4+6+6 reasons to love Helsinki, part 2

Helsinki, 20 degrees

 
With cities, it is as with dreams: everything imaginable can be dreamed, but even the most unexpected dream is a rebus that conceals a desire or, its reverse, a fear. Cities, like dreams, are made of desires and fears, even if the thread of their discourse is secret, their rules are absurd, their perspectives deceitful, and everything conceals something else.

To continue my previous blog post, as my beloved home city turned a stunning 466 years on June 12, 2016, I wanted to share my 4 + 6 + 6 = 16 most popular Helsinki blog posts to celebrate Helsinki Day, Helsinki's birthday that is! Here are the remaining eight posts.

Jatkaakseni edellistä blogikirjoitustani, halusin jakaa blogissa 4 + 6 + 6 = 16 suosituinta Helsinki -aiheista blogikirjoitustani rakkaan kotikaupunkini Helsingin syntymäpäivän, eli Helsinki -päivän, kunniaksi. Helsinki täytti huikeat 466 vuotta 12.6.2016! 


Why I think Löyly is reason enough to visit Helsinki

"The feeling when you want to press pause. When your soul is at ease & mind serene. When "enjoying the moment" isn't enough to express what you're feeling. When the sky couldn't be more blue and cloud-free. When you feel the warmth of the sun on your face & gaze over the horizon, in this case the Baltic Sea, and all that you see are sailing boats and the archipelago. When the sea sparkles in front of you. When you're surrounded by great Finnish wooden architecture & can actually smell the wood. When you feel the steam coming from the three saunas that were heated up for the first time this week. When even the toilet takes you by surprise by its beauty. When you drink a glass of soda with lemon in it and say cheers to your favorite friend - the home city you love, Helsinki."

"Se tunne kun haluat painaa pause -nappulaa elämälle. Kun sielusi lepää ja mielesi on tyyni. Kun sana nauttia ei riitä kuvailemaan tunteitasi. Kun taivas ei voisi olla sinisempi eikä pilvittömämpi. Kun tunnet auringon lämmön kasvoillasi ja katselet horisonttia, tässä tapauksessa Itämerta, ja näet vain purjeveneitä ja saaristoa. Kun meri kimmeltää edessäsi. Kun olet upean kotimaisen puuarkkitehtuurin ympäröimänä & tunnet puun tuoksun. Kun tunnet saunan höyryn. Kun jopa naistenhuone on mielestäsi kaunis. Kun juot lasin soodavettä sitruunalla ja nostat maljaa parhaalle ystävällesi & rakkaalle kotikaupungillesi - Helsingille."


5 + 1 x date night in Helsinki

"As Valentine's Day is approaching, I thought it would be fun to showcase some of Helsinki's romantic spots - ideal for date nights! Planning a date in Helsinki? Why not try one of these places?"

"Koska ystävänpäivä lähestyy kovaa vauhtia, niin ajattelin jakaa joitakin suosikkipaikkojani Helsingissä. Nämä paikat ovat sekä ihania kavereiden kesken että romanttisia - täydellisiä treffipaikkoja siis!"


Vallisaari Island

"Some time ago I had the unique chance to visit Vallisaari Island with my colleagues. It's one of the 300 islands in front of Helsinki. Vallisaari Island has previously been a military island, since the 19th century, and closed to the public but this year it's possible to visit it during guided tours and next year it will open for good - to the public! You can find its Facebook page here and read more about the island here."

"Vähän aikaa sitten sain tutustua uuteen saareen - nimittäin Helsingin Vallisaareen. Aivan keskustan tuntumassa oleva saari on ollut viranomaiskäytössä 1600-luvulta lähtien, 1800-luvulla saari linnoitettiin ja se on merkittävä osa Helsingin historiaa. Nyt kun Puolustusvoimat on luopumassa saaresta, se avataan yleisölle. Vuonna 2015 saarella liikkuminen on vielä luvanvaraista, mutta löydät opastettuja kierroksia muun muassa täältä, ja Facebook-sivutkin sillä on jo."


Hello September - 5 signs of autumn

"And so it is, that with the change of the month (from August to September), autumn has reached the North and Helsinki. I thought it might be fun to put together a list of the signs of autumn."

"Ja niin syksy saapui Helsinkiin kuunvaihteen tuliaisena. Kokosin listan syysmerkeistä ympärilläni!"


Baby shower

"On a sunny April Sunday, I was surprised by my closest friends with the best baby shower I could ever have imagined! As one of my friends is moving abroad, they had disguised the baby shower with an invitation to a farewall brunch. When I arrived to local restaurant Bro, I was surprised not merely with a huge dragonfly balloon, but also a table filled with the lovely company of my beloved friends! The brunch ended up including stunning spring weather, good food & drinks, but also games & gifts. As you can see, I was overwhelmed by the kindness of my friends - the presents were so plentiful that I was left speechless! One present even came from the other side of the world, where one of my dearest friends is living. Again, a day that left this mother-to-be tearful of gratitude! This was a day that I'll remember for the rest of my life - my deepest thank you to everyone involved!"

"Yhtenä huhtikuun aurinkoisena sunnuntaina minut yllätettiin maailman parhaimmilla vauvakutsuilla! Koska yksi parhaimmista ystävistäni muuttaa pian ulkomaille, vauvakutsut oli naamioitu läksiäisbrunssiksi. Kun saavuin paikalle ravintola Brohon, minua odottivat ison sudenkorentoilmapallon lisäksi myös pöydällinen rakkaita ystäviä! Brunssi sisälsi upean kevätsään, hyvää ruokaa & juomaa, mutta myös leikkejä & lahjoja. Kuten näet tässä alla, häkellyin ystäväni kiltteydestä - lahjasaldo oli niin iso, että se jätti minut sanattomaksi! Yksi lahja saapui paikalle jopa toiselta puolelta maapalloa koska yksi parhaista ystävistäni asuu USA:ssa ja hän oli lähettänyt lahjan juuri vauvakutsuja varten. Taas sain kokea päivän, joka toi tälle tulevalle äidille kyyneleet silmiin kiitollisuudesta! Tulen muistamaan vauvakutsut loppuelämäni ajan - sydämellinen kiitos kaikille osallistujille!"


Café Siili

"On a sunny afternoon, I suggested to one of my colleagues that we should head to one of the most idyllic districts in Helsinki for lunch. This district of about 8 000 inhabitants, located about five kilometers from the city center, is called Käpylä. It's most known for its wooden area that is a combination of English-type garden cities and a small-town Finnish milieu. Most of the houses in this wooden area were built in timber in 1920-25 and designed in the so-called Nordic Classicism style prevalent throughout the Nordic countries at the time. Nowadays, these wooden houses are very popular – some apartments still have the original wood-burning stoves and fireplaces. And the tenants still enjoy their green and peaceful environment."

"Aurinkoisena iltapäivänä ehdotin yhdelle kollegalleni, että lähdetään lounaalle idylliseen puu-Käpylään. 8 000 asukkaan Käpylä sijaitsee vain viiden kilometrin päässä Helsingin keskustasta ja varsinkin alueen puualue on todella kaunis! Suurin osa sen suosituista puutaloista ovat rakennettu 20-25-luvuilla ja edustavat pohjoismaalaista klassismia."


Summer sailing in Helsinki

"Helsinki. Summer. Two girls with zero previous experience of sailing by themselves. Kaivopuisto Park. Kaivopuisto Park Pier. Connection boat. Helsinki archipelago. Särkkä Island. Island dog Paco. Sea. Harbor. Pärske Sailing Academy. Dressing up in sailing gear: pants & jacket. Life vest on. Sports keelboat. Sailing boats. Sun. Wind. Waves. Sail. City. Breathtaking views. Stunning by-passers. Waving to people on the mainland as we pass them by. Water on my camera lens. Legs hanging overboard, with only water underneath. Freedom. Peace. The best sailing experience I've ever had. If I would die at this moment, I would die as a happy woman."

"Helsinki. Kesä. Kaksi tyttöä ilman henkilökohtaista purjehdustaustaa. Kaivopuisto. Kaivopuiston laituri. Yhteysvene. Saaristo. Särkän saari. Saarikoira Paco. Meri. Satama. Purjehdusakatemia Pärske. Puen päälle prjehdustakin ja -housut. Pelastusliivi myös päälle. Kevytkölivene. Purjehdusveneitä. Aurinkoa. Tuulta. Aaltoja. Purjeita. Kaupunki. Henkeäsalpaavat näkymät. Upeita ohimeneviä laivoja. Vilkutan mantereen ihmisille kun ohitamme ne veneellä. Saan vettä kameralinssilleni. Roikotan jalkani yli laidan. Vapaus. Rauha. Paras purjehduskokemukseni. Jos kuolisin tähän paikkaan, kuolisin onnellisena."



Ivana Helsinki Pop Up Shop

"Autumn is such an exciting time of the year! Last week I was invited to visit one of the most famous Finnish designer stores in town: Ivana Helsinki. You might remember the clothing designer from this and this earlier blog posts when I got to stay at Ivana Helsinki's Kallio apartment. This time the fashion brand opened a pop up shop for two months with stunning clothing and accessory items from previous collections. The items sold here are all special priced so I can highly recommend it if you're into Ivana Helsinki's style. So while waiting for next spring's Moomin by Ivana Helsinki collection, I visited the pop up store and chose two vivacious autumn dresses for myself! I tried them on with my new pink Asos felt hat and second hand scarf. I chose one dress from the A/W 2012-2013 Collection Tapiola-Kauniainen and the other one from S/S 2014 Bridges Of Madison County, you can see them in the last photo. What do you think about my choices? I will showcase the dresses on my in future blog posts!"

