Tall Ships in Helsinki

LOTS OF SAILBOATS IN TURKU

Yikes - A Snake in the Turku Library

First, I want to tell you there is much discussion about snakes in Finland. Supposedly the islands of Uto and Noto have tons of snakes.  We need to buy boots before we visit the islands. So off to the K store we go.

"These boots are made for walking" and that's just what I do...on UTO and NOTO.

 Heart rocks are fun with red boots! Can you see the blue butterfly near my big toe ? Look closely. We are having fun photographing this butterfly and he lands right near the big toe of my left foot, so I wait until he is ready to fly away. We get some nice pictures of butterflies.

Walking in long grass  and blue berrying we are happy to have the boots. I find myself actually hoping to see a snake ( not really ! ) But, all we find, correction, all Jim finds is a snake skin on Uto.

When we ask my friend’s “twenty-something" children what they recommend we visit in Turku, they unanimously agree that the library is the place to see.

Right across the river from the art museum is the Bibliotecca. Interesting, comfortable, and stimulating as well as relaxing are words to describe this well designed building. Spacious with comfortable yellow chairs, many people seem to enjoy this space as we visit on Friday afternoon. 

The children’s section is on the first floor with large colorful animal them designed appliqued curtains.

Shadow boxes in the floor depict certain books. A stage theatre is set up with handy props. Girls sit in a window seat designed clothes for dolls referring to a book.

Wandering through book stacks we come to another sunken area with a round yellow seat. Along the back of the couch is a hand knit colorful snake with the end open and set with knitting needles inviting anyone – like me – to knit a few rows!

The lights, the windows, the feeling of open space and cozy corners make this library quite a space for reading, learning, and gathering. There is even a café in this library with tables outdoors in the courtyard.....
and, yes, there is even a snake in the Turku library!

Finnish Gum

Gum chewing is good for your brain. Many modern neurologists say chewing gum helps activate certain areas of the brain for attention and retention.

I chew gum to keep my saliva fresh for lots of talking! Ha ha – and, it helps me pay attention while reading. I also think it relieves tension when I drive.

Traveling around I usually sample the variety of gum offered. Here in Finland I find the BEST gum ever. Today my friend tells me it not only tastes good, but it good for your teeth!

Jenkki  Xylitol gum is labeled: “functional chewing gum”! Xylitol is the sugar derived from the birch trees. Finnish scientists in Turku developed this delicious gum that is actually good for your teeth! It keeps them clean.

This NPR story confirms these claims. You may have to copy and  paste into the browser:

www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106347234

Has anyone found this in the USA? How much should I try to bring back in my luggage?

Try to VISIT: www.xylitol.net

And : www.jenkki.fi

( you may want to find  the translate to English button )

One of Finland's archipelagoes

.....in a small cabin in the far off island in the Turku archipelago....

UTO means FAR AWAY ISLAND

We travel on the ferry ASPO to UTO, Finland's southernmost island. We climbed inside the square red and white lighthouse and up to the chapel on the third floor right below the light!

Updating the Notes from our travels; Friday/Saturday/Sunday

SUNDAY is Arts & Culture Day

We wake to sounds of church bells tolling. The Lutheran church nearby is calling, but we just listen to the bells while we enjoy a Finnish breakfast. It’s toast with ham, cheese & veggies, coffee, yogurt & berries – all beautifully displayed on the table with black placemats and black & white dot Marimekko napkins.

We walk around town; book fair, art museum (lovely traditional paintings and a surreal exhibit of Max Walter Svanberg), fancy shops, cafe for lunch with coffee and special LARGE cinnamon bun.

Our friend meets us and drives us to Naatali. We tour the gardens of the summer residence of the president of Finland! 

Naatali is a  little bit like our Rockport - a quaint old community of wooden houses and summer touristy shops - fun! 

We visit the 14th century church then head over to the brand new spa hotel for a coffee break. Just a few drops of rain remind us that the weather so far has been perfect.

Saturday in Turku

How nice to wake up in my friends’ house right on the River Aura.  She gives us a survival bag of a large striped bag, brand new towels, slippers, and loofa mitts.  A Finnish breakfast includes cucumbers, tomato, cheese & ham with rye bread, yogurt and berries and COFFEE!  

We  take a short walk down along the river to Abo Castle.

A long time ago, my friend sent me the little story of  “Tomten in Abo castle”. I feel like I am in a dream visiting the gnome and his cat today!

We cross a small bridge and walk through the garden to the castle door, entering the inner courtyard. It is fun going through the low doorways, following the brick walls, up and down winding stairways.

We learn about the history of the castle dating back to 1230! Our guide gives us a tour of how the castle kept changing with the times.

