Helsinki Airplane Museum

One of the main advantages of being an expat is having other expat connections. It was one of these wonderful ladies who made me aware of the Airplane Museum in Helsinki, a museum that seems to be little-known, even among locals. Of course, as soon as I heard about it, I knew I had to go. Aviation really gets in your blood, and even though it’s been three years since I’ve worked for an airline, the pull is still strong. Plus: Airplanes!!

Getting there

The museum, called the Suomen Ilmailumuseo in Finnish, is located next to the airport. From the train station in Helsinki, you can take either the I or P train (the P train is faster in this direction; I take the I train home), and get off at Aviapolis. Take the exit toward Aviabulevardi and when you eventually make it to the surface, turn right and walk along the Clarion hotel until you can look left and see an airplane on display. Don’t let the fencing fool you, it’s perfectly acceptable to walk through the gate to the museum. It is housed in an old aircraft hanger, after all, so it makes sense that it would be fenced if it used to be part of the airfield.

The Museum

The 10€ entrance fee is totally worth it (children under 7 are free), and I was giddy when I walked into the first exhibition room. I should probably point out that I went twice; once with Little Man, who had a great time running around all the planes and climbing the stairs (which are old air stairs used for boarding planes from the tarmac), and once on my own, so I could actually look at the planes. The hangers may be spacious, but they are packed with aircraft. There are two main rooms, separated by a “family relaxing room” (including a couch, small play area with aviation-themed toys, a tv showing something about flying, and a hot air balloon basket), as well as a decent-sized cafe near the entrance.

Ready to board his next flight!

It’s recommended, especially in the winter, to wear appropriate clothing as the exhibition halls are not heated. For more information about the museum, click here. Okay, now on to the planes!

The worlds smallest flying boat

This plane made its first flight on 23 February 1949. It was originally designed by Torolf Eklund as an amphibian with a 28 horse power engine. However, it was found to be under-powered, so a 40 HP engine was installed, the landing gear removed, and it became the worlds smallest flying boat. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never heard of a flying boat!

Finnish Air Force jet engine

This plane was the first jet engine trainer in the Finnish Air Force (FAF). Nine of these beauties were in use between 1955-65. It was also the first aircraft in Finland with ejection seats. Have you ever thought beyond the ejection? I’m a little disappointed to say that I never did. Until I saw the supplies these planes were stocked with.

Ejection seat supplies

This was supposedly everything a person would need to survive until rescue after ejecting from an aircraft. Do you think it’s sufficient?

This one is older than my grandparents!

This little guy was built in 1922, making it the oldest surviving aircraft to be built in Finland. It is classified as a three-seat license built maritime scoutplane. The FAF had 120 of these in use from 1922-36. I can’t imagine fitting three people in here; I stand at least two feet higher than the roof.

Record breaking!

This is the only Finnish aircraft to have achieved a world’s record. Designed and built by engineer Juhani Heinonen in 1954, he then made a record long distance flight on 10 July 1957. The flight from Madrid to Turku was 2,844 kilometers and took 17 hours 1 minute to complete. This took the world record for a single-engine land plane with a maximum take-off weight of 500 kilos. The record stayed with this aircraft until 1974.

Convair Metropolitan

I do believe this is the only commercial aircraft in the museum. It was amongst the first three Convair airliners ordered by Aero Ltd in 1951. It was manufactured in San Diego, CA in April 1953, and flown to Finland a month later. Originally built as a 44-seat Conavair 340 type airliner, it was later converted to a 52-seat Convair 440 “Metropolitan” in 1956. This is the longest serving aircraft in the history of Finnair. It flew its last flight on 30 April 1980, after which it was donated to the Finnish Aviation Museum.

But the best part of this plane is that you’re allowed to go inside! There are only a few seats open to be sat in, and you’re not allowed in the cockpit, but it’s super cool to see how much planes have changed over the years!

Inside the Convair Metropolitan

I think my favorite part was the purple seats. It also still smells faintly of smoke, since smoking on flights was fashionable when this aircraft was in service.

Last but not least:

 

Two Seat Unarmed Fighter Trainer

I’ve saved this plane for last for a couple of reasons: One, it’s got a pretty fascinating history, and two, anyone notice the swastika painted on the side? Yeah, I’ll get to that.

Firstly, this is the sole surviving aircraft of this type in the world. It was designed and built in the Soviet Union in 1937. The FAF used it from 1941-42. It is also the only remaining plane of the 90 Soviet aircraft captured during the war.

