Day 2 – Cafe, Helsinki Cathedral, Sea-side Market, and Sauna
NOTE FROM THE WRITER: Sorry for the delay on this one. Last night we were in a place with no WiFi (no spoilers).
We awoke to yet another beautiful day in Helsinki. Eager to start our day right (that is to say, with more glorious coffee), we hit the streets once again in search of cafes. We happened to stumble on a modern, but cozy, little cafe in the French style called ‘Enchanté’. We have now developed quite the espresso habit, cautiously waiting to be disappointed by every subsequent cup. Luckily for us, once again the coffee was delicious. This being a French cafe, the obvious choice for breakfast carbs was a croissant, which was crispy, flaky, and buttery. Which in my book, ticks all the boxes for a croissant. Shay grabbed an almond croissant, which while perhaps a tad flatter than others we’ve had, was still quite tasty. Derek had a chocolate croissant which was excellent. Feeling energized and pleasantly full, we continued onward to meet the rest of the day.
Not a bad way to start a morning!
At this point, with no clear daytime plans (we had evening festivities laid out), we needed to fill time. To me, there is not much better way to do this in a new country than to simply wander around. This may seem bold, roaming the streets aimlessly, but I feel I need to express how peaceful Helsinki was during Midsummer. The city was still largely empty, and while it made finding new businesses to try a tad complex, we never reached a point of complete futility. There was always something new to see, something new to smell, or something new to hear. Of course, taste naturally follows. However on this outing, not setting out to do so intentionally, we ended up at Senate Square, right at the feet of the breathtaking Helsinki Cathedral. There are plenty of really big cathedrals in the States, especially in major cities, but this one takes the cake for making me mutter “holy cow” with no irony. Senate Square is a massive cobblestone plaza with a heroic statue of Alexander II in the center. Just beyond lay the long staircase leading to a massive, cloud white cathedral with gilded embellishments. Unfortunately, during the time of our stay, the Helsinki Cathedral was undergoing some maintenance. This meant that a large portion of it was covered in scaffolding and plastic sheets. This did not subtract from the sheer scale, though.
The pictures don’t really do it justice. It’s big!
I like to at least attempt to learn the history of notable architecture, so I did some cursory research. I’m keeping it very general here. It seems that this cathedral was originally constructed as a tribute to the then Grand Duke of Finland, Nicholas I of Russia. 22 years separated construction to official inauguration (1830 – 1852). Perhaps the most interesting factoid I came across hearkened back to a deep memory in my subconscious. Senate Square and Helsinki Cathedral are featured in the opening segment of the music video for “Sandstorm” by Darude. If you haven’t heard the song and you can stand EDM, check it out. I suspect many reading this have at least heard a portion of it simply existing where audio can be heard.
After some distant appreciation of the grand structure, we went about our meandering. We agreed that we should stop by the sea-side market we had passed through en route to the ferry to the Suomenlinna the day before. This time, we sought out the local food selection. There is some truly remarkable street food in this market (market food? I don’t know). Shay and I decided on the Pike/Perch Platter. Unfortunately, the staff member made it known that they had run out of perch, as she gestured to the griddle sizzling with huge slabs of fish. Salmon was offered as a substitute, and of course there were no complaints to be heard from us. It was served along side some dill potatoes, carrots and peas. A generous helping of garlic mayo was offered up and we accepted. Madi grabbed a hot dog topped with garlic mayonnaise, crispy onions, and paprika. Derek nabbed a fried Vandace platter, which is a small fish similar to herring or smelt as far as I could tell. We all shared in sampling the food, and as per usual, were more than satisfied with our choices. I am typically wary of any sort of seafaring fish in Minnesota (since the nearest ocean is quite a ways away), but here we could see the waters in which the salmon was possibly caught. Of course, lake fish is another story. Walleye was, is, and forever will be, the fish closest to my heart. But the salmon and pike were fresh, prepared well, and tasted delightful. It was served with a lemon slice and red peppercorns on top. Just be wary, as always, of the hair like fish bones in the Pike. After exploring the market a bit more, shopping at stalls for touristy trinkets, Shay and I found a tent cafe that served Karelian Pies (karjalanpiirakka). This was also one of the recommendations for us back on Day 1. Basically, it is a small rye crust pie with a rice filling, most often served with munavoi (or egg butter) on top. Yet again, Finland delivers. It’s a perfect snack. It’s not a sweet pie, but a savory one. Having a warm karjalanpiirakka was like a hug for my stomach. Also, for those who may be reading that don’t know was munavoi (egg butter) is: it is exactly as it sounds. I’ve seen it prepared in a couple of different ways, but it’s basically mashed hard-boiled egg mixed with softened butter. Sometimes it appears like a pile of mashed up eggs, sometimes it’s blended completely smooth. Either way you have it, it really is a fantastic topping, not only for Karelian Pies, but also on rye bread, sandwiches, or whatever else.
