TOP 5 FILM BUFF’S HELSINKI
IMPRESSIONIST NORMANDY
Culture issue
HELSINKI’S
EXPLORING ÅLAND ISLANDS
TOKYO’S CAFÉ SCENES
Trends, destinations and insights for travellers • May 2013
CREATIVE STUDIOS
Your l na perso y cop
AUTHORINSPIRED
LONDON
RENEWABLE ENERGY IN
TRANSIT
& Hanoi Rush calm in
EDITORIAL
BY ARJA SUOMINEN SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND CORPORATE RESPONSIBILTY
WWW.FINNAIR.COM
DEPUTY EDITOR Laura Palotie laura.palotie@sanomamagazines.fi +358 9 120 5815
Water puppetry is a Vietnamese tradition.
ART DIRECTOR Miia Taskinen miia.taskinen@sanomamagazines.fi LAYOUT DESIGNER Peter Sade CONTENT MANAGER Kati Heikinheimo REPROGRAPHICS Anne Lindfors, Tuukka Palmio ENGLISH TRANSLATION Wif Stenger EDITORIAL OFFICES Lapinmäentie 1, 00350 Helsinki, Finland, Postal address P.O.Box 100, 00040 Sanoma Magazines, Finland, tel. +358 9 1201, fax +358 9 120 5988, e-mail firstname.lastname@sanomamagazines.fi ADVERTISING SALES Media Assistant Sirkka Pulkkinen tel. +358 9 120 5921 PUBLISHER Sanoma Magazines Finland Oy Custom Publishing PRINTED BY Hansaprint, Turku, Finland 2013 PAPER Nova Press 70g Cover paper Lumi Art Silk 200g CIRCULATION 60,000 ISSN-0358-7703
Spring forward
T
his month we focus on culture, which is a great way to experience new places. A work of art, such as a good novel or a painting, is like
a friend who guides you through a destination and offers unique perspectives.
In this issue of Blue Wings we travel to Literary London – I love this
story and will take a few hours off during my next visit to see some of the spots mentioned – and Impressionist Normandy as seen through the eyes of painters. Photographer and writer Tim Bird takes readers on a colourful tour of Hanoi, Vietnam, which is one of Finnair’s new summer routes starting up mid-June. Other new Asian destinations include Xi’an in China. You can check out all of our summer destinations from Tel Aviv to Toronto on the Travel News page. Spring is also a good time for renewal and growth. Other features in this issue include a look at renewable
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Arja Suominen arja.suominen@finnair.com FINNAIR HEAD OFFICE Tietotie 11 A, Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, 1053 Finnair, Finland, tel. +358 9 81881, Postal address: P. O. Box 15, 01053 Finnair, Finland CUSTOMER FEEDBACK www.finnair.com > Information and services > After the flight or by mail: Customer Relations, SL/08, FI-01053 FINNAIR. www.finnair.com www.finnair.fi www.finnairgroup.com
energy in Scandinavian transportation, and a visit to the design studios of creative minds in Finland, from watchmaker Stepan Sarpaneva and sculptor Jiri Geller to game creator Supercell and font design company Underware. I hope that during your travels this season you make many new friends, cultural and otherwise. When you travel with an open and curious mind, you can bring home some of the best souvenirs ‒ fresh ideas. P.S. Finnair celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. Check out www.finnair.com for exciting events and special offers.
MAY 2013
18
56
REGULARS
14
ON THE COVER: SCHOOLCHILDREN IN HANOI, VIETNAM PHOTO BY: TIM BIRD
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18
HANOI HAPPINESS
28
COURTING INSPIRATION IN FINLAND
36
TOP 5: FILM FAN’S HELSINKI
40
IMPRESSIONISTS’ NORMANDY
46
TEA FOR TWO: RELIGIOUS LEADERS
48
ÅLAND ESCAPE
56
COFFEE, CATS AND MANGA
60
A PUSH FOR CLEANER TRANSPORTATION
66
KEEPING KIDS INVOLVED
68
A LITERARY JOURNEY IN LONDON
Touring the laid-back and history-rich city
A look at the studios and work routines of creative types
Retro theatres and film locations in the Finnish capital
The French coastal region gave life to classic paintings
An interview with two priests, an imam and a rabbi in Finland
Exploring the unique identity of these Baltic islands
Tokyo’s cafés cater to every mood and clientele
How companies seek out renewable energy sources
A new project fights social isolation with everyday methods
Books serve as tour guides to the British capital
6
TRAVEL MOMENT
38
ALEXANDER STUBB
77
THIS MONTH AROUND THE WORLD
80
FINLAND IN FIGURES
60
IN THIS ISSUE Xi’an, p. 6 Tel Aviv, p. 8 Düsseldorf, p. 14 Hanoi, p. 18 Helsinki, p. 36 Normandy, p. 40 Åland Islands, p. 48 Tokyo, p. 56 London, p. 68
TRAVEL COLUMNS 8
10
12
14
16
TECH
SCIENCE
DESTINATION
FILM
App firms vie for success
Investigating dog genes
Düsseldorf festivals
Finnish documentarians
FLYING FINNAIR
NEWS Introducing Tel Aviv
48
68 40
New border crossings
82
Before and during the flight
83
In-flight entertainment
85
Helsinki Airport
86
Maps and destinations
88
Corporate responsibility
92
Fleet
94
Frequent flyer benefits
95
MAY 2013
BLUE WINGS
5
TRAVEL MOMENT
PHOTO BY TUOMAS HARJUMAASKOLA
CHINESE CLIFFHANGER “THE LONG SKY DANGEROUS ROAD” is located on the side of a sheer cliff on Huashan, one of China’s five Taoist holy mountains. Pilgrims and tourists traverse a two-foot-wide stone and then wooden plank
path to reach a small cave temple. Huashan is located 75 miles from the central Chinese city of Xi’an, where Finnair will fly nonstop three times weekly between June 14 and October 25. -Kit Gillet
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BLUE WINGS
7
TRAVEL NEWS
COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY KATJA PANTZAR
MIAMI OF THE MIDDLE EAST
T
FINNAIR welcomes Pekka Vauramo as its new CEO on June 1. Vauramo, who has been based in Hong Kong since 2010, comes to Finnair from Finnish cargo and load handling company Cargotec.