It is NOT, however, the only Finnish plane with a swastika. Finland’s use of the now notorious symbol predates that of Hitler’s Nazis by a good decade. In 1918, the Finnish White Army was fighting a battle against Soviet-backed Red Guards in hopes of establishing an independent Finland. A Swedish count, Eric von Rosen, had a swastika painted on the wings of an aircraft which he donated to the White Army. After the Whites won, the swastika became a symbol of freedom and independence, as well as the official symbol of the Finnish Air Force. This remained the case until after WWII. As you can imagine, not many people were fans of the swastika at that time and, having signed a post-war armistice with the United States and the Soviet Union (and probably a few other countries), Finland agreed to no longer paint the swastika on their military aircraft.

Interestingly, it is still a part of the FAF emblem and can be found on numerous wartime monuments around Helsinki. There is quite a debate about whether or not that should change. (The best article I found on the subject is this one. It freely shows both sides and is very informative.) I’ll let you draw your own conclusions on the subject. I for one don’t think it’s a black and white issue.

Questions: Which was your favorite airplane?

What do you think of the Finnish swastika?

 

The Hidden WWI Park in Helsinki

In an attempt to get out of the apartment more, now that Little Man is attending daycare three days a week, I’ve been looking for places to explore nearby. While searching Google maps, I stumbled upon a park with a camera icon. I clicked on it and found a hidden treasure. It was labelled in Finnish, so I didn’t know exactly what it was, but the posted photos showed some sort of structure in the park. I told Hubster about it and he (tech wiz that he is) went to the website and discovered that it was a park containing bunkers that were used during WWI. *insert astonished face here* How could there be a park with WWI bunkers this close to us that I’ve never heard of?!

There were also great opportunities to practice my nature photography

I decided to investigate. As it was a Tuesday, and therefore no daycare for LM, the two of us hopped on the bus and rode about ten minutes. This is where I admit to my embarrassing lack of navigational skills (yet again). Let me share a story with you:

When I was about eight, my brother and I spent the summer in Arizona with my grandma. We had gone to some church camp in the middle of the desert and were staying in an RV. Rather than forcing an 8 and 10 year old to sit through two hours of preaching in the Arizona heat, my grandma let us wander. (I’m still amazed at this fact. I mean, we must have been somewhat responsible.) I followed my brother blindly through the vast openness, happily searching for lizards and other wildlife. After what felt like days, I decided that I wanted to go back to the RV. (I was probably thirsty. Hmm, not responsible enough to bring water.) My brother, likely tired of having to watch his little sister, told me to follow a pipe along the ground and that that would take me back to the campsite. Ha! A likely story. Frightened of dying alone in the desert, I insisted he escort me back. He did so, grudgingly. Covering my eyes with his hands, he walked me goodness only knows where, planted me facing a tree, and ran off. By the time I opened my eyes, he was nowhere to be seen, and I was staring at pine needles. I was just about to start crying when I turned around and saw our RV. I was so mad, I could’ve screamed.

Fast-forward to the day LM and I went in search of this park. GPS had been invented and I no longer needed to persuade my brother to escort me places. Luckily, LM has an adventurous spirit and happily went along as I too-trustingly followed the map on my phone. Oy vey. Suffice it to say, I felt like I was back in Arizona, minus the heat. (And not really afraid of dying alone, seeing as we were in the middle of suburbia.)

I’m pretty sure the left-hand dot stops in a driveway

Knowing that I was circling the park, but unable to get to it without traipsing through backyards (very possibly that’s perfectly acceptable here, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it), I eventually found a sketchy set of stairs leading into a field. This was our best bet, so, kicking LM out of the stroller, we made our way down and found a path.

Thanks to my fearless sidekick, who doesn’t understand that paths are there to be walked along, we actually found the exact place I was looking for. (I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have found it before giving up if it weren’t for this little adventurer.) Aside from having a bit of difficulty pushing the stroller through the forest, we had a great time simply wandering.

My faithful sidekick

Okay, so what is this place?! Good question. The website Hubster found, this one, from the National Board of Antiquities, was very informative, not to mention lengthy, so I’ll try to give you the short version.

