Finland is the same size as Germany, but has 80 million fewer people.

What’s happening in Ukraine at the moment is history repeating itself. At the end of the Second World War, Stalin decided to annexe Finland. After a hard-fought war, Finland kept its independence, but had to give up 12% of its territory…  not surprisingly, the parts rich in natural resources.

This is why Finland felt it had no choice but to join NATO in 2023. Can’t say I blame them.

Finland has free education for everyone. No private schools, and every university degree is free. No one graduates with debt. I wish we had the same in Australia. Their taxes are high, but as the city guide said, “ No one complains about taxes here, because we get our money’s worth. Free healthcare, a year’s maternity leave at 80% pay, cheap childcare, generous unemployment benefits… the list goes on.

Sibelius monument.

An abstract homage to his music. 600 stainless steel tubes resembling an organ. It was very controversial in its day, so they added a mask of Sibelius in his prime to keep the old codgers happy.

You’re allowed to climb up and under it to see the whole sculpture. It’s terrific.

Our city guide was taking pics of the couples in the group. Wanda and I are a couple, I guess. She’s been to 7 continents with me, after all.

The Rock Church is the local Lutheran church. 

It was opened in 1969, just 2 years younger than the Sibelius monument.

Instead of putting the church on top of the granite hill, the architects embedded the church in the granite, using dynamite to blast a hole.

The hole is covered by a copper dome, and the interior is covered by concentric copper circles/cables.

The colours of the roof and the rocks are just lovely.

Next, we were off to the public library.

Outside the library was a huge crowd of tweens dancing and lip-synching to K-Pop music. They come here every Sunday.

Here’s some who have gone all out, with costumes.

We were taken inside the library. Every public building that is built here has to have an element of art. This double helix stairwell has words that were submitted to the artist by the public, adjectives describing people they know and care about. Some are complimentary, others, probably submitted as a joke, are not. But aside from a couple of omissions, the artist used them all, to show that everyone, even your flatulent alcoholic uncle, is welcome at the library.

Alexander II of Russia. He’s the one who sold Alaska to the US.
Big mistake. Huge…

This is the Orthodox Church, which was built by the Russians in 1860. It’s stunning.

The city guide was asked how Finland feels about Sweden and Russia, seeing as both those countries used to rule over them at different times.

”The relationship Finland has with Sweden is like that of having a beloved big brother. He annoys us, because he likes to tell us what to do, and the annoying thing is that he’s usually right. But when we meet up overseas, we are best buddies and we have each other’s backs. We love each other.

” Russia is like a mother-in-law… the bad kind. She has power and you try to stay away because if you say or do something she doesn’t like, then you’re in a world of trouble.”

Scott and I met up in the foyer of OUR hotel. Yes, not only are we in the same city at the same time, we’re in the same hotel. Too easy!

We walked around a craft market, where I bought a Finland Christmas decoration for my epic tree, then we took ourselves off to a little art gallery with an eclectic collection.

Scott got excited when we found a room full of Ugly Medieval Babies.

Buff baby, this one. He’d knock the devil right out of you, he would.

What is on his forehead??? And why does he look like a middle-aged bank manager sizing you up after you asked for a mortgage?

When Scott was in the locker room getting his backpack stowed away, I saw an image on a magnet, and after making sure I’d actually see it in the museum, I bought it. I loved the image so much. When we went into the room it was in, I asked Scott to guess which painting I loved. He chose this one.

Nope.

It was this one. It wasn’t until I read the label that I realised it was a Rembrandt. Maybe this means I have excellent taste. I can’t get over the use of light.

As we were walking away from the museum later, a memory came back to me. I think I may have seen this painting before, in an exhibition at the NGV when I was a student and I was captivated by it then as well.

We were almost at our hotel when all hell broke loose. Something was going on in the street behind. Police, ambulance, and fairies were all there, lights and sirens flashing. It was huge.
When we came back that way an hour and a half later on our way to dinner, you wouldn’t know that anything out of the ordinary had ever happened there.

Then I met a wire-haired dachshund at the tram stop! She was so friendly. Just one more week to go, Scout.

Scott told me that the restaurant he booked was his favourite in Helsinki, and it was a little quirky.
I tell you, when he opened the door, I was not expecting to see a cow.

It’s set up like a Finnish farm. It’s all hearty, Finnish food. I had the meatballs with mashed potatoes and it was great, but very filling.

Who would have thought that two friends who live on opposite sides of the world would be in Shanghai and Helsinki on the same days in the same year?

Life is pretty amazing.

Dad joke of the day: