Postcards from... Porvoo

On the morning I was due to go to Porvoo, I was woken by the unmistakable roar of thunder, quickly followed by the sound of torrential rain bouncing off the roof. Even though it wasn't entirely unexpected, I felt somehow cheated. The previous four days of glorious sunshine had erased any memories of bad weather. Happily, by the time I'd showered and had breakfast, the sun was breaking through the grey clouds. With minutes to spare, I located the bus station and the very bus I needed...

Porvoo is located about 50km (31 miles) east of Helsinki on the banks of the Porvoojoki (River Porvoo). Believed to have been founded in 1346, Porvoo is Finland's second oldest city. It is famed for its old town comprising cobbled streets and wooden houses.

Typical house in Porvoo

Just over an hour after we'd left Helsinki, we pulled into Porvoo bus station. By this time, the clouds had cleared and the sky was blue. The sun was shining and the heat was rising. I was in my element as I stumbled around the cobbled streets, photographing pretty coloured wooden houses. I was also rather pleased to note that there was a distinct lack of tourists, most of them not having yet arrived by boat, and so for two blissful hours, I shared the town with just a handful of early birds.


Oh wow, look at you now...

Old wooden door

Wooden houses as far as the eye can see

 

 

Not sure if this stuff was for sale or simply decoration

Cute shop

 

Built in the 15th century, Porvoon tuomiokirkko (Porvoo Cathedral) has had a turbulent history, having been destroyed by fire no less than five times! The first occasion was in 1508 at the hands of Danish forces, then in 1571, 1590 and 1708 by the Russians, and most recently in 2006 by an 18-year old arsonist.

The long-suffering cathedral



The, er, 'interesting' artwork on the gable



The gorgeous ceiling showing traces of fire damage

Looking down the nave

As well as its medieval centre, the town is known for its red shore houses, perched on the edge of the River Porvoo. They were originally painted red in honour of the arrival of King Gustav III of Sweden (r. 1771-1792). Keen to get a look at them, I made my way down to the river where I was treated to peace, tranquillity and stunning views...


The River Porvoo

Red shore houses

By 13:30, the boats had docked and the influx of tourists was like a plague of rats. They were everywhere. In search of solitude, I dived into a dark tea salon, where I indulged in tea and chocolate cake (what else?!) and near-silence. Some time later, refreshed and ready to do battle again, I emerged to a very different scene. Gone were the blue skies, and in their place ominous black clouds. The wind had picked up and the tourists were looking less happy.

My plan had been to hang around till 16:00 and get the boat back, but looking at the skies, I thought the better of it, and dragged myself back to the bus stop, where happily I was in time for the 14:45 bus back to Helsinki.

Postcards from... Helsinki

In 2011, I finally realised my dream of visiting Copenhagen. But, what had started as a few days there, spiralled into a three-week tour of Scandinavia. And having seen cities in Denmark, Norway and Sweden respectively, I thought Finland should get a look in too...

The history of modern Helsinki dates back to the middle of the 13th century, when settlers from the Hälsingland province in central Sweden arrived. They founded a parish known as Helsinge and called today's Vantaa river Helsingå (Helsinge river). In 1548, a town called Helsinge fors (Helsinge rapids) was created. Over time the name evolved into Helsingfors and this is the city's name in Swedish today. The Finns, however, called the city Helsinge, and this is the origin of the current Finnish name of Helsinki.

In 1550, Helsingfors was established as a trading town by King Gustav I of Sweden (r. 1523-1560) as a rival to the Hanseatic city of Reval (modern-day Tallinn, Estonia). His plans came to nothing though and Helsinki remained a tiny town plagued by poverty, war and disease.

The city's status changed somewhat in the 18th century with the building of the naval fortress Sveaborg (today known as Suomenlinna), but it wasn't until the following century that the city came into its own. Russia defeated Sweden in the Finnish War (1808-1809) and annexed Finland as an autonomous Grand Duchy.

