HELSINKI 2

Thursday June 26.
We woke to threatening black clouds, but went on with our plans for the day.  We started out by walking in the direction of the downtown area.  We came upon a plaza full of folks shopping at a flea market.  They do this on a regular basis on what is called "cleaning day."  Not a bad idea.  We were given some information in a nearby building that housed booths of  vegetables, meats, cheeses and the like.  Good place to shop for food.  We set  out on our quest to find the Big White Lutheran Cathedral,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,The Helsinki Cathedral.
It is pictured on all brochures, calendars and postcards.  Beautiful place with a beautiful set of organ pipes.
Wish we could have heard it!  Just prior to finding that, we rambled around the train station to find some brochures.  We spotted a Holiday Inn, so went into that lobby and viola! many suggestions were found.
Off we trekked to find the Rock Church.  On our way we had a bit of rain.  Not a storm, just rain gently falling.  We stopped for a coffee and a hot chocolate at a little local eatery and added a custard apple crumble pie for a treat.  Yumeeeeeeeeee!  The Rock Church was/is incredible!  The whole thing built into the side of a hill of rock.  It is a Lutheran Church with a small pipe organ and the feeling there was serene and beautiful.  The rotunda ceiling is made of wide strips of copper winding round and round.  It is the most unusual place.  The Cascade Youth Orchestra  from Seattle is performing there today, and wouldn't you know that we have to hit the road this morning.
Next, we walked over to the Sibelius Monument set in a lovely park.  One can be under the "pipe" work and make your own sounds.  Big, metal pipes make the structure look organ like and it is set on a rock platform and it is silver in color.  There is also a bust of Sibelius mounted on a stone wall.  Very impressive place.
We enjoyed walking in the simple rain and returned back to the apartment and lauded ourselves in being able to find our way without a hitch.
Friday June 27.
We took the tram to the Arabia and Old Town district.  There was a delight in finding a museum of products made by the Arabia company back to the 1870s.  Beautiful hand painted vases, and dishes.  It was fun to find the Mummins on plates and cups and bowls and to see how they are made.  They displayed Mummin cups form the first to the last and even gave a spot for the 2015 cup.  We sold some of these in our Scandinavian shop, so it was extra fun to see them there, too.   We shopped at the outlet store there where iittala products, Rorstrand ,Finlayson, Fiskars, and a bit of Royal Copenhagen and , of course, Arabia Finland was sold too.  I wanted to fill a cart and bring it all home, but that was not going to happen.
One Mummin cup was $28.00 American.  And then to get it all back to Bellingham.   It was fun to dream, however.
We walked in what is termed Old Town.  Named as such because it is where Helsinki began.  The King of Sweden at that time wanted Helsinki to be a port in competition with Tallinn, Estonia.  It wasn't successful, so the whole town moved to the harbor where it now remains as a trade center and shipping place.
We found ruins still there from its first church and grounds are kept up with monuments of the first people to settle this city.  Old Town is now a center for sciences and the arts as well as residential district.
We really have enjoyed and like Helsinki.  We have found it friendly and beautiful, and who can contest the design ability?  We'll remember it fondly.