Day in the City

Dear friends and Family,
I'm wiped out, I am really tired and will probably make this short so I can go rest.  It was a big day in the city.  This country girl figured the city out.  The sun did not set until around 10 last night and it rose around 4:30 this morning.  I'm staying in this dorm style room

in the Stadion Hostel

So I didn't have control over the curtains. I woke up with the sun because it was really bright.  I went back to sleep but did not sleep well because around 5:30 it felt like 8 and by 6:30 I thought I had overslept my alarm by a lot.  Before I looked to see the time, guessing by the sun I thought it was 10 or 11.  Nope, it was 6AM.  The sun lasts for a long long time here during the summer.  The more sun, the more to do.  So my day started early.  I got ready then had breakfast for €6.30  This is what I got

waffles, no syrup, an egg, sausage with bacon bits mixed in, tomato slices, an apple and orange juice.  It was decent for breakfast--it did its job got me started for the day.  I took off shortly after that and just started walking.  I only consulted my map a little before marching.  I amazed myself because I found the city center all by myslef, I really just kinda stumbled upon it.  I wasn't directly looking for it but they next thing I know I'm in front of the train station which is one landmark for the city center.  I walked by several shops but none of them were open at that time of day, with being 7:30 and all.  I wandered around some more then I reviewed my maps, got oriented and set up to find the Rock Church because that sounded nice and interesting thing to do.  It was further away and I did have to confer with my map a few times to find it.  It is a church that was dug into the rock so it is underground.  I arrived around 9:15 and it didn't open until 10 so I dinked around until it was open.  I took some  pictures:

 The green dome looking thing is the roof of the church.

 The Temppeliaukio Church is a church that was carved into the rock.  It is underground, it is a Luthern church because that is the predominant religious group in Finland.  The roof is a dome that has sky lights to let in the natural light.  Most of the walls are exposed rock making for a very dramatic view.  A large pipe organ covers one wall and the simple alter is just to the right of the organ.  If it were quiet and void of tourists I think it would be very peaceful.  I suppose most churches are like that.

 The entrance to the church.  It was beautifully quiet when I first got there around 9.  There is a park behind/on top of the church and mothers with their toddlers were joyfully playing on the swings.  The birds were chirping.  I think the surrounding buildings are apartments.  It looks like an affluent family neighborhood.  Almost precisely at 9:56 the peace was disrupted.  Flocks and packs of tourists swarmed and began click click clicking obnoxious pictures.  The groups I saw were a group of elementary aged kids and their chaperones, old people--couples mostly, and asians.  They were all the typical tourists, khakis, big, loud cameras and the almost vulture like attitude to swoop in to get the best picture.  I know, I'm a tourist too, but (of course there is a but, I'm biased) I feel like I was a more respectable tourist.  My camera is quiet, I'm not attacking a position to get a picture and well I'm not traveling in a pack.

After I visited the church I wander walked back to the city center.  I went into Kampi Shopping Center it is a hypermarket.  A super store.  Basically a mall on steroids.  Think of the biggest mall you have ever seen... now multiply that by five floors and 300 stores.  It is huge! Helsink has three or four of these hypermarkets.  Kampi, Sokos, Forum and Stockman's.  

       

       

Absolutely gigantic malls that have every store with everything.  Clothes, shoes, accessories, home goods, toys, electronics, cosmetics, food... seriously, EVERYTHING.  I went into all of them except Sokos.  They were almost overwhelming because there is so much.  I wandered around the city center more, briefly went into the natural history museum.  Was not impressed, it is just like every other natural history museum I've been into during school field trips.  Walked past the parliament building.  It is beautiful.  

       For lunch I stopped into a little coffee shop where I got a sandwich, cup of tea and a slice of blueberry pie cobbler/danish/bar.  The place was dead quiet, I was the only one in there.  It looks like it was mostly a morning/evening place--not lunch.  A definitely not a touristy place.  Very cute and quaint.  I liked that it was quiet.  Its overwhelming when there are too many people.  The lady was nice and she understood some English so that was helpful.  I hope I didn't come across as dumb or an annoying American.  I wandered some more and came across the University Botanical gardens.  It was lovely.  I like trees and flowers and little paths.  A group of moms was having a picnic while their kids blew bubbles.  An old lady was strolling through the trees.  The birds were singing too.  I figured one of the nearby buildings is a school because there were kids outside playing outside and I heard a bell. 