ISTOCKPHOTO
el Aviv, nestled on Israel’s western coast, is known for its laid-back beachside lifestyle, young and cosmopolitan population and high-energy nightlife – Depeche Mode, one of world’s top electro-pop bands, plays the city this month. But Tel Aviv also has an ancient history dating back thousands of years, as its Jaffa area is one of the world’s oldest port cities and also known as the setting for biblical stories. Tel Aviv is just one of Finnair’s new scheduled flight destinations for the summer, joining Antalya in Turkey and Palma de Mallorca in Spain. Frequencies to Malaga, Barcelona and Madrid are also being increased significantly. Other summer destinations on the roster include Canada’s largest city, Toronto. Additional frequencies include four weekly connections to Dubrovnik, Croatia; Ljubljana, Slovenia; and Krakow, Poland, where frequencies will double from the previous year. St Petersburg will be served by Flybe Finland twice a day, with good connections to Finnair’s long-haul and domestic destinations. Finnair’s two new previously announced summer connections to Asia – Hanoi, Vietnam and Xi’an, China – start up in mid-June.
COME FLY WITH ME
A NEW, optional social check-in service allows passengers to link their Facebook profile with the seat map for their Finnair flight. Passengers can view other passengers’ Facebook profiles and see which of their Facebook friends have checked in on the same flight and where they are seated.
MORE CODESHARES FINNAIR WILL BECOME a partner of a oneworld® transatlantic joint business with American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia later this year that will codeshare on selected flights between North America and Europe. In total, the venture will operate up to 102 daily round trips between North America and Europe, serving 42 gateways on either side of the Atlantic. Customers will also have access to a further 163 onward connections in North America and 126 in Europe.
WWW.FINNAIR.COM
QUALITY HUNTERS RETURNS
HELSINKI AIRPORT UPDATES
AT YOUR SERVICE As part of Finnair’s fresh new look, ground customer service agents are now wearing new uniforms by renowned Finnish designer Ritva-Liisa Pohjalainen.
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FINNAIR
ENDEAVOUR IN IMAGES In Terminal 2, Finavia’s aviation photo exhibition (to October), chronicles the retirement of NASA’s space shuttle Endeavour – considered to be one of the most complicated machines ever built by man – and its transportation to the California Science Center last year.
AFTER TWO SUCCESSFUL crowdsourcing initiatives, Finnair and Finavia’s Helsinki Airport have launched the third Quality Hunters season with the goal of further improving the travel experience. This time the focus will be on the active online community that formed around the previous initiatives. Anyone can join the conversation by following @qualityhunters on Twitter, via Facebook, or the blog at qualityhunters.com.
TRAVEL TECH
COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY LAURA PALOTIE
SEEKING APP STARDOM
JONGLA
EMOTICON EXPRESSIONS Helsinki-based Jongla, which originally based its business on ad-funded mobile messaging for feature phones, launched a messaging app for iPhone and Android devices in December of 2012. The app is geared towards consumers in their late teens and early 20s. Beyond free mobileto-mobile chatting, users can spruce up their texts with expressive “stickers” that include Finnish author Tove Jansson’s perennially popular Moomin characters. “These are next-generation emoticons,” says CEO Riku Salminen. A central element in the company’s strategy is the declining reliance on SMS. UK-based research and consulting firm Ovum estimates that broadband revenues
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The Moves app tracks a user’s daily movements.
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I
t’s an app world. According to IT research firm Gartner, worldwide revenue from virtual app stores is expected to rise by 62 per cent in 2013, and smartphone users now spend two hours a day thumbing their mobile apps. One could argue that Rovio’s Angry Birds paved the global way for other Finnish app companies – but, thanks to online distribution channels such as Apple’s App Store and Google Play, the app business is also notably democratic. Beyond Rovio, Helsinki-based Supercell has risen to fame thanks to Clash of Clans and Hay Day, two popular app games that helped Finland occupy four spots in the top ten most revenue-generating apps in November of 2012 (see our behind-thescenes story on Supercell on page 30). But Finnish app creators beyond the gaming business are attracting attention as well.
creators. “Being Finnish doesn’t mean all will surpass SMS in non-voice revenues that much. What matters is what you’re after 2013. doing and who is in your team.” “People aged 15 to 24 are riding the Moves markets itself as a low-cost and wave of this mobile revolution,” Salminen convenient alternative to gadgets such as says, adding that many young users save the Nike+ FuelBand. The app tracks a by foregoing regular texting fees. user’s movement throughout the day, The Asia-Pacific region has become the including biking, running and walking. It most significant downloader of smartrecords these activities automatiphone apps, taking up 39 per cent of cally so that one doesn’t need the world’s total app downloads. to remember to start or stop Jongla, too, has focused on VIRTUAL LAPLAND it daily. Moves can be this market, and more than The Laplication app downloaded for free, but 70 per cent of its user base allows users to add the team is planning on is located in Asia. During northern lights or making a variety of spethe second half of 2013, the midnight sun filters to cial features, such as an company will open a Singaordinary photos. exercise programme, pore office. available for an additional “You have to have a global cost. An Android version is in team to create a global product,” the works. says Salminen. The company Since its January 2013 launch, Moves employs people from eight countries. has been downloaded more than a million GET MOVING times. Its largest user base is located in the Sampo Karjalainen, CEO and designer of US, followed by Great Britain and Japan. iPhone app Moves, says that the app Karjalainen attributes much of its playing field is both even and highly comsuccess to both easy availability and userpetitive. “You can get a lot done with a to-user recommendations (“they can small team, but at the same time the stumble upon a cool app by accident,” he market is incredibly saturated.” The Moves says) and early exposure in influential team is made up of nine employees. publications such as TechCrunch. Karjalainen adds that the smash success “We got directly in touch with Silicon of companies such as Rovio hasn’t necesValley reporters,” he says. “The fact that we sarily made the market easier for other app had a good story to share helped us.”
