Finnair
Living only half an hour away from New York City, I am accustomed to seeing people out at all times of the night. In New York City, the city that never sleeps, you will never find a dull moment. People are always on the go, and daily life of a New Yorker is one of hectic reverie. For my trip to Helsinki, I flew out of JFK airport early Friday afternoon. The airport was as usual, loud and noisy, full of stressed travelers. After being in the airport way too long, I boarded my flight with Finnair, and got my first taste of Finnish culture. The flight was long and rather boring, but as good as any you would expect. The flight left on time, (something very rare for JFK), and actually arrived a little earlier than expected in Helsinki. The flight over Norway and Sweden was utterly breathtaking. We viewed the landscape from the plane window and surprisingly enough, the land seemed to be lit up by the sun as if it were midday.
Helsinki: 8 AM Saturday Morning
We were all rather groggy after a long night on the plane, so unloading was a rather slow process. It was all like a dream since it was still early morning in New York, and I hadn’t slept a wink. I was a little surprised to see no one near the gate where we exited the plane. I assumed that we were the only flight coming at the time, and otherwise, the gate was closed. I soon realized that the entire airport was empty except for a few personnel waiting to welcome us to Finland. We quickly made our way through customs with nary a question, and I found myself waiting for my baggage with only the sleepy passengers from my flight. Aside from my fellow passengers, there was not a single traveler in sight. It was as if the airport was closed for the morning. I was with a group of friends from the States, and we easily found our baggage, and, after exchanging our money, boarded a shuttle to the train station in Helsinki. It was great giving the banker $50 and getting nearly 350 Finnish Markaa in return. ‘I’m rich!’ I exclaimed. The teller only laughed at me and told me I couldn’t buy much with $350 FM. Our ride through Helsinki to the train station was like a fairy tale. There was not a single person on the street. It was 8 AM Saturday Morning, and it seemed as if the city were asleep. Being accustomed to the bustling streets of New York, I felt as if I was extremely sedated, and it was all just a dream.
The Streets
The streets were utterly amazing. NYC is like one big sea of asphalt, but the streets in Helsinki seemed to be cobblestone. Nearly every street was made up of cobblestones, with some funny track running through them. For a while I couldn’t figure out what the track was for. It seemed that wherever it went, there was a wire running above it. Later I discovered that it was a trolley system. Instead of an underground subway system, Helsinki was equipped with a more traditional means of transportation through the city. I was very impressed with the efficiency of the trolley system. It was definitely equivalent to the subway system in NYC, but probably better in a few ways. I doubt that a trolley system could accommodate the same amount of people the subways in NYC do, but for the small population of Helsinki, it was perfect. Of course, there were also buses running through the city, but if you needed to get anywhere in the city fast, the trolley system was the best way to go. From what I can remember, it was also cheaper than the bus system.
The Buildings
Not only did the streets look traditional, but the buildings hardly looked like something in a modern city. In NYC everything is tall and square except for a few treasures such as the Woolworth building. In Helsinki, as well as every other city I went to in Finland, the buildings looked like something out of one of the cold war movies. The buildings are generally much smaller than any in NYC, and usually don’t get much higher than 10 stories. For the most part they look like grey boxes, but with a somewhat exquisite hint. If I could describe the buildings in anyway that would make sense to you, I would compare them to the cities of Russia; St. Petersburg and Moscow especially.
Weather
The most important thing to remember in Finland, or any northern country, is that the sun works on a very different cycle than we are used to here in the States. In the summer the sun is up for most of the day, and only shies below the horizon in the wee hours of the night. It is a lot of fun walking around the city at 11 or 12 at night, and the sun is almost as bright as during the high hours of the day. Because of this, you do not have to worry about light when you are planning any sort of trip in Finland. Of course on the other hand, winter is as dark as summer is light. The sun is only up for a few hours at the height of the day, and never reaches its potential. Because of this there is a lot of depression and alcoholism in the winter months.
Even though you can count on having a sunny day in Finland, it rains almost every day. Some people in our group hated this, but I came to like it. The showers are short and sweet, and as long as you have a place to huddle under, you are fine. I can’t remember a single day when it didn’t rain on our trip, but the rain didn’t really affect any of our plans since we could count on it lasting for less than an hour. I also can not remember a day when it rained for an extended period of time. When it rained, it did not last, and soon enough the sun would be shining again. The clouds in Finland are the most ephemeral cloud covers I have ever seen. We would go out in the morning without a cloud in sight, and before the day was done, the clouds had rushed up out of nowhere, dropped their load, and disappeared as mysteriously as they had come. Even if there is not a cloud in sight, don’t count on a dry day.
Bottom Line
Every US citizen needs to spend time in Helsinki, or any place in Finland. It is a whole new experience, and gives you a brand new perspective on life. The simple beauty that they have preserved is there for anyone to enjoy, not for someone to build a housing development and get rich. Walking through Helsinki at 8 AM Saturday morning and seeing no one out is an unbelievable experience. Contrasted with the constantly busy streets of NYC, it is pure, serene, and beautiful. As a US citizen, it is our duty to take a look outside the box, and see what life can be like. I have one thing to say to you, go to Helsinki.
If you are interested in reading about ’’Sights to See’’, please see the comments section. Due to the 8, 000 character review limit, I am not able to include it in the review, so I have published it under the comments section.
Note
Please also see my review on Finland - General:
https://mouthshut.com/readreview.php?rid=20199&r=1