Some of the finest moments come from out of the blue. This bit of maritime adventure came because European trains are baffling.
As I go back thru my photos, I realize that so much of what I look at are the weird details. But Finland is a different kind of place. It is a new place, built on the bones of Scandinavian history. And to understand it one needs to look at the details.
As usual, Blogger has decided that the order and placement of the photos should be different from my wishes. I hope you will enlarge some of them. Like the photo above. Look at the different granites used in the stones.
Departure
I needed to get from Bosch, Netherlands to Helsinki Finland. I had thought I would take the train. I love trains. But 4 nights, 6 train changes all in the middle of the night, and figuring out the train pass system were just beyond my coping. So I looked at the next best thing, a ferry. That is how I ended up in Stockholm to catch the Silja ferry to Turku.
The terminal and getting to it was not friendly to walkers. It is brand new, and they are still working out the details. But it is huge on a scale I was not prepared for. I am so glad that I put the time into checking out. Google maps lies. Especially in Scandanavia.
Onboard there are 8 floors. Mostly people book a room for the day. Or go to the theater to watch a movie. I discovered the top floor, with a sheltered lounge, a pub, and a gorgeous view. I staked out my turf, got out my boxed breakfast, and watched the world go by.
Get out your map and look up Turku. If you scroll out you will see that it is between Stockholm and Helsinki in a place we don't look at much. But if you scroll in, you will discover that it is in amongst lots of islands. Similar to the Puget Sound area. And on a sunny day in June, magnificent.
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| This looked like an event that I might have attended. And I did see folk dressed re-enactors. |
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| Much of the trip was dotted with small islands like these. Often there were what I assume were vacation homes. |
Arrival
I had booked my lodging ahead of time in my usual shot gun, see what happens fashion. And that is where the fun really got interesting. If you scroll in on the map and look for hotels, it is not immediately obvious where things are in town. So I looked for close to there the ferry dock is. And the HS Bore took a bit to get my attention, but became promising once I started looking. It was close to the ferry and cheap, but more importantly it was weird. Just my style.
This was the last Scandinavian steam ship. And part of a complex of maritime museum facilities.
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| This photo was taken from the water side |
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| Notice the fence. Getting to the other side of the fence was easier said than done. |
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| I was too tired to get good photos but it was a standard ramp up to what was a non obvious lobby run by low paid or volunteers. All who had limited English. Inside there were occasional sitting rooms. |
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| This was the shower area. Not ensuite. But clean and functional. I of course booked the cheap room. This was originally one of the crew cabins. Next time I will look at how far below deck my room is. |
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| The mess hall served wonderful, plain food And they introduced me to Long Drink. This drink is enough of a reason to visit Finland again. |
The Waterfront
I spent the next couple of days walking the water front.
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| I found the Finnish people to be very much like an independent cat. Hearty, self sufficient. Aware of the outside world, but not all that interested in it. |
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| I think the name of this cafe was Nooa. I ate many meals here. |
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| An odd pedestrian ferry goes between the two sides of the river. |
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| Every where there were old boats Mostly converted to restaurant/night clubs. |
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| This stand was just outside of the market Fresh, yummy fruit. |
| Hunajamarja |
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| I have no idea what these were Google declines to translate Finnish. But they are god's own blueberries |
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| This waterfront was once a ship building center. Rather than giving it a complete makeover many of the industrial features have been preserved. |
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| Even giants play D&D This is what is hanging from the crane in the other photo. |
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| Alongside modern art are the skeletal remains of early 20th century industry. |
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| A funicular railway |
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| This area is on a giant rock. I could see that the waterfront was only a tiny part of Turku, a modern vibrant city. |
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| At the top of the railway was a currently closed museum. |
The Maritime Museum
I have been to many maritime museums, but this one was a bit different. There was a bit of what I expected, but their focus was more on 20th century ship building. Steam and coal, not just wind.
I had to adjust my perspective to understanding what is important to people that live here now. History is not just about then, it is about now as well. A good museum includes things that a kid can say "my grandpa worked there."
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| This is one of the several museum buildings |
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| This entire 2 story room was dedicated to one man's collection of outboard motors. |
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| EDIT: I have been informed that this is Tuomas Värjö, a most excellent host I am absolutely kicking myself for losing this man's card. He is one of the curators here, and gave me the most lovely tour. His deep love of this piece of history gave me a chance to think outside of my historical interest and put it in perspective of local eyes. |
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| In a way, this reminded me of the four men on an oil rig gang. And I did some thinking on the other things built in the early 20th century that involved rivets like sky scrapers and the Golden Gate Bridge. |
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| These are the kind of boats that rich and famous people used in the 1920s. I see some of these up at Tahoe where the fresh water, and the removal for snow season has preserved these elegant boats. |
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| Three masted Barque Sigyn (1887). What makes her special is that she was just an ordinary working ship |
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| Back outside was more of what I was expecting. |
The Castle
One of the other things I wanted to see in Turku was Turun Lina Castle. She did not disappoint.
I am posting a random bunch of photos, but some have some specific people noted because you were so in my mind as I saw some of this. For the most part the photos are existing pieces. There are however some well done replicas.
I have gone to lots of castles. Each one is unique. But this one was deceptive. I was first dubious, but once inside I was enthralled. From the outside, unimpressive.
But I am learning that the castles that have stayed in use as the world moves forward often hide some of the best pieces of actual historic significance
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| Outside |
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| I asked if this video was available anywhere, but alas no. It shows an actual noble woman being dressed. A process in itself. A very well done video, I would love go back and see it over and over. |
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| The inner courtyard. |
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| The garb worn by the docents was quite familiar. |
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| More costuming. David this is for you. |
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| Coin purse for Bailey |
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| Sewing kit for Lady Eddie |
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| The chapel was the area most intact. It had been damaged and sealed off. |
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| The place is all about the staircases. |
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| Take the time to enlarge this the banding is exquisite. |
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| Cannon and musket balls |
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| For heralds. Note the similarity to the Berwick Bear |
Leaving
I had planned to take the train to Helsinki, but it was out of service for the day. But the bus was pleasant.
The walk to the train station showed me that I had only scratched the surface of Turku.
Here are some more photos of my walk.
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| These buildings reminded me of the style of building many train stations in California. |
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| This monument to Jarno Saarien A motorcycle racer and local notable. |
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| Look at the scroll work in the window frame |
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| This beautiful brick church really needs a deeper look |
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| And on to the airport in Helsinki Flygplatsen |
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