TRAVEL SCIENCE
COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY JORMA LEPPÄNEN
ANSWERS FROM
CANINE GENES
C
an dog genomics (the study of an organism’s entire genome) help us better understand human diseases? Finnish researcher and professor Hannes Lohi is tackling this question in his research, which was recognised with a 75,000-euro grant from the Orion-Farmos Research Foundation last year – a sizeable award by Finnish scientific research standards. “I came up with the idea for the research programme almost ten years ago in Canada when I saw a dog with epilepsy. I thought that identifying the disease gene in dogs would help us to find the corresponding gene in humans, since dogs share 95 per cent of their genes with us,” Lohi says. “Dogs are large animals living in the same environment with humans and they also resemble us in their body functions. It was conceivable that the similarities would extend from gene level to disease mechanisms.” Lohi’s employer in Toronto, the Hospital for Sick Children’s research institute, wanted him to continue working on his research at the time. So Lohi launched his canine disease genome research programme after returning to the University of Helsinki. In autumn of 2006, Lohi became a research group leader at the Folkhäl-
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san Institute of Genetics at Biomedicum in Helsinki. At the same time, he was appointed for a five-year term as Academy Research Fellow at the Academy of Finland to establish canine genomics in Finland. Lohi says that pure-bred dogs are particularly interesting. “They have, through breeding, become separated into strictly-divided populations, each with its own hereditary diseases. This makes it easier to locate disease genes.” With the help of dog owners and veterinarians, Lohi’s research group has in a short time collected about 40,000 samples from dogs representing more than 250 breeds. Their discoveries can help to create a basis to develop diagnostics, treatments and possible drugs. One candidate gene has been connected with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, for instance. “Dogs can also contribute hugely to the study of behavioural and personality traits. For instance, obsessive compulsion and excessive timidity are found in some dogs, and if we can take samples from the right individuals, we may eventually be able to identify the gene causing the symptoms,” he says, adding that the road from these discoveries to locating the right treatments and medications is still long.
DUE TO its small, isolated population and thorough health records, Finland is considered an optimal region for genomic research. Work in this realm has already aided the understanding of diseases including heart disease and schizophrenia, and scientists have begun developing genome-based approaches to treating ailments such as cancer. A recently launched initiative entitled SiSu, which involves experts in Finland, the US, the UK and Sweden, aims to obtain genetic profiles of some 200,000 Finns. The goal of SiSu is to combine this information with Finland’s public health records to more effectively treat serious illnesses and provide individuals with accessible information about their individual risk factors.
ISTOCKPHOTO
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DNA AMBITION
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Download the new app from App Store or Google Play You must be registered for Business Online to use Danske Bank Mobile Business app.
TRAVEL DESTINATION
COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY SIMON FRY
HAUTE HOTELS
SUMMERFEST
Düsseldorf’s Sir Astor Hotel (and its sister hotels the Lady Astor and Windsor) are known for hosting musicians, singers and dancers from the Deutsch Oper am Rhein, a local opera company. The Lady Astor was one of the first of the city’s hotels to open after the Second World War (it did so in 1946).
ROLF PURPAR
SIR-ASTOR.DE
Düsseldorf’s Jazz Rally is Germany’s largest festival of this genre.
JAZZ IS THE WORD
LAND OF THE RISING FUN
SUMMER PARTY
DÜSSELDORF never needs an excuse to celebrate – its Altstadt district is regarded as the world’s biggest bar – but on its 725th anniversary in 2013, its events are set to be livelier than ever. One event enjoying a special birthday is the 21-year-old Jazz Rally, Germany’s largest jazz festival, which attracts around 300,000 visitors. A preview day on May 16 precedes three days of dancing and jamming. Among the 80 concerts are performances in unusual settings – five-star hotels, brewpubs and even train stations. Top-billing this year is Dutch saxophonist Candy Dulfer (best known for her “Lily was Here” collaboration with Eurythmics’ David A. Stewart). Other performers include Swedish trombonist Nils Landgren and Klaus Doldinger, the festival’s patron. Advance weekend tickets, available until May 15 at, WWW.D-TICKET.DE, cost 29 euros, while those bought on the day cost 35 euros. Sunday tickets are 25 euros.
HOME TO roughly 7,000 Japanese nationals, Düsseldorf celebrates Japan Day on May 25th. Hundreds of thousands of visitors enjoy hands-on experiences of Japanese culture, athletic presentations, manga and more on the Burgplatz and Rhine Promenade. The celebrations end in a fireworks display. Snacks such as sushi, sashimi and tempura will fortify visitors, while Japanese restaurants on Immermanstrasse, Klosterstrasse and Oststrasse offer more substantial options. Popular Na Ni Wa (55 and 68a Oststrasse, NANIWA.DE) is dedicated to “sushi and more” and “noodles and soup.” Nagaya, at 42 Klosterstrasse (NAGAYA.DE), is Germany’s only Japanese restaurant with a Michelin star. Further afield, 4 Seasons sushi bar (4SEASONSKAISERSWERTH. COM) is worth the 20-minute U79 train ride to the historic suburb of Kaiserswerth. Its offerings include a beginner’s sushi serving for those new to the dish.
FOUR MILLION VISITORS are expected to attend the 112th staging of the Biggest Funfair on the Rhine between July 12–21. Every year, fairground operators construct traditional and modern rides on the Oberkassel Rhine meadows. The event, organised by the city’s St Sebastianus shooting club, dates back over 690 years. On July 14, a procession of more than 3,000 uniformed marching bands, teams of horses and carriages wind their way through Düsseldorf.
DUESSELDORFER-JAZZRALLY.DE
WWW.JAPANTAG-DUESSELDORF-NRW.DE
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Japan Day is May 25th.
U. OTTE
FINNAIR FLIES to Düsseldorf twice daily.
WWW.DUESSELDORF-TOURISMUS.DE
TRAVEL FILM
COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY LAURA PALOTIE
In Alcan Highway, Hese (pictured) makes his home in a worn truck.
