean Sibelius, it manages to incorporate everything Finnish.  As so much of the architecture and design in Finland does, it captures the essence of its subject creatively, in harmony with the environment.  Sibelius was a musical genius who through his music, tells the story of Finland, so a visit here prepares the mind and heart for exploring the Finnish capital. And to not know Sibelius is to not know Helsinki!

With his importance in mind, seeing a performance of Sibelius music at Musiikkitalo, the Helsinki Music Center, is

perfect to physically experience Finnish design. Its design by Finnish architects incorporates many of the elements evident throughout the city – elegant and creative blending of a man-made structure with the surrounding landscape and existing buildings, in an environmentally conscious way. Close to Musiikkitalo sits Finlandia Hall, designed by the world-famous architect and designer, Alvar Aalto, who created a space harmonious with the music and the natural setting.

Making use of the natural environment of Helsinki, the Temppeliaukio church, also known for its excellent acoustics, once again displays creativity in architecture demonstrating the soul of Finland. It is built into rock, with a copper dome and the ice-age crevice serves as the altarpiece.

And taking advantage of their outdoor space, they host a world rock music festival each year, where my favourite performance was a rock bank from Yemen.

Beyond architecture and music, a walk along the Esplanade toward the harbour is an opportunity to shop in the stores of some of Finland’s most famous designers – Aalto’s furniture store and the world-famous Marimekko (favoured by Jackie Kennedy) – and smaller design labels.  And in the surrounding area, there are countless small designer shops for clothing, jewelry, design and even iron-working.

 

The walk ends at the harbour, with the Old Market Hall, an example of late 19th-century architecture. The originality is apparent even in the food and in the shops selling flowers, fish, spices, fruit, vegetables and meat products such as smoked or cured reindeer.  It’s always fun to see what people are buying and to ask them how they prepare it at home, which is easy because most Finns speak English, even though they are very modest about their ability.

Infused with creativity and harmony, Helsinki is both stimulating and relaxing. Just thinking about Helsinki and the Finns makes me smile.