Finland | ||||||||||||
Not exactly Scandinavian, and for many years a part of Russia, Finland is a unique and fascinating Nordic country to visit. Lapland and the Arctic Circle are to the north, (many indigenous Sami people and their culture still exist). The country has ten thousand kilometers of coastline, and nearly 200,000 lakes and as many islands. Large parts of Finland are covered by forests. Cowgirl Boots in Finland? ![]() Since the end of the cold war, Finland is a country moving forward and a world leader in high tech development, especially telecommunications. Education and family are highly valued, and many people speak English (most children choose English as their second language to study in school). And as in everywhere in the world, western boots and hats are a fashion rage! Nearly every town we visited had a central market building. We loved trying out the various breads, some heavy with whole grain, always freshly baked and arranged neatly in the case. We had to resist buying one of every kind, knowing tomorrow would bring another bakery and another crusty, seedy bread to try. Fish markets were everywhere selling fresh, smoked, pickled or fried fish of all sorts. Being a "water and forest country," Finns are avid outdoor and nature oriented people. They love to fish and hunt.
Surprises in Kuopio We often sought out the local library, both as a break from our walking tours and as a chance to experience the local neighborhood. (And, most libraries offer internet service so that we can check our e-mail!) Libraries are also a good place to stumble across art exhibits. Sally discovered these prints by Polish artist, Stasys Eidrigevicius in the Kuopio library. We were especially taken by the creative images this artist was able to evoke from his intuitive mind.
When we inquired, the helpful librarian did some research. These prints were on loan from the Kuopio Art Museum and could not be purchased, nor was there an exhibit elsewhere that we could find. Later with the librarians help, we discovered a web site that sells prints of this artist's work. Check it out: Stasys Eidrigevicius. Industrial Tampere ![]() Our intuition told us to head to Tampere, rather then Helsinki. And were we glad we did. This beautiful old town – the second largest in Finland – with a river running right through its center, was formerly a textile industrial center. Looking like the "Manchester of Finland," most of the brick factories of Tampere have been converted to high tech businesses or boutiques and art galleries. The river, of course, was the source of power to run the factories. It still provides electricity, but has been tamed with dams, providing beautiful lakes and waterfalls in the city center. We strolled along the bridges above the waterfalls and walked in the green parks along the riverside. The Socialist Revolution Factory working conditions must have been miserable at the turn of the century. It was conditions such as those that inspired Lenin to work for social change. Here in Tampere, Lenin participated in the historical Tampere conference in 1905 and 1906 that eventually led to the Russian revolution. We visited the tiny Lenin Museum – only two rooms – and spent a couple of hours browsing and reading about the ideology and passion of this fascinating man.
Many of the papers and artifacts on display are priceless historical objects, yet they are housed in this tiny museum. In one letter to colleagues, Lenin strongly expressed his reservations about Stalin as a leader. He cautioned his fellow socialists to demote Stalin to a lower ranking position. Of course that didn't happen, and Stalin went on to become the scourge of the socialist revolution. Life as a Factory Worker Tampere has several museums that depict it's rich industrial past: The Central Museum of Labor, The Amurfi Museum of Workers Housing, and even a Spy Museum! When the tenement housing was replaced by cement high rises, a small cluster of the old "workers" houses were kept as a reminder of living conditions before the social revolution.
We wandered through these old houses to glimpse living conditions of industrial workers from the end of the 19th century through the 1940's. The kitchen above dated from 1911 – the year Sally's mother was born – served as a central cooking area for several families. Each family, with as many as eight people, lived in a single room off the kitchen. It must have been noisy and crowded. ![]() One of the old houses had been converted into a bakery and cafe. We followed our noses and the aroma of fresh baked pastry and Finnish coffee to find this delightful spot to take a break. Gypsies in Finland We saw many Russians influences in Finland. Here some Russian street musicians (perhaps high tech college students when not in costume!) entertain for a few coins. Just like Santa Cruz! Note the cowboy boots on the guy in the middle! A couple of times we came upon women wearing long dark skirts – with bustles – and satin, ruffled blouses. Russians we thought? Later we asked some high school students about them. After thoughtful contemplation, we were told, "They are Finnish, but they are . . . different." "Roma? Gypsies?" we asked. "Yes, Gypsies." These people who traditionally live by seasonal work and fortunetelling still find a niche in this land of change and progress.
While looking for an internet cafe, we came upon the beautiful Russian orthodox church shown above in Tampere; they allowed us to take the lovely photo inside as long as we didn't use a flash. ![]() Camping Along the Way Sally's Mom would be glad to know we stayed in a convent! Here the Sisters of Birgitalle run a small guest house for travelers. It was clean, quiet and the price included breakfast. Sister Bernadette welcomed us and helped us park our car in the small lot in back. She also arranged to make our breakfast early. "And", she told us, "silence after 10:00 PM, please!" Do we look like "workers" getting ready to enter the mine shaft? Actually, we use these lamps to read in bed at night. They are also useful if one of us has a sore throat. "Say Ahhhh." We stayed in camp cabins throughout Finland. You can see Sally's "upper bunk" behind our heads.
Each morning, this "five star" campground raises the flag for each visiting country. We felt as if we were part of a mini UN gathering. Below, you can see they raised the Stars and Stripes for Bill and Sally from the USA – they do have occasional stateside campers. ![]() Heading Toward Stockholm Driving south toward Turko, and the ferry to Stockholm, we passed many symbols reminding of us of the mix that is Finland – the old and new. We saw many beautiful farms with their yellow barns. Some still had giant windmills waiting for the wind. Nearby we drove across this ultra-modern bridge that led to a truck stop. On the highway leading up to the bridge, was a contemporary artist's version of Stonehenge, a kind of "highway art," created from huge stones excavated when the highway was built. (Sorry but we would have had to stand in the middle of the freeway to take a photo of them.) Drying our laundry in the sun while we were in the campground reminded us to appreciate the outdoors as much as the Finnish people do, to value differences, to strive for change if it improves humanity, and, above all, try and keep our lives simple! |
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