Our Nearly Annual Trip to Tucson, Arizona, December 2023

We have been visiting Tucson around this time of year for about a week over the past 25 years. We have a variety of hikes we consistently like to do. Some hikes we have not done in many years. Some hikes we used to do consistently have now fallen by the wayside for various reasons. Times change. What follows is a photo essay for our most recent trip to Tucson.

Note: Some maps are different in appearance. It was easier to present them that way and not make them all consistent. The blue dots on some of the maps are 1/2 mile apart from each other.

Day 1

Our first hike would follow a lollipop-like path from the Broadway Trailhead. It ended up not quite being what we initially planned. We start and end at the Broadway Boulevard trailhead (TH) and head east. We turned north and then curled back south along Monument Wash. From there we follow a loop clockwise that will get us close to Garwood Dam. After closing the loops we retrace our outbound trail back to the car.

The trails in the Pink Hills area (Saguaro National Park eastern district) are numerous and it is easy to do something other than what you initially planned. But our errors in navigation let us encounter some groups of horse riders that I don’t think we would have otherwise met.

--December 28, 2023 at 10:25 AM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, OpenTopoMap map

Day 2

We like this loop hike in Catalina State Park. However, our side trip to the Montrose Pools was a bust: no water was flowing. In fact, no water was visible anywhere which is a first for us. Follow us from the trailhead to the out-and-back, 0.5 miles one way, spur to Montrose Pool. Continue counterclockwise to complete the hike.

I should have checked to be sure I took this photo from the same vantage as a superb shot I managed of this Saguaro cactus a few years back. But it is still an impressive cacti along the Catalina Canyon Loop trail. This year there was no water flowing anywhere along the trail which is a first for us. In fact, it has seemed drier in general this year.

--December 29, 2023 at 11:24 AM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, OpenTopoMap map

Day 3

This turned out to be rather more challenging a hike than we thought it would be. I think it was tougher than it was when we last did it in 2008 (which we really weren’t sure of). Mom found the general ascent enjoyable. The slog between Bog Spring and Kent Spring was the worst for me; the descent from near Kent Spring to the end was worst for Dad. I’ve provided a bit more detail here. The blue dots are 0.5 miles apart. The start and end of the hike is at the upper left purple line terminus. You can see where Bog Spring and Kent Spring are by the orange pins. Sylvester Spring is about 0.5 miles west of Kent Spring.

We start and end at the picnic area. Heading east and then southerly to the start of the loop. At this point we travel clockwise past Bog Spring, continue up - and a little down - to Kent Spring, descend steeply past Sylvester Spring, and finish the loop. We finish by retracing the last mile down to the picnic area.

After the mighty Saguaro cactus I think the Sonoran desert seems to be best noted for the wide variety of cholla cactus species. Perhaps this is because cholla exist at a wide variety of elevations. Here is a Cane Cholla not that far from the Madera Canyon Picnic Area Trailhead. This is the start of what would prove to be a long, rock-strewn, steady climb towards Bog Spring. Photo by Judy Knight

--December 30, 2023 at 10:09 AM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, OpenTopoMap map

We are moving slowly. At this point the footing is actually pretty good and there are no drop offs to worry about. But this is a steady climb and we aren’t as young as we were 15 years earlier which is when we last did this hike (we figured that out when Mom returned home and was able to check notes in an older version of the trails book we like by Betty Leavengood - Tucson:Hiking Guide).

--December 30, 2023 at 10:51 AM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, OpenTopoMap map

Getting closer to Bog Spring. The trail is narrowing and the drop off is steep and long. But the views as we creep through the forest are sometimes quite good.

--December 30, 2023 at 11:34 AM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, OpenTopoMap map

We stopped at Bog Spring for lunch. Now we are plodding along a narrow, maybe two-feet wide, shale strewn, trail with a perilous drop-off on one side. We have hiked perhaps 2.0 miles gaining about 1,300 feet in elevation. We are still a few hundred feet below our high point and maybe three quarters of a mile from Kent Spring. Mom is finding the climb a real challenge. I loathe the footing. Dad is doing alright. But we are creeping up at less than one mile-per-hour at this point. The views are expansive and special but hard to really enjoy.