        More wandering led me to Kauppatori Market.  I came across the National Catherdral, stunning.  Even prettier inside, and the Upenski Cathedral, pretty but not as stunning.  The market is right on the warf, little tents of wares are sold in the tents.  Touristy crap, of course I fell for it and bought some stuff.  Oh well, I need some touristy crap, its good for the soul.  They were also selling produce.  It look fantastic, really fresh.  The snap peas were huge.  I bought some strawberries and if all I could do were to smell them I would be satisfied.  They smelled divine!  

     I stopped at one tent to look at some animal fur products.  They had big furry hats.  They reminded me of Russian hats in the winter.  I tried one on because, well, why not?  The tent owner talked to me a little bit but he was more preoccupied talking to a man from Sweden.  The old gentleman was a little drunk I think.  The Swedish man then talked to me.  He said I should buy a hat.  They are a good deal, he told me.  He asked me where I was from and I said USA he asked where, I said Colorado and then he asked what I was doing here.  He was on Holiday visiting his sister and brother-in-law, who was with him and did not looked impressed that my Swedish man friend was drunk.  Anyway he asked what I was studying and I said Agricultural Communications and then he asked what I could do with that.  I told him promote farming.  He looked confused and questioned how that could be because Colorado doesn't have farms.  It has the river, the Colorado River and mountains.  I explained to him the eastern part of Colorado has farms.  He continued to try to get me to buy a hat so I told him he should buy a hat, then he teased he was poor and couldn't.  I told him I was poor too.  I teased him that he should buy me a hat.  He thought that was funny.  We shook hands, his name was Carl.  And then we went our separate ways.  Old men are funny.  I was a little nervous talking to him because I just had my guard up.  If there weren't a language barrier, I think I would have enjoyed his company very much.  I do like old men.  They are so funny.  

    More wandering and walking and wandering and walking led me to a park where I got out my towel and sat down.  I ate the rest of my strawberries and enjoyed relaxing in the sun.  It was nice to give my feet a rest.  The were tired, they still are tired.  I stayed for about an hour but I left because I just got the feeling it was a good time to leave.  This was the only time that I felt uncomfortable.  Nothing in particular but I passed three homeless men sleeping,  I watched a guy pee on a shed and I saw the Polisii drive through the park.  Nothing happened but my gut just suggested that if the Polisii (Police) were driving through a peaceful park, maybe that suggested that this peaceful park got a little rowdy sometimes.  So nonchalantly, I left.  All's well.

      I went back to the city center and found my way to the Ateneum Art Museum.  I got my dose of Finnish culture in the museum.  I looked at historic Finnish art.  Some of the pieces were really pretty.  I always am so amazed at how detailed the paintings are.  The artists are so talented, my paintings always seem great in my head as an idea then they come out as a "abstract" piece.  In the museum there were also pieces from the Presidential palace.  Gold, Silver and glass pieces were elegant.  France's silverware, gold, silver and glass pieces out do them though on the extravagant level.  I enjoyed walking through the art museum.  

       For dinner I bought a sandwich, a granola bar and a protein shake at Stockman's

     Then I found myself a lovely bench, plopped down and had dinner.  I watched people and cars and reflected on my day.  I strolled back to my hostel, walking through a park next to lake/pond.  Again, people were exercising, running, biking or walking their dogs.  My hostel is next to a great big soccer/football complex.  Four different fields.  Two of the fields were being used for practice at that time.  It looked like high school aged boys.  The largest, stadium field was hosting a game.  The energy from the crowed seeped out to where I was walking.  The crowd clapped and sang, jeered and cheered for the players.  Looked like a fun place to be.  I stopped briefly from the hill where I could overlook into the stadium. 

      My night from then on was uneventful.  Took a shower, talked to the German girl for a bit and started to write my blog.  My computer battery died though and I was too tired to dig out my cord and continue so I just went to bed.  I don't think I laid in bed for more than three seconds before I was asleep.  I got up a seven, repacked some stuff, got dressed etc. etc. Then had breakfast and I've been writing ever since then.  

     Today I will be off to Jyväskylä.  My train leaves at 12:06 and should arrive at 15:44 (3:44pm).  I'll take the bus to the train station and go from there.  Hopefully the train system is hard to figure out. 

      I will post more from Jyväskylä!

Cheers, 

McCall