Yesterday in Helsinki

Today the blog will be about our day in and around Helsinki, but it will also be a little bit about the weather, because has there ever been a Minnesotan who doesn't talk about the weather? It has been cool, about 65 to 70 at the warmest during the day here in Vantaa, and it can be a little cooler in Helsinki, especially by the water. We have to decide what to wear before we leave the house, a raincoat, a sweater, a sunhat? The mornings can start out bright and sunny and then clouds can roll in suddenly in the afternoon. That's when you play the game, "are we going to get rained on, and if so, will it be enough to drive us indoors?" So did our day start yesterday, warm and sunny, beautiful weather.

Every other time we had arrived in Helsinki from the light rail we had always walked towards the square. We decided to go the opposite way this time and look at the inlet and park we could see from the train coming in.

This bridge reminds me of the Stone Arch bridge in Minneapolis.

I had wanted to see the Botanical Gardens and to our luck we found that they were just on the right of this inlet.

Rocks you could walk on and try your balancing skills.

 This part of the garden was for touching, smelling, and tasting.

 Hmm, the sky is getting darker.

I did as the sign said. The herbs smelled wonderful.

Well crap, look at that sky. Maybe we should head inside?

Not yet, still plenty to look at outside.

 I love this plant, the leaves feel soft and furry.

 Look at that sky! It's clearing up, yay!

 We've noticed that the people in Finland are outdoors in great numbers when the weather is nice, just like the people in Minnesota. When you don't get a lot of summer you enjoy it as much as you can.

 

And now we're inside the greenhouse because it started raining. It was crowded in there and hot.
Cacao pod.

 Tiny white insect.

 Succulents that look like cartoon lips.

 Lily pads! Giant ones too!

This tree had the strangest pods with open necks. I don't know if it was for trapping insects or holding water or some other purpose.

 These were at least a foot long. The tree is a "Citrus Limon". Okay...

 The rain was now just a drizzle so we left the greenhouse in search of cooler air and a place to eat lunch.

We found a pub called Kaisla which had over 40 different types of beer, and also bratwurst, chorizo, meatwurst, etc. on the menu. Great place! Don had this beer, I had one that was not so hoppy.

Our original reason for taking the train into Helsinki was to visit Seurasaari Island and the open-air museum there. We took the #24 bus which takes you to the end of the bus route and then you walk across a small bridge.

"The Seurassaari Open-Air Museum was founded in 1902, when the first group of buildings, belonging to the Niemela tenant farm, was moved from Konginkangas to the island. The oldest building is from 1686 and most of the structures in the museum are from the 18th and 19th centuries."

See that wooden thing in the center of the picture, hanging from the beam? There's going to be a quiz about it later.

 "The Imperial chamber was refurbished for the visit of Tsar Alexander I of Russia. A tiled stove decorated with blue designs was especially acquired for the occasion (seen here in the far right of the picture). Green wallpaper, with and Empire-style frieze design was added to the wainscoted walls."

 Yarn swift?

 Another tiled stove, brown and black.

 Look! A weaving loom!

 I could tell.

 Look at the size of this loom! It's a major piece of furniture, about the size of a small bed.

 Water barrel on the left and beer barrel on the right.

 We saw these hanging in almost every kitchen. I guessed right as to what it was. Can you? I said there would be a quiz.

 It's a chair to hold an infant or toddler, off the ground and out of the way!

 
Small tenant dwellings at the Niemela farm.

 An even bigger loom. It's not really warped, that's just yarn hanging on it.

This loom is taller than me and the knob sticking out on the right was bigger than my head. It was turned to wind the yarn onto the back beam.

 A small boat house

Here is a church-boat.

"Finland's numerous waterways have always been important routes of communication. In the summer, long journeys to church were often undertaken with large church-boats owned jointly by the inhabitants of villages and hamlets." This boat was jointly owned by seven farms. It has nine pairs of oars and is 16 meters longs. It is housed in its original shed, bearing the dates 1883 and 1903.

 This boat has 14 pairs of oars and measures 21.4 meters. It can carry one hundred persons.

 Karuna church built in 1686.

 Not so old organ. Services are still held in this church.

 Just the best wall sconces ever!

 Paraphrasing from the guide: Arvid fell in love with his cousin but his father didn't agree to a planned marriage. Arvid asked church officials twice to grant a marriage but they said no.  Arvid happened upon a different pastor, imprisoned him at an estate for a week, and then the pastor agreed to marry Arvid and Ingeborg. Arvid and Ingeborg's marriage was not generally accepted by the church, even though it was a formally correct marriage, and they were even denied Holy Communion. After the death of Ingeborg, Arvid married the daughter of another cousin. Even the new couple, Arvid and Maria, were not allowed to take the place of honor in the front pew of the church. So, Baron and Colonel Arvid Horn built this church. He decorated it the way he liked (love those sconces!). He named it St. Maria Elisabet after his second wife. Way to go Arvid!
The Kahiluoto Manor. Unfortunately, the upstairs rooms were closed for repair but here is a sampling of the main floor.

 This is a sewing table. There is a green velvet pincushion and green velvet sleeves hanging down from the holes. Scraps of thread and material were tossed into the holes. The table was more decorative, especially with the top closed, than functional.

 I really coveted this decanter and glass serving set-up.

 The small, one-room, summer house.

 A small windmill.

 The belfry tower, built separately from Karuna church.

 Bye beautiful Seurasaari Island!

We had dinner back in Helsinki at Presto, part of the Savoy Hotel. It's an Italian place and it had the best antipasto platter we've ever tasted. Roasted tomatoes, two types of prosciutto, fresh mozzarella (it looked like whipped egg whites!), tiny shrimp in mayonnaise sauce, salmon, green olives, etc. We shared a pizza after that and then went home. I can recommend Presto, it's just across the park from Esplanade street.