This is part of a defense chain built to protect St. Petersburg from the Germans. The chain consists of land and sea stations around Helsinki (which means there are more of these!) and was devised in the 1910’s when Finland was still part of Russia. The Russian Revolution and ensuing Finnish independence disrupted construction in the fall of 1917. Only two of the fortifications were used during the Finnish Civil War in early 1918, after which, the naval fortresses were taken into use by the armed forces and used as prison camps, also in 1918. The earth and sea fortress structures have since been classified as “fixed ancient monuments” under the Antiquities Act of 1971.

Natural stone was a main component of the structures

It seems like this area of the defense chain has been all but forgotten. Houses surround it, and even though there was lovely weather both times I visited, it was mostly deserted, with only a dog walker or two passing briefly through. It’s also a bit tricky to photograph as it just looks like a rocky forest area. I did, however, manage to find an actual bunker.

That’s me! In a WWI bunker!

How cool is that?! My inner history lover was absolutely giddy. I’m still shocked that this park is there and more people don’t know about it. It makes it that much more special if you do visit. It’s like a hidden bit of history, just waiting to be explored.

Little Man and I trekked out the way we came (because I didn’t want to get lost again and I knew I could get the stroller out), and made our way back to the bus stop. I was apparently being incredibly unobservant that day because I didn’t bother to look behind the bus shelter. Do you want to know what was there? Another entrance to the park.

Maybe not an “entrance”, but certainly access

And yes, that is exactly how I walked into the park on my second visit. It was so much faster!

Question: Are there any hidden gems where you live?

 

 

 

What I’ve Learned from 2+ Years of Expat Life in Finland

Two and a half years ago, Hubster, Little Man, and I packed up our lives and flew to the other side of the globe. I’d never set foot in Finland prior to arriving here as an expat. To do so with a four month old baby and two dogs might seem a bit crazy, and, looking back, it was. But it’s also been incredibly educational, not to mention a wild ride! Here are some things I’ve learned from life as an expat:

Moving day, 2016!

You’re going to miss out on things “back home”

Marriages, babies, and all the other fun life events happen, whether or not you’re there to help celebrate. And that hurts. Sometimes you can see it coming. Sometimes it’s like a sucker punch that takes your breath away. It’s even harder when you want to be happy for someone but you can’t help feeling left out. Imagine seeing pictures of your entire family at one event without you. All you can really focus on is the blank space in the photo where you know you’d be standing. That gaping hole no one else seems to notice. Ouch, right? That’s the worst part about expat life. I haven’t found any way around it, so I bite my tongue when I feel a snide remark coming on, and try to let it pass. Because truly, I am happy for my friends and family. And I know, given the chance, they’d want me to be there too.

And when you do make it back, you’re overwhelmed with joy

True friends stick around

It’s hard to leave a place where you have good friends. Sure, you can (and should!) make new friends, but some people have known you so long, you can’t tell a story without them already knowing it (or being in it), and you just can’t replace that. I feel incredibly lucky that I’ve kept most of my friends from the States. And it truly is states, plural, as Hubster and I moved from Oregon to Wisconsin a year after we married. Eight years there, and we’d dug our heels in pretty well. I figured if my friends in Oregon kept in touch over those eight years, moving to Finland wouldn’t be an issue. And it hasn’t been. Two of my Wisconsin friends have actually flown out to visit, so talk about being invested! Let’s not leave out Colorado in this list. Hubster grew up there and had/has an amazing group of friends in the mile high city. (I think I actually keep in touch with them more than he does. Thank you, Snapchat!) It might sound time consuming to keep in touch with so many distant people, but it varies person to person. Some people I talk to almost everyday, others get a text once a month. Honestly, I’m glad they put in any amount of effort; even a little bit goes a long way when you’re thousands of miles apart.

Besties since we were 12, living in different states since 18

You become more of your true self

This was quite an interesting lesson, and one I didn’t realize I was learning. When Hubster and I first got married, my dad told me that the best advice he’d gotten was to move a thousand miles away from your family. Not being the type to do things halfway, we moved two thousand miles away. Then, we more than doubled that distance to move to Finland. When you can’t physically spend time with your family, you no longer pick up their habits. Sure, some things are ingrained in who you are, but adaptation can occur organically, and without your notice. I’ve picked up habits, mannerisms, and words that my family have never used and find quite strange. I caught myself just the other day referring to a popsicle as an “ice lolly”. I’ve left my sleeping child in his pram (stroller?) outside restaurants without a second thought. I now know to always weigh my produce at the grocery store. These are things that never would have crossed my mind had I stayed in the US.

