When I first heard of my partner’s Finnish friend, who is actually from Finland and not a thrice-removed descendant or what have you, I thought of the line from Confessions of a Shopaholic: “No one checks up on Finland.”
Jokes aside, I know Finland is famous for Nokia, Teemu Selänne, The Hydraulic Press Channel, Saunas, and being known as “The Happiest Country in the World.” I’ve checked up on Finland before.
Our journey to Finland started in Denmark. The day after we visited Tivoli Gardens, we rented a car and began our drive to Stockholm. A little aside here: we were given the choice between a gas-powered car and an EV (electric vehicle). We both drive EVs at home, so we were familiar with their handling and feel. We were unsure about the infrastructure across Scandinavia, but the rental car company assured us the countries we were visiting would have ample charging options.
It would also be cheaper.
Cheaper is good!
As we drove out of Denmark and into Sweden, we began to notice something. We noticed how clean the roads were. We are so accustomed to driving down any freeway and seeing trash, debris, or full-on abandoned cars on the side of the road. We did not see much, if any, of that. Nor did we encounter many speeders. We were told that people obey the rules of the road because they could be fined heavily for speeding or reckless driving. If only our law enforcement had the same bite, but they seem to lack the teeth to carry out such things.
Our initial trepidation of finding adequate charging along our way to Stockholm was folly, in hindsight. There were plenty of places to charge. Bill & Ted would be stoked to hear that Circle K has a robust network of charging stations. They also carry a great selection of candy and snacks. Oh, and their restrooms were some of the cleanest I have ever seen! No bull.
Drive down The 5 (that’s the main concrete artery connecting Northern and Southern California) and stop at any gas or refueling station and use their restrooms. You will be taken aback at the upkeep and cleanliness of those rooms if you’ve been to any Scandinavian gas station restroom. Hell, I remember the same feeling when we went to the UK, and I went into a Service station for the first time. We are doing it all wrong over here.
After driving all day and into the early evening, we finally made it to Stockholm and our accommodation. From there, it would be a straight shot to Arlanda Airport the following morning.
Let me tell you, as someone who frequents airports, Arlanda is one of the most efficient ones I have ever been to. I have grown accustomed to long lines, differing rules for bags and items, and a general sense of mild, controlled chaos when travelling through US airports. Almost everything is digital now. We scanned our passports and our boarding passes, and we were given the green light to proceed. As we approached the security line, we saw numerous television screens showing us how to place our items in bins; the bins would then slide down a conveyor belt, through an X-ray machine, and pop out the other side. Seems pretty simple, right? Try telling that to LAX TSA and see where that takes you. (JK, Please don’t. That airport suuuucks, and they already know it.)
The flight from Stockholm to Turku takes 55 minutes. That is such a quick, short flight that only a small plane is needed. We hopped on this twin-propeller plane and settled in for a nice ride over the northern part of the Baltic Sea.
Upon Arrival in Turku, we both had our passports ready for inspection. We walked through the small airport and saw two lines: things to declare or nothing to declare. We both had nothing to declare and walked through. No one stamped our passports (sad), and we walked straight outside into the Finnish sunshine.
Turku Airport is small. I mean, we just zipped through customs without so much as a second look and made it outside. We then waited for a taxi and watched as people trickled in and out of the parking lot.
Our ride into Turku took about 20 minutes, and in summer, we saw lush greenery lining the roadside. Some massive trees were lining the roadside, too. It made for a pleasant entry into Finland.
Our hotel was right on the Aura River. It was within walking distance of the reception and wedding venue. And let me tell you, this whole downtown area, especially on the river, is extremely walkable. There were also plenty of e-scooters and e-bikes to rent. We always love a good scoot, so when presented with the opportunity, we took it.
We deliberately didn’t pack any wedding-related clothes, shoes, or anything else, because we didn’t want to carry extra stuff until we had to. This meant that we had to go shopping! Luckily for us, there was a mall nearby. We wandered the stores, looking for clothes, and eventually found items for both of us. The real treat came when I was in H&M and found a shirt featuring my hometown, Pasadena, California.
It unfortunately was the wrong size for me, and the only one on the rack, so it had to stay in Turku.
That night, we went to a friends-and-family reception from out of town at a local museum. We did come prepared for that event, and after returning from the mall, we showered, changed, and then hopped on some scooters.
The Aboa Vetus Ars Nova is a museum of archaeology and contemporary art. It is lauded as Finland’s only archaeological museum, featuring an underground town quarter from centuries ago. You will see the remains of a Convent and numerous homes that lined the street, which is the same street directly above, all those years ago.
It truly is a remarkable museum. The attention to detail, the presentation, and the interactive bits add depth and dimension to the history you are walking through.
