Anyway, the Fortress. I spent 6 hours on the island, and my feet are telling me that they noticed. The whole island is done in round cobble stone, not the flat paving stones in a lot of places, but the round softball-sized stones embedded in packed earth. It’s hard walking, and hard kneeling when you take photos from the ground, as I do. Still. The weather worked very well. Brief flickers of sun, mostly cloudy, with steel-grey clouds that really worked, given that I was on a 200 year old Maritime fortress originally built by the Swedes to protect themselves against an attack from Russia or Denmark. Back then, Sweden governed Finland, you see.

Lots of photos. I think most of the photos that I took on day one are probably throwaways, given that I retook a lot of them yesterday, and today definitely made up for it.

Speaking of photos. I need to ask a question. Why do tourists feel the need to automatically stand in front of something and have their photo taken when they see it? Do they not realize that they are basically in the way for everyone who wants a photo with no one in it? I am glad that you are having a good time, but can you please remove yourself quickly, once the photo is taken? I may want to put my photo on my wall and I don’t need to see you, or your “I love NY” tshirt, or your baby stroller in it. Thanks. I appreciate it.

Last night was interesting. The Metal was loud, and excellent. So much so that I went next door and picked up the new Noumena album. You know, so I can inflict it on myself over and over again. There is an excellent music shop specializing in metal right next to Tavastia called Keltainen jäänsärkijä that certainly filled the need. They had a ton of vinyl, and not just old stuff. It’s refreshing to know that places like that still exist in the world.

If the weather cooperates tomorrow, I might walk through the Botanical Garden. It’s supposed to be pretty cool. There is also a shop down town that sells *nothing* but Star Wars memorabilia. No. I couldn’t. Not gonna happen. Next to it, though, is an outdoor shop with a ton of great gear. Aside from the Garden, tomorrow is essentially a free day since I’ve hit just about all I wanted to do. There is a huge market down on the water front that was closed today (the building, anyway — the vendors were still outside selling all sorts of stuff), so I will probably head down there and have a coffee.

On the subject of coffee. This could be a post all in its own, but Finland is the world’s largest consumer of coffee, per capita. Two weeks ago, I was in one of the world’s largest exporters of coffee. The two coffee styles are very different. More European, obviously, compared to Vietnam’s table side use of a Phin, and distinctly different, as far as roasts go. If I had to describe it, I’d say “grassy”, almost under roasted. It’s good, but definitely on the light side of light roast for me. This means, of course, that is absolutely laden with caffeine and it goooooes down eaaasssy. I think I had 10 cups at breakfast. With, naturally, rye bread, home made preserves, and peanut butter. Sweet.

But.

There is a lot to be said for paying for stuff. This appears to be a country where people knowingly pay, whether it be through high sticker prices for goods, or high taxes off of salaries, because they know that it is worth it. The country appears to possess a magnificent public infrastructure. The roads are immaculate. Cobblestone and pavement, and nary a pothole in sight. I’m pretty sure the winters here are just as harsh as ours, with lots of salt and copious freeze/thaw cycles in the Spring, so they are obviously doing something we are not. Health care? Sure, it’s free. No insurance necessary for the fundamentals, which is like ours, except the standards and services and wait times seem far better.

Education is another case. Compulsory education is free, students start at roughly age 7, and go for nine years. Students are provided with a free hot meal every day. Finland ranks among the top countries in the world for the quality of its educational system. Finnish and Swedish are mandatory (Finland has two official languages), and many students also learn German, French, or Russian. Sure, this system costs money, but I’m pretty sure graduating and being able to speak 5 languages is worth it. Literacy? One in two Finns possess a library card. Helsinki has 20 public libraries, all of which offer free access to the Internet. The National Library of Finland doubles as the University of Finland’s library.

Let’s not forget about public transportation. Sure, you need to pay for a fare. But there are monthly passes. Other cities like Toronto and Fredericton also have public transportation, but it’s slipshod compared to this. There are roughly one thousand people living permanently on the island of Suomenlinna. The solution is to provide a year round ferry to the island that runs every 15 minutes. Bear in mind that Finland’s winter freezes the harbour solid. On top of that, you’ve got trams, the metro, and other ferry services to other areas. Pretty sweet.

I think the gist of this post is that if you want these awesome things, and you don’t want your government to go bankrupt trying to pay for it through other means, you need to accept the fact that you will have a high cost of living. I think it is completely relative, though. If you don’t pay for it with taxes, you’ll end up paying for it in other ways, whether they be financial (health insurance premiums, repairs to your car because a pothole ate it, etc), or social (higher unemployment, long term health problems, poor literacy rates, etc).

I’d do it. In a New York Minute. Or a Finnish one.

On to other things. I spent today hitting a few of the places I missed out on yesterday, and I also took advantage of a brief period of sun to retake some of the photos I took in haste yesterday. It’s cloudy again, but it didn’t rain, which is an improvement. If the forecast is correct, tomorrow will be Fortress day. I’ve decided to pass on the Zoo. I was hoping that there was a reptile or bird or insect section, which is more along the lines of what I’m interested in, but alas, no.

Metal tonight. Noumena is playing at Dante’s Highlight.

Well, it is, for the most part. I might run out for a snack, but my camera battery is charging and since I don’t really go anywhere without it, I’m at least a few hours before venturing out again. It is still raining and the temperature has dropped a bit since this morning, and I did manage to get a ton of stuff done today, so the incentive to head out again right now is a bit low.

So, the round up. I was up mega early and I probably could have started my day a bit later, but that’s okay. Tomorrow. I managed to get to the site of the Helsinki Olympics (1952), went up to the top of the Olympic Tower, visited the Finnish Museum of Sport, and took some city photos from the top of the tower. Incredibly high winds, slashing rain, completely open top of the tower (and it’s tall!), and I was up there with a tripod and my camera. Ask me if anyone else was dumb enough to go up. (No.)

After that I mostly walked around Töölönlahti lake, near the Opera House and Finlandia. Visited the Church of the Rock (very cool — there was a high end video company setting up shot for a filmed concert later that day, in high def), went to the National Museum, the City Museum, the Helsinki Cathedral, Stockmann’s, the Helsinki Railway Station, the Kallio Cathedral, and the University of Helsinki bookstore. So, most of what I wanted to see in the city proper, I have seen. Because most of those things were indoor, the weather wasn’t really a factor.

I had a late lunch at Silvoplee, a fantastic vegan/vegetarian buffet restaurant. I really gorged, and I’m still pretty full now, almost 5 hours later. I did hit up a grocery store and picked up peanut butter (hi Katheryn!), because the breakfast I had this morning was a little light on protein, I think. Peanut Butter is a staple for me when I travel. Mmmm…

A few observations on the trip so far.

• Helsinki is incredibly clean for a city with roughly 600 thousand people in it. Very little graffiti, almost no trash, and not many cigarette butts on the street despite a high number of smokers. I’m not sure if those smokers are Finns, or Russian visitors.
• The streets are paved with a mixture of asphalt and cobblestone. Most of the streets have two divided lanes, with a dedicated tram lane in the middle. Sidewalks are split down the middle with marked bike and pedestrian lanes. Yes, that is correct. Cyclists don’t ride on the street, nor do they ride on the sidewalk. They have their own path, separate from both.
• This isn’t about Finland, but the Frankfurt airport has the dumbest way ever of boarding planes. Most airports board by row now, with the people on the back getting on first. In Frankfurt, they bused us out to the plane, and everyone got off and went into the plane at either the front steps or the back. A few people knew enough to get on at the end closest to their seat, but a lot of people got on at the absolute wrong end which meant that a lot of folks had to haul their carry on luggage past people coming the other way. Utter chaos.
• This should be obvious, but electronics are insanely expensive here. Not that I am shopping for it, but when I was in Stockmann’s I priced out some camera gear. A “kit” Nikon lens that would have cost $150 CDN in Canada was almost twice that, in Euro. Nuts. Blu-Ray movies are about 25 Euro here, and a CD in a music shop is about 12-15 Euro. Even if you forget the conversion and just deal 1 to 1, that’s much more than what those things cost home.

If the weather breaks at all, tomorrow is either Helsinki Zoo or Suomenlinna fortress day. I really want nice weather for the Fortress so I am going to put that one off until I know that I’ll have nice weather.