--December 30, 2023 at 1:00 PM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, OpenTopoMap map

Kent Spribg is a small wet area just beyond this sign. From now on, with a few short breaks, the trail will descend at times steeply. Photos by Judy and Ken.

--December 30, 2023 at 2:25 PM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, OpenTopoMap map

This is one of the steeper bits of trail between Kent Spring and Sylvester Spring. Mom is moving with ease; Ken is doing better though the descent is still tough; Dad does not like it at all. As Mom shot a bit of video it took Dad and Ken about 40 seconds to reach her. Photo by Judy

--December 30, 2023 at 2:31 PM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, OpenTopoMap map

We have about one mile to go and the sun is starting to create a lovely glow on the mountains.

--December 30, 2023 at 4:14 PM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, OpenTopoMap map

That last mile took a while. We probably should have walked past Kent Spring Csbin to the road and taken it back to the trailhead. We would’ve still had to descend a few hundred feet but a road walk would have been easier even if a bit lengthier. We finished just a little after 5:00PM and this is a view from the car as we leave Madeira Canyon. We were on the trail for just over 7 hours and took 95 minutes in breaks. Especially between Bog Springand Kent Spring we were moving well below 1.0 mile-per-hour.

--December 30, 2023 at 5:25 PM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, OpenTopoMap map

Day 4

Besides the butterflies in the butterfly house in the Tucson Botanical Garden, the garden does a nice job presenting the flora of the region.

--December 31, 2023 at 12:14 PM.

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Day 5

This loop in the western district of Saguaro National Park is nice enough but the desert sounds are frequently interrupted by gunfire from a nearby shooting range. We did start and end at the trailhead (TH) but I neglected to start recording our walk counterclockwise along the Ironwood Loop Trail for about 0.5 miles. Where the yellow line starts is the place I realized my error.

We are at the start of the David Yetman trail. It has some shade as it winds up into the Tucson Mountains past the stone remains of Ruby and Sherry Bowen house. We have done this trail before (for example this hike) and hoped our legs wouldn’t complain.

--January 1, 2024 at 9:36 AM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, OpenTopoMap map

Dad’s legs were quite unhappy with even modest descents so after hiking in a half mile we turned around to find trails on the far flatter desert floor. On the way back this slowly moving cloud streak caught our attention as it drifted to the right above the line of Saguaro cacti.

--January 1, 2024 at 10:04 AM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, OpenTopoMap map

Here in this part of the western district of Saguaro National Park the desert seems much flatter than what you find in the Pink Hills area. We are all still feeling the effects from the Madera Canyon hike so a hike with little elevation change might be a bit dull but physically easy. The morning had been sunny earlier but clouds have made a rare appearance on a slightly blustery day.

Top: facing west in the direction we are following the Ironwood Loop Trail. Bottom: facing southeast towards the mountains (Golden Gate Pass) from whence we came.

--January 1, 2024 at 10:59 AM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, OpenTopoMap map

Here in this part of the western district of Saguaro National Park the desert seems much flatter than what you find in the Pink Hills area. We are all still feeling the effects from the Madeira Canyon hike so a hike with little elevation change might be a bit dull but physically easy.

--January 1, 2024 at 10:59 AM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, OpenTopoMap map

We are about 3.7 miles into this 4.2 or so miles hike. We have seen a couple other hikers and several bikers today.

--January 1, 2024 at 1:25 PM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, OpenTopoMap map

Day 6

On a day that we did not hike, we visited for the first time the Saint Xavier Mission.

The photo is misleading. It’s not nearly this bright inside the San Xavier Mission. It dark and what are likely pretty ornate art featuring all sorts of catholic iconography are really hard to see.

--January 2, 2024 at 10:05 AM.