The contemporary art exhibits were interesting in their own right, but were not nearly as captivating as the archaeological museum below. This led us back downstairs to walk through the ruins a second time.
After the welcome reception, we took a walk along the river to find some food.
See that photo above? That’s the Turku Cathedral, taken at 9:21 PM. The sun was still very much up and playing with our minds. Because if you saw that photo, you’d probably think it was early afternoon. Au contraire, mon frère. They don’t call these regions the “Land of the Midnight Sun” for no reason. The sun barely hovered over the horizon, leaving slivers of daylight for our entire visit to Turku. An eye mask that blocks out light is essential for sleeping!
We ended up finding a pizza spot near the cathedral that really hit the spot. After dinner, we walked back to our hotel. The sun was still doing its thing, and people were taking advantage of the perfect weather. Locals were parked on blankets, dotting the grass alongside the river, and diners & drinkers were revelling in their own merriment. There were also several restaurant-boats. That’s where most of the drinkers could be found and heard.
Turku knows how to party!
The day of the wedding, we did some more walking and some last-minute wedding attire shopping. We went to the mall, again, and then wandered outside, through a public market, and then back down to the river.
I had never heard of Turku before finding out we were going there for this wedding. I have to say, the city is extremely charming and welcoming. It also happened to be the same weekend as a heavy metal music festival, so the town was even more populated than usual.
The wedding was wonderful and was quite boozy 👍. It was half in English and the other half in Finnish. I had only learned a few phrases thanks to Duolingo, and I waited all weekend for someone to ask me if I was a wizard so I could respond: Minä olen velho. I am a wizard. Alas, no one asked me. Sad!
All I could do was say “Kiitos” and “Paljeon onnea!” and those three words got me very far. And by “very far,” I mean I could say thank you and wish the married couple lots of luck. Side note: everywhere we went in town, people would first speak to me in Finnish; I would stare at them politely and say I did not understand; then they would speak in perfect English. This same thing actually happened in each Scandinavian country we visited. I guess my Danish heritage makes me blend in.
The Finnish man, they party. After dinner and well into the evening (although it didn’t look like it because of the Midnight Sun), the party was still raging. The band kept playing, and people kept dancing. It was one of the most joyful weddings I have been to. They even had vegan hot dogs served close to midnight to keep everyone fed and happy. We had a dog, and then realized how tired we were. The night was no longer young. We needed to sleep.
Our walk back was pretty wonderful. There was another party boat that went by, and there were still people out and about enjoying the weather. How do they do it? If I were ten years younger, maybe more, I could hang. *sigh*
The next morning, the out-of-town guests all met for a day at the sauna. We loaded onto a bus and were whisked away to a little idyllic hideaway that provided the perfect cleanse for the long night before.
I can’t recall the last time I was in a sauna. I certainly had never done a cold plunge after a sauna, that’s for sure. I feel like cold plunges have exploded in popularity over the last few years. The water surrounding the Nordic countries provides the perfect cold plunge, or I would soon find out.
I have never been one for the heat. I sweat way too easily, even in mild temperatures. That’s not to say I prefer the cold; I handle it better than the heat. It’s not uncommon for me to be in shorts when it’s in the 40s. I run hot! All that to say that the sauna was a bit arduous for me. It was barely getting steamy, and I was sweating like I was being paid to do it. After getting nice and sweaty, it was time to get in the water.
The water was a bit far from the sauna, but that made the experience something more memorable. We had to hurry to get to and from the sauna and then lower ourselves into the water because it was just shallow enough that you could not tell where the bottom was.
While most people dipped in and kept close to the ladder, I went far and really waded out. To me, the water was pleasant. Don’t get me wrong, it was cold, but I could handle it. I outlasted everyone who joined me in the water. Hustling back and forth from the sauna to the water became the activity for the day, and it was perfect. I don’t think I realized how relaxing this activity could be and how it can help your body reset.
The afternoon had to end at some point. We all said our goodbyes and then made our way back to our hotel. We took one last walk along the river before going back and drank it all in. Turku was good to us. Finland was great to us.
The next morning was an early one. We had to return to Turku Airport for our flight back to Stockholm. We definitely arrived way too early at the airport. We were able to check in and everything, but the post-security cafe was just opening after we cleared security. Again, we are so accustomed to a cluster F of an airport/security that we arrived early. There isn’t a whole lot of action at Turku International Airport so early in the morning. Still, we noticed a fair few business travelers and those leaving town after the music festival.
When all was said and done, I don’t think I could have planned a better weekend away in Turku. It also didn’t hurt that we were celebrating two people that we care about deeply.
As you get older, your friends become your chosen family, and it’s important to celebrate with them whenever the occasion arises. If that means flying to remote towns in Finland, you gotta do it. Your life will be better for it.