We try on the castle garments. Jim is amazed at how heavy the chain mail armor shirt is!

Later I ask Jim what he likes best about the castle.

Jim says: “I like the rats in the dungeon”.

Lea says: “Really?”

Jim says; “No, if they were live rats I might!  Really, I think the whole thing was incredible top to bottom. The stone walls are very thick. ”

Just steps away is the Turku Marine Museum. The research museum by the Swedish University and the maritime merchant museum combined to make the “Forum Marinum.”

We enjoy a nice buffet lunch at the museum restaurant.

Afterwards we enter the large converted storage building that houses a lot of stuff and the most amazing outboard engine collection!

Tied up along the river’s edge are ships we can tour; the “Suomen Joutsen”, the large white tall ship, the Sigyn, a wooden tall ship, and Tykki Vene; Karjala.

Back at my friends' apartment we enjoy an afternoon coffee.

Can we make the concert in the Medieval church on Karkskerta Island?

We drive out off the mainland onto the island of Hirvensall, Satava Island, and then to Karkskerta Island. 

We drive to the church and walk around the church yard in time to hear the final piece – very special to see this old stone church and listen from outside.

We enjoy a dinner; lasagna, salad, and licorice drink for dessert.

Jim shares Keara’s  study guide and discovers that the Finnish architect Pekka Pit Kanen designed their apartment building!

I am so tired. I can barely keep my eyes open.

After dinner, we discuss other sculptors:

Goran Schildt = boat name Daphne /write a book on Alvar Aallon

Alvar Aalto – Goran Schildt = Nain puhui

Female scuptor: laila Pullinen – Attid’amore

Harry Kivijarvi – the sculptor who we saw his grave at the medieval church

Friday Finland!

Before the scheduled  6 am  wake up call, we are awake. Good thing because the arranged wake up call never came! Rebecca, the 21 year old hotel clerk, is at the door when we arrive in the lobby with our bags. We let her in and she makes us a cappuccino. Our taxi is waiting. We load our stuff, say good-bye to Freys Hotel, and head down to the ferry dock on this gorgeous blue sky day, Friday, named for the Norse God, Friga.

The Viking Grace is waiting at the ferry dock. Everything seems very efficient as we check in and get in line to board the ship. We find our cabin # 8514. Now it is time to find a real cup of coffee as we explore the different decks and dining halls as this big boat leaves Stockholm Harbor.

We settle in at the bow with a nice pot of Finnish coffee. We sit at a round table with light blue upholstered bucket seats, sort of like you might find on a space ship. A piano player fills the large cabin with classical tunes as we sail past island after island. Looking out the port side. We are amazed at how close the islands are. Some of the openings are very tight for this huge vessel to maneuver through, but in we glide. Other huge boats go by as we make our way.  Almost like in a dream or a movie, we watch the scenery slowly passing.

After a while, we move around again to discover the sun deck on the fantail – wow. It gets warm and we enjoy the open feeling of being at sea, though we are still in the archipelago with islands everywhere. Jim get some pinacolatas, Are we in the tropics or Scandinavia? We sip and doze in the comfy couch as the sun shines on us and lots of other happy people.

Ah, time for a snooze in the cabin. I love to sleep on boats. We wake for another walk around the ship – just in time to see the end of the Swedish islands. As we are in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland we enjoy another Fika fare (coffee plus something to eat). Cruising on the Viking Grace is so relaxing.

We seem to breeze through the Finnish Archipelago.  It seems rockier!

There are so many islands! We stop at Marieamn on Aland Islands and let passengers off and some new  ones come aboard.

Time for our buffet – wow, what a spread! We have the best table in the place – one table back from the center bow. A couple of times, we see small boats directly in front of the ship. They have to get out of the way and the ship blows the horn and has to veer to  starboard once! Whew!

We take a quick walk through the Duty Free Shop. We discover some interesting, very interesting wine! Very.

Soon they are announcing that we are approaching the Turku stop. We gather our bags and move with the crowds to the exit and down the stairs out the door and to the left as my friend told us, but we don’t see her. We walk back to the front door and there she is in her pink stirped Marimeko summer shirt!  We walk to the car to find her husband.  After hugs and hellos, he takes the bags in the car and she walks us back to her home via the foot ferry across the river.  Jim and I are enchanted with this new place. Sailboats, tall ships, old boats are tied up along the river.  My friend seems so happy to show us her home.

Our friends live in an apartment on the sixth floor, a lovely space with beautiful views of the river. They raised 4 kids in this “4 rooms plus kitchen apartment”. Now they are sharing it with us.  We feel so lucky.

Dinner in the dining room is special to be around the table with these old friends and with licorice ice cream for dessert. So far, I love Finland!