The San Xaviermission was established in 1692 by Father Eusebio Kino. The present building was built between 1783 and 1797 and is the oldest European structure in Arizona. I think the building is more remarkable than what it contains but no doubt my lack of knowledge about Catholic art and what it means combined with low vision (and a dark interior) account for some of this opinion. The two towers are different colors. It’s not a trick of the camera.

--January 2, 2024 at 10:47 AM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, OpenTopoMap map

Day 7

Back to the Pink Hills but this time starting at the Speedway trailhead. We intended to have lunch at Garwood Dam.

We start and end at the Speedway Boulevard trailhead (TH) and head first south on the desert floor before starting our clockwise ascent towards Three Tanks. We descend towards Garwood Dam eventually closing the loop near the desert floor. At that point we retrace our outbound hike back to the trailhead. We were on trails for 3 hours and 40 minutes. We took almost an hour in breaks. The bulk of the 420 feet of ascent and descent is in the loop which is about 2 miles.

This will be our last day and hike in Tucson and we have returned to the Pink Hills below the Rincon Mountains. We are determined to have lunch at Garwood Dam. At this point we are climbing up off the desert floor along Wildhorse Tank Trail. It’s a lovely morning. One thing we prefer about this region over the desert floor by the Old Tucson Film Stufio where we were on New Years Day) is the quiet. There, really most of the time, you hear gunfire from a shooting range. Here once out of earshot of Broadway and Speedway you just have (mostly) the sounds of the desert.

--January 3, 2024 at 10:12 AM.

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Look closely and you’ll see what I believe is a Common Raven sitting atop a Saguaro cactus. We heard its croaking call as we neared (though surely a ways off) and moved away for several minutes.

--January 3, 2024 at 10:32 AM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, OpenTopoMap map

--January 3, 2024 at 11:14 AM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, OpenTopoMap map

Out in direct sunlight it feels much warmer than the forecast temperature. An occasional breeze cools you down but it is certainly a fine day for shirt sleeves and shorts. We have just finished lunch by Garwood Dam. There are a few routes back to our car at the Speedway Boulevard trailhead and we will take a shorter one there. The curved wall behind Mom is the top of the dam.

--January 3, 2024 at 11:49 AM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, OpenTopoMap map

Almost back to the trailhead. Here comes Mom knowing the car is minutes away. This 4.25 or so mile hike was a nice way to wrap up our week in Tucson.

--January 3, 2024 at 12:50 PM.

Maps are centered on the photo: Google map, Apple map, OpenTopoMap map

Christmas Eve 2023 Dinner

▶️ Play Christmas Eve 2023 Dinner

Written with a nod to over-the-top prose found in epic (or not so epic) fantasy.

The done of a lightly smoked ham lays on the counter cut in a vaguely cris-crossing pattern to trap the locally made beer infused mustard. The mustard will, in turn, capture the ancho chili and brown sugar accented with cinnamon spice rub. Over the course of the long night the minor hill of the ham, for it is a mere foothill compared to a true representative of the holiday ham, will rest in the refrigerator giving the patted-in spice rub a chance to settle into the meat.

Top: The ham has been lightly scored with a knife to help let the flavors of the binder, spice rub, and eventually the glaze seep into the meat. Here you see the beer infused mustard. Bottom: the spice rub has been applied. It’s a blend of equal parts onion powder, chili powder, and paprika; a half part ground cinnamon; and 12 parts (or somewhat more) brown sugar.

The fog has been hanging about all day but it’s a bit less dense now. The ham has rested for a while after cooking for a bit more than two hours. We settle down to enjoy the main course after devouring pierogis and smoked beet salad with toasted pine nuts and feta cheese with a maple syrup balsamic dressing. Photo by Deb Salveta.

After resting the more flavorful ham is treated to the touch of a low smoky fire. The heat and smoke seep into the ham bring their own flavors to the meat as its temperatures rises to a wonderfully heated state. As that point approaches a final coat of maple syrup blended with the warm spices of nutmeg and sugar all carried along by sumptuous melted butter and a touch of acid from orange juice bring the ham to its final glory.

