Helsinki, Finland

Next stop was the Finnish capital, Helsinki.

 

This is the Sibelius Monument, or the “Love of Music.”  It’s an abstract work of 600 pipes (like a pipe organ) to commemorate Finland’s greatest composer, Jean Sibelius.  Apparently, the artist only wanted to include the pipes as a monument to the composer, but critics forced her to add a bust of the man… which adds a striking contrast.

 

Inside the “Love of Music.”

 

It’s one of the most popular tourist sites…

 

As Rick Steves says, it’s a forest of pipes in a forest of pipes.

 

In Wisconsin, we have Frank Lloyd Wright’s House on the Rock.  Well, this is the Church in the Rock.  It was built in 1969 and blasted out of solid granite.  Underneath the church is an air raid shelter for 6,000 people.

 

The center of the roof, which is made up of 13 miles of copper coil.

 

A typical house.

 

The Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral (that’s Finnish Orthodox … answering to the patriarch in Istanbul).  The cathedral was built in 1868 for the Russian military… back when Finland was a part of Russia.  There are 12 onion shaped domes (in orthodox fashion) that represent the 12 apostles.

 

Food in Market Square.  Delicious and fresh.  I love street food.

 

Anchovies.  Yumm.

 

Grilled salmon with berries.  We tried this and it was spectacular.

 

This is the Three Blacksmiths Statue.  It was built in 1932 and although I can’t find an officially intended meaning, I would say it seems to capture the spirit of hard work and cooperation pretty well.  Those are of course good Finnish traits as well.

 

That wraps up our brief stay in Finland.  Next up, the land of ice…

 

Until then…

 

–Jim