Not Leaving Helsinki - Exploring the Design District

Before we get on with my adventures for the day, I'd like to talk a little about Finnish food.  I can't eat a bunch of it because it contains stuff like reindeer (I don't eat anything with four legs...especially those that would rather be pulling Santa's sled) and other red meats.  Yes, fish and shellfish do play a major role in the Finns' diet (like herring, salmon, and crayfish) but there are a lot of four legged critters in there.

Yesterday, I tried salmon soup, which is now one of my favorite foods.  I also had Tippaleipä, Finnish funnel cakes after mistakenly thinking they were an Easter treat (hey, they look like little bird's nests, which led me to think of eggs....).

So today, I did a bit of research and headed out to get some more traditionally Finnish foods that I can eat.

This is a traditional Easter treat - Mämmi.  Made with water, rye flour, and powdered malted rye, seasoned salt, and dried powdered Seville orange zest it's an odd kind of bread pudding.  It was marked down as Easter is over, so I thought I'd give it a try.  According to my research, it usually develops a sweetness while being chilled 3-4 days after it's made.  When made commercially, it's usually sweetened with molasses...and this certainly tastes of molasses.  Kind of a weird combination of rye and molasses.  Not a bad weird, but just unusual.  I'll try it with milk poured over it, which is one of the traditional ways to eat it.

This is a Finnish cinnamon bun, Korvapuusti.  It will be my breakfast tomorrow. With coffee, because the Finns drink the most coffee of any European nation.  And eat the most cinnamon buns

These are Karjalanpiirakka, well mini ones actually.  They generally will fit in the palm of your hand and these are about half the size of traditionally prepared ones.  The pastry is made with a rye crust and filled with either potatoes, rice, or carrots (these are rice filled). I nibbled the edge of one and they're not sweet at all...kinda bread-y and starchy.  Different, but not in a bad way.

I'll keep searching for more fun foods, but I'm doing pretty well I think :).

OK, so I couldn't sleep last night and decided not to stress myself out by trying to get up early.  If I don't go to Tallinn, I don't go to Tallinn.  It would be cool to go to Estonia, but I won't cry if I spend the whole time here in Finland.

So, I decided to explore the Design District.  My apartment is on the edge of it and I see a lot of home shops and clothing stores all around here.  I also wanted to check out another market that I figured out was closer to me than Market Square: Hietalahden kauppahalli.

So I set off with a map and my backpack.  Google maps had let me down yesterday, so I decided to try old school navigation.  I only got turned around a couple of times (thanks to my directional disfunctionalism) but I eventually got there...

There is a building and a big lot in front of it.  Only one thing was missing...

Vendors in front of the building.  Well, there were a couple of brave souls, but it's too early in the season for the flea market that exists in warmer weather. Inside are just bars and restaurants for the most part.

I decided to go exploring.  This city appeals to me because it's full of cool buildings...a lot of them Art Nouveau.

And a lot of buildings with turrets.

And Art Nouveau turrets.

This is a hotel...almost makes me want to switch to staying in hotels.  Doubt I could afford it though...

This one is cool too...

And I think I found the most awesome door EVER.

I believe I've discovered that I am drawn to the Art Nouveau.  In Vienna, it was the Secessionsstil, in Glasgow, it was Mackintosh, and here it is the Jugendstil (word stolen from the Germans).  Yesterday, we saw the awesome train station and today

I spied this little beauty. I am sure the building has a name and a famous architect...I need to keep looking.  This was directly behind

St. John's Church is in the middle of the Design District.  It is a lovely brick Neogothic church on the top of another hill

This is the back side.  I did go inside and lit a candle for my Nana...but no photos.

I did find the vintage shop I had been looking for, which was cool.  rooms and rooms of glass, crystal, china and furniture.  I picked up a couple of small, local, vintage items.

Tomorrow will be a surprise!