helsinki in 9 hours or less.

be aware that i began scribbling this in my notebook while actually still in helsinki and awaiting the Finnair City Bus to take me back to the airport - its now two days later and im sitting in an internet spot somewhere by a very different train station -New Delhi to be exact - and about 60 degrees (F) warmer - or should i say hotter?

i also apologize for typos, etc.
time constraint, etc. etc.
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let me begin by saying that Finnair provides the best damn flight blankie ive ever been warmed by. i have it snug around my shoulders as i sip my glogi (look it up) in the Coffee House (as in titled Coffee House - in case it was questionable) by the helsinki train station. it's a bright lime green fuzzy mess of a blanket - though despite its virtues (all about the lime) my toes still happen to be frozen.
this is possibly due to the 2 degrees centigrade temp.
and damn.
glogi is good.

they tell me its a holiday drink that can also be made with alcohol (finland possibly excels at this)and i fully intend to look up the recipe the moment i return home. i asked what is was made of- expecting some berry of some sort - but in response all i got was 'red'.
ah. i must learn finnish then.

let me return to the blanket because it matters - dont question me. how often have you sat in a plane freezing? and for 8 hours no less? even 1 is torture.
as always its the little things that matter.
and a flight attendant stomping around in combat boots and punk hair.
i love finland.

upon landing i spritzed a little chanel no. 5 at the duty free shop (along with brushing my teeth i now felt "freshened up"), nearly screamed in shock and fear from the cloth towel dryer dispenser thing in finnish public restrooms, and ransacked the tourist information booth in retaliation. no wait. thats a lie. i would have ransacked it anyway. i have this horrible habit of grabbing every single map, brochure, and guide book in sight.
expecting that i will actually make use of them all or have time to do everything.
in 12 hours of course. or rather 9. theres that showing up to the airport 3 hours early business.

dont ask me about the dryer.
its startling. and youve been warned.
thats all i have to say.

actually getting into the city center was easy. there are not, one, but two buses that leave directly from the airport - one that takes credit card.
my entire day in helsinki and i never had to exchange money for euros.
by the way - exchanging american dollars for a stronger currency is mildly depressing.
yes im aware thats a somewhat arrogant statement.
it still hurts damnit!

now it wasnt until i got off the bus across from the train station that i realized i was freezing.
in my defense it was 2 am in my head - not 9.
i was wearing every article of clothing i taken for this trip.
this being:
two tank tops
one thin sweater
one t-shirt
one long sleeved shirt (which happened to be made in india - i liked the idea of returning it to its homeland)
one pair of danskin skin tight pants
one pair of cargos

all this on and i might as well have been naked standing against wherever that bloody wind was blowing from.

i had a shawl, a cotton sleepsac, and a stolen airline blankie still at my disposal.
wrapping one piece of cloth around you (and keeping it secure) is not difficult
but try three
and tell me how you do.
even better - take pictures.
we can compare styles.
i think throughout the day i managed to look hindu, nunnish, muslim, and like a sahara nomad.
and 4 months pregant (there are the layers and money pouch to consider).
i did catch a few smiles when the more sensibly dressed helsinkians looked my way.
(possibly the most eh - embarressing- was when they recognized that lime green blankie...)
no matter!
i was warm...
enough.

oh and socks for mittens.
works in a pinch.
mine were blue.
well. two different shades of blue.

and there went my last drop of glogi.
sigh.

what was i saying?
ah.
so there i was.
finally.
all wrapped up - and no place to go?
dont be silly!
i had a dozen guides and maps to direct me.
so i chose the winter garden.
sounded lovely.
made my way around the toolonlanti - or is it toloviken?
one of those. ill have to look it up and edit as needed when home.
whatever. a mini lake. (speaking of which finland is full of holes. seriously. look at it one day. look at it closely.
im curious of the land mass to water ratio.)
the highlights of which were the swans and a tiny super blond child (that blinding sort of blond?) in a puffed up pink creation that looked far warmer than my outfit.
the width of which possibly equalled her height.
she waved at me.
and again.
and again.
every few seconds turning away from her mother to wave again.
before disappearing around some tired berry bushes.
i wanted to get up and follow her.
just for that little wave or few.
but arrested for stalking or chld abduction was not the way to begin a trip.

so i carried on. only to find the winter garden apparently not open this winter.

winding my way back around the other side of the mini lake and passing through a neighborhood of old, brightly colored, wooden houses (the trim on them were particularly lovely) and made my way to the market square. well almost.
i was distracted by another tourist office.
though found that i already had all their brochures.
but their heating system was excellent.
and she did direct me to a cute spot for lunch by senate square (cafe engel) where i paid entirely too much for a tomato and mozarella sandwich.
it was tasty however. and the coffee was happiness.
from there i made it over to... oh what was it called.
upsinki? something like that.
again. will look up later.
cathedral.
which i personally found to be far more interesting than the cathedral in senate square (somewhere i read that the senate square one is the most photographed building of finland and yet i have no idea why when this other is far more attractive but whatever) - came across a recently married couple who were posing every which way.
in between "takes" the new husband wrapped a thick coat about his wife and squeezed her tight - often and long enough that you could tell the photographer was getting irritated.
but my stalking instinct was kicking in again and i knew i had to get away before i really did end up in trouble.

this particular cathedral is apparently the largest orthodox religious facitility in europe.
i might be wrong.
important information gets horrible confused in my head.
or supposedly important.
but i do know finland was previously a russian autonamous grand duchy!
however, what that means exactly is unclear.

i recommend google.

and post cathedral there were markets.
where i oohed and aahed over furs, assorted fish preparations, and bear pate.

have i mentioned i love finland?
ive yet to try it, but i assure you there is some bear pate just waiting for me when i swing back through on my way home.

and so here i am.
in Coffee House and staring at an empty glass that once held a hot delicious red drink.
wondering if my toes will ever forgive me.