FESTIVAL SUCCESS FOR
FINNISH DOCUMENTARIES
IN
mid-March, Finnish documentary The Punk Syndrome (Kovasikajuttu) picked up the SXGlobal audience award at South by Southwest, a much-publicised showcase of music, film and technology that turns Austin, Texas in the US into a swarming hybrid of a festival and industry conference. The film, about a punk band of four mentally handicapped musicians, was part of a line-up of more than 100 features. “Audiences everywhere have seemed interested and receptive,” says J-P Passi, The Punk Syndrome’s co-director. He has toured with the film – and in some cases with the band – in various parts of Europe, North America and Asia. The film has received awards, for example, at festivals in Moscow and Wrocław, Poland, and has scored deals for theatrical distribution in Sweden, the UK, Canada and Switzerland.
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Film festivals are prime venues for documentaries, which rarely enjoy the box office success of fictional narrative films. Finnish films, which in themselves are niche products, have received several festival accolades in the past year. Many of these, such as Sonja Lindén’s Five Star Existence and Kimmo Koskela’s Soundbreaker, have been documentaries. “Finnish documentaries have a good reputation. I get the sense that we are known for making films with an open mind,” says Passi. “Filmmakers also often find their subjects here at home.” “Finnish documentaries are less often made in the traditional ‘talking head’ -style,” says his co-director, Jukka Kärkkäinen.
This month director Aleksi Salmenperä’s Alcan Highway, which follows a Finnish man who drives from Alaska to Vancouver in an old truck, is shown at Toronto’s Hot Docs, North America’s largest documentary festival. He says that festivals provide a crucial opportunity for exposure. “Without them, few people abroad would see Finnish movies. Beyond the works of Aki [Kaurismäki], we still represent a relatively marginal group of films,” he says. Although they deal with different subject matters, both Alcan Highway and The Punk Syndrome represent a 21st-century brand of documentary in which expert interviews and a filmmaker narrator are missing. Similarly to other recent Finnish documentaries including Steam of Life and
THERE ARE NO TALKING HEADS HERE.
CHINESE DIRECTOR GONE GLOBAL CHINESE FILMMAKER Cai Shangjun won the Best Director prize at the 2011 Venice Film Festival with People Mountain People Sea, which tells the story of a man searching for his brother’s killer. We caught up with him during his visit to the inaugural Helsinki Cine Asia festival this March. How would you describe the current state of cinema in China? Box office sales and the number of cinemas in China are constantly increasing – every day there are about ten new movie screens – but it might still take between five and ten years for the market to mature. There are about 40,000 screens in America, while in China we only have about one-fourth of that. Once we increase this number, there will be clearer categories of films and target audiences.
Above: The Punk Syndrome follows the band Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät (“Pertti Kurikka’s Name Day”).
Reindeerspotting, which depicted men in the sauna and drug addiction, respectively, these films achieve an intimate relationship with their subjects. “I set out to make a film that doesn’t try to prove anything: more like a diary than a public statement. I wanted to use traditional cinematic storytelling to explore the myth of freedom,” says Salmenperä. Alcan Highway is currently playing in Finnish cinemas. The Punk Syndrome, meanwhile, has been praised for its rounded depiction of individuals with disabilities: “It delivers a heartfelt and earnest feel-good documentary without any manufactured melodrama or beat-you-overthe-head proselytizing,” praised The Austin Chronicle But changing social perception wasn’t on Passi and Kärkkäinen’s agenda. “We looked at the members of this band the same way we look at anyone else – we were simply interested in them as people,” says Kärkkäinen. “If a filmmaker has a social mission in mind first and foremost, he is probably better off putting his money somewhere else. In terms of world-betterment, movies aren’t the most reliable investment targets,” adds Passi.
Were you previously familiar with Finnish cinema? Aki Kaurismäki is the only director I know from Finland, but I like him very much. His [style] is plain, but the way he deals with characters and scenes is very different. He is able to find something unique in ordinary things. What’s next for you? My next film will be shot next winter in northeastern China. It’s about a small character dealing with a big society. I’m going to borrow the name of an Italian novel, Conformista (Conformist), for its title – even though the film has nothing to do with the actual novel. I just like the meaning behind the title – how someone is in the middle of a current and goes in whatever direction it takes him. (Answers interpreted by Yin Zi)
People Mountain People Sea has been awarded internationally.
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HANOI HANOI’S NO-NONSENSE CHARACTER EXTENDS AN EXHILARATING WELCOME TO VISITORS AND A CHEERFUL CHALLENGE TO THE SENSES. TEXT AND PHOTOS BY TIM BIRD
The park surrounding Hoàn Kiem Lake provides shade and relaxation in the heart of Hanoi.
I
’ve finished a day of Hanoi exploration outside Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum in the Vietnamese capital and am happily exhausted. Joggers and exercisers are limbering up on paths between the squares of lawn opposite the resting place of “Uncle Ho,” but I am limbering down. I decide to take a taxi back to my hotel as the light starts to fade, but know that the drivers might find a note of 500,000 dongs hard to break; I have several of these in my pocket. So I drop into the Café Villa for a Hanoi Beer on the terrace. At this point I should mention that a million dong is worth 37 euros. Hardly a fortune, but it goes a long way in Hanoi. I sip my chilled beer – the price is just over one euro - and watch the infinite procession of scooters and mopeds roar down the boulevard under a roof of lofty trees. It’s the early evening rush hour, and the taxis that usually cruise the streets are suddenly scarce. I should get back soon, but I don’t need to worry. The Vietnamese are great improvisers. Before long I am sat on the back of a moped being driven by a Café Villa waitress by the name of Lei. The manager pats me on the back and straightens the helmet she has placed on my head. “Enjoy!” she says. “How much
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should I pay for the ride?” I ask. “No need for paying,” comes the reply. I have been dodging this traffic for days and now I am weaving within it, past the Bia Ho’ i beer bars and phở bò soup kitchens, past bicycle repair shops and temple decoration vendors, ladies in wide straw coolie hats balancing eggs, fish and fruit in baskets. We pass hunched figures chopping mountains of dill and spring onions in doorways, and duck beneath swaying songbird cages. I catch a wisp of temple incense and a pungent blast from a giant bunch of lilies on the back of a scooter. Moped and car horns combine in a superfluous din. I have been advised not to rent a scooter from one of the many rental shops in Hanoi on the grounds of safety, but I am enthralled by this swift adventure.