Helsinki is colder than I thought it would be. It’s only 8 degrees right now, with a high of 11 today in the forecast. Not worried — I have layers and a wind/rainshell, and if all else falls, there is always Stockmann, the largest gourmet/artisan department store in Finland. Ten floors? Yes please. I haven’t been there yet but I can only assume that they probably sell a sweater or two.

Last night I did make it to Vegemesta. It was a fast trip. I had arrived at my hotel, dumped my stuff on the floor and felt the need to explore and at least say I did something. I am north of the city centre, in the Kallio district of Helsinki. Bohemian, densely populated, and absolutely chock full of night clubs (many of them metal), small shops, and little cafes. Vegemesta is far smaller (ie, standing room only) than I thought. It was full when I got there, with maybe ten people standing in a space that was probably half the size of my office at work, for those that read this. The burger was excellent. Hemp and oats, on dark Scandinavian rye bread, with roasted red onions, chili sauce, and a huge slice of fresh pineapple. I am going back, probably on my way back to my hotel today. The plan is to hit up some of the bigger churches and museums, make my way down to the centre of town just to see if I can touch it (is it possible to count coup on a city?, why yes, yes it is) and then make my way back up the Eastern side of the city, along the Market Square.

I believe the rain has stopped. It’s still grey and blustery, but no worries.

Anyway, the title of the post refers to a vegan restaurant in Helsinki called Vegemesta. Why is it awesome? Because they sell t-shirts and key chains, dammit. So, I am going here for the incredible vegan burger, and a shirt. Oh yes I am.

I have most of my time here mapped out. There’s way too much to see, if you count the museums (which are mostly free, like in London and other forward-thinking cities), the University of Helsinki (must get shirt at bookstore!), the Palaces, the Esplanade park, Suomenlinna, the Helsinki Zoo, Finlandia (a concert hall famous for its architecture), a few days in Stockholm, and a crossing over to Estonia. Busy busy.

Days go by and still I think of you
Days when I couldn’t live my life without you
Days go by and still I think of you
Days when I couldn’t live my life without you
Without you
Without you

You are still a whisper on my lips
A feeling at my fingertips
That’s pulling at my skin

You leave me when I’m at my worst
Feeling as if I’ve been cursed
Bitter cold within

Did I mention breakfast? Ever have persimmons so ripe you can peel them with your thumbs? I did. This morning. And I didn’t share.

Another best thing. My brother let me know that he’s all finished with school. Le Courdon Bleu graduate, most excellent. Congrats, buddy. Now, make me a sammich. Just kidding, Todd. I am really proud of you. No, seriously, make me a sammich.

Tonight’s track is from a Finnish melodic death metal band called Noumena. The track is titled Misanthropolis. They are playing at Dantes Highlight in Helsinki (four more days!), and will feature session musician Suvi Uura, who looks decidedly out of place at a death metal show. But it will awesome just the same.

Anyway. Right now I’m actually reading a non-fiction work by Joe McNally, who is a gifted photographer (National Geographic, etc) and writer. His book “The Hot Shoe Diaries” is an impressive collection of stories, photos, and technical information on shooting with small speedlights (portable camera flashes). I’ve been learning a lot. His photos are pretty amazing. Much of that may be gear related, but so much is just raw natural talent and his ability to be creative so quickly. Photography is really about making the best out of the light you have. Some times that is really difficult.

The track for today was an unexpected accident on the way to work this morning. I rarely let my iPod run on random — my playlists are pretty specific. I did this time, and was pleasantly surprised with Closer, by Dido. Yeah, I listen to Dido.

The closer you get, the better I feel
The closer you are, the more I see
Why everyone says that I look happier
When you’re around
The closer you get, the better I feel

As an aside, the apples on the tree outside the university library are quite tasty right now.

Until next week, anyway. I’ve been firming up my arrangements in Finland. My boat transfer from Helsinki to Stockholm is now done, as is my strait crossing to Estonia. Ticket for metal shows at Tavastia? Purchased. Awww yeah. I’ve started packing. Different set of gear this time. Less survival gear, heh, more electronics. I can leave the water purification equipment at home, but I’ve replaced it with my GPS, some more batteries, and a second speedlight for my camera. It will obviously be a bit chillier so the clothing issue has been examined. Heavier weight merino, maybe a fleece.