Just napping outside the restaurant

On the parenting front, this forced me to find what was important to me, and also highlighted my parenting style. I didn’t feel like I was surrounded by judgy moms (it was a real fear before LM was born) because the expat friends I made also had foreign customs they were adhering to. I felt supported in my decision to buck certain Finnish parenting standards (like always having your child nap outside) and went with the flow of what worked for my son and I. (And Hubster, because he’s here too.) That’s not to say that everything worked, but I felt more free to pick and choose from a much wider variety of options than I would’ve had Stateside.

Loving the pink sand beach in Crete, Greece

It does get easier

Thank goodness, right? Those first days, and even weeks, in Finland were new and exciting and I definitely viewed everything through rose tinted glasses. I was living in Europe! I was surrounded by a foreign culture! I could walk outside and hear a multitude of languages! It was everything I’d always dreamed of. And then…it wasn’t. All those exciting things turned into frustrations: this was a culture I didn’t know and wasn’t sure I could navigate. I didn’t actually understand any of those other languages, so where did that get me? (Okay, the living in Europe part never bothered me.) There were days when I’d come home from the grocery store and cry tears of frustration because nothing went right. Yet, somehow, I made it through. I was lucky enough to know another expat (living in a different country) and I can’t remember how many times I texted her telling her about what a crap day I was having. She would always respond by saying she knew exactly how I felt, and would usually share a frustrating/funny story of her own. That one connection made everything seem manageable. Knowing that I wasn’t alone made all the difference. Eventually, mostly through mom meetups, I found other expats, also with babies, and we bonded. On so many levels. It’s one thing to be a first time mom, but to do that in a foreign country really compounds so many feelings. Those ladies became my main support system and now, almost three years later, I’m so glad they did.

Mom night dinners are a sanity-saver for all

I would do it all again in a heartbeat

As exasperating as some days have been (and let me tell you, I’ve had some doozies), nothing widens your perspective like living in a foreign country. You not only get to fully experience another culture, you get to see the world from a different angle. I don’t have the words to properly explain it, but I did stumble on a quote by Mark Twain that really resonated with me: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” It’s just so true.

Teaching LM all the ups and downs of travel

So, if you’ve ever thought about moving abroad, or even traveling somewhere new (and you find that a little scary), take the leap. I promise, you will be better for it.

If you’d like to hear more about expat life in other countries, check out the Big Dreams Bold Moves pod cast here. You can also hear my take on it verbally as I was lucky enough to be interviewed by Malia.

Keep adventuring!

How an anti-planner plans vacation

When I was eight years old, my parents took my brother and I on a 35 day trip to Mexico. I’m in the final stages of planning a 17 day, multi-country vacation, and my head aches with the thought of how much planning that Mexico trip must have taken. I am very much a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants person (I get that from my dad), and research and advance planning practically make me nauseous. So how did I actually figure out what to do on this holiday? Here are a few things that helped me:

Set aside time to research

Now that Little Man is happily attending daycare three days a week, I can actually pull out the laptop and dig into things without interruption. I’d give myself at least an hour (it easily slipped into two once I got going) to look up different attractions and must-see sights. Since we’re visiting three countries, I’d focus only on one per day so as not to overwhelm myself. Every time I looked for new things to do, I fell right into my next tip:

Get excited!

I’m not sure if we’re going to especially exciting places, or if I’m just giddy with the thought of getting out of the cold for a few weeks, but if you’re not excited to go somewhere, you can’t get excited to plan it. On Crete, I read that you can visit the cave where Zeus was born. How cool is that?! (I definitely snatched up a retelling of the Greek myths when I stumbled upon it at the bookstore; “Mythos” by Stephen Fry.) That led to more caves and innumerable historic sites, not to mention the beaches. Did I mention we’re going to a pink sand beach? Who wouldn’t be excited about that?! Unless you don’t like beaches, which takes me to:

Plan according to your interests

This is a tough one. I LOVE beaches, the ocean, and anything water-related. Hubster is not the biggest beach fan, but he can appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of pink sand. Thank goodness. Since Malta is home to “Europe’s oldest city”, we’ll definitely be hitting up a few historical places as well. However, this gets tricky with an almost three year old. I try to find as many kid-friendly locales and activities as I can endure, grouping them together whenever possible. For instance, many museums have child areas (maritime museums are particularly good as LM inherited my love of water), and any outdoor activity, like hiking Mt. Etna, is sure to use up some if that endless energy. All the go go go will likely exhaust Hubster and I as well, so we made a note to do the following:

