Sunday we went shopping down tourist way. Just a short walk from Solo Sokos Hotel, right in the center of town. Cris wanted to buy the store out for presents for grandkids. Now she has to figure out how to pack all that! I didn't buy any sweatshirts, instead going for a wooden coffee cup. as Priscilla introduced to us. I have been drinking from it ever since I got home! I bought and sent 2 postcards about the sauna elf, whom I have never seen. I also got a deck of cards with holographic shininess. And, my obligatory salt and pepper shakers.
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| Lapland cards, husky salt and pepper shakers, and wooden coffee cup |
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| Where were we? All the highlighted destinations! |
Cris and I separated at this point so she could go to her conference. Monday and Tuesday are mine, all mine.
But wait! I see the fabric store across the street from the hotel - Eurokangas! By two minutes till opening time, 4 of us were standing at the door with our umbrellas, saying how long that last two minutes were. It was fabulous!
This is where I bought my largest souvenir, a length of cream colored 100% cotton jersey. It feels so lush and warm. I plan on making my first Burda pattern - a poncho, called a cape here. I am making the one with the larger collar, on the left.
The instructions come in about a dozen languages. What fun. Except it says I need a double-pointed needle. Never even seen one. Back to Eurokangas, who sent me to the button store, Gütermann creativ. Now I have a double needle, but wait, again! I passed a window filled with colorful dresses designed by a Swedish woman, Gudron Sjödèn. They are loose-fitting, natural fibers, and usually worn over leggings. I bought one in my warm colors. Love it! This has to be the end of my shopping, or my suitcase won't close.
My second goal was to visit the Oodi, Helsinki central library. Check out all the facilities on that link! On the first floor, you can return books, go to the movies, or stop for lunch. Oodi's youth space is in a loft on the first floor. Do homework, play video and board games, or hang around with your friends. The second floor is full of maker supplies, including sewing machines, 3D printers, large vinyl cutters, and on and on. They have studios where you can create your own music from start to finish. There are a lot of meeting rooms, and seating on steps for casual get-togethers. The third floor is books and gathering places for all ages. There are even specially designed robots to move the books around, with a child following the one I saw. Up at the highest point, there was a circle of parents with babies, doing something led by a librarian. No wonder Finland has the highest library checkout rate in the world - they start young!
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| Double helix stairwell! |
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| Approaching Oodi Central Library |
I know this is getting long, but let me finish with FOOD. What did we eat? My favorite place was a Georgian restaurant named Riomi. This reminded me of when son Neal and I visited Georgia - the country, not the state. We attempted to eat their khinkali, and made big messes. Finally we learned that you pick the dumpling up by the handle, hold it round side up, take a bite and suck out the soup. No mess! At that point, you eat the meat filling and dough, and sigh in happiness.
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| Khinkali on the left, stew on the right. |
Another favorite was Savotta, authentic Finnish restaurant. I had Traditional Karelian Stew, and Finnish-style cinnamon French Toast. Plus a cloudberry fizz mocktail.
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| Pumpkin in the stew as a squash... |
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| Lingonberries, caramel meringue, and FrenchToast |
There were more gustatory delights, as well. but you have to go to Helsinki and find them yourself!
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