After warming up within a 270 °F Weber Kettle under the influence of apple wood to acquire a bit more smoke the maple syrup glazed ham is being sliced for dinner.

This succulent ham features a wonderfully sweet buttery maple outer shell with just a bit of chili zing. You bite into tender meat full of flavor and a touch of smoke. A fine main course augmented by a beet salad that is sweet and savory from the pastrami-esque flavors infused into the red and white beets. Those beets blend with the toasted pine nuts and salty feta cheese. All coated in a bit of maple syrups vinaigrette dressing. The main meal is made complete with a selection of pierogis.

Ham Recipe

This was a pre-cooked smoked ham. You could eat it right away if you desired but I had plans for the ham. I coated it with a mustard binder and then added the spice rub. Use whatever you desire. I let the rub infuse into the lightly scored meat overnight before placing the ham within a 250 ºF smoker. When it passed 110 ºF internal temperature I added the maple syrup glaze.I applied the glze a couple of times until the ham reached an internal temperature of 145-150 ºF at which point I took it off the smoker and allowed it to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

The Rub

These amounts are approximate. Go with how it tastes.

• 1 oz brown sugar per 2 pounds
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• per 2 pounds
• 1/4 tsp paproka per 2 pounds
• 1/4 tsp chili powder per 2 pounds
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon (or maybe nutmeg) per 2 pounds

The Glaze

These numbers are again approximate. It is best to go by how it tastes to you once you have thoroughly mixed the glaze.

• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/8 cup apple juice (orange if it's all you have)
• 1 ounce butter
• Pinch of cinnamon and/or nutmeg

Beet Salad

This recipe was inspired by a video I found on YouTube from the Texas barbecue restaurant LeRoy and Lewis. I am sure my amounts of spices are different from what they use. However, this is a technique you can find employed by many people.

Ingredients

• Beets (about 1.5 pounds for 4-6 people)

For the brine

• Enough water to cover the beets. Make a 4% salinity solution (if you have a comparable amount of water by weight to your beets this will give them about 2% salt). Same amount of sugar. Equal parts coriander seeds (toast them for fuller flavor), black pepper - about 1 teaspoon per liter; maybe half parts cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, cloves, garlic

Rub:

• 1 part ground black pepper
• 0.5 parts brown sugar , ground coriander

Instructions

1. Steam the beas till tender,about 45 minutes (temp about 200 F).
2. Peel the beets and place in the brine overnight.
3. Remove from the brine and Pat dry before putting the dry rub on.
4. Smoke the beats at about 250° F until done. Smoke about 45 minutes.

For a beet salad, add a few ounces of goat cheese (feta works well), toasted pecans or pine nuts, a bit of lemon juice or other vinaigrette style dressing (maple vinaigrette is good).

A Trip of Conspicuous Consumption - A Day in Boulder, Colorado

▶️ Play Day in Boulder, CO.

Between leaf peeping season and ski season there must be a lull in travel to Denver, Colorado. Frontier Airlines runs round-trip flights between Detroit and Denver for about $50. Of course, that’s just the base fare. If you want to check a bag or even use the overhead you are going to pay more. However, with a bit of care and maybe not too much conspicuous consumption you can make a quick trip to the Mountain West for very little money. Andy and I have done this before. It’s time to do it again.

Walking down Pearl Street in Boulder. There are places with hour-long lines for breakfast nearby. We found Illegal Pete’s and had massive tasty burritos - no waiting (that would change later in the day). Now it’s time to explore. Andy, in his Bushcraft Spain, poncho leads the way.

—November 11, 2023 at 10:07 PM.

While the outdoor stores like Montbell, Fjallraven, Patagonia, and others are the main draw don’t forget places like The Poster store. Photo by Andy Mytys

—November 11, 2023 at 11:39 AM.

If shopping isn’t enough maybe you’ll catch a street performance like this one by Sam Malcolm. It was more fun for his interaction with the audience than the jiggling which was good too.

—November 11, 2023 at 2:49 PM.

What Did We Get?