Give yourself downtime

When describing our upcoming trip to a mom friend recently, she made the comment “Wow, you have active vacations!” Lucky for us, this ain’t our first rodeo, and after years of hearing my dad say, “I hate coming back from vacation feeling like I need a vacation”, we don’t plan things all day, every day. It’s crucial to have at least one down day during a week long vacation. I mean, you have weekends at home, right? Who says you can’t have a day to do nothing on vacation? (I think this is family-specific. I know people who’s entire vacation revolves around doing nothing. And you know what? That’s amazing.) If we absolutely feel like we’d be wasting our time, we plan one thing (like visit the Acropolis) for the day, then wander around or even hang out at the hotel. This gives us time to enjoy meals without being rushed and for that all important recharge.

When vacationing with family

We’ll be meeting up with my in-laws a third of the way through, so I thought I’d throw this bit in as well. I never thought I’d want to spend a vacation with parents (mine or Hubsters’), but after the first two attempts (Barcelona and Croatia), I can see the appeal. A built-in babysitter while on holiday? Yes, please! (Hubster has an Italian date night in his sights, heads up grandparents!) That being said, four people instead of two means twice the differing interests and complicates planning. What I’ve learned from our previous travels together is:

• Figure out YOUR must-dos and make them known. You’re more likely to do those things if you voice them
• Compare lists. We’re pretty good (now) about each coming up with a list of things we want to do. Things on both lists, we do together. Things on one list, well…
• Don’t be afraid to split up. Not everyone has to do the same things, and if two of you want to do something the other two have no interest in, don’t let that stop you; they can do something they enjoy on their own (or have bonding time with the little one!)
• Be flexible. Unless you’re on a group tour where every minute is planned for you, take your time. Walk down a random alley in search of lunch. Mostly, don’t try to control where everyone goes all the time. It’s vacation, remember? Relax
• Listen to other people’s suggestions. My mother-in-law is amazing at finding little-known places to eat or things to see. Without these tidbits, we’d definitely have missed out in the past.

Now with just over a day and a half until we fly, I have my list and I’m calling it quits with the planning. I feel fairly triumphant that I did as much as I have, but anything else will have to be done on site. (I’ll be honest, I’m stoked about Greece and Malta, but least excited about Sicily, so I rushed through that part. I’m banking on the in-laws having some good ideas.) At this point, I just want to get on the plane.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, that 35 day trip to Mexico included a couple days driving, stopping in California to visit my grandpa, then camping on a beach in Baja. I’m not convinced there was nearly as much planning as I once thought. But it was still one of the best trips I’ve ever been on.

Birthday Celebrations!

For my recent birthday, Hubster suggested a friend and I have a spa weekend in Tallinn. When Hubster suggests such a thing, I jump at the chance! After a bit of research, Laura and I found a hotel with a spa package which included a massage in the price of the room. (We went for full luxury and each added a facial as well.) I booked the ferry, for the incredibly reasonable price of 32€ to Tallinn and a whopping 10€ back.  Expat lives being as hectic as they are, we were both ready for some relaxation.

After dropping Little Man off at daycare, I went straight to the ferry terminal, accidentally meeting up with Laura on the tram. We had enough time to grab a coffee before embarking, which we did leisurely. It was so nice not to have to worry about taking care of anyone else. We were able to take our time, look through the shops (the ferries are known for their duty free shopping), wander the deck, and eventually get a drink.

 

We found a seat by the window and spent the rest of the time chatting. The ferry to Tallinn took two hours, while the ferry back to Helsinki took three and a half. That one did, however, offer spa services, which I’ll talk about later.

We disembarked in Tallinn at noon and went in search of the Metropol Spa Hotel, where we would be staying that night. Our appointments were at 2 pm so we weren’t in much of a rush. Somehow, we stumbled upon a mall (I mean, of course we did), wandered around a bit, then continued on our way to the design district and our accommodations.

Metropol Spa Hotel at night

After checking in and dropping our bags in the room, we went to a cute cafe nearby for a quick bite. We had failed to get lunch on the ferry, and knowing that massages make us hungry, we deemed food a necessity.