SCOOTERS AND MOPEDS DEFINE HANOI.
RIVERS OF TRAFFIC Hanoi is home to some seven million people who between them ride about four million mopeds and scooters. These vehicles define the city as much as motor-free bikes in Amsterdam, scuttling along the iron-girder Long Bien Bridge over the broad Red River and cramming the lanes of the Old and French Quarters. Hanoi means “the land between the rivers” and it might as well refer to the rivers of traffic.
A mausoleum has been dedicated to Ho Chi Minh, respectfully known as Uncle Ho.
Incense burns at a city centre Buddhist temple.
Young graduates pose in front of the Temple of Literature.
Mopeds cram the Long Bien Bridge at rush hour.
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It’s a city of lakes, too – and that’s where residents and visitors alike find reprieve from the frenetic pace of urban life. Frenetic, but invigorating: Hanoi has a good-humoured pulse, but there are also moments of exquisite peace available for those who seek them. Lake, bordered on two sides by The Hoàn the Old and French Quarters, is the city’s natural core, a willow-shaded haven for joggers and tai chi shadow-boxers in the mornings, newly-weds posing for photos in the afternoons and cuddling couples and musicians in the evenings. Another retreat is a small island at the northern tip of the lake, which bears the Temple of the Jade Mound, or Den Ngoc Son, and can be reached by the red Huc Bridge. The illuminated Thap Rua, or Tortoise Tower pavilion, casts a shimmering reflection on the water after dark. A number of cafés line the shores of the lake, their tables spread beneath magnificent trees, just far enough from the taunting traffic. The Thuy Ta, occupying Hoàn Ki m’s northwest corner, is one of these. It’s a Hanoi institution and a popular stop for ice cream, ice coffee and lakeside lunches. Visitors inevitably gravitate towards the Old Quarter lying to the north of the lake, exploring the labyrinth of lanes for suspiciously cheap branded clothing and silk sleeping bags, haggling badly to the satisfaction of the vendors for “Good Morning Vietnam” caps and T-shirts, and chancing upon intimate courtyard temples and pagodas. On weekend evenings the zone between the lake and the Cho Dong Xuan market hall is closed to traffic, and a night market invades the lanes and passages.
LAKES OFFER A REPRIEVE FROM URBAN LIFE.
HISTORY REMEMBERED Tourists and Hanoi locals alike bag their bargains before heading for tiny plastic stools at the street pubs for a glass – or three – of refreshingly light Bia Ho’ i lager. Later they may head to the rooftop bars above the lake or the dives in Ta. Hiên street (Mao’s Red Lounge at 7 Ta. Hiên is a favourite) for a B52 shot. It’s a reference in questionable taste but unquestionable alcoholic strength to the planes used by the Americans to bomb Vietnam during the war in the 1960s and ‘70s. In the Hoả Lò prison museum (at 1 Pho Hoa Lo) I find more sobering references to the war and Vietnam’s earlier struggles to shake off French 22 BLUE WINGS
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Festival decorations brighten up a street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.
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School children learn about Vietnamese history at Hanoi’s military museum.
Fresh sea food is on offer in Halong Bay, a popular excursion destination. 24 BLUE WINGS
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colonial rule, crucial shades in its cultural palette. The place might benefit from a more neutral stance in its presentation of undoubted colonial cruelty – the inclusion of a guillotine used by the French for executions of activists would speak grimly for itself, without the need for propaganda. But the exhibits convey a complex and tumultuous history, with photos and montages of women incarcerated for political activism as well as the notably more cheerful images of jailed American pilots receiving Red Cross parcels and letters from home. One of those depicted is the US Senator and one-time presidential candidate John McCain, who was fished from a Hanoi lake from his downed bomber by an enraged mob during an urban raid in October 1967. Forty years is a drop in history’s ocean, so it is heartening to notice that Hanoi’s friendly people have forgiven, if not forgotten, the hardships they endured. Vietnam is a Socialist Republic but its one-party rule encourages a commercial vibrancy that resulted in this being one of the fastest growing economies in the world over the last decade. Some colonial relics are celebrated, too, including the elegant terrace and cocktail bar at the Sofitel Metropole Hotel (15 Ngo Quyen Street in the Hoan Kiem District), name-checked in Graham
Greene’s classic novel The Quiet American and a place to sample the high life with one of the novelist’s favourite daiquiris. AN APPETITE FOR COLOUR In any case, the teenagers sipping Cokes after school in the square opposite St Joseph’s Cathedral in the French Quarter are more concerned with texting their friends than colonial history and puppet governments. My encounter with a different kind of puppet, however – the traditional water puppet – is one of my most memorable Hanoi experiences. In view of Vietnam’s wide, flat areas of rice fields and 3,200-kilometre coastline, it is no surprise that this centuries-old aquatic entertainment has survived. It thrives at Hanoi’s Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre where English and French translations make the shows tourist-friendly. In return for a 100,000 dong (three-euro) ticket I gain entry to a 50-minute series of traditional stories, celebrating Vietnamese rustic life and mythology, described by brightly coloured wooden characters that dance on a “stage” of
VIETNAM HAS A COMMERCIAL VIBRANCY.
Frozen food is almost an alien concept in Hanoi.