Let’s see: a pair of nice leather gloves - for use mostly around the fire or when dealing with wood, a very soft and warm balaclava, long john bottoms, a trekking pole that I then returned because  even though it folds real small - about 12” - I wasn’t sure I could take it as carry-on (I’ve bought it from the online store), a pair of comfy house/travel slippers.

 Andy bought a scarf, leather gloves, Nomex gloves, hiking insoles, a very light travel bag,  slippets, and something else. He also got a haircut to tame the mass. 

An Overnight at Blind Lake, Pinckney Recreation Area, Michigan

I’ve done very little backpacking or camping this year. In fact, I think this is my first true backpacking trip of the year: a single night out. I wish I could say my (mis)adventures are directly related to the fact that I’ve not been out much. I think that it would just end up being one of those things. You’ll have to watch the video to learn what I am talking about.

▶️ Play Overnight at Blind Lake

Starting out along the Potawatomi Trail at Silver Lake in Pinckney Recreation Area. It’s a lovely sunny late morning. Photo by Lil

—October 6, 2023 at 11:16 AM.

Gazing from the beach / boat launch across Blind Lake.

—October 6, 2023 at 5:56 PM.

Coffee time. Before we started cooking our rice and bean burritos we had to get the Cowboy coffee going. The TJM Metalwork Original Mini Fire Anchor has worked very well.

—October 7, 2023 at 8:22 AM.

Getting underway on my journey to Hell, Michigan. Photo by Lil.

—October 7, 2023 at 11:34 AM.

Release the Salami (and BBQ Beans)

▶️ Play Release the Salami

There are numerous recipes for making summer sausage and similar things on the Internet. This is my first attempt and it is loosely based on ideas I picked up from Food Wishes Summer Sausage and Duncan Henry’s Wild Hunter Salami. My result was pretty good. But, I can see room for improvement. For example, I would use more pepper in the future. I also would definitely try to use mustard seeds which I did not have when I made this recip. However, the process of creating the meat mixture, letting it cure in the refrigerator for a couple of days within the mold, cooking it, and then letting it rest for another couple of days before we would get around to trying it out, was certainly a success.

Do keep in mind that when using curing salt that you use the proper amount and wait long enough for the cure, in this case pink curing salt #1 (aka Prague Powder #1), to work. If you want to learn more about the science behind curing meat there are many sources but this is a good referenced one. I make no claims to   expertise but I trust the science and the materials I’ve read.

Hunter Salami Ingredients

• 1 kg ground lean beef
• 15 g salt
• 2 g cracked black pepper
• 3 g white sugar
• 4 g Mustard Powder
• 3 g garlic powder
• 3 g Cure #1 5%
• 10 g milk powder binder
• 20 g beer
• 80 g cold water

Baked Beans

Ingredients - more or less

• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 15-oz can great northern beans
• 1 15-oz can black beans
• 2 Tbs Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup BBQ sauce (TBQ Zesty)

Finland: Days 4 and 5 in Helsinki

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Our fourth day in Helsinki we spent exploring a bit more of the city. We had a general idea of what we wanted to see. After visiting some shops that specialize in a variety of objects all known for very high quality design, we eventually worked our way back to Market Square where we did not find the one-song accordian player playing. We did, as we knew we would, find the Old Market Building open. It’s a bustling narrow but long building with plenty of food vendors. It was a bit early for lunch so we passed through.

We continued on to eventually find our way to the Design Museum. I don’t have much to say about this museum. I can tell the textile work is of high quality and special in an abstract way but it doesn’t really click for me - too visual. For Mom and Dad it was a treat and well worth the time we spent there.

After leaving our quest for lunch began. That took us a bit farther than we probably wanted before we settled on a place we think is called Gourmet Street Food. It appears to be a collection of restaurants selling various types of food. To date it probably is our best lunch in Helsinki. The ice cream we had from the Helsinki Ice Cream Factory (making ice cream since 1922 - oldest in Finland) was a nice capstone to the meal.