And coffee, of course

Feeling ready to be relaxed, we made our way to the second floor of the hotel, where the spa is located. We were told to change into the robes supplied in the room, so back up we went, feeling a bit strange riding the elevator in such a garment. We soon forgot any awkwardness as we were led into the spa area and to our respective facial and massage. (I went for the facial first, then we swapped.) After two hours of pampering, we were both so relaxed that we stayed in the sitting area sipping our tea for about 45 minutes, slowly melting into our chairs. Realizing that we would have to move eventually, we made our way back out to the lobby, then decided to check out the pool area. A good idea, as they serve drinks there. We watched the few other people present swim or hang out in the hot tub while we drank, chatted, and tried to figure out a plan for dinner.

Enjoying a cold drink post massage

Feeling as if we had all the time in the world without worrying about feeding little tummies, we took our time changing before heading toward Old Town. We had looked up restaurant suggestions, as well as asking the front desk for recommendations, and kept getting the same place pushed at us. We weren’t sold on that particular restaurant, so we decided to test our luck and see what we could find on our own. March in Tallinn means very few tourists (quite the opposite of July), and we thoroughly appreciated the deserted streets.

The entrance to Old Town

In the course of our wanderings, we perused a few menus at different restaurants. The one that drew us in was the one that offered a live sword fight every night: The Peppersack. The kindly man at the door in full costume was pretty fun too.

 

The Peppersack dishes up traditional Estonian cuisine, which is quite delicious. The staff are dressed in period get-ups, and the atmosphere is relaxed and fun. We had just finished our meal when our server informed us that the sword fight was about to begin. Along with almost everyone else in the surprisingly large restaurant, we moved into the main dining area to watch the show. Although the words were Estonian, the idea was easy enough to follow; two men fighting over a woman.

Sword fight at the Peppersack

After approximately ten minutes of these two battling up and down the stairs, they called a truce and shared a drink. It was good fun. Soon after, Laura and I paid our bills and headed back to the hotel. Upon checking in, we had each been given a voucher for a free drink at the hotel bar. Not the type of people to pass up a free drink, we made that our next stop.

Now, if you cringe at the words “hotel bar”, let me just tell you that this was not a typical hotel bar. While you can get to it from the hotel lobby, there’s also a street entrance, which seemed the more popular of the two. We ordered our free drinks and found a perch at the only open table we found, which happened to be rather well-placed. We were pleasantly surprised to find there was live music on the stage (of which we had a clear view from our perch), and I was ecstatic when the singer started belting out ’90’s pop hits. We’re talkin’ Usher’s “You remind me of a girl that I once knew”, among others. It was epic. The bar appeared to be quite popular with locals and was decently crowded by the time we left at 11:30. (As much as we value sleep, try stopping a couple mum’s on a weekend away from staying out late.)

It should be noted that Little Man had been waking up once or twice a night pretty much since we got back from Gdansk, so this was the first full night’s sleep I’d gotten in quite some time. It was glorious. We slept in until 8, slowly got ready for the day, then proceeded downstairs for breakfast.

Other than a mysterious “chicken pie”, it was the standard European breakfast buffet, including pickled herring, and, surprisingly, pancakes. After eating our fill, we checked out of the hotel and made our way to the ferry port, via the mall. They had a cool space exhibit going on for kids that was fun to see.

Once we’d boarded the ferry and stowed our luggage, our first stop was the spa. I had only been able to book one pedicure in advance, but was told to check on board if there was any other availability. Laura was able to book a foot and hand treatment at the same time as my pedicure, but as they weren’t for two hours, we were able to check out the shops before grabbing lunch.

I gotta say, getting a pedicure is a fantastic way to pass the time on a ferry. (Especially on a windy day, when the huge ship rocks back and forth.) We finished just in time to retrieve our bags and line up for disembarkation. We were some of the first people off the ship, but the tram stop was absolutely packed and it felt like a mosh pit as we fought our way onto the tram to get to the train station. I’m pretty sure that’s when the massages wore off.

It was an incredible weekend away (with a fabulous lady to boot!), but we had to return to real life.

I’ll always have a soft spot for Tallinn

Farewell, Gdansk; Hello, Helsinki!

It seems I was buried in snow upon our arrival home; I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to post! I have one more quick story about Gdansk that I want to share, then we’ll move on to life updates on the home front.

Our flight from Gdansk to Helsinki was mid-morning, leaving us enough time to grab a quick breakfast at the hotel before catching the train. We bought one way tickets from the machine at the train station, one each for Hubster and I, knowing that children under the age of six travel for free. We had not seen any fare inspectors one our way in (not surprising, due to the holiday), but we did get asked for our tickets on this trip. The inspector looked at our two tickets, looked at Little Man, then said something in Polish. He ended up telling us that even though LM was free, he still needed a “zero value” ticket. Go figure. To get those, you need to go to an actual person. As we were obviously tourists, he simply informed us of this, then moved on. This would have been good information to get from the transit website, but it seems to be one of the many things Poland does differently when it comes to children.

We made it to the airport with enough time to stand in the security line for an excruciating 20 minutes (I didn’t realize how spoiled I was becoming with the family line at the Helsinki airport), get to our gate, and have me pick up a few last minute souvenirs. Luckily, our gate was right by the childrens play area.

Play area at the Gdansk airport

Little Man passed the time exploring all the things to play with, including the ship (not pictured). I’m glad he had fun there, because he definitely did not enjoy the flight. This one rivaled my solo flight with him to Amsterdam. He screamed so loudly that I genuinely felt bad for everyone sitting near us. I’m not sure if he eventually fell asleep, or simply stopped crying because we landed. Either way, the tantrum came to an end, and we were back in Finland. (Perhaps he too, was sad to leave Poland.)

Our plane from Gdansk to Helsinki

I forget sometimes that many Americans have never been bused from a plane to the airport. I remember it being completely new to me when we flew to Berlin. This was a small aircraft, as evidenced by the props, but it’s also common with larger planes. It’s kind of fun (unless the bus is super crowded with cranky people and a ton of luggage), because, although I do this often, it’s still a foreign concept to me.

We were welcomed back to Helsinki by never ending snow storms. I lost track of how much snow actually accumulated, but the piles on the sidewalks from all the plowing were a good five feet tall. Little Man went off the beaten path one day on our way to the train, and the snow was up to his waist. He couldn’t even walk in it!

Pretty Snow

It was pretty for a time, but then it just kept snowing! At the time I’m writing this, a decent amount has melted (thank goodness!), but now there’s so much grit that in some places, you can’t even see the pavement. And that’s glossing over the few days when everything was covered in a sheet of ice! Hopefully the thaw lasts and we can have an early spring this year. I’m so over winter.

Now, as I promised, on to life updates! Little Man started daycare at the beginning of the month (how are we already mostly through February?!), and is slowly adjusting. He’s going three full days per week, which actually gives me time to do things (hello, blog!). It’s an amazing place with very caring teachers AND it’s English-speaking. Most of the children in Little Man’s class are Finnish, but there are a plethora of cultures represented, and there’s almost always a holiday being celebrated.

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The adjustment period is taking some time, but that’s to be expected. I was able to stay two full days when he first started, then I left for half a day. After that, he’s been going the full day on his own, with only a few tears. It was really nice to see how the other kids played and interacted with the teachers while I was there. It makes it easier for me to leave LM when I know he’s being well looked after. And, for those of you who think there is such a thing as “bad weather”, you may be shocked to see that the little ones do still go outside to play, even when the play structures are half buried in snow. (Although, to be fair, the week prior to LM starting was so cold, they kept the kids inside for two whole days.)

Outside at daycare

This is his third week, and so far, I’m thoroughly enjoying my alone time. I’ve already cleaned the house, and later today, I have big plans to knit, catch up on my scrap booking, and watch a movie. It’s the little things you miss doing when your companion is likely to tear your pictures, eat stickers or markers, or undo all your careful stitches, not to mention insist on watching cartoons. I intend to take full advantage of my kid-free time.

Next week is my birthday, and other than a few plans with friends, not much is happening until April, when Hubster is taking his sabbatical at work. That means a two and a half week family vacation. I’m super excited about this one because it means we can scratch off THREE countries on our map! We have all of our flights booked (and oh boy, I can’t even remember how many flights there are), the accommodations, and rental cars.  We’re going to Greece, Malta, and Italy. The adventures and history might keep this blog going through the entire summer!

On the train in Gdansk

Until next time, keep adventuring!

Winter Warmth and a Friendly Face

December has been a highly anticipated month for me. Not much happened in November, so the thought of a friend visiting and a Christmas trip helped keep me going through the dark, grey days. (This year has been especially tough; I think it’s the overcast days robbing us of what little daylight we get. Thank goodness for vitamin D!)

In early December, our friend Amber came to stay for three days. Let me just say, that’s a lot of jet lag for a three day visit! Despite that, we did manage to get out a little and show her some sights. The Christmas Market at Senate Square was an obvious stop.

