Day 12

We left the Torni Hotel at 4:00 am, in a taxi. We flew from Helsinki to Amsterdam, where we had a 5-hour layover. We explored the airport and ate dinner. Our second plane took off at 1:00 pm, and landed in Minneapolis 9 hours later. Local time was 3:00 pm. What a wonderful trip!

Day 11

We ate our last breakfast at the Torni restaurant. I will miss the ready-made hot breakfasts every day! We took a walk along the coast, trying to find the American Embassy, but we never found it. We ate again at the outdoor market for lunch, and then did some last-minute shopping at Stockmann.

Niklas picked us up and we spent our final evening in Finland at his home with his family. They have been so hospitable. I even managed some primitive communication with 2-year-old Tessie, who knows Swedish and Finnish but not English.

Tanja served us mushroom quiche, coffee, and rolls for supper. We sat and talked for a few hours, and then Niklas brought us back to our hotel so we could pack.

Day 10

We spent the morning finding tourist T-shirts at the new mall (Simonkentta), Stockmann (a large department store), and the outdoor market. Dan bought me a wall hanging with real flowers (called Bee Flowers) pressed between glass, for Mother's Day. The flowers were found in Finland, and we bought the hanging at the outdoor market. We ate at the outdoor market for lunch - reindeer brats and fresh salmon with puella (rice and veggies).

We relaxed in the hotel all afternoon, and at supper at a bar-and-grill called the Iguana. The Finnish take on Mexican food was very good, and I had my first "foo-foo" drink: a strawberry daiquiri. Yum!

Day 9

Today after Dan went to work, Tanja picked up Alan and I, and took us sightseeing. First we saw the "rock church" which is basically a church carved into the underground rock. Next we went to an island that contained an outdoor museum. There were many old buildings such as houses and churches. The buildings had been moved there from various places in Finland. We walked through a house that was 200 years old. It was interesting to imagine who might have lived there (the tour guide said probably a wealthy farmer and his family and servants) and what the house looked like when it was new.

Then we went to lunch at a small, old-fashioned cafe. We were the only ones there, so we could nurse and change our babies in the middle of the place!

Next, Tanja took us to the Orthodox Church. It was beautiful and ornate with an extremely high ceiling and paintings of the saints. Then we walked around both the indoor and outdoor markets by the sea. Tanja bought Alan a little stuffed moose wearing a Finland sweater. The outdoor market had booths selling souvenirs, handmade items, and fresh food.

Later that afternoon, the men of Sparklike and their wives/girlfriends took us on a sightseeing dinner cruise. We saw the coastline and islands, including Fort Suomenlinna which we had visited earlier in the week. The food was amazing, including reindeer, fresh fish, and cheese covered in cloudberry sauce. Cloudberries are only found in Finland. I bought some cloudberry jam at the indoor market, which sells high quality fresh foods. We also bought some sweet dessert wine there.

Day 8

For some reason, I was exhausted when I woke up this morning. Maybe it takes this long for jet lag to catch up with us? Or maybe it's because the sun doesn't set until after 10:00 pm, so we stay up quite late every night. We had breakfast downstairs, and after Dan left for work, Alan and I both took a 2 hour nap! It felt great. For lunch, we walked to the Wayne's Coffee where all the mothers and babies gather. As usual, there were tons of them there.

I learned yesterday that Finland has two official languages: Swedish and Finnish. Especially along the coast (which is where Helsinki is) a lot of people speak Swedish. That is from when Sweden took over Finland, but only felt a need to inhabit and protect the coast. So the mothers at Wayne's Coffee may have been speaking Finnish or Swedish. I cannot tell the difference.

In Niklas and Tanja's home, Niklas speaks Swedish to the children and Tanja speaks Finnish. They know both, and in this way their children will also. They called themselves "bilingual" because of this . . . all the while speaking English fluently as well. They are actually "trilingual"! They can choose whether to send their children to a Swedish or Finnish school. (Niklas and Tanja plan to send Tessie and Robert to a Swedish school.)

It is also fun for me to watch MTV while Alan is taking his naps, because it seems they are playing songs that aren't big in the US yet. It could be that I am just out of touch with what's on MTV.

Tonight we went to Mats' house for dinner. He and his girlfriend, Mia, live in an apartment here in Helsinki. They have a balcony on both sides, looking out to the city. They served us a wonderful goat cheese "teaser" - I wish I knew how to make it! The meal was from the grill: stuffed mushrooms, corn on the cob, and pork sirloin.

Day 7

Today at breakfast Niklas joined us for a few minutes for a cup of coffee. Dan left for work, and Alan and I went out to compare prices on tourist T-shirts.

Mats and Dan picked us up for lunch at an "American" burger joint. It was not like America, though, because the meal came with vegetables and didn't taste all that greasy.

Alan and I took a short walk in the afternoon, but he wasn't all that interested, so we came back.

We spent the evening having dinner at Niklas's brand new house. We met his wife, Tanja, and hs children, Tessie and Robert. The food was amazing - orderves (okay I know that's not the correct spelling) of salmon, herring, potatoes, and salad; a main dish of sirloin steak; 3 cheeses; and brownies with ice cream and berries for dessert. Every course came with special wine - Niklas has a wine cellar with what looked like almost 100 bottles.

Dan fit right in with the guys from Sparklike as they discussed hunting, woodworking, and electronics. I enjoyed talking with Tanja. Robert is 2 and 1/2 months old, and we are both staying home with our babies.

Day 6

Another wonderful breakfast! Dan left with Niklas, and Alan and I set out to explore the streets. I wanted to find a shop I had seen where they sell dollhouses and miniatures, but we never did find that. We enjoyed the sunlight, though!

We me Dan, Niklas, Miika, and Mieku for lunch at an Italian restaurant. Italian food here seems a lot more flavorful and authentic than in the US.

After lunch, we all walked past the train station to a place Niklas called "the mothers' meeting place". All it was, was the corner of a mall with a Wayne's Coffee in it where tons of moms and babies were hanging out. I decided to come back later (with the stroller) so we all walked back to the Torni.

The men went back to Sparklike, and Alan and I went back to "the mothers' meeting place". It wasn't really a place for an American like me to meet new people - everyone looked like they were there with friends - but I had a nice cup of Cafe Mocha.

Alan and I also toured the brand new mall, which I believe is called Simonkentta. It is HUGE and links right to the bus station. There is an underground tunnel connecting it to he Forum Mall.

Late in the afternoon, we met Dan, Niklas, and Miika up on the 13th floor of the Torni, which is a bar overlooking the entire city of Helsinki. We could see for miles in every direction. It was breathtaking. The Fins wanted to make sure I tried out the women's toilet, so I went. It boasts 3 large windows, so you can admire the view while you go!

Niklas made Dan and I reservations at the Serata, a small Italian eatery. It was so romantic! We had a small, candlelit table for 2, elevated in the display window of the restaurant. Alan got to sit in a high chair for his first time! (He had to be propped with a pillow, my sweatshirt, and the waiter's apron.) We enjoyed the lamb pasta and the friendly waiter very much.

Then we explored the Simonkentta Mall together. Dan bought a jacket since he forgot to bring one. We checked out the grocery store and then headed back to our hotel room.

Day 5

Today we ate breakfast and then Dan was picked up by Niklas for his first day of work at Sparklike. Alan and I explored the Forum Mall, ate lunch at Wayne's Coffee, and then spent the afternoon indoors while we listened to the rain and hail pour down outside.

By the time Dan returned, it had cleared up. Dan took some time to make notes of all he had learned at Sparklike, and then we set out for dinner. Niklas had recommended "Belge", a Belgian restaurant. We ate on the second floor at a table for 2. Dan had steak and I had lamb! Alan cried a lot so I needed to pace back and forth through the restaurant, but the other guests didn't seem to mind.

Day 4

Today we began again with a leisurely breakfast at the Torni Restaurant. After Alan finished his nap, we covered him with sunblock and started our journey to find the sea. As we began walking, we felt droplets and it started to rain full force! We almost gave up, but soon the rain let up.

As we made our way toward the coast, we saw many old, ornate buildings including the Lutheran Cathedral and the Bank of Finland. We even heard some worshippers singing hymns in (we think) Russian, through the open doors of a church we passed.

We finally reached the coast. There were many sailboats, tour boats, and ferries to be seen. The rain had been coming off and on, so we decided to take a gamble and visit the island fort called Suomenlinna. We rode a ferry to get there - a short distance, maybe 10 minutes. When we arrived, it began to rain steadily. We darted between the old buildings and archways, trying to stay dry (and keep Alan dry!) while looking for a place to go inside. Pretty soon Alan was crying his hardest and we were getting soaked. Finally we stepped into the Visitors' Center. It took 10-15 minutes to calm Alan down, but eventually he fell asleep like a limp rag in my arms. When we walked back outside, the sun's rays were greeting us warmly. What strange weather!

