Something that I can really appreciate about both Estonia and Finland is that they are big on hand crafted items. I try my hardest to be reasonable about souvenir purchases and perhaps spend more of my "allowance" on experiences. But this one time, I didn't take home a hand felted wool hat from Estonia and I kicked myself for the following two years. I revisited this summer and immediately went hunting for the perfect one. This one is tame compared to the others that make you look like a Who from Whoville. It might actually be more fun trying on the ugly hats but I am super happy with my purchase and the real hot chocolate that I am drinking.
When you only have a day or two in a new place it can be nice to just make your own walking tour and discover at your own pace. That being said museums can get kicked to the curb because they can suck up your day time wise. When you do however get the opportunity to revisit a place you can take that time to check out some really specific and unique things- like the Medieval Torture Museum! I've been wanting to check that one off the list for quite some time. There wont be many photos for those who may have a delicate stomach. You're welcome.
Another adorable view here of the Old Town center. This restaurant is known to serve bear and beer and so of course my bros wanted to go. I do not consume adorable woodland creatures but I did celebrate with some traditional honey beer. You are definitely paying for the atmosphere but it's worth it!
From knitted sweaters and shawls, to felted goods, leather books, ceramics, baltic amber and carved antler whatevers you can find it here at the outdoor market as well as many many shops all around town. It is so great to visit a place that promotes hand made items more than moose poop chocolates and magnets.
I even stumbled upon a tiny woman owned hot glass studio.
Now Helsinki, Finland is very much the same way with hand made items except it is less of a medieval style and more of the modern and sleek, but very patterned Scandinavian style. Helsinki was chosen as the World's Design Capital in 2012.
Let's jump out of the city for a second. I went on a tour to the country that made a few stops. First stop was Porvoo, the second oldest town in Finland. Quaint and adorable I could have easily spent a day here especially after this quirky little band started to play in the town center. They must have gotten the memo about Whoville outfits.
Next on our tour we went to a horse breeding farm where a family of 26 (living on the property) continued on the tradition of raising horses for competitions. I'm not so keen on all of that but they were nice people on a beautifully landscaped property and served us a homemade meal. A light white cake covered in rhubarb and local berries for dessert was the best part! Then we went the stables for some petting.
Tour guides love to tell you random fun facts when you are on long bus rides. Approximately 1/4 of Finland's territory lies within the Arctic Circle and it is the least populated country in the EU. Gee, I couldn't have guessed that. I live in San Diego and on 60 degree days I threaten to move to Mexico. Anyways forestry is a major part of Finland's economy. With warm summers but freezing winters the Finnish aren't going to get too far with normal crops. Finland is one of the world's lead wood producers but the government makes sure to have a lot of say in the regulations of tree cutting. There are 22 major industrial ports and the main one is obviously in Helsinki. 9 icebreakers keeping things going in the winter time and 5 of them are just for Helsinki area.
Apparently the Finnish sauna is a big thing. It is very common for households to have them and particularly for lake houses. There are often two rooms and a shower. It's typical for a family to all go in together unless there are guests over and then they separate into a men's and women's room. Then everyone goes and jumps into a lake or the snow. And it's traditional for everyone to enjoy beer and sausage together afterwards. I could get into this except for the polar plunge part.
Autumn is hunting season and there are plenty of moose and reindeer to go around. You can see a lot of furs, antlers and wooden trinkets at the markets. Fish is a major part of their diet. There was a large indoor food market like Faneuil Hall in Boston but more salmon and sardines than you could dream of. My friends and I decided this would be the place to get some sushi real fresh!
One of my favorite stores to stop in is the iittala store. Originating in Finland, it sells tableware and home design objects. They often are showcasing sweet pieces of blown glass
This fox is amazeballs! It was designed by Klaus Haapaniemi and created in collaboration with the Nuutajarvi art glass experts.
Then the birds by Toikka are always hit or miss for me because well I don't really like birds. But I thought these glass penguins were pretty awesome.
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