happy steps

This is the second in a series of posts featuring photos of benches I’ve encountered during my travels. Previously featured: Prague

Old Rauma is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Western Finland. You can read more about this town in my previous post “The charm of Old Rauma”. Here are some bench photos I took during our tour.

This one is a favorite. The white bench just stands out from the colorful background of flowers and cobblestones while the sky looks a bit cloudy. This photo was taken in front of the Rauma Museum at high noon.

Another white bench. Photo taken at the rear of the Rauma Museum, where the garden exhibit was presented.

Benches scattered outside what looks like a shopping mall (or movie house?).

A lone bench at the ruins of the Holy Trinity Church (Pyhän kolminaisuuden kirkko) built in 1400 but was later destroyed by fire in 1640.

“Where are the burgers?” Dad and cutie sis waiting for food on a wooden bench with the burger joint nearby. Behind them is an ongoing road construction.

Continued from Helsinki City Museum: Old Helsinki days

At the second floor is the Russian era where more interesting artifacts are displayed. We took longer time at another section in the ground floor which highlights the era of Finnish independence from Russian rule, the consequent changes in Finnish lifestyle and the city’s progress that followed.

Museum caption in English: “Ration cards with cases and paper fabric purse from the 1940s. Food was rationed between 1939 and 1954.”

Museum caption in English: “Name tag and identity disc of child evacuee. 1939-45 more than 70,000 children evacuated from Finland to Sweden, Denmark and Norway.”

This is the top view of a miniature model of a clothing factory which I find so charming. The tiny dolls are busy seaming and working on equally tiny pieces of textile and sewing machines.

A huge poster of “I live in Helsinki” in many languages. Can you spot your own language here?

The multicultural environment in Helsinki is well summed up by these paragraphs posted in a nearby wall:

Who are we?

Helsinki is once again a multicultural city. In ten years refugees and immigrants have moved to Helsinki from all corners of the world. Today, there are 200 different mother tongues spoken in Helsinki. However, foreigners make up around just five per cent of the Helsinki population.

Finland joined the European Union in 1995. Despite geographical distance, Finland is closer to mainstream Europe. People and goods can move freely within EU Member States. The introduction of a common European currency brings us even closer to Europe.

Population growth in Helsinki has accelerated since the 1990s. The IT breakthrough has added to the attraction of the Helsinki region. In the midst of rapid change, people want to cling to something familiar and permanent. For example, there is a growing interest in Helsink slang. The Helsinki spirit of tomorrow is a blend of old and new.

The few hours spent going through the history of Helsinki as a city (and of Finland as a whole) left an impression of admiration, knowing that it went through hard and difficult times such as fire devastation, children being evacuated to nearby countries, food being rationed, and other turbulent events such as wars and diseases. It thrived through those trying times and developed to be one of Europe’s modern cities.

While in Finland, my big sis took us on a day tour of Helsinki though our time was very much limited but nevertheless we squeezed in about an hour of visit at the Helsinki City Museum. We chose it from among the many museums listed on our guide since it was just within the city and dropping by is another way of learning more about the Helsinki’s history. I wanted so much to drop by the contemporary art museum but we really lack the time. Anyway, it was such an enjoyable one for us, we stayed longer than expected.

The museum has an ongoing exhibition titled “Helsinki Horizons” which features the history of the Finnish capital in pictures, paintings, artifacts and stories over the past 450 years. A lot of interesting items with explanations for each exhibit are printed in Finnish, Swedish and English. There were also cardboards with a list identifying each item, also in the three mentioned languages.

The museum entrance where behind the front doors, the visitors are greeted by a big screen with a film showing about the ongoing exhibition titled “Helsinki Horizons”.

At the ground floor were shown the Old Helsinki days during the Swedish era, with the scale models of ships and ancient tools used for fishing and livelihood, then the founding of Helsinki by King Gustav Vasa of Sweden, and the gradual progress of civilization.

Quick information about the Helsinki City Museum:

Location: Sofiankatu 4, Helsinki
Tel. +358 (0)9 310 36630
Cameras are allowed
Entrance is FREE
Exhibit captions in Finnish, Swedish and English
Opening hours: 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday
11am - 5pm Saturday & Sunday

Museum Shop (ground floor at the right side before the museum entrance)
Opening hours: 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday
11am - 5pm Saturday & Sunday

Picture Archives:
Customer service 10am - 3pm Mondays & Thursdays

To be continued

Situated in the Lappi district, Sammallahdenmaki is an important Scandinavian Bronze Age burial site and included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1999. Thanks to our GPS navigator, we finally arrived at the site (though with a bit of confusion about the road directions) after our tour of Old Rauma. From the highway, we turned right to a winding road with both sides thickly covered by tall trees. What’s interesting about Sammallahdenmaki are the very ancient burial cairns (piles of stones) which date back to 1,500 to 500 BC.

The entrance sign to the burial site with estimated distances to two important cairns: Kirkonlaattia (The Church Floor) at 170 meters ahead, and the Huilun pitka raunion (The Long Ruin of Huilu) after 870 meters.

Want to hike few meters more? By the way, bicycles are not allowed here, and one should be careful to keep away from the slippery moss.

We immediately noticed the beds of light green moss covering most of the ground including the rocks.

A closer view of the moss-covered ground.

Those piles of stones seem to look ordinary yet they’re one of the ancient burial cairns.

Visitors are not allowed to step on top of the burial cairns which are considered sacred.

This crooked tree caught my attention. I wonder how it grew in shape like this?

It was such a serene and quiet atmosphere at Sammallahdenmaki, a place perfect for a retreat… and even if we were on an ancient burial site, it didn’t feel spooky at all; instead it was an afternoon where we experienced the tranquility of nature.

My 40-day Finland vacation will soon be over and it’s time to say bye to the cold summer weather, the midnight suns, and so much more. I am grateful for having stayed here in Pori at my big sis’ flat which is located right at the heart of the city, near the Eetunaukio Square which has an open stage where shows and programs are regularly held. On Tuesday afternoons, we can even hear the music of the brass band playing.

My stay here has added more to my travel memories such as having a picnic at the Kirjurinluoto Park and walking by the Kokemäenjoki River, dropping by the Central Pori Church (Keski-Porin kirkko), checking out the Jazz Street during the recently concluded Pori Jazz 43rd Festival, learning about Pori’s history at the Satakunta Museum, enjoying a sunny Sunday afternoon at Yyteri Beach and shopping around some of the department stores and shops in the city center.

With niece Az and nephew Rj at the Satakunta Museum

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It was a sunny Sunday when we went to Yyteri beach, one of the well-known holiday resorts in Finland. Yyteri is a district in Pori and is just few minutes’ drive from my big sis’ flat in the city center. The place is not just famous for its long stretch of beach but is also a haven for campers, hikers and sports enthusiasts who would like to indulge in other outdoor activities such as surfing, cycling, horseback riding and beach volley.

Bringing with us picnic food and supplies, we went in two groups – mom, dad, cutie sis, baby C, and sis’ hubby in one car and big sis, the three kids, me and their family friend (who’s gracious enough to drive us there with his car) as the other group. Arriving at the parking area, I noticed the many vehicles lined up and most of them were campers. There’s a wide camping ground nearby where you can see many tents pitched.

On our way…who would have thought that there’s a beach waiting behind those thick trees?

Ahhh… I see it now… the blue waters are calling!

Still more walking… on foot on a long wooden plank through the dunes to reach the beach.

We’re finally here! 

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“If you have to ask what jazz is, you’ll never know.”
Louis Armstrong

One thing that Pori is famous for is its annual international jazz festival which started in the year 1966 and since then is known throughout Europe as a prestigious music festival. This year is the 43rd festival which kicked off last July 12 and will end until the 20th. Various concerts are held simultaneously in different locations within Pori, with the main stage and arena at Kirjurinluoto Park, and more concerts held daily at the JazzStreet along the Kokemäenjoki river, the Radio Nova stage, Klubi, Theatre, Otava Factory and other venues.

Being an international music festival, it has drawn many notable performers such as Miles Davis, Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Sting and lots more. This year’s event highlights performances by Santana, Bob Geldof, Shaggy and Mary J Blige and tickets are already sold out.
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Visiting castles would always be on the travel itinerary of tourists when going to Europe. It’s like stepping into the days of kings and queens, or imagining you’re part of a fairy tale. Getting inside the medieval castle of Turku acquaints the visitor of Finland’s rich culture and history, each stair or doorway leading to more interesting rooms and displays.

The Renaissance castle exterior (or bailey) was constructed during the 15th to 16th centuries, while its main building (or keep) dates back to the early 14th century. The castle was subjected to some damage during World War II, but was gradually restored to its original grandeur through the years, afterwhich its ownership was entrusted to the Finnish state and presently managed by the City of Turku.
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What do you do when you only have few hours to spend for sightseeing around a picturesque place such as Turku?

Along the Aura River

It was late in the afternoon when we arrived, so we lost no time in dropping by one of its famous landmarks, the Turku Castle. Being the oldest city of Finland and one of its former capital, Turku (Abo in Swedish) boasts of a rich history particularly in the Middle Ages as well as being designated as one of the future European Capitals of Culture (2011).
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The Rauma Biennale Balticum 2008 art festival is currently ongoing at the Rauma Art Museum in Old Rauma, Finland. The exhibition, which started last June 14 and will end on September 21, features prominent Biennale artists such as Aija Zarina, Krista Leesi, Lutz Mommartz, Malgorzata Markiewicz and many others with this year’s theme ‘Flower Power’ which showcases a blend of contemporary art and tropical inspiration.
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Situated in the Satakunta Province, in the western part of Finland, Old Rauma is a UNESCO World Heritage site since it represents the history of Scandinavia’s early towns constructed in wood. Notable buildings/sites are the Old Town Hall, Marela Museum, Kirsti Museum, Rauma Art Museum, Church of the Holy Cross and the Ruins of the Church of the Holy Trinity.
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We’ve been thinking of touring Pori during weekends and even possibly going to Helsinki. Too bad my big sis got sick and I got the rashes. Another concern is going around the area with a bigger vehicle since all of us can’t fit in their car. Good thing my big sis’ flat is located in the city center and everything is just within walking distance – the shops, grocery stores, market square, schools and other tourist attractions, though the idea of car rental for weekend family holiday trips is also good.
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My body’s circadian rhythm seems to be disrupted. Ugh… a case of ‘jet lag’ as they say when the body clock’s natural patterns (for eating, sleeping, hormone regulation and other functions) are out of sync as one travels to a different time zone. In my case it’s a 5 hours time difference, so it’s quite a lot of getting used to and it proved to be more challenging than I thought especially since I come from the tropics and find myself now in a Nordic country with cold outside temperature even when it’s summer. Brrrr! How I envy those locals wearing their sleeveless shirts and shorts while I wrap myself in sweater under the  sun.
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Finland, being one of the members of the Schengen states was easier for us (Dad, Mom, cutie sis, baby C and me) to travel from Czech Republic without needing a visa. Since it’s where my big sis is based with her family, going there from Prague was an idea we were toying about and we’re glad to have finally visited this part of Northern Europe.

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