Surprising Helsinki

If there is one reason why we miss Barcelona, it's because here, in Helsinki, we cannot find so many alternative events.

Barcelona has its pulgas mix, its festivalet and many other activities that without any announcement you can find easily having a walk any day of the week.

Maybe it is the language, maybe everything here is so well organised that you need an invitation or being part of a group for finding them. It could be every of these reasons or none of them. I do not know.

What I know is that we love this type of events and it seems, at least to us, that a city is not a City if it is not able to surprise you.

But I am very happy to admit that this is changing now.

On Friday, having a walk in the center, we found this:

As Autumn and his lack of light is coming, the city of Helsinki organises the Night of the Arts. The idea is enjoying the last long days with concerts, performances, art, open doors and many other surprises.

I love how they explain it: "The night is an opportunity to be surprised and delighted, make discoveries, get lost and fall in love! See an open door? Take a look inside. Hear distant music? Follow it. Forget about a plan, find your own path through serendipity and chance. Tonight, the city is all yours, along with a rich programme of free events. Where will you end up?"

And that "animal" that you can see above will be part of the night of the arts.

That "animal" and many other you can build yourself. There are workshops all around the city where you can build a wolf, a bear, an eagle, a fish and many other species.

The day I took these pictures we were on a hurry, but tomorrow I want to join one of these workshops and build something for Pol.

I love the eagles but, is there something more Finish than a moose? Next time I will explain you how was everything. Promised.

The second signal showing that we are more into the Helsinki cultural life is this:

Some time ago I discovered Skyo. She is a Finish artist that sew marvellous things. Skyo and four more artists have opened a pop up shop in a ship container in the old commercial Harbour.

Although it is far from the center, I really wanted to go, and why not, brought something beautiful with us.

It deserved it and next week I will show you what we bought. I wanted everything!

And as "there is not two without three", at least this is how Spanish saying goes, I discovered that Sunday was "Ravintolapäivä". Ravintola is the Finish word for restaurant and päivä means day.

Anyone can have his/her own restaurant for a day. You don't need a proper space and no menu is needed. This is what ravintolapäivä is about.

You can find waffles in a flat, like the one just in front ours, or serve a paella in a beautiful garden of a detached house. Everything is allowed for one day.

I love the idea of being a proper inhabitant of Helsinki. Any day I'll start writing in Finish. Any day soon.