Sweating in Helsinki

When I first thought of this title, it referred to the wonderful saunas we enjoyed every day in Helsinki. However, the title took on a double meaning when I left my backpack, with my passport zipped safely inside, on a bus on Wednesday (I know, I know…). After sprinting after the bus but failing to catch it, I immediately started sweating whether it would show up in the Lost and Found at the Central Station. Several people told me it would because the Finnish people are so trustworthy and considerate that it was very unlikely anyone would steal it. However, when I went to the Lost and Found on Thursday afternoon, it wasn’t there, and we were on our way to our flight back to Copenhagen. As no passport is required for travel within the EU (they did not even check ID), I was able to get on the flight. I would have to see if I could get someone to go check the Lost and Found again on Friday and, if found, send it to me in Copenhagen.

Back to sweating in saunas. Our hotel had very nice saunas, one each for men and women, but the most authentic experience was going to the sauna on Lonna island in the Helsinki harbor. This was the classic group sauna experience, all genders together and swimsuits optional. And the outlook was gorgeous since it is right on the water. Bathers are given a 2 hour window and so we alternated between time in the saunas and dips in the harbor, which was surprisingly un-salty, almost like freshwater but very cold. They sell beer and wine, along with snacks, so we could sit on the rocks and enjoy our beverage in between sweats. The sauna itself was the nicest I’ve ever been in, not only because of the setting but also because of löyly, the Finnish word for pouring water on the hot element and thus causing steam and incredible heat. It was wonderful because I like my saunas very hot. Maybe I’m an honorary Finn!

Our just under 4 days in Helsinki were quite an education, which wasn’t hard given how ignorant I started out. Arriving on a wet, grey day at the Helsinki Central Station, I was immediately impressed by the Finnish Art Nouveau style of the station itself. Designed by Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen (father of Eero Saarinen) in 1904 and constructed in 1910-1914 while Finland was still part of the Russian Empire, it exudes the macho style I imagine the Russians might have appreciated. Finland claimed independence from Russia in 1917 but continued to be closely tied to and controlled by the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991. Interestingly, the Finns are flying the Ukrainian flag on the Central Station in solidarity with Ukraine, as they have since Russia invaded, so any sympathy with or control by Russia seems to be truly over.

I took a tour with a very knowledgable guide named Emek. I learned that the city of Helsinki was, in fact, a creation of the Russians who took Finland from the Swedes in 1809, ending 500 years of Swedish rule. Under the Swedes, the capital was Turku, which is right across the water from present day Stockholm. The Russians wanted to get rid of all things Swedish so they decided to create a new capital which became Helsinki. That location was almost empty in 1809, allowing them to build what they felt was a proper European capital city of the time. Thus, the churches are neo-classical or even Russian Orthodox in style, though their interiors are plain reflecting the Finns’ Lutheran sensibility.

Overall, Helsinki is not a beautiful city architecturally. And the Finns, though purportedly the happiest people in the world, are not a smiley bunch. Relatively taciturn, they don’t speak unless spoken to and are somewhat curt, though unfailingly courteous. Americans are viewed with either amusement or confusion with our smiles. “How are you?” makes no sense to a Finn. Why would this stranger be asking me about my wellbeing, they wonder. They also have a reputation as binge drinkers, something we happily did not witness. The Scandinavians (Finland is not in Scandinavia but is a Nordic country) apparently think they are weird, this confirmed by John’s Danish cousin, Kim. Emek, the tour guide, gave the analogy that Finland is the strange, tattooed, pierced little sister wearing black makeup while Denmark and Sweden are her big, blonde older siblings. This visual helped me understand how these cultures view each other.

Helsinki is also not what I would call a foodie destination, though we had some decent meals. It is very far north and Emek joked that the Finns see food as fuel since they survived for hundreds of years on berries, meat, and eventually porridge. Reindeer is farmed near Helsinki and is a common meat for residents and sold at all the butchers. Salmon is also omnipresent, as it is throughout the Nordic countries, with almost all of it farmed, primarily in Norway.

Emek was born in Turkey and came to Finland 15 years ago to attend the University of Helsinki. He is by now a very proud Finn and professional tour guide. He wanted to impress upon us that modern Finland is a success solely because of the hard work and good decisions by its people and government. As he pointed out, Finland was a very poor nation until 1950. It does not have oil like Norway or gold like Denmark and Sweden but has become wealthy in the modern era solely due to excellent education and a good work ethic, which has led to successful inventions and businesses. Nokia was the first success and the country is now filled with software engineers and other techies and has a high standard of living, universal healthcare, free childcare and excellent education (top in the world).

He felt that Helsinki’s amazing new Central Library was a perfect symbol of modern Finland and I admit it is one of the most incredible buildings I have ever seen, both architecturally and functionally.

The library provides a beautiful resource for everyone and is part of an extensive library system throughout the city, which has 75 branches with several hundred nationally. It serves as a real community center and significant resource, not simply a library. The top floor is the reading room with books and a wide variety of seating and hanging out areas but also has a cafe and a children’s area, including a place for parents to bring babies or children to gather and eat and an outside deck with a view toward the Finnish parliament building and several other architecturally significant modern buildings, including Finlandia Hall by renowned Finnish architect, Alvar Aalto.

While the top floor is awe inspiring aesthetically with its cloud like ceiling and three robots that deliver books throughout the library, it’s the 2nd floor just below that blew my mind. It is filled with every possible piece of equipment and resource anyone could want and all for free or a very low fee. This includes recording studios, 3-D printers, musical instruments, sewing machines, and pretty much anything you can think of. Finns have one of the highest rates of library usage in the world and no wonder.

Alright, enough already. You get the idea. I have to agree with Emek that modern Finland seems to have figured some things out. While he doesn’t believe that the Finns are the happiest people in the world, he does think it’s a great country and he seems quite pleased to have landed there.

And since Emek was the only Finn I knew, I asked him to go check the Lost and Found for me on Friday and, guess what? My backpack was there with all contents intact! He sent it to me yesterday via DSL and I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will arrive at 9am Tuesday morning as promised. That way, I can fly to Canada early on Thursday via Reykjavik without an emergency run to the US Embassy. Hoping for that happy ending!