Mom and I took an afternoon stroll over to the Church of the Rock called Temppeliaukio Church. From the literature at the church and the wikipedia article final plans for the church came together in 1961 after an architecture competition in 1961 was won by brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen. The final church - started in 1968 and consecrated in 1969 - was scaled down due to cost but what was built is impressive enough. Excavated from a hill of granite I believe the interior space is about 24 meters in diameter with granite walls ranging from 5 to 9 meters in height before skylight windows climb higher to the copper dome. That dome is sheaved in 22 kilometers of copper tape which permits more light to filter through. There are artificial lights in the ceiling but the space is more than adequately lit by the natural light streaming down. The walls are mostly unworked granite. Water can trickle down, it must be a slow process, to grates set in the concrete floor. These walls and the grand space give the church very good acoustics. While neither Mom or I thought the music playing from the speakers added much to the ambiance of the church we did note that the music filled the space without being loud. There is a different feeling about this church compared to the Chapel of Silence. Both are worth visiting.

We walked down past the Music Center which was rather un-welcoming at least as far as the lobby area went. A final examination of Oodi Library was in order and it really is a building you should stop by to explore inside and out. Then back to the apartment - it’s isn’t as far as we first thought. It was a good way to spend a bit more time during the afternoon and the day would have been overall very good if our Chinese restaurant dinner had been more than just adequate.

••• ••• ••• •••

This is our final day in Helsinki. We have spent the entire time in the city and we are ready to be done. Perhaps we should have taken a day trip to Tallinn, Estonia but we weren’t keen on the 4.5 hours of round-trip ferry travel. Perhaps we should have visited a national park but the enthusiasm wasn’t there. However, we have managed to fill our final day pretty well and it turned out a fine day in Helsinki.

We weren’t hurrying to get out and about. Many places don’t open until 10:00 or later. I’m pretty sure the Botanical Garden (not sure of the name) is one such. It was a fairly straightforward walk to the gardens and when we entered we were in for a nice surprise as the sounds of the city ebbed and the scents, sights, and some natural sounds began to make themselves known.

We strolled through the gardens. The “Sense Garden” was an interesting experience. They’ve put out an assortment of plants people can touch, look at, smell. There is a path you can walk barefoot and get acquainted with you sense of touch through your feet. We somehow missed this path - I would have walked it. As we walked the gardens we were surprised by how many people seemed to be working to keep things clean and growing. A lot is being put into these gardens and that is nice to see.

One thing we like about walking through European cities is you don’t seem to have to travel far to find a cafe that will serve a decent coffee-style drink (if not necessarily a simple brewed coffee) and a nice pastry. The Botanical Garden had a nice little cafe where we were able to enjoy just such food before continuing on our way toward Market Square and the boats that cruise the Gulf of Finland providing 1.5 hour tours. Along the way we passed by the large white church we had seen from afar the first day. One thing we had marveled at here are the large number of large open plazas. This is something you see a lot of in European cities and we are always a bit surprised by them.

Market Square was not as busy as it had been. Perhaps they have a mid-week slowdown. However, the one-song accordion player was present. When we purchased our tickets for our City Canal cruise we asked the people working the ticket counter if he plays anything else - he does not. I hope it turns into white noise for them because if it doesn’t it surely becomes something of an ear worm.

The cruise was a nice way to spend a part of our afternoon. It’s true the provided information comes through in a pre-recorded set of speeches in several languages on too few speakers to easily hear over wind noise, boat engines, people chatting, and everything else. But you get a sense for part of the area that is Helsinki and at least a few of the 300 islands along with the mainland that make up this place. It was a nice cruise and I can see why people like to live here with the comforts of a city and the ability to get away from the city to a peaceful island without too much difficulty.

After the cruise we managed to find a good lunch at one of the food vendors in Market Square. The place that sells sweet and savory crepes was a hit. The ham, cheese, and egg crepe was good but the spinach and feta cheese one was better. After that it was time to head back to the apartment to take a bit of a rest before dinner. We actually did pretty well with dinner too. It didn’t look like much from the outside but Burger Bites produced a good burger. Sometimes simple is best.

Photos

The Helsinki Ice Cream factory has been making ice cream since 1922. The ice cream we had there was pretty good.

—June 27, 2023 at 2:14 PM.

Under this granite dome sits the Church of the Rock. It was excavated in 1968 and work was finished in 1969. There is a coppery green dome on top though it isn’t really obvious here.

—June 27, 2023 at 4:04 PM.

It is a bit distorted because of how I took the photo. The church has a main floor and a balcony where I am standing. It is a grand single space under the copper dome you see above. I believe the diameter of the intereor space is 24 meters and the skylights that surround the dome and let in plenty of natural light sit atop walls of unworked granite that are 5 to 9 meters high. I am not sure how high the dome is. The feel of the space is quite different from that of the Chapel of Silence.

—June 27, 2023 at 4:22 PM.

A view from the other (south) end of the Oodi Library. Here you really get a sense that the building could be a boat sailing a sea of, I imagine, knowledge and creativity.

—June 27, 2023 at 4:45 PM.

We didn’t enter this Lutheran church. What we really reacted too here though is yet another grand plaza. Helsinki, like many European cities, is liberally sprinkled with large open squares such as this one.

—June 28, 2023 at 11:24 AM.

A view of Suolemina from the cruise boat we are on of the now Lutheran church and the lighthouse beacon that sits on its steeple. As we passed we caught a glimpse of the green light emitting four long puleses (Morse code for “H”).

—June 28, 2023 at 12:42 PM.

When you have daytime temperatures that can touch 80 °F now and then and over 20 hours of sunshine and you have some nice sandy beaches you should take advantage of the fine weather.

—June 28, 2023 at 1:31 PM.

Norway & Finland: Day 3 in Helsinki

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It is interesting to compare the climates in places. According to Weatherspark.com:

In Helsinki, the summers are comfortable and partly cloudy and the winters are long, freezing, snowy, windy, and mostly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 17°F to 71°F and is rarely below -3°F or above 79°F.

Which compares to Ann Arbor:

• In Ann Arbor, the summers are warm; the winters are freezing, snowy, and windy; and it is partly cloudy year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 17°F to 84°F and is rarely below 1°F or above 92°F.

From that cursory overview one would guess Helsinki should be a very nice place to live. Of course, it doesn’t take into account the extreme amount of daylight during the summer months and the extreme amount of darkness that comes during the winter months. During our time here in Helsinki the weather is living up to the general expected climate conditions. Our third day dawned, well before we awoke, with sunshine and pretty clear skies. The day also brought with it a much louder city: the start of the work week and Midsummer Holiday is over.

We planned to explore some other parts of the city. We particularly wanted to see more examples of Finnish architecture and design. First among these was a proper visit to the Chapel of Silence (Kamppi Chapel). We had seen it earlier in the trip but had not been able to go inside. It’s an intriguing looking building from the outside attached to something rather more bland. The church is meant to be a place of silent contemplation in the heart of a bustling city district. I suppose that begins by contemplating and admiring the exterior of the church. If nothing else you will muse on the nature of how perspective changes things. From one vantage point the building appears to be a warm brown handle-less teacup; from another vantage point it is much more clearly an ark or boat. The wooden construction is warm and inviting though if you are like me you will no doubt think it must be terribly dark inside as no windows are visible. Once you walk through the large, silken smooth wooden door you enter a single open space that is surprisingly bright with light entering through from upon high. The inside is spare in its design with pews spread out facing a small silver cross. Along the sides I saw cushions laid out reminding me of small rock gardens. I don’t think you are meant to sit on them. Sit down and be silent; think about where you are in a place designed to help you do that as there are few distractions (oddly while we saw a sign requesting no photography there wasn’t a similar sign asking you to silence your mobile phone). We settled down on a pew for a few minutes of contemplation before taking our leave of this special place.