And books, of course. Despite being on the move in Vietnam, I managed to finish off three books. I had Rendezvous with Rama (Clarke) with me on the plane there, picked up The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler at a book exchange in Hoi An (great read — that guy puts my neuroses to shame), and grabbed Confessions of a Yakuza by Junichi Saga in Tokyo. It seemed appropriate. That one had been translated from its original Japanese but still fantastic. The book I had originally planned on bringing to Vietnam with me — The Broken Shore, by Peter Temple, has *finally* arrived, so I will have it for Helsinki. Picture this, if you will. Sitting on the deck of a 400 foot cruise ship in the perpetual twilight of late summer in Scandinavia, waiting to arrive in Sweden. Book and coffee in hand. The life I lead.

The title of this post is a line from Imago (Homines Partus), by Pain of Salvation. If there is a better travel song, except for possibly “I’ve been everywhere”, by Johnny Cash, I haven’t found it. The cool intro with the pipe and drums makes me feel as though I’m watching a movie about the Highlands in Scotland, or the green hills of Ireland, or something.

Take me to the forest, take me to the trees
Take me anywhere as long as you take me
Take me to the ocean, take me to the sea
Take me to the Breathe and BE

Well, Vietnam is now in the rear view mirror. I’ve been home for a few days now and have started the process of refining and sorting my memories, going through photos and unpacking and doing laundry.

So. Vietnam. I do eventually need to come up with prose describing the experience, and what it has meant to me, but suffice to say that I really fell for the country, and the people who live in it. In a theme that I will probably borrow from heavily, Buddhism discusses the concept of the “three gems”. Mainly, Buddha; his teachings; and the community. Vietnam, in my opinion, also possesses another set of gems.

The people, first of all. It is with absolute joy that I proclaim Vietnamese people to be among the nicest and most outgoing people I have ever met. They love their country, they are proud, friendly, and incredibly curious about you, and why you’ve visited. They want to know *everything*. Do something off the beaten track? They’ll laugh. They will tell their friends. And they will take photos. Make no mistake — they have cellphones with cameras and they use them. Participate in their culture and they will be delighted. I chewed betel nut with an elderly woman near Hue. It was the most bitter thing I have ever eaten. Younger Vietnamese kids don’t even touch the stuff. She was ecstatic that I did.

Second gem? The food. I can’t say I’ve eaten better. As a vegan, I knew that I was going to have an easy time finding food since Buddhist monks are vegetarian and I knew enough to look for “Chay” (vegetarian, in Vietnamese) restaurants, usually close to pagodas or temples. What I didn’t expect was for it to be so darn good. But vegetarianism aside, the street food in the larger cities, Hanoi and Saigon in particular, was incredible. Feeling peckish? Just look around. Vendors sell everything from fresh fruit, to bread right out of the oven, to delicious bowls of noodles. Want less effort? Wait a few minutes and someone with a cart, or someone on a bike will be by. Sliced pineapple, bananas, bundles of sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves. It is all there, and it is all good.

The third gem has to be the country itself. There is simply so much history, so much scenery, that it is probably not possible to cover it all in one shot. There are too many temples, beaches, architectural wonders, or museums to really get it all in one go. I took thousands of photos and still feel as though I missed stuff. Reasons to go back.

Highlights for me? Probably the stay on the Mekong Delta. I spent time with a farmer and his family. Six generations worth of family, doing the same thing. Coconuts, star fruit, durian. Really something. The only way to reach his house was via river boat. I listened to them sing traditional folk songs while eating meals that the family had prepared. I asked questions through an interpreter, laughed, cried, and enjoyed my time immensely. And I think they did, too. When I left, Hai Chi, the elder of the family, gave me a hug and said “You’re number one.” Awesome.

Musical highlights. Hmmm. The trip certainly had a soundtrack. Not all of them were of my own doing, but that’s just the way it is. A few that stand out:

1. Here Comes the Rain Again, Eurythmics. Definitely appropriate while in the Mekong Delta.
2. Night Train, Guns ‘n Roses. Lots of train rides at night. Long ones. !3 hours from Hue to Hanoi. Small compartments with 4 people per compartment. Interacting with the locals was great.
3. All That She Wants, Ace of Base. Yeah. This one ended up stuck in my head when I was walking past an electronics store in Nha Trang. It was blasting out into the street.
4. Journey Unknown, by Insomnium. Just so you didn’t think my play list was getting mushy.