STREET EATS AND MORE “MY FAVOURITE FOOD is sticky rice. And ph noodle soup with chicken. But I like all kinds of seafood too.” Nguyen Tien Phong, fitness coach at one of the bigger hotels, is finishing up his share of a minibanquet of squid, noodles, prawns and fish in a Hanoi side street. Helped along with beers and a small bottle of vodka, the bill for a party of four will total 600,000 dong – about 23 euros. “For Vietnamese people, food must be fresh,” he says. “That is why the animals at the markets are still alive when they are sold. We would never freeze meat or fish.” Great street food is available everywhere around the Old Quarter. Head for West Lake, popular with expats but off the tourist trail, for an alfresco lakeside “fusion” feast of fish in a sumptuous sauce and eggplant filled with spicy minced pork at Dieu’s Cuisine (25 Xuan Dieu, FACEBOOK.COM/DIEU. CUISINE222). Another gem, popular with locals but unknown to tourists, is Quan Kien, serving delicious regional specialities. 143 Nghi Tam, WWW.QUANKIEN.COM
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water. The show is by turns comic and atmospheric, as puppet dancers, guided by handlers knee-deep in water but concealed behind silky screens, toss rice, twirl umbrellas and tangle with buffaloes and dragons. The soundtrack, provided by a group of traditional musicians, rises dramatically and sways moodily as the tales unfold. From bobbing puppets to shimmering silk, Hanoi has an appetite for colour. I witness – and inhale - the apotheosis of this with a dawn visit to the Quang Ba flower market close to the giant West Lake. Just the waste bins here, overflowing with discarded lilies and roses, would suffice to stock most Western florists, but the exquisite bunches on offer belie a careful quality control. Vietnamese people love their flowers. The aroma of lilies awakens my appetite and I head for a roadside breakfast of phở bò soup, strips of beef cooked lightly in a bowl of steaming noodles and sprinkled with coriander, spring onions, lime juice and chilli. I perch on my plastic stool, Hanoi’s trademark furniture, and watch the morning moped rush accumulate.
FINNAIR FLIES to Hanoi nonstop three times weekly between June 15 and October 26.
Stepan Sarpaneva, a watchmaker, is fond of metal in all of its forms. 28 BLUE WINGS
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TEXT BY MINNA TAKKUNEN
PHOTOS BY VILLE PALONEN
BUILDING A CREATIVE CROP OF FINNISH PRODUCTS, FROM WATCHES AND GAMES TO TYPE FONTS AND SCULPTURES, IS GAINING INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS. WE TAKE A BEHIND-THE-SCENES PEEK AT THE STUDIOS AND WORKSHOPS THAT GENERATE THEM.
TIMELESS TIMEKEEPERS ATCHMAKER Stepan Sarpaneva’s studio at Helsinki’s Cable Factory arts centre is filled with the song of the lathe. The oldest in his collection of these tools dates back to the 1920s. Heavy machinery is required to shape and calibrate Sarpaneva’s steel watches to micro-millimetre precision: the skinniest parts are thinner than a human hair. The inside of a watch is its own microscopic world, full of celestial bodies, variations of light and shadow, and bits of steaming two-wheelers. Their exteriors get an equal amount of attention: Sarpaneva refers to his watches as “utility art.” “I want each watch to look different in various kinds of light and from various angles, so that the customer can always find something new in it,” he says. Besides lathes, Sarpaneva’s most important tool is a magnifying glass. He orders the watches’ basic machinery from Switzerland and adapts them to suit his own pieces. He makes the technical adjustments, mechanisms and watch faces in his workshop. Sarpaneva seems to be fond of steel in general. Lying on the long table in his studio is a porthole window from a ship, and his motorcycle stands by the door. FOCUS ON CUSTOM-MADE Sarpaneva studied watchmaking in Finland but gained his most important experience working for top horologists (watch and clock makers) in Switzerland, and has been designing and manufacturing his own watches for a decade now. Sarpaneva’s father and uncle are both renowned designers and his great-grandfather was a blacksmith.
Sarpaneva creates a few dozen watches annually. He has made a conscious decision to avoid factory-style production, so creating a custom-made timepiece can take months. “I always send pictures to the customer so that he or she can see how much effort and how many steps go into the finished product,” he says. Some customers travel to see a watch during its construction process. Sarpaneva’s clients, most of whom are from North America and Asia, want to know who has built the watch, where, how and why. Stories, meetings and personal contacts are important. Sometimes he has watch fans knocking on his door, even if they haven’t made an order – most recently he received visitors from Thailand. Sarpaneva listens to his customers’ ideas, but doesn’t go along with all of them. He prefers not to eternalise passing fads in his watches. He says he develops a personal relationship with each one of his creations, and feels slight heartache when they are sent off to their new owners. Many of his models feature a smirking moon face, which has become his trademark. “The moon-man is a friend and a curse,” he says with a smile. Lunar images often appear in traditional timepieces, and Sarpaneva admits to being a bit moonstruck himself. For instance, he has trouble sleeping during full moon and new moon phases.
SARPANEVAWATCHES.COM
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THE GAMEMAKERS’ CLAN HERE’S A PILE OF SHOES in the front hall “If you try to avoid failure and make safe decisions, of gaming firm Supercell’s carpeted office. then what you do becomes contrived. And you can Everyone walks around in their socks. often learn more from mistakes than from successes.” “You could basically lie down anywhere,” Styrman says that his favourite part of the process is says lead artist and co-founder Petri Styrman sketching and experimentation. He has been drawn to with a chuckle. computer graphics, illustrations and cartoons since he The hallway is lined with screens showing real-time was a kid, and he’s always wanted to be a graphic US sales of the company’s popular iPhone and iPad designer for games. His studies in illustration, such as games, Clash of Clans and Hay Day; at press time, the drawing live models, come in handy in the conceptualitwo games were ranked second and seventh on the list sation stage, at which he has to be able to handle the of Apple’s top-grossing apps. Last autumn, Clash of perspectives needed for composition. His first job in Clans was downloaded onto more mobile platforms the field was a diving game for mobile phones (he drew than Angry Birds. seaweed and coral). Clash of Clans is a strategy Besides computers and graphic game in which each player builds software, his most important tools his or her own village and tries to are paper and pen. The recipe for a SUPERCELL’S OFFICE collect riches from other villages good game remains something of a FOSTERS OPEN using barbarians who bring to mystery, however. “If anyone knew mind caricatures from the French exactly how to define it, everyone INTERACTION. Asterix comic. Hay Day players run would know how to make hit games,” their own virtual farms, growing he says. raw materials and selling products. From a player perspective, StyrSupercell, which specialises in games for Apple man says, the answer to a successful game lies in getting devices, has recently moved into a former Nokia office. hooked. A good game causes an addiction to the extent The renovated space fosters open interaction. New that whenever one has a free moment, the urge to ideas are initially developed individually and then re-enter the game world is irresistible. shared among teams each Friday. Concepts are printed out and posted on the walls for others to comment on as they become ready. WWW.SUPERCELL.NET In the kitchen, someone is stretched out on a sofa. The office also features a ball pit – although it has hardly ever been used. The firm’s 76 employees, representing 16 countries, don’t have a lot of extra time for lolling around. It all began in mid-2010 in a 30-square-metre office, with a half a dozen game developers who wanted to create a fun place to work. While creative passion often gets trampled under corporate bureaucracy, each person can focus on his or her actual work. “I work on one game project at a time, and concentrate completely on it,” says Styrman, who draws and does 3D modelling at a computer screen. A TOAST TO MISCALCULATIONS Before its two hit games, the company had to bury four failures. Reflective of Styrman’s philosophy, the firm’s employees drink a Champagne toast when a project is buried, and serve beer when something succeeds. 30 BLUE WINGS
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Supercell creates addictive games with playful details.
