Reindeer Games

So, the clouds parted yesterday, so I decided to ride a ferry out to one of the islands featured with the Helsinki Card. Actually a series of islands, Suomenlinna is a huge fortress that was first established in the late 1700's. Ownership of the fort changed along with the political winds, with Finland having been under the jurisdiction of both Sweden and Russia in previous centuries. Today it is a recreation area, with only a small military school remaining there. Otherwise, I spotted an art school, a number of restaurants (Ravintolas), a toy museum, and a museum with a history of the island. Walking around the series of islands--most are connected by bridges--is pleasant, though one is reminded of the sometimes violent history of the place when stumbling upon cannons still facing out to sea. I ate a lunch at the Chapman Ravintola there, and I suspect it was Hungarian. Fish soup to start, with diced potatoes generously pleasant. Main dish, ham and potato casserole, with--yes--boiled potatoes on the side.

Thinking the boat left on the half-hour, I arrived at the dock at 2:02 PM in time to see the ferry about 30 feet out in the water on it's way back to Helsinki. "Missed the boat", I muttered to myself. With an hour now to wait, I wandered over to one more small island, where the military school was established. The treat was seeing men putting down a cobblestone road there: tamping the rocks down into the soil with a hammer, another worker with a long four by four doing more tamping to get it all reasonably level, then a very course sand poured in around it all. Hard work.

Back at the dock in the ferry shelter, a gentleman (well, not really, as you will see) sat next to me, with a large new looking blue bag. Pretty soon, he pulled a wine bottle out of the bag and took a good drink. Then, a tobacco bag, and he rolled his own cigarette. Looking at me, he asked me to watch the bag for him while he went for a smoke. By the time he came back, I had struck up a conversation with two ladies from New Jersey who had just arrived on a tour. The gentleman, now drinking from a beer bottle, intruded on our conversation, asking where we were from, then saying "America--yes!", making a fist and smiling. Then he wanted to shake our hands. I waved him off, as did the ladies. He got the message and wandered off.

I ran into the ladies of couple of more times, at both the Russian Orthodox church and at the huge Lutheran church on the main square in Helsinki. The Lutheran church was as stark as the Russian church was ornate. The only thing close to an icon in the former was a statue of Martin Luther. I was a little amused at the lady with the pink streak in her hair at the Russian church, carrying a Marilyn Monroe handbag. Both churches sat on high places, seeming to be in competition with each other. The Russian was certainly more ornate in and out, but the Lutheran church wins the contest for it's visibility from most of Helsinki and from out at sea.

I had spied Mama Rosa's Ravintola on a square behind the hotel, and noticed the menu said something about "smoked reindeer". I couldn't resist. So, prior to my pizza last night, I had the pasta & smoked reindeer appetizer. The waiter had a knowing smile, seeming to say that this was not going to be another chewy kangaroo pie (see Australia). Oh my--Santa, I have sinned! Switches and coal for me this Christmas! It was so good! Kind of a cross between bacon bits and chipped beef, with a calamari-shaped pasta, gentle creamy tomato sauce and a big slice of mushroom on top.
I would order it again!


Made a run out to the airport this morning to pick up my LOT Polish Airlines ticket for my flight from Vilnius to Krakow. Rained all day. Made my way back to the Helsinki Auto Museum, way off the beaten path near one of the industrial dock areas. It was really a highlight of my time here. Over 3000 miniature/model cars, and maybe three or four dozen of the real thing, all crammed in tightly together. Saw an old Mercedes 220S like we used to have (1961 model), a Trabant, some sort of three wheeler, a Vespa three wheel mini-mini van, a neat little rear-engine Renault, a couple of Morris's, and my favorite, a 1952 Citroen--look for it on my Finland Photo's page! Best of all, the gentleman in charge today was having a very slow day with the rain, so he locked the door, walked around with me, and told me stories about many of the cars (I got this Kaiser Frazer up to 80 racing a bus, but was afraid of the tires. A young couple in Britain moving to Moscow sold us this Morris Minor--they've promised to stop in some day to tell it "hi"). The museum is owned by a foundation, and hopes to get a larger space closer to downtown someday. They have a few cars, notably Rolls Royces--I saw them in a photo album--that get rented out for weddings, but are too large to get into the current building. All the cars run and are occasionally driven, as demonstrated by the photos--here they are in the filming of a period movie, here driving war veterans to a reception at the Continental Hotel (where I'm staying!). If you're ever in Helsinki, this is a museum worth finding.

Hit a few other museums, one of which was closed for no good reason. I stopped by the Tram Museum just before returning to the hotel--a fun stop! And, next to it, was the building they house and work on all the running trams.

Tried another Thai place tonight, and while good, I was disappointed. Not as much taste, and what taste existed was overpowered by the hot spice. The secret, I think, must be in how generous they are with their coconut milk--I'm sure a fairly rare commodity here in Finland!

Tomorrow, the ferry back to Tallin, coffee with Steven at the port, a bus to Riga and the train to Jurmala. I expect updates will be more difficult to get posted in the coming week.

JP