After ten days in Stockholm, we’re now in Helsinki for another ten days. But this time we’re in a lovely studio apartment in the funky neighbourhood of Kruununhaka. It’s close to the water, and also close to the downtown sights. And the building, or building complex, is set in from the street behind a gate, with ten two-story blocks, each with a dozen or so flats and a rickety elevator that is good for scaring the pants off you. This means our place is set back from the street and very quiet. We love being able to look out and see the life of a city. But we also like dead silence after dark, so we’re not complaining. So far, in fact, we love Helsinki!
The flat itself is small in that space-well-used, classy European way. Hooray for Scandinavian design! In fact, we feel as though we are in an IKEA showroom. (The towels and rugs, in particular, look eerily familiar…)
Kitchen and Bath
The kitchen is light and airy with all of the mod cons. So mod, in fact, that the stovetop is simply a black glossy object, but when we started touching it magic things happened (that’s first-day minestrone you see bubbling happily away). The dish drainer is above the sink in a cabinet, and the usually-wasted fan space above the stove has been brilliantly repurposed for a spice cabinet. Also, there’s a wine chiller off to the right of the oven. It’s like they know us.
The WC is in a separate place from the showering-place. It is very narrow; you can turn around in there but you will not be doing any dancing, even of the white-boy-in-eighth-grade variety. All works, though it’s a little difficult to brush your teeth, as the sink is wide but shallow.
The shower lives with the washing machine, also in snug quarters. It took us a minute to get used to, but it makes good sense. We are still working out which toiletries go where, though.
Helsinki Living and Sleeping Quarters
There’s a long hallway from the door, with lots of places for coats and even a closet. We don’t have nearly enough to fill it. There’s another as well, at the foot of the bed. From the hallway you come into the place with the sofa and the bed and the TV, i.e. the bedlivingroom. The ceilings are high and the colors are good. The whole space makes us feel very fancy. We kind of want to use tiny coffee cups, wear black, and read fashion magazines. Oh: actually, two of those three things we already do…
It would be a bit small for longer occupation but for ten days it is just perfect. We are very centrally located in Helsinki: four blocks from the cathedral and the water, many museums, and right down the street from the gorgeous botanical garden and the Saarinen-designed train station. As they say in Finnish – no, wait, we don’t know how to say anything in Finnish yet; even ‘thank you’ is entirely beyond us. As they say in English, we’re home now!
Any odd kitchen utensils? I look forward to that segment at each relocation.
Just about everything makes sense. But stay tuned – Japan will be an incomprehensible party!