By:Marcia Abramson
From the balcony of my spacious stateroom on the Renaissance Cruise ship, I saw what appeared to be a military fortress as we approached Helsinki's harbor. Actually it was Finland's Castle (Suomenlinna) built by the Swedish in 1748 as a coastal defense and bulwark against Russian attacks. I learned that this island fortress was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site recently.
Finland had been occupied by Sweden for more than 600 years until Russia overcame Swedish and Finnish resistance and took over the country in the early 19th century. Finally in 1917, at the end of World War I, Finland was able to declare its independence from Russia. As a matter of fact, Czar Alexander was the guiding spirit in planning for the rebirth of Helsinki with the Senate Square (Senaatintori) of neo-classical buildings, grand cathedrals, as well as a tree-lined esplanade alive with cafes and shops. It is no wonder that the style is patterned after St. Petersburg's Russian architecture.
The city is filled with beautiful gardens, fountains and monuments in addition to art galleries. The Anteneum is Finland's finest art gallery. The controversial new Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma designed by an American architect Steven Holl has many Finns wondering about the architect's concept of a museum and consider it more of a modern sculpture. Nevertheless, it is filled to the brim with the works of Finnish and International artists.
In addition to the Lutheran Church (Tuomiokirkko) dating back to 1852 known for its decorative columns and triple white domes, there is the most unusual Temple Square Church (Temppeliaukion Kirkko), also known as the "Church in the Rock" carved into solid rock and topped with an awesome copper-covered dome roof. I understand that the acoustics are superb.
I was very impressed with the Sibelius Park right in the heart of the city. The park is named for John Sibelius, one of Finland's most distinguished composers who gained international fame for his symphonies, symphonic poems, chamber music and violin concertos. The composer was recognized for his fervent support of independence for Finland with a most outstanding sculpture of 527 carved steel pipes. It was assembled so that the wind would create the sounds of a Sibelius melody. Unfortunately, the wind blew in the wrong direction and no sounds of music were ever heard, but the monument is a work of art and should be on a tourist's itinerary. The park also has little plots of land which are rented out to the residents to grow vegetables and herbs. It is not unusual to see Finnish families gardening in the park on the weekends.
Adding to the charm of this beautiful city of no high-riser buildings is the waterfront market Square ( Kauppatori), also known as the "Fish Market." It is a bustling open-air mart for vendors selling fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers and handicrafts in a marvelous setting with ships in the harbor and the neo-classic buildings as a scenic backdrop. In this area I noticed some women propelling their way with tall sticks. I was told that these were "stick walkers" and that this was a new fitness exercise. The tall sticks resemble ski poles. They are sold in the sport shops and have become quite popular, but I could not find an open shop to buy a pair or you might find me sporting them instead of doing the power walk through town.
Saunas also play an important role in the life of the Finnish, and every home has one. As a matter of fact, it is the goal of every Finn to have a summer cottage in the country. The first thing they build on their land is the sauna, and then the house. I managed to see the city attractions in the morning of my visit to Helsinki with the Renaissance's shore excursion. Upon completion of the tour, I headed back to the ship for a delicious Barbecue lunch at the Panorama Buffet.
Then it was back to the Cabaret Lounge to fine up for an afternoon excursion of "Picturesque Porvoo." Porvoo is quaint old town 31 miles east of Helsinki. We drove through lush forests of pines, spruce, birch, hazel, aspen, maple and alder trees and spotted those summer cottages and saunas. We passed the Porvoo River and found ourselves in a village of narrow cobblestone streets lined with small 16th century wooden buildings and an exquisite gray-stone Cathedral dating back to the l5th century for some wonderful candy.
St. Petersburg, the high point for me of this marvelous Renaissance Cruise will be the subject of my next column.
Copyright by Marcia Abramson
E-mail: ma@be@aol.com