In 1812, Tsar Alexander I of Russia (r. 1801-1825) moved the Finnish capital from Turku to Helsinki in a bid to reduce Swedish influence in the country and also to bring the capital closer to St Petersburg. The Great Fire of Turku in 1827 saw the country's only university (now known as the University of Helsinki) being relocated to the new capital, which set the city on a path of continuous growth that has continued up to today.

Statue of Aleksis Kivi, the author of the first significant novel in Finnish

Of all the Scandinavian capitals, Helsinki was the one I knew least about, but since I was in the area it seemed a shame to miss out. However, on the day of my flight (coincidentally my birthday), I began to have second thoughts. At Arlanda airport in Stockholm, the rain was torrential. With Helsinki just a 45 minute flight away, things didn't look good. Thus, I was more than a little surprised to step outside Terminal 1 at Vantaa airport and be hit by a wall of heat! Yes, it was sunny and almost 30°C (86°F)!

I got the bus into town (once I'd remembered to withdraw cash to pay for said bus). Outside Central Station I was staring at my map, trying to make sense of it, when an old man came up to me and asked in English if I needed help. I told him the name of the hotel and he pointed me in the right direction. Having checked in, showered and changed, it was time to explore.

As I made my way down Aleksanterinkatu I was literally stopped in my tracks. I had just caught sight of the most beautiful church I had ever seen – Helsingin tuomiokirkko (Helsinki Cathedral), a HUGE chalk-white, neo-classical Lutheran Cathedral. Built between 1830 and 1852 as a tribute to Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, the Grand Duke of Finland (r. 1825-1855), it was known as St Nicholas' Church until Finland's independence in 1917. It had none of the 'overdone-ness' of St Peter's Basilica, or the showiness of the Duomo – it was just perfect. I was awe-struck. I honestly could have stood and stared at it all day...

The stunning cathedral

Close-up of the central dome

The cathedral interior

  

Statue inside the church

View across Senaatintori (Senate Square)

I finally managed to tear myself away from the cathedral and went to see the rest of the city. On my travels I came across Helsingin vanha kirkko (Helsinki Old Church), a Lutheran church that was designed by the German architect Carl Ludvig Engel (1778-1840) and built between 1824 and 1826.

The simple but nonetheless attractive church

Another stop on the tourist trail was Suomen kansallismuseo (National Museum of Finland). Built in the National Romantic style between 1905 and 1910, it presents a history of Finland from the Stone Age to the present day. I don't usually visit museums on sunny days, but I did see that one. Strangely though, the only thing I remember from that museum is the friendly-looking stone bear outside!

The National Museum

The 58 m-high (190 ft) tower

The friendly-looking stone bear

One of the things I was keen to see was Temppeliaukion kirkko (Temppeliaukio Church), aka The Rock Church, so called because it is hewn out of solid rock and topped with a partially-glazed copper-lined dome.

In the 1930s, a plot of land was chosen for a new church and a competition for the design was launched. But the outbreak of WWII in 1939 put a stop to the plans. In 1961, long after the war, there was another competition, which was won by architects and brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomolainen. However, the project was scaled back to about a quarter of its proposed size due to economic reasons. Construction began in February 1968 and the church was consecrated in September 1969.

The church is VERY popular with tourists, something that became all too apparent when I walked in. Nonetheless, it was worth seeing. Sadly, my photos do not do the place justice!

Inside the Rock Church



Looking back towards the gallery

The free-standing organ

Another must-see was the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Suomenlinna, a sea fortress built on six islands – Iso-Mustasaari, Susisaari, Kustaanmiekka, Pikku-Mustasaari, Länsi-Mustasaari and Långören. Originally called Sveaborg (Fortress of Svea), it was constructed by the Swedish crown in the 18th century as protection against Russian expansion. But in 1808, the fortress surrendered to Russia, leading to the occupation of Finland by Russian forces the following year.


On the boat to Suomenlinna



First view from Iso-Mustasaari



Exploring one of the islands



Looking out to sea

Standing on the ramparts



I wonder where this goes...



Discovering the coastal paths of Suomenlinna

Walking along the coastal path

Coastal artillery guns

Suomenlinna is only accessible by water, but arriving by boat means that you don't get to see how impressive the site really is. Although my photos are hardly the best shots I've ever taken, they're nice enough. However, they definitely don't give readers a proper insight into the fortress. For that reason, I have decided to include a beautiful aerial shot taken from the official site of Suomenlinna.

View of Kustaanmiekka from above (Photo © suomenlinna.fi)

Postcards from... Stockholm

If I'm honest, Stockholm had never been on my radar, but then I realised what a fantastic hub the city's Arlanda airport is and I found myself booking four flights that routed through it. Since I was in the area, it made sense to visit the city. And before I knew it, Stockholm had become part of my itinerary. Unlike the rest of my trip, the weather was absolutely wonderful. It didn't rain once and consequently I spent most of my time outside, just wandering.

Hemlös Räv (Rag and bone with blanket) by Welsh sculptor, Laura Ford

View from one of the many bridges

 

The spire of Riddarholmskyrkan from across the river

 

On my travels I came across a beautiful building, which I stopped to photograph. It turned out to be Riddarhuset (The House of Nobility) dating from the 17th century. The initial planning for the House of Nobility was done by the French architect, Simon de la Vallée, but in 1642, he was killed – somewhat ironically – by a Swedish nobleman! The plans were eventually finished in 1660 by his son, Jean de la Vallée. The building served as the upper house of Parliament, (rather like the UK's House of Lords) until 1866, when it was replaced by the Riksdag (Parliament of Sweden). In 2003, Riddarhuset became a private institution that maintains records and acts as an interest group on behalf of the Swedish nobility.

Riddarhuset with a statue of King Gustaf I (r. 1523-1560) in front

Not far from Riddarhuset, I saw a rather nice church. I couldn't cross the road fast enough to get to it! However, once safely across, a well thought out piece of graffiti caught my eye. I paused to take a photo, knowing that I would be unlikely to remember where I had seen it later. Then it was on to the church.

Graffiti that appealed to me

Dating back to the late 13th century, Riddarholmskyrkan (Riddarholm Church) is one of the oldest buildings in Stockholm. It is also the burial church of the former Swedish monarchs and, with the exception of Queen Christina (r. 1632-1654) who is buried in St Peter's Basilica in Rome, all succeeding rulers from Gustaf II Adolf (r. 1611-1632) to Gustaf V (r. 1907-1950) are buried here. Modern-day Swedish monarchs are buried in Kungliga begravningsplatsen (The Royal Cemetery).

The burial church

Appealing lines

Because I had been sun-starved for so long, I wanted nothing more than to spend my time in the city outdoors. But there was one building I did pay to enter, and that was Kungliga slotted (Royal Palace).

Built on the site of a former fortress, construction began in 1692. Five years later, the palace was complete, only for it to suffer major fire damage that same year. Work to rebuild it commenced immediately, and some 63 years later, the palace was finished for a second time. The palace is the official residence of the Swedish monarch, in this case, King Carl XVI Gustaf and his wife, Queen Silvia of Sweden. With 1,430 rooms, it is one of the largest royal palaces in the world still used for its original purpose.

Marble staircase in the Royal Palace

One of the many ornate chandeliers

The hall of Karl XI (r. 1660-1697), inspired by the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles

Close-up of the ceiling

Vita havet (The White Sea Halls)

A beautiful blue room

 

I had been very obviously taking photos throughout my wanderings in the palace. So when I came to what was now my favourite room, I didn't hesitate to do the same. But the room was pretty dark, the use of flash was banned and I had no tripod so I had to get creative with my picture-taking. To get the least shaky shot possible, I sat on the floor, placed my camera on my guide book and balanced the lens on my purse to get a (slightly) better angle. I took my picture, but I wanted a close up of the ceiling...

 

My favourite room

This time, I crouched down, put my camera squarely on its back on the floor and pressed the button... only to have a security guard rush over and instruct me to cease what I was doing IMMEDIATELY as I was breaking the law! The LAW?! Are you freaking serious?! He was. Apparently Royal Palace law states that you cannot use anything other than your camera to take photos, and that includes floors! As if the floor had done anything other than provide a base for the camera to stand on! I still got my shot though – just look how pretty it is!