We made our way to the Restaurant/Brewery and had an AMAZING lunch buffet. It's a good thing it tasted so good, because our bill was 62 Euros! (About $80) Meals seem to be quite expensive here.

We explored the Naval Training Academy on the island until the skies began to look threatening again. We couldn't tell if our ferry ticket was "round trip" (since it was printed in Finnish) so we had to ask a clerk at one of the shops. (It was!)

We ferried back to Helsinki, where it was pouring rain. With Dan holding Alan close, we made our way through the streets, hugging the walls of the tall buildings. It even hailed for a couple minutes! But we made it eventually. It was an adventure.

We were so tired when we got to our hotel room that we all 3 fell asleep in one bed. We slept until 9 pm - only to discover that not many restaurants were open for dinner at that time on a Sunday. We did eventually find a Pizza Hut in the mall.

Then we came back and called our mothers to say Happy Mother's Day, and went to bed.

Day 3

We began our day today with breakfast in the Torni Restaurant. We think that maybe breakfast is the big meal of the day here. There was so much! Tart berries, fruit, small pancakes, eggs, sausage, many different breads, cheese, tomatoes, juice, and coffee.

We walked through the city for hours. The buildings often have intricate carvings in the stone. We alked through the "Forum" Mall, down the main drag (called Aleksanderinkatu), and through a few shops. Our goal was to find Finland T-shirts for all three of us, but we didn't see any anywhere! We did see some neat statues, but we could not read any of the plaques explaining them. We also saw a lady in the park who had trained her dog AND THREE CATS to do tricks!

We ate lunch at a little cafe. There was no English on the menu, so we went by the pictures and tried to order in Finnish.

Dan bought a nice backpack at the North Face to use for business travel. All I bought today were a few postcards.

We ate supper at an upscale restaurant on Aleksanderinkatu. Some of the fine cuisine included salmon, asparagus, poached egg, reindeer, and baked Alaskan.

We also rented 30 minutes of internet use for 3 Euros, to send a couple emails back home.

Day 2

Today we had a nice flight to Amsterdam. We left Minneapolis at 7:00 pm, so it became dark within a few hours and people began to sleep. But we were literally "flying into the next day," so at about 1:00 am, sunlight began streaming through the windows and they served breakfast! Alan stayed awake (with small naps) as long as there was sun, and therefore jumped into the Helsinki time zone right away.

We waited at Amsterdam Airport for what turned out to be only 3 hours, and then we took a short 2-hour flight to Helsinki.

Mats, a man who works for Sparklike (the Finnish company where Dan will be training all week), picked us up at the airport.

The streets are winding and curvy, with fast-moving traffic and many pedestrians in Helsinki. The Hotel Torni (which I learned means "Tower") in newly renovated, very modern, and beautiful.

We learned quickly that in Finland, MANY more people can be crammed in an elevator than back home, and it is still socially acceptable. Ever since these initial "sardine" experiences, we have preferred to take the stairs.

Alan doesn't seem sure when to sleep or eat, or why the sun is out when it would normally be night time. He woke up twice last night to eat, but for the most part slept during the hours between his feedings.

This evening we took a short walk down the street from our hotel and ate supper at Wayne's Coffee. It's different not being able to read the menu! Good food, though.

FDR has rented us a double room, and we slept well tonight.

Day 1

Today we left Minneapolis on a plane bound for Amsterdam. We will arrive at 3:15 am (Minnesota time), 10:15 am (Amsterdam time). There we will have a 5 hour layover and then head to Helsinki, Finland. Dan's company, FDR Design, is sending him to visit a company in Finland to learn about their product, which FDR distributes in the US.

Alan is 4 and 1/2 months old and has (so far) traveled quite well. He enjoyed the stroller rise through the airport, took a bottle as we were boarding, and has been asleep for most of the flight. FDR kindly bought Alan his own seat on the plane, so he's got it better than anyone, in his reclining carseat.

My mom happened to be at the airport, returning from a business trip to Chicago, to see us off. That was fun, and I could see how happy she was to hold Alan before we left.

I hope we will all get a good night's sleep tonight on this airplane!