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.
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