Week 10
Helsinki | 9/8
I extended my stay in Helsinki by one day. There was too much I still had on my “todo” list to wait for a return visit. I took the morning ferry to the island of Suomenlinna (literally: “the castle of Finland”) which served as an old Swedish defense outpost for the city. It’s mostly empty nowadays, with some ruins of old forts and guardhouses you can walk around (a little bit like Governor’s Island in NYC). Only a short ferry ride (10 minutes) from the main harbor of the city, Suomenlinna feels much further away. It’s incredibly quiet out here and makes for an excellent place to reflect, whether you’re chilling in a meadow, inside some battlements, or on a Baltic beach with the waves calmly lapping at the shore. There’s some history here, too, that I neglected to pay attention to. Oh well, maybe I’ll come back for a tour next time.
I returned to town to visit the famous Design Museum, where the main exhibition was on some unique tapestry work. Lots of the weaves featured portrayals of scary creatures (like spiders) or true monsters (from Finnish mythology). There was a small section downstairs with an exhibition on Finnish design principles, resembling the Design Museum in Copenhagen. Overall, I thought the building was beautiful, but I found the actual museum to be a bit small for its purpose.
In the evening, I had planned a cruise on the Baltic. As the only foreigner on board, and as a solo traveler, I felt a little out of place, but I quickly made friends with the friendly party-goers by dancing with them (this got progressively easier as the crowd got progressively drunker). The DJ started out with September, so I knew it was going to be a good ride (if not a bit old for my music taste), but the highlight by far was hearing the Finnish masterpiece Cha Cha Cha for the first time “in the wild” and seeing the entire boat get on its feet and scream the chorus together. I can’t think of a better or more authentic cultural experience. The sunset from the water was also nice, I guess.
Tallinn | 9/9 - 9/12
Far too early the next morning, I returned to Tallinn (though a part of me feels like I should’ve stayed in Helsinki, I couldn’t take any more lost sunk costs). I spent my “morning” (with a liberal definition for that word) perusing some of the old town museums that I had missed on my single day in the city previously. The highlights included nostalgic old castle walls, the spooky Bastion tunnels, and a massive tower complete with a full medieval armory.
After my museum excursions, I wandered out of the old town to see some of the more “authentic” (gentrification still exists, hence my quotation marks) parts of Tallinn. Specifically, I went to watch the sunset from Linnahall—an old Soviet concert hall now left in disrepair. It’s covered in graffiti and art and is sadly slated to be destroyed near the end of the year due to the use of hazardous materials and shoddy construction practices that make it dangerous to leave standing for the public to climb on. After roaming the grounds, on a recommendation from my hostel’s manager, I decided to wait in a 2-hour queue to see the final day of a quirky art exhibit inside. Though the wait was far too long for the reward, the inside of the old concert hall was cool. It felt pulled straight out of a time machine, and then mixed with a haunted house. Inside, there were leaks in the ceiling, no electricity, and strange art sculptures everywhere, the effects of which were amplified by the fact that the sun had just set outside. The echoes and the flashing lights from some of the exhibits also made for a really neat atmosphere. I’m very glad I got to see this place before it’s gone for good.
I wandered back into old town via Tellisiviki (passing the Fotografiska Museum at night, which has a quaint little patio with Christmas lights strung about for atmosphere) and absorbed the sounds and sights of a few bars and restaurants (including a couple of karaoke places, which is a very popular activity here) before calling an early night and heading off to bed.
The following day, my first exciting excursion was to the KGB Museum in the Viru Hotel. Built in the 70s by the Soviets for hosting foreign visitors to Estonia, many of the rooms were extensively bugged for spying by the KGB officers who kept residence among the maintenance corridors on the top floor. The hotel has left much of the original equipment intact and nowadays hosts a small museum that explains some of the history of life under the Soviet state and the spying technologies used in the hotel. Plus, you get some great rooftop views of the old town.
In the evening, I wandered out to the water to explore some of the seaside. This area of Tallinn is even less crowded than the center and has a very relaxing (if not bougie) atmosphere. There are restaurants, bars, and even saunas sparsely lining the waterfront, and the new port makes an excellent place to dangle your legs off the pier and ponder your innermost thoughts. I made my way back into town as the sun set, and serendipitously heard salsa music playing from a pavilion near the main square. I wandered over and found a lively Latin dance social taking place, and decided to stay and dance a bit. I was shy at first because I was out of practice, but by the end of the night, I had made a few Estonian friends, revived some of my latent dance knowledge, and even attempted to participate in a rueda circle (though I forgot most of the call-outs). I went home feeling full and happy.