We strolled to the train station, where we were originally dropped off by our taxi, and took a longer peek inside. LIke so many train stations in Europe this one is grand in design but we all agree we have seen finer. Still if you have to use the place it is best to have a nice place to use and the Central Station certainly does fill that bill.

From there we moved on to the Oodi Library. We were, and this might be correct,thinking of it as the central library for Helsinki. While it may well be the finest library building both inside and outside it certainly doesn’t hold the bulk of the library systems collection. At least we did not see many books. However, if you do find yourself studying there or doing some other form of research or merely taking a break you will be hard pressed to find a better place to do it than this building. It is spacious throughout and while the main floor is nice enough with a fine cafeteria and other things I think the upper floors are where the building shines. The cushions sprinkled about are designed to suck you down and perhaps to nap. There is a section, towards the prow of the building (yes, from the outside looked at properly it can be seen as a ship plowing forward through the sea) there is a grand rising stretch of wooden floor surrounded by fine city views. An exterior wooden deck would be a fine place to relax when the weather is good and we stood outside upon it for a time. The calm of the place is shattered somewhat at the far end by the substantial play area for children. If you appreciate good design a visit to the Oodi Library should be on your agenda.

After enjoying a good hot coffee (take that Strindberg Cafe) and some pastries from the library’s cafeteria we continued on our way. It was time to visit an inland bay. Töölönlahti Bay (or is it just Töölö Bay) is just a few minutes walk across a broad, rather dead seeming, expanse of ground covered plaza. The Finlandia building is here but since it’s undergoing renovation we couldn’t visit. We took a walk around the bay which does have a small inflow from the greater body of water to the east but it doesn’t feel like a bay to me - more of a lake. The wide most paved path provides ample room for walkers, cyclists, and people on scooters. The latter tend to zoom by so pay attention. It is a pleasant stroll around the bay where many species of birds live. A small dollop of nature in the middle of Kamppi which I am sure many find quite welcome. We were in no rush to complete the 2.3km circuit of the bay on what was turning out to be a fine afternoon.

Our day was pretty done after this circumnavigation. We had lunch at the Finlandia Cafe and Wine but while they claim there was no fish or chicken oil in the salad something clearly set my immune system off. We might not have had too much more planned but we went back to the apartment to rest for a couple of hours while the feelings of un-wellness faded. We decided to throw together another pasta and meat sauce style dinner with a simple bit of greens on the side instead of tackling the local restaurant scene.

Photos

THe Chapel of Silence is located by a shopping center that may be at the heart of the Kamppi neighborhood. Is it a teacup or a boat? You decide.

—June 26, 2023 at 10:00 AM.

Perspective matters. Teacup or boat? The chapel is made of wood - oak I believe for the exterior. It is as remarkable inside as it it outside but photography isn’t allowed within. Inside you stand or sit in a warmly lit space surrounded by wood. Light pours in from the roofline. The space does invite you to sit and be quiet with your own thoughts.

—June 26, 2023 at 10:10 AM.

Inside the Oodi Library’s third (I think) floor. This is a great space. At this end a ramp gently climbs to the end of the building. People standing at the peak are easily visible from outside though at the time we did not know that. As you come off the ramp you pass by numerous comfortable chairs and cushions. You will find a play area for children at the far end. The library is a space for study, play, relaxing with a coffee, and making things. It isn’t primarily a place where books are kept - that is just part of the building’s purpose.

—June 26, 2023 at 10:38 AM.

Ken on the ramp. Photo by Jonathan

—June 26, 2023 at 10:39 AM.

A view from one of the ends of the Oodi Library. To me it seems like the building should be plowing through a sea (right). YOu can see the curves of the structure quite clearly on the left.

—June 26, 2023 at 11:32 AM.

Looking north across Töölö (I think) Bay. The paved path is about 2.3km long and circles the bay with just a couple small hills along the way.

—June 26, 2023 at 11:48 AM.

Looking southeasterly across the bay. At this point we saw one of the few birds we would see the whole walk. While the duck isn’t shown here it was busy doing something down by the jetty at the edge of the water.

—June 26, 2023 at 12:04 PM.