Socks are part of gaming firm Supercell’s office attire.
Sculptor Jiri Geller strives for a polished, flawless look in his works.
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SCULPTING REALITY PROCKETS, bolts, saws, glues, chain oil, als behave. Silicon, for example, which he uses to create sawdust. At first glance, sculptor Jiri Gelmoulds, stretches and swells over time. ler’s studio seems like a combination of a His works are largely based on moulding techniques. well-equipped hardware store and an artist’s Although Geller spends time in his studio seven days a atelier. The profusion of materials and tools week, making a single mould sometimes takes weeks. continues in his storage rooms and behind Geller is currently working to meet an exhibition other doors: there are half-completed fibreglass skulls, deadline. Fibreglass balloons for the show are getting a jars of fibreglass resin, a watchmaker’s lathe and a layer of acrylic paint, which will then be buffed and dental instrument used for polished. One of the balloons is now scraping. drying in an oven, at 45 degrees CelGeller is known for fibreglass sius. Geller’s assistant, who was trained THE JOKE IS THAT creations that are polished to a as a goldsmith, is sanding down another THESE PIECES ARE level of hyper-reality. “They’re balloon with three different grades of not photorealist art, but rather sandpaper. Another technical challenge GENUINE PLASTIC. come from some alien world is making the balloons as light as possithat looks absolutely flawless,” ble, since they are supposed to sway he suggests. The darkly witty gently in the exhibition space. works include iconic images from multinational conGeller is interested in the idea of freezing motion. sumer brands – and references to death. For instance, he has captured a tidal wave using fibreThe artist says he aims to buff and polish the pieces glass, polyurethane and wood. In another work, a to a point where there is no sign of a human hand. “A white-plated escalator leads nowhere. work is ready when someone asks me where I bought it,” he says. “The joke is that these pieces are genuine plastic.” WWW.JIRIGELLER.COM He hopes that some viewers will see beneath the shiny surfaces. “One guy who bought a black duck’s skull from me said ‘this is exactly how I feel,’” he says and grins from behind a sad expression. “There was also a kid who was really impressed by this duck skull. The big thing for him was that art can look like this.” Geller sees humanity’s passion for plastic as infinite. “These works are fetishes for everything that Western Jiri Geller gives culture is.” FREEZING MOTION Geller’s art lives its own life online, and he is appreciative of blog posts that set off waves of fan mail from around the world. At the time of our interview, he has just sent off a batch of images for an article in a Chinese magazine. In order to realise the ideas in his head, Geller has had to master skills ranging from chemistry and carpentry to painting, carving and surface finishing. He is constantly studying how composites and other materi-
iconic images and brands an ironic twist.
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BENDING LETTERS company that designs typefaces, has its share, while handmade drawings and laptop screen own radio station and organises design grabs can be compared over Skype video conferences. lectures in complete darkness, Underware As Kortemäki sees it, the remoteness of the team has has dared to expand beyond the usual helped to keep the company together. Beyond the visual frameworks. The company was company, each partner can also concentrate on his own established in 1999 by Sami Kortemäki, projects. Helmling, for example, runs an art gallery a Finn, Akiem Helmling, a German and with his partner. Bas Jacobs, a Dutchman. They met while studying From the beginning, Underware has earned most of graphic design in the Netherlands. its income from fonts. Primarily it comes in the form of Fonts are sometimes born in the dark. Kortemäki license fees, but Underware also designs custom typelikes to sit at his laptop and faces for customers. For design new fonts in the middle instance, it recently created hitch hike! of the night. For drawing, all he typography for display needs is a sketchbook and a few panels in elevators made by good felt-tip pens. Finnish Kone corporation. Underware’s design work is Retail fonts are born out «commercial preface x 3 page 3» not space-dependent. At some of the trio’s own ideas. phases of the work, it may be “Design comes out of form Vignettes of a hitch-hiking trip useful to be in a busy café. At language. There has to be Back some 30 years ago we had a dream… by Teija Niemi, page 8 other times, a bus or airplane something new in it; somecan serve as an office. thing that’s never been seen The firm’s customers are before. Of course we spend a scattered around the world, lot of time thinking about though mostly in Germany, the how a font will be used.” Netherlands and the US. “Our Many assume that a font “Alright. Who’s the first to leave the car?” fonts have been worked on in is designed one letter at a Finland, the Netherlands, Gertime. Rather, says Kormany, the US, India, China and temäki, “it’s better to create Portugal,” says Kortemäki. whole words so you can see Bello, suggesting generous the style in a more general brushstrokes, is Underware’s way.” best-selling font. Kortemäki Designing a font can take Everyone is a beginner once – various writers page 21 and further came up with the earliest veryears. Most of this time goes sions of it in Dharamsala, into programming. CalibratUnderware’s fonts are found in northern India, where he spent ing the precise details of a variety of contexts worldwide. a month at a Buddhist myriad characters also takes monastery. time, as new Underware The world of fonts is not fonts may end up being used limited to use in printed publiin more than 200 languages. cations and the web. “A font is successful if it’s being Underware spent five years perfecting one techniused,” he says. Underware fonts can be found around cally challenging font, the 4,000-character Liza Pro. The the world on restaurant and café signs, laundry deterfont features a built-in text analyser, which studies the gent and food packages, political campaign materials words that are being typed and forms them onto the and wine bottle labels. screen in a script that resembles handwriting. In order One of their most demanding – and most successful to achieve a workable solution, the designers delved – jobs was a font created for the English luxury webinto research projects such as studying the most comshop Mr. Porter, which is also designed to look like mon letter combinations in European languages. personal handwriting. Underware also designs products that show off its fonts. These include a book on sauna bathing, which REMOTE CONNECTIONS also uses the Sauna font. “It feels good to turn a digital Although the three designers live in different cities, font into a physical form,” says Kortemäki. their collaboration is so seamless that it’s impossible to delineate exactly how they share the work. Friendships WWW.UNDERWARE.NL born during their university years make working at a distance a natural process. Electronic content is easy to
Contents Stick out your thumb &
Katherine Gillieson
page 6
Wrong way isn’t always wrong Auto, a triple-italic sans serif by Underware
Ulrika Ylioja, page 16
Where are the polkadots?
