Last full day in Helsinki

We woke to a very chilly morning after some sleet and snow overnight, but at least the rain had stopped and the sun was shining. We headed out to get some breakfast, and finally found a place that was open a few blocks away. It was a coffee shop we had been to in Copenhagen called Espresso House. Here we had a cinnamon bun and a hot chocolate.

We then decided to walk down to the waterfront to check out the markets again, where there were a few more stalls set up today. I ended up buying a crocheted hat/beanie. It was made by a nice young unemployed guy called Daniel who had taught himself to crochet and does his own designs. The one I got is inspired by a Gregorian pattern he liked.

We then headed back into town because I wanted to get a couple of things from Stockmans (Helsinki’s equivalent to Myer). After this, we headed to the Helsinki Design Museum for a look at their current exhibition called “FIX: Care and Repair”. This focuses on repair and maintenance of everyday objects while also exploring how the passage of time affects architecture and design. Objects and buildings undergo constant change. They age, get dirty and break. Maintaining and repairing things are active practices that reflect our prevailing values. What objects and things do we invest time and money in caring for? What is left out the scope of care?

Maintenance-related work often takes place out of sight. The FIX exhibition places everyday tasks at the centre of attention. It features selected examples from the fields of architecture and design, along with four newly commissioned contemporary art installations. Visitors are invited to contemplate questions of repair, cleaning and upkeep, and to participate in events woven around the exhibition.

We also walked around the Museum’s permanent exhibition, which looks at the history and evolution of design and industrial arts in Finland. It is just part of their total collection of 75,000 objects, 45,000 drawings, 125,000 images, and a data bank containing information on over 1,000 designers. The Finns are very proud of their design ethic and heritage.

For our last dinner in Helsinki, we went to a local bar and restaurant called “The Cock”, where we had a great night. The food and wine were excellent and they had a DJ playing tunes from the 80’s and 90’s, along with some modern stuff. When we left the restaurant it was 0 degrees, so we headed straight back to the apartment, which was only about a 300 metre walk.Read more