"Syksy on niin jännittävää aikaa! Viime viikolla minut kutsuttiin vierailemaan Ivana Helsingin pop up -liikkeessä. Olen aikaisemmin kirjoittanut kyseisestä suunnittelijasta, voit lukea aikaisemmat blogikirjoitukset tästä ja tästä. Tällä kertaa tutustuin pop up - liikkeeseen, joka on Annankadulla nyt kaksi kuukautta. Liikkeesä ovat esillä niin vaatteita kuin asusteitakin Ivana Helsingin aikaisemmista mallistoista. Kaikki tuovat ovat saatavilla nyt alennettuun hintaa, joten liikkeessä kannattaa ehdottomasti käydä jos tykkää Ivana Helsingin tyylistä! Odotan jo innolla ensi kevään Muumi-mallistoa, mutta tiesin että löytäisin mielekästä päälle pantavaa myös pop up -liikeestä joten suuntaisin sinne tavoitteena löytää itselleni kaksi syysmekkoa! Kokeilin mekkoja Asokselta ostetun vaaleanpunaisen huopahatun ja kirpikkseltä löydetyn värikkään huivin kera. Valitsin kaksi mekkoa: tummansinisen pitsimekon sekä punaisen kuosimekon. Mitäs pidätte valinnoistani? Tulen näyttämään mekot päälläni tulevissa kirjoituksissa!"




Have you read all my Helsinki related blog posts that I have presented in these two posts?

Joko olet lukenut kaikki nämä esitetyt Helsinki -aiheiset blogikirjoitukseni?


What's your opinion?

  1. Wonderful! Your blog is lovely! :) x
    Helena - Swedish girl in Tokyo
    http://www.ilenczfalva.com/
    https://www.instagram.com/helena_de_ilenczfalva/

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    1. Thank you Helena for your kind words! :)

      xxx
      E

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  2. wow I love Helsinki! Amazing bloge dear <3
    Have a great day hun!
    hugs
    Dili
    New post: http://www.milanotime.net/cocomelody-wedding-dresses/

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    1. I'm happy to hear that you like the city as much as I do! Thank you for your kind comment :)

      xxx
      E

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  3. Helsinki sounds like a wonderful place! Can't wait for the day I'll visit it!

    xo
    www.carinavardie.com

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  4. I think I haven't read all of them, for example the one about summer sailing didn't sound familiar to me. it's really interesting though! I also wanted to say it's pretty amazing how much you love and appreciate Helsinki - I can see it through every post you've written about it. by the way, I have a question for you - can you recommend me the best second hand stores (with reasonable prices) near Katajanokka Port? I already googled too but found way too much information :P

    Maiken - Part of me

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    1. I'm happy to hear that I could in this blog post introduce an older blog post that you hadn't read :) Thank you for your kind words! Yes, I can recommend second hand stores for you for sure! I assume you're coming to Helsinki with Viking Line? How long are you staying? When are you coming?

      xxx
      E

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    2. hey, I left you this reply under my Mount Teide post :)

      thank you for the kind comment, Elisabeth! we were actually choosing between Mount Etna and Mount Teide when we were picking our destination last December. Mount Etna will hopefully be a future destination for us :)
      also, thank you for the recommendations! I checked all of them and understood very little Finnish but the one that would probably be interesting for me and also for the husband is Kaivarin Kanuuna because they seem to sell more than just clothes. stuff for our home (including old, vintage stuff and other stuff men would like) is something he would also be interested in. clothes not so much, haha. anyway, we haven't bought or booked the tickets yet but our time frame stays between the last week of July and the first week of August and we're thinking about a Tuesday or a Wednesday. and it's only a one day's trip. by the way, do you have some nice flower shops near Katajanokka area? flowers in pots, not cut flowers :) oh and we're probably going to Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden instead of Korkeasaari this time.
      + yes, it will probably be Viking Line.

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    3. Thank you Maiken for leaving it here as well as I don't get notices when you reply on your own blog. I'm happy to hear that you were considering Mount Etna as well :)
      Fargo http://www.fargoshop.fi/ is also an interesting place if you're looking for vintage shops. Ansa https://www.facebook.com/Ansasecondhand/ is good as well :)
      Do you have Plantagen in Estonia? If not, it's a great flower shop in the Kamppi shopping center. Inbloom http://www.inbloom.fi/ is also a great flower shop. Here are two great blog posts about the Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden: http://wishwishwish.net/2014/10/botanical/ & https://www.joelix.com/Kaisaniemi-Botanic-Garden-in-Helsinki. I organized the blog trips behind these posts :)

      xxx
      E

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  5. I read some of the things you have been writing about Helsinki and I am so eager to visit it! In 2014 I nearly went, but something got wrong and I couldn't go. But one day! The baby shower was really so sweet! I have just liked a post about a sweet little girl :) on facebook, sooooo sweet! Hope you have a fantastic weekend!!!
    DenisesPlanet.com

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    1. I'm sorry to hear yhat something went wrong when you were supposed to visit Helsinki. However, it's never too late to visit!

      xxx
      E

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@elisabeth.rundlof