Column by Pepijn Nolet page 19
first timer experiences
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With his team scattered in different countries, font designer Sami Kortemäki often works in cafés.
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CINEMATIC HELSINKI
1
KAURISMÄKI’S WORLD Corona bar (Eerikinkatu 11) was founded in 1991 by Finland’s most renowned filmmakers, the Kaurismäki brothers. Take the stairs down to Dubrovnik, a lounge that was named after a bar in Aki Kaurismäki’s 1996 Cannesawarded film, Drifting Clouds. The Andorra cinema in the same building is a venue to many film festivals and events. Next door you will find Bar Mockba; using leftover props from their film sets the film director brothers have created the feel of a Soviet-style watering hole. ANDORRA.FI
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TOP
CINEMATIC HELSINKI
WHETHER YOU ARE A FAN OF KAURISMÄKI FILMS OR MOTION PICTURES IN GENERAL, THESE FIVE DESTINATIONS WILL ADD A DOSE OF CINEMATIC CULTURE TO YOUR VISIT TO HELSINKI. TEXT AND PHOTOS LAURA IISALO
2
HELSINKI REELS Kino Engel (Sofiankatu 4) is a pretty little cinema located near the historic Senate Square, which has played the role of St Petersburgh in several films such as the Warren Beatty-directed Reds in 1981. The cinema offers free daytime screenings of films about bygone Helsinki. In late June Kino Engel moves outdoors, inviting people to enjoy drinks whilst watching quality films alfresco. The opening picture this year will be Aprés Mai by French director Olivier Assayasin. The shop upstairs sells old film posters.
3
OLD SCHOOL ORION Orion (Eerikinkatu 15) is one of the oldest cinemas in town, having shown films since the late 1920s. The Art Deco theatre shows three classic or avant-garde films nightly from Tuesday to Sunday. Buy tickets online or at the theatre for six euros a pop. Orion is just a couple of minutes’ walking distance from Corona bar, so you can enjoy an after-cinema drink there. KAVA.FI/ORIONISSA
CINEMAMONDO.FI
4
JAPANESE CONNECTION The 2006 Japanese film Kamome Shokudo was shot in this little bar at Pursimiehenkatu 12. Since then, thousands of Japanese tourists have visited Kahvila Suomi (“Café Finland”). In the film the bar was hosted by Sachie, a Japanese woman selling little rice balls. In reality, Kahvila Suomi sells authentic Finnish comfort food including sautéed reindeer and pyttipannu, a Nordic-style hash. KAHVILASUOMI.FI
5
FILM MAD Filmihullu, literally meaning “crazy about film,” opened a couple of years ago in the centre of town (Kampinkuja 2 C). It’s a favourite destination for those wanting to flip through old classics and the best of world cinema. T-shirts and other collectibles are available. Peter von Bagh, Finnish film historian and director, is a regular. FILMIHULLULEFFAKAUPPA.COM
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EUROPEAN VOICES BY ALEXANDER STUBB
Invest in Finland!
O
ver the years I have travelled to over 100 countries, approximately half of the world’s nation states. In my current job I spend about 120 days a year on the
because we just reduced our corporate tax rate from 24.5 per cent to 20 per cent. We are also the only Nordic country in the Eurozone. We sit at tables where European decisions are made.
THE SECOND REASON TO INVEST in Finland is its geographic location. We are part of the biggest market in the world: the EU has a single market with 500 million road or in the air. consumers. Add to that our excellent Finland has one of the best country infrastructure, close links with Russia, brands in the world. People have a positive about 80 direct weekly Finnair flights to impression of a country Asia, and voilà, your that transformed itself market opportunity hits from a top 30 to a top home. The World Bank FINLAND IS A SAFE three country during the ranks our logistics as last 30 years. number one in Europe. AND DYNAMIC BET. I often hear accolades Third, we have a about our nature, the highly qualified workarchipelago, the lakes, force. Being ranked in the forests and especially Lapland. We are the OECD PISA studies as the best educaa quiet and peaceful country. Our people tion system many years running shows are pretty easygoing, honest and straight- that there is no lack of brainpower in our forward. You can trust a Finn. When I relatively small country of 5.4 million talk to my foreign friends, three things inhabitants. We put around four per cent are often mentioned about Finland: our of our GDP into research and education system, Nokia and Angry development. Birds. Each is a source of pride. The number of foreigners in Finland is I am also often asked why you growing rapidly. By 2020 there will be should invest in Finland. Let me give more than 250,000 immigrants. Give it you three reasons. another ten years and ten per cent of the population will be international. Great THE FIRST ONE IS STABILITY. stuff! Finland is a AAA rated country, So, come to Finland. We have great defined as “stable” by all key credit schools for your kids, a stable society and a rating institutions. We are actually dynamic economy. Top that with an excelthe only EU country that enjoys this lent geographic location, and you will double status. On top of that, interknow why Finland is called a lifestyle national studies often define us as superpower. the “least corrupt” and “least failed” state in the world. Alexander Stubb is Finland’s minister of So, if you want to set up a comEuropean affairs and foreign trade. Follow him pany or invest money, Finland is a at www.twitter.com/alexstubb. safe and dynamic bet. And not only
LE HAVRE / