Month: May 2014

Where a dragon guards a ship near the sea

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According to Helsinki’s official tourism website, “Kaivopuisto is one of the oldest, most beautiful and popular parks in Helsinki.” So far it’s definitely been one of our faves and like most things in Helsinki, very easy to get to.

Kaivopuisto playground is guarded by a large dragon

Kaivopuisto playground is guarded by a large dragon

Miko and I were in the city and caught the number 3 tram from Aleksanterinkatu to the park. A short walk later and we spotted the dragon we had been told would identify the playground. Wooden seats and tables were spread out under the trees and not far away was another play area for younger children.

Miko atop the mighty dragon

Miko atop the mighty dragon

The dragon is great fun for climbing on and there are crocodiles  set in the ground too which are great accessories for pirate adventures on the large ship-like fortress.

Looking for pirates

Looking for pirates

The ship-fort has lots of fun accessories like binoculars and a steering wheel as well as slides and ladders. Nearby is a crows nest which Miko used as a look-out spot for sharks.

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Kaivopuisto (Kaivo park) itself is very large and a very popular place in summer. It is the favourite spot for May Day picnics and where we spent Vappu. It’s a short walk to the sea as the park borders the Gulf of Finland and the surrounding streets are home to many of the international ambassadors to Finland. Apparently the largest hill in the park is a very popular place for tobogganing in winter which will make this a park we can use all year round.

Tiring work this captaining

Tiring work this captaining

Kaivopuisto Playground

Puistokatu 4

www.visithelsinki.fi

The secret to good housekeeping (Finnish style)

/ Mel_inHelsinki / 2 Comments

I have a very close friend in New Zealand whose house is always clean and tidy. Despite a busy schedule she takes pride in keeping her surroundings neat and somehow finds the time to do so. Recently though she confided that she has on occassion hidden dirty dishes in her oven if she doesn’t have time to wash up before guests arrive ( I once hid Jonathan’s Christmas present in the dishwasher because I knew at the time he never opened it, but that’s another story).

Our kitchen in Helsinki

Our kitchen in Helsinki

Here in Finland they have thought of one of the best ideas I have come across for keeping the kitchen tidy. We are lucky in our current kitchen that we have lots of bench space, but when we haven’t its annoying to have to compete with a dish drying rack for room. Like most people we often leave our washed dishes to air-dry too, meaning there can be a pile of dishes out on the bench.

The dish drying rack hidden in the cupboard above the sink

The dish drying rack hidden in the cupboard above the sink

So I love the Finnish idea of having a cupboard above the sink that has two drying racks installed. Underneath is a drip-tray that catches any water. You just wash the dishes, stacking them in the cupboard as you go and then shut the doors. When you come back in the morning the dishes are dry and ready to be put away (or used from the dish rack). The flipside is it also means your oven can be used for other things – like stashing unfinished ironing before you answer the doorbell.

Kuppi ja Muffini Cafe

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Today I had coffee with a lovely Finnish girl, Katri. We had never met before but a mutual friend in the UK put us in touch. I was really touched that Katri took the time to meet with me as she is about to move overseas and has a few goodbyes to make. I was missing home today and it was good to have someone to meet for coffee. She suggested we meet at Kuppi ja Muffini Cafe, just around the corner from our apartment.

Miko and Teddy Baby

Miko and Teddy Baby

Kuppi ja Muffini (Cup & Muffin) is run by two friends who believe in quality baking with only natural ingredients. The cake counter was full of delicious looking cupcakes and treats. Miko had a small Rocky Road cupcake and I had a delicious banana and berry muffin. It had great texture and walnuts and sugar baked on the top. We shared a freshly squeezed carrot and ginger juice (90% to Miko, 10% to me).

Cakes are baked daily and according to the season

Cakes are baked daily and according to the season

The decor reminded me of a New Zealand cafe. There were some cool retro features inside a cool, clean interior. A bookshelf in the back room had books for patrons to read. There was a wooden rocking chair in the corner that would be great for reading in, complete with crochet rug. It would have been a great day to settle in there as we had a brief snow-shower come down while we sat inside.

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Although frosty outside, the staff were really warm and one lady brought out a basket of toys for Miko. A woman behind us was comfortably ensconced with her Suomi (Finnish) textbooks and the cafe filled up as lunchtime drew near. You’d have to look for Kuppi & Muffini as its signage is quite subtle, but if fresh baked treats and delicious drinks are your thing, its definitely worth a look.

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Kuppi & Muffini

Kalevankatu 17, Helsinki

www.kuppijamuffini.fi

Hyvää Vappua!

/ Mel_inHelsinki / 5 Comments

The only May Day I’m familiar with is the distress call made by captains of marine vessels as they face disaster at sea. And by ‘familiar with‘ I mean I’ve watched them on TV from the comfort of my couch. So it was with pleasure that I experienced my first May Day and it wasn’t a disaster at all!  

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A sea of white caps converges on Esplanadi for the capping of Havis Amanda

Vapuu is a variation of the name ‘Walpurgis Night’ (Walpurgisnacht), a feast observed in Germany for Saint Walpurga since the 8th century. The celebrations being on 30 April and carry on into the 1 May which is a public holiday in Finland and signifies the start of Spring. It is one of the biggest holidays on the calendar, up there in significance with Christmas, New Years and Midsummer.

Students start celebrating from the week before and their area of study is identified by the colour of their overalls

Students start celebrating the week before and their area of study is identified by the colour of their overalls

On the 30th April, crowds converge on Market Square in white caps, identifying them as university preparation school alumni. The festivities really kick off at 6pm when a white cap is placed on the head of the statue of Havis Amanda by a group of students raised high in a cherry-picker. As her new ‘crown’ was placed on her head this year a large cheer went up from the crowd, a huge glitter bomb went off and the sound of many bottles of sparkling wine opening could be heard all around.

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Other statues don’t have to feel they’ve missed out on a cap either

As well as sparkling wine, people drink sima, an alcoholic drink similar to mead, although the honey used in production is now comonly replaced by sugar. The alcohol content is generally so low it is considered okay for children to drink and is usually accompanied by munkki (doughnuts) or  tippaleipä (funnel cake).

220px-Sima_and_tippaleipä

Sima and tippaleipä

Helium balloons are common accessories and sellers can be seen on nearly every street corner from the morning of the 30th April. There doesn’t seem to be a particular theme; we saw champagne bottles, life-size superheroes and of course the ever-present Angry Birds characters.

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The next day it is customary to have a picnic in the park and we were lucky enough to watch the crowds in Kaivopuisto from the warmth of Ravintola Kaivohuone (Kaivohuone Restaurant) as the temperature dropped down into the low single-digits. We heard there was a sauna set up in the park but the rain drove us back from exploring further. After the company brunch we caught the tram back to our apartment with some friends who helped us drink sima, sparkling wine and eat doughnuts in true Finnish style into the early evening.