The shot that broke the, ummm, law

Having seen what I had come to see (and broken a law that I didn't know existed), I left the palace. But my law-breaking continued outside when, too busy looking up, I accidentally walked through the Royal guard's 'box', which was spray-painted onto the cobbles! The guard had a major sense of humour failure about it too. Perhaps he knew that I had already broken "Royal Palace Law". I beat a hasty retreat and decided to steer clear of the Royal Palace for the rest of my stay!

One of the things I was most interested in seeing was Skogskyrkogården, a gorgeous graveyard – yes, graveyard! Aside from it being gorgeous and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is 'home' to Greta Garbo. I found the graveyard easily enough; Greta Garbo's grave was another matter entirely. It completely eluded me. Thanks to a badly-drawn map on the site, I managed to get to the right area, but I just couldn't see the grave. Despite an hour spent wandering around, the elusive grave remained elusive. Annoyed at myself for (a) not having Googled it before hand, and (b) not having found it, I decided to call it quits and move on to the next thing on the agenda.

 

Rolling green fields that make up Skogskyrkogården (The Woodland Cemetery)

Peace and solitude

 

 

Rows of well-kept graves

 



The giant dark granite cross near the entrance



The next day, less grumpy and more determined, I went back to the cemetery, and persevered until I found what I was looking for. I took some photos of the headstone, and then swung round to take a photo of Greta Garbo's 'view'. And that's when I realised that had I only turned around the day before, I would have seen the grave. I had been standing near those trees at the top of the steps! Doh!

 

Greta Garbo's memorial

 

 

Greta Garbo's 'view'

 

Having given up on Skogskyrkogården the previous day, I headed to Skansen. Founded in 1891, Skansen is the world's second-oldest open-air museum, the oldest being King Oscar II's collection near Oslo, which opened in 1881 and is now incorporated into the Norske Folkemuseum. It was Skansen, however, that became the model for future open-air museums, and the name 'Skansen' has even been used as a noun to refer to such sites.

The entrance

At the entrance I flashed my Stockholm Card, and cursed inwardly when the assistant said it was only valid for a single use. That meant that I would have to see everything in one go, or stump up the SEK 130 (£12/€15/US$21) entrance fee for a second look, which I was reluctant to do. Sadly, seeing everything looked rather unlikely as thanks to more badly-drawn maps (Jeez, what is it with this place?!) I was soon lost, and frustrated. Eventually, I learned to follow the crowds. Someone had to know where they were going, right?

 

Old bike outside a traditional bakery

Three little pigs

 

I trailed the crowds and found myself looking at farmhouses and farm animals, old churches, huts and traditional shops. But perhaps my favourite part was the Akvariet (open-air zoo), mainly because of the ring-tailed lemurs. Visitors to the zoo walk right through the lemurs' enclosure – you get close enough to touch them! – and as I was climbing some steps, I paused to take a photo of a lemur dozing on them, completely oblivious to the passers-by!

Lemur dozing on the very steps I had to walk up!

I saw as much of Skansen as I could take. What I hadn't seen would have to wait till another time because I was off to Vasamuseet, which is the most visited museum in Scandinavia.

The museum houses the 17th century warship, Vasa, which sank in 1628 on its maiden voyage after just 20 minutes of sailing. In 1961, some 333 years after the sinking, it was recovered from the Baltic sea. Seeing the ship up close was incredible, as was finding out about the history. I was impressed with all the reconstruction work they've done, especially with the faces of the 30 or so people who died.

The mighty Vasa which sank after just 20 minutes of sailing

Of all the Scandinavian capitals, Stockholm was my least favourite, although looking back at these photos, I have no idea why. Perhaps it was the palace law-breaking? After all, I managed to avoid such incidents in Oslo, Copenhagen and Helsinki. Or perhaps it was just that Stockholm is the biggest and therefore busiest of the capitals, and as much as I like cities, I am a small-town (or even country) girl at heart. Either way, revisiting it virtually has made me want to revisit it for real. Maybe one day I will, although next time I'll try not to break any laws!