The next activity, which we had planned for the evening, was something I’ve needed to cross off my bucket list for years and years. We went to a Sauna in Finland. Saunas are absolutely everywhere in Finland, which of course they are, they were made here! I absolutely love Saunas. The smell of the cedar, the bone chilling but refreshing bucket of cold water, the steam filling the air as your skin glistens with sweat… If you haven’t had a proper Sauna, you must.
But back to the subject at hand, the Sauna we ended up going to in Finland was recommended in the guide book our AirBnB host provided: ‘Allas’. Now this was quite different from the backwoods Saunas of which I am accustomed (notably the ones constructed by my father in several homes I lived in growing up). This was a complex, and the Sauna was only a portion. At Allas, there are swimming pools, both the standard, chlorinated type, and a frigid sea water pool. This sea water pool was brisk 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Farenheit) at the time of our visit. For comparison, at the height of summer, Lake Superior averages 16.9 degrees Celsius (or 66.9 degrees Farenheit). So, just a touch cooler than that. In plain terms, very cold. In addition to Saunas and pools, there’s a bar, a cafe, and a restaurant. It is a large operation and it was quite popular when we were there. Our original plan was to eat at the Allas Restaurant after the Sauna. Derek called while we were at the market to see if a reservation was necessary. He was told that reservations were not taken over Midsummer, but they were confident there would be a table waiting for us. In an interesting twist, hours later Derek received a call. It was Allas, and they explained that we would be unable to dine at the restaurant as they had run out of food. This was interesting because Derek did not leave any call-back information and we never made a formal reservation. They thoughtfully took the time to call back numbers inquiring about the restaurant to inform them of the situation.
That there is Allas. Quite a Sauna! Although I think it would be neat if that Ferris Wheel in the background had Sauna pods. That’s a free idea, Helsinki.
As mentioned before, the Allas Sauna was different. The Sauna we ended up in was quite large, and instead of the dependable water pails I had come to know, there was an automated spigot above the stones. Instead of ladling cool water on the stones, all you needed to do was press a button and water would be sprayed on them. There were also large windows with views of the harbor.
It had been quite some time since my last proper Sauna (hotel poolside Saunas do not count, 99% of the time you can’t even pour water on the stones), so I was sweating like it was going out of style. The locals around me were just about bone dry so far as I could tell. From there our merry troupe went out to lounge by the Baltic Sea. Shay and I were the first to brave the cold sea water pool. Again, we were outclassed by the Finns. They are in a league of their own. Some of those crazy Finns jumped out of the Sauna and sat in that pool for something like 15 minutes. Shay and I were gasping and shivering in just 15 seconds. However, there is not such a refreshing feeling as Sauna > Cold Plunge > Sauna > Cold Plunge. We left feeling rejuvenated.
After our Sauna escapades, we decided to part ways as couples to find dinner. Shay and I ended up at an Italian restaurant called Olivia. Shay had pesto linguine and I had penne with red sauce. The penne had a little hot pepper icon next to it on the menu, so I was excited to see what the spice level was like in Finland. The waitress mentioned that when she had the dish it wasn’t that spicy at all, and that she could request that some additional spice be added. Naturally, I accepted. Both plates were quite good, however I am afraid I must report that even with additional spice added, there was no discernible spice at all to the penne. Not a single sniffle.
One quick, humorous anecdote about the Italian restaurant: utilizing the tip received from our Finnish friend, I greet all service staff with “hi”. It has worked like a charm so far, and the staff members nimbly shift to English. This time around, I tried the same thing, but I was met with a very familiar American accent from the hostess. I was not prepared for this eventuality. It caught me by surprise and I’m sure it was quite awkward for all involved.
Meanwhile, Madi and Derek had a picnic in the ice rink park from the day before. They said it was lovely and relaxing, as a picnic should be.
After dinner, we linked up at the apartment and concluded yet another successful day.
To Be Continued… In the 3rd and Final Day in Helsinki!