4 days in Helsinki

bavarian lioness · Post by **bavarian lioness** » Mon May 25, 2009 10:42 pm

Hi there!!
I have the chance to visit Helsinki for 4/5 days in November

!
So, I want to plan a tight program with events I shouldn't miss:
a) sightseeing, museum, art b) Finnish soul food c) shopping highlights d) night clubbing

, dancing

How will the weather be at that time of the year? Coming originally from East Africa lionesses don't feel
comfy in cold areas! Do I have to wear a bear's skin in order to keep my bones warm?

Thanks in advance for the incoming information

**Sponsor:**

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Mon May 25, 2009 11:57 pm

About the season - November competes with December of being typically the worst month in Helsinki. Maybe you get lucky, but cloudy with occasional rain and temperatures only bit above zero in day time is quite likely in order. Sorry. And if you don't have previous experience of these latitudes in that season - it will be quite dark (more so of course in late November).

(As for the sights, I generally find these kind of questions easier if you can say what you usually like or some examples of those things.)

bavarian lioness · Post by **bavarian lioness** » Tue May 26, 2009 12:17 am

Thanks Rip!

Well, I would like to see somethings that are very typical for Finish people.
I am experimental and curious- taste exotic food, listen to your music - just get a hint of the Finish way of life.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Tue May 26, 2009 2:45 am

bavarian lioness wrote: I have the chance to visit Helsinki for 4/5 days in November !

Haben Sie keine DDR Themeparken, oder haben Sie grosser Masochismus?

bavarian lioness · Post by **bavarian lioness** » Tue May 26, 2009 10:39 am

Pursuivant wrote:
Haben Sie keine DDR Themeparken, oder haben Sie grosser Masochismus?

I should be the same masochist if I stayed in Bavaria in November - not very much different from your weather up there in the North!

Check out your dictionary, Pursuivant! Here's some homework to do for you:

Ich habe die Brünhildes satt hier; möchte zur Abwechslung einige Nordlichter sehen

sinikala · Post by **sinikala** » Tue May 26, 2009 12:43 pm

bavarian lioness wrote:a) sightseeing, museum, art b) Finnish soul food c) shopping highlights d) night clubbing , dancing

a) http://www.helsinki.fi/en/index/taideja ... telyt.html

b) With the exception of reindeer hash there are few native dishes. Most are French style imported via Russia, or swedish style. There is an obsession with Mex-Ital and Kebabs. Most young people save their money and skip straight to (d).

Soul food ... for most young women that appears to comprise of 0.25-0.50 kg of salmiakki (salty licquorice) sweets obtained from the pick'n'mix section of the local supermarket or video store, combined with a few cans of tramp fuel.

c) http://www.stockmann.fi/portal/en/

d) if your aim is to go out and get out of your tree as quickly as possible you'll fit right in.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Tue May 26, 2009 11:04 pm

Sightseeing: Many of the nicer things would require a better weather. You'll probably see the Temppeliaukio church anyway... Go to the Ateljee Bar of Torni Hotel. Unless it has dramatically improved during the past year, it is not a good bar as such, but it there is no other public access place to compete for the view in down town.

Food: Fried Herrings or preferably vendance perhaps. As restaurants, moderately priced places that serve decent food which (at least largely) I could call Finnish would be 'seahorse', 'salve' and 'kolme kruunua' (no personal experience of the last one). Sure, most of it could be called either Swedish or Russian, but that is Finland . at the border of eastern and western Europe for thousand years.

And less you have some specific things you want to look for, then you can do the window and other shopping in a rather small central area. Stockmann department store, Academic book store next to it (with a certain architectural value as building interior), both of the largest in the country, and then down Pohjoisesplanadi road with shops of Iittala, Marimekko, Aarikka and others. Artek store in Eteläesplanadi and some just south of the Senate square. I don't think there anything interesting on the outdoor markets in that season

I'm not really into nightclubbing or dancing and I'm a fan of Belgian beers so perhaps I can't be much help with those.

bavarian lioness · Post by **bavarian lioness** » Tue May 26, 2009 11:21 pm

Many thanks, sinikala, rip!

Sounds already very interesting, I browsed Culture & Cuisine and there are lots of restaurants mentioned. I guess in the end I'll have
to much information and can't decide on what to do first.

Sinikala, I 'm going to taste the drinks you have but I intend to stay sober.

Last year, I went to club here in Munich where a Finish band happend to play - I only remeber the "Humppa" ELÄkÄ.. sth - we had a very good time dancing!

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Tue May 26, 2009 11:38 pm

bavarian lioness wrote:Last year, I went to club here in Munich where a Finish band happend to play - I only remeber the "Humppa" ELÄkÄ.. sth - we had a very good time dancing!

Eläkeläiset

bavarian lioness · Post by **bavarian lioness** » Tue May 26, 2009 11:46 pm

Upphew, I'll repeat this word till November!

sinikala · Post by **sinikala** » Wed May 27, 2009 1:57 am

bavarian lioness wrote:Sinikala, I 'm going to taste the drinks you have but I intend to stay sober.

This is the local speciality...
http://www.salmiakkikossu.com/
it´s vile, and nobody seriously drinks it, it´s just a curiosity for tourists.

bavarian lioness wrote:Last year, I went to club here in Munich where a Finish band happend to play - I only remeber the "Humppa" ELÄkÄ.. sth - we had a very good time dancing!

I´m betting that you´re also a fan of Hermany´s favourite albino

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Wed May 27, 2009 4:19 pm

Mullet & Moustasche attack!

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Wed May 27, 2009 4:59 pm

sinikala wrote:
bavarian lioness wrote:Sinikala, I 'm going to taste the drinks you have but I intend to stay sober.
This is the local speciality...
http://www.salmiakkikossu.com/
it´s vile, and nobody seriously drinks it, it´s just a curiosity for tourists.

Yeah, nobody drinks it _anymore_, 'cause they drank it so much when they were in their teens (or at least I did..if I remember right, somehow I don't quite remember when that was)

Now it is Fisu, or is there already new shot to replace that?

bavarian lioness · Post by **bavarian lioness** » Fri May 29, 2009 3:49 pm

Ahaahaha! Hicks!

Oh, Heino, isn't he the blond guy who got his red eyes from drinking too much, staying too much indoors staring at his computer and didn't get enough sunlight during the winter season!!

Well, he is loved by those born B.C.!

Here is an update. also for those who like moustaches:
http://www.helge-schneider.de/hoeren

Bubba Elvis XIV · Post by **Bubba Elvis XIV** » Fri May 29, 2009 7:10 pm

Moving into other areas of european bad music....what the hell is the English (language) equivalent of Iskelma...Or would we use the term 'Schlager'? (Not that the general public in an English speaking country would probably know what it is).

Is there even anything, musically, in the English speaking world that comes close to this abomination?

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