Hubby’s family is almost entirely Scandinavian (hence our beautiful little blondies). His mom is 100% Finnish and she still has many cousins in Finland. We were very lucky when we took our Baltic cruise with hubby’s parents (when Honeybun was 3 and Sugarplum was 11 months) that we not only got to visit Helsinki on the ship but we also got to spend a week with family in the Finnish countryside, taking in the culture and lifestyle.
Our one day in Helsinki on the ship went by way too fast. We walked from the port into to the city centre. We stopped in the Old Market Hall and got some Reindeer jerky (which Honeybun gobbled up before we got back on the ship!) and then hopped on the ferry out to Suomenlinna.
The old fort is on an island and is open for exploring. We spent hours wandering the island, trying to see every building and exhibit. The girls loved exploring the old underground paths and running around around the open grounds which was good since the island is not buggy friendly and we ended up pulling them around one on top of the other most of the time!
We took the ferry back to the city and spent a little time putzing around the main market square which is situated right on the waterfront. We bought some fresh berries as well as a few souvenirs like t-shirts for the girls, wooden toys and hubby got a really nice knife.
We had lunch at Salutorget, a restaurant right off the market square, which used to be an old bank. The restaurant not only offered excellent food but had an amazing atmosphere and service.
It was then time to meander back to the ship, taking in more of the city’s architecture and little shops on the way.
At the end of our cruise (which started and ended in Copenhagen) we hopped on a plane for the short trip to Helsinki where my mommy-in-law’s cousin picked us up and took us out to their lake home. It was July and she and her husband were on their summer break during the time we visited.
We spent a week swimming in the river and lake, eating grilled reindeer, drinking homemade beer and getting to know hubby’s family and ancestral culture. We were able to meet many of hubby’s distant cousins and spent a lot of time with his Great-Grandma’s sister (his Great-Grandma emigrated to the US as a young woman and they missed each other very much).
Of all the fun we had, though, my greatest memory of our time in Finland was getting to make Pulla with the Finnish family and watching Honeybun make Pirrakat with her Great-great-great-Aunt. I’d made Pulla (the traditional Finnish coffee bread) many times (here’s the recipe) but making it the “traditional” way with real Finns was a real treat and I’m so glad my daughters were able to have those experiences with their distant family!
