On vacation - Helsinki, Finland
Since the weather was beautiful when we returned to Helsinki, not cold and rainy as it had been a few days earlier, our first stop after getting coffee at Market Square was to take the ferry to Suomenlinna.
Built as a military fortress, the island now has a visitor's center and many restored buildings as well as an active military academy, cafes and parks. Most guidebooks consider it a "must-see," so we did.
It reminded me a bit of Kelleys Island except that there were no cars or golf carts. People walked everywhere—imagine that!
On a prominent island hilltop there's a church originally built in the Eastern Orthodox "onion dome" style. In the 20s the domes were removed and it was converted to a much more restrained Evangelical-Lutheran church.
Compare its interior with a Russian church with similar architecture.
Our plan for the day included a return visit to the church in the rock, finding a good Finnish restaurant for dinner, followed by a free organ concert at the cathedral.
We'd seen the Church in the Rock on a sightseeing tour, crowded with tourists. We went back today just before closing time to appreciate its quiet beauty.
Unlike a traditional church, this one was built down into a rock formation surrounded by apartment buildings rather than up.
If you find your god in nature, you might want to visit.
Yet another variation on the potato pancake theme I pursue around the world. This one is made with zucchini and goat cheese and served in a nettle sauce with barley and pine nuts. Tasty, although the sauce was very mild—I'd expected something more tangy from nettles!
Here's the waiter's description of my meal:
After dinner we went to the Cathedral, which towers above Congress Square and the surrounding buildings, for the organ concert.
I haven't seen the inside of this many churches since I was an altar boy!
Like the church on Suomenlinna this one is Lutheran and has a similarly austere interior except for the ornate organ.
The concert, which I expected to be glorious, was... long.
Here's a bit of one of the quieter pieces:
I didn't dislike the music, just didn't find it very interesting. Others were more positive: the organist got an enthusiastic round of applause at the end. Maybe organ music is an acquired taste.
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