Helsinki, Finland - August 15, 2018

We've been here before.

I loved it last year in about April of 2017; it was cold but there was no snow. I remember best the big red letters that spelled Helsinki, each letter standing on its own in a lovely park on the seaside.

That sign is gone. Gone! Why! It was probably for some event going on last year but I thought it was a fantastic installation. It should have remained.

Stan and I walked the 3.5 km into town from the cruise ship. We thought the exercise would be good for us. It was!

The first photo I took was a tall pink statue of a skinny, hairless, man, urinating on the street. I thought it looked familiar but I probably just saw it in pictures in the past, because I feel sure we never visited this part of the city before. We walked up from the harbor to Hietalahti Market Hall where all kinds of gourmet food can be purchased and eaten standing up. On the plaza outside was a small but interesting flea market. Some vendors, we could tell, were regulars with a fair inventory of knick-knacks, jewelry, watches, china and glass. Others gave us the impression that the old lady manning her store had just cleaned out a closet of books, costume jewelry, pots and pans and brought it all out to the square to sell on her own wooden table. Their junk looks just like our junk found in flea markets across the USA. We did not need or want any of the stuff there.

We got our bearings and walked maybe an half mile more and found familiar territory, the Old Market Hall that's been here in this very spot since 1889 and has vendors selling every Finnish, Mediterranean or East Asia delicacy ever created. Before going in, we strolled through the outdoor market. Vendors there sold fur caps, hat and scarves, nice hand-crafted jewelry, art, woolen sweaters and more. It was fun to take a look. The outdoor market also included fruit and vegetable stands - oh I love outdoor fruit and vegetable stands. They draw me like a magnet. All the vegetables looked very much like all the vegetables we have at home. Their fruits were something else, though. We bought a sample of cloudberries that grow only in the swamps of Finland. They are orange and are formed like blackberries or raspberries. They were delicious! I guess because we bought our first sample, the vendor offerd us for free tastings of wild blueberries found in Finland. They are tiny like currents but very tasty. The vendor said they are a superfood. I believe it. We tried cherries from Spain and red currants from Finland. The operator also gave us green peas to pop open and enjoy . . . they brought back sweet memories of my grandmother Latting's vegetable garden where as a 4-year, I could pick my own peas and eat them right there standing next to the vines.

Then we went into the Old Market Hall. This hall is the oldest market in Helsinki and like the Hietalahti Market, the indoor alleys are made up of stalls with vendors selling all kinds of wonderful things to eat. They have fresh salmon, smoked salmon, and every type of salmon sandwich or salad imaginable. And the cheeses! The variety was wonderful and they we presented alongside all kinds of sausages, topped by glass cases showing off beautiful pastries, macarons and marzipan treats. Our mouths watered! We walked up and down the aisles trying to decide which be the best tasting and most authentic treat to try. Finally, we bought a salmon sandwich and a Finnish meat pie. Both were delicious. The salmon sandwich was not a sandwich at all. It was a small slice of dense seeded bread topped with a thin smear of cream cheese and a small pile of fresh salmon and avocado. Wow! The hearty Finnish meat pie consisted of a chewy bun with a hint of sweetness. It had been sliced and stuffed with thinly sliced beef, and cheese. After it was heated it was topped with lettuce, onion and peppers. We shared bites of both sandwiches and topped our lunch off with a small slice of almond cake. When in Finland, eat like the Finns!

After lunch, we started our walk back to the ship. We decided to become adventurous and take a different route back - which, of course, worked out perfectly and we got to see a side of Helsinki we had not seen before.

Helsinki is a wonderful place. I like it, I do. There is nothing not to like, especially in summer. And I love that it sits on water. But it holds no candle to Copenhagen much less Stockholm, the star of the Scandinavia in my book.