My next day started outside the city, with an excursion to the old TV tower. Boasting a 175m lookout platform, this structure really gives you a perspective on Tallinn and the surrounding area (most of which is green space, which makes the tower an excellent place to stare into the distance and lose yourself in the beauty of Estonia’s nature). I wasn’t feeling especially brave, but the tower also offers an “off-the-rails” experience which allows you to walk outside of the protective fence (with a safety harness on, of course) to get up close and personal with the edge (even leaning off or dangling your legs over the edge if you dare). Instead, I settled for watching a terrified German man tentatively touch the edge of the platform with his toe before scurrying back toward the wall. I also sat in peaceful silence and enjoyed a cup of coffee in the skyline cafe at the top of the tower.
Later that day, I spent more time exploring the art of Tellisiviki. I also found a small playground with ziplines, ropes, and slacklines, and embraced my inner child for a good few hours, while also making sure to indulge in ice cream and running through the streets for added effect. Though quiet, Tallinn definitely has beautiful, relaxing, aesthetically pleasing spaces that make it an excellent place to spend a trip with good company. I feel it’d be too quiet for me to live here, but I would certainly return for a holiday.
My final day in Estonia wasn’t so eventful. My morning was the most exciting part—I spent my morning traveling out to the Pirita area to explore the ruins of an old convent. This place reminded me strongly of some of the similar structures in the UK (in Scotland particularly), and for a second I forgot I was even in Eastern Europe. I also tried delicious cinnamon buns, cafe-hopped, and relaxed in the afternoon before heading to the airport for an 11:30pm (delayed to 1am, thanks Ryan Air) flight to Sweden.
Stockholm | 9/13 - 9/14
My first day in Stockholm started rather grumpily. It was cold and rainy outside, and I missed my morning walking tour because I had misremembered the start time and woken up 30 minutes too late. I dodged the rain and took advantage of free snacks in the nearby Google office before wandering into the old town to visit the Nobel Prize museum. Under reconstruction at present, the museum was a bit small and disappointing, but there were some neat artifacts inside (including a letter written by Albert Einstein and Malala’s scarf). I also stopped in the Medieval Stockholm museum, which wasn’t especially stunning, but which was free!
Thankfully the rain started to abate in the afternoon and I wandered to Sodermalm (the big island south of the old town) for a walking tour of the hipster part of the city. We saw viewpoints, churches, and of course, plenty of art as I slowly froze to death, as I was fully inadequately dressed for the lack of sun and biting wind. I headed back home to warm up before making one more excursion into the city at night. Disappointingly, lots of places were closed or empty for a Wednesday (by NYC standards), so my wanderings remained just that. I went home and retired early for (what I hoped to be) a better day the next day.
My Thursday was moderately more eventful. I redeemed myself by making my old town walking tour in the morning, where I learned a bit more about medieval Sweden and the development of the city of Stockholm from the 1300s to the 1600s. I didn’t have much time afterward before heading off to a Viking tour of medieval Stockholm, led by a charismatic and dramatic guide who embraced the theme of the tour, complete with a full Viking outfit and a massive wooden shield. This was a fun tour—we learned about Viking history, culture, customs, food, music, and more. Though these people never actually lived in Gamla Stan (the old town), the tour was a fun excursion through Swedish history.
In the evening, I spent more time wandering around the city and went to a rooftop bar for sunset. Stockholm feels much larger and more cosmopolitan than the other Scandinavian cities, and it’s not a spirit I’m sure I like despite its resemblance to NYC (in this way). In fact, I’m a bit disappointed with the vibe of this place based on my high expectations. It feels too urban, to the point where some of the Swedish charm of the local culture is lost or absent entirely. People have the big-city blaze and aren’t as friendly as they are in Tallinn or Helsinki, stereotypes about Scandinavians and strangers aside. And though the city is plenty historic, it feels like it’s missing something that I can’t quite put my finger on. I don’t not enjoy this city, but it’s not quite the experience I thought it would be. Perhaps in the coming days it can redeem itself.