Here, we wandered the stalls full of Finnish treasures: From ready to eat food to packaged meats and jams, glogi and hot chocolate to fudge and roasted chestnuts. Not to mention all the souvenirs!

After exploring the whole market, we swung by the window display at Stockmann, which was particularly fabulous this year. (We did actually go into Stockmann Saturday morning. It’s an interesting shopping experience coming from the US.)

Saturday night we got a sitter for Little Man, and the three of us went out to dinner at Juuri. Hubster and I had been once before, and it was so delicious and fun that we had to share the experience. Unfortunately, none of us wanted to be the people taking pictures of every course (we saved that job for the people at the next table), so there are no foodie pics. I can, however, tell you that it was delicious. They do a five course tasting menu that is amazing. You don’t know what the dishes are until they arrive, but that’s half the fun. The other half is the company.

The Tricycle

Little Man had a blast with the sitter. She’s the sweetest lady, she brought him a Christmas present because she knows how much he loves trains.

New Train Set

We sent Amber home with some happy memories of Helsinki and continued on with our regularly scheduled lives. For me, that meant knitting. It is winter after all, which is when I tend to set my needles on fire with my over-ambitious number of knitting projects. I stumbled upon a brand called Novita (thank you, Prisma!) when I needed new needles a few months ago, and only recently looked at their website. WOW. It’s a rabbit hole of wonder.

Not only does Novita make needles, they also have multiple types of yarn and hundreds of free patterns. Hubster always jokes that I end up fighting with patterns for one reason or another. (It’s true. I’m amazed I have any hair left.) So far, I have not had this problem with Novita. What a relief! AND (bonus for expats) they have all their patterns in English! (Once, when we were in Norway, I bought a kit to make gloves (because who doesn’t love Norwegian knitting patterns?) and the salesperson promised me the pattern was in English. LIES! It was in German, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Finnish. Needless to say, I didn’t get very far.)

Anyway, I’ve been knitting for around 19 years now, so the patterns that seem intimidating are the patterns that most excite me. When I saw this particular sock pattern, it was love at first sight.

Pretty, pretty socks

They’re so beautiful! I still can’t quite believe that I made those. I’m currently working on another pair of socks which are proving to be more of a challenge, but I’m sure they’ll be worth the effort.

Apart from not writing for over a month, I wanted to get this posted before our next trip. We leave on Monday! (That’s Christmas Eve, just to clarify.) I’m super excited for multiple reasons. One, we’re going somewhere entirely new (yet incredibly old). Two, it’s nice to not be at home over holidays (even those we don’t celebrate) when family is nowhere near and it feels like the rest of the world is surrounded by family and friends. So, we shall go adventuring!

Until next time, keep warm, keep happy, and keep exploring!

Model Alpine Trains

Last weekend, on a tip from a fellow blogger, Hubster and I took Little Man to see some model trains. There’s a temporary installment at Sello, a ten minute walk from our apartment, and since LM is currently obsessed with trains, we thought it would fun. If nothing else, it’s a good way to spend some time inside during this dreary fall weather. I didn’t really know what to expect (the last time I paid any attention to model trains was when I was a child and my brother had a fascination with them), but I was blown away.

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With over 500 meters of track, and an impressive attention to detail, just about anyone would enjoy this, whether or not you’re a fan of trains. While you’re not allowed to touch the models (with good reason), Little Man was fascinated by the movement. And it wasn’t only trains that went around, but cars and buses as well!

I think the adults had just as much, if not more, fun than the children! Luckily, the space was not overly crowded and was large enough to provide adequate movement around the models. Of course, step stools were provided to allow kids to be on eye level with the tracks. This is a free event with a suggested 2 Euro donation, but it’s worth much more than that, in my opinion. The track is currently being refurbished until 23 November, after which it is open until 13 January. For the full schedule and opening times, check out their website here. You’ll need to translate it if you don’t speak Finnish, but Google does a good job with this site (which is not always the case).

This is much more a visual blog than a wordy one, so I’ll leave you with more pictures. Enjoy! (I know I did.)

Model of a village

Train circling the village

Does it feel like you’re in the Alps yet??

Backdrop of a town

Train on a bridge

Cable cars

How thoughtful to have a Biergarten with a view!

They even have houses being constructed! This was my favorite bit.

I would definitely stay here if this was a hotel.

Cattle farm

Timber works

Little Man didn’t want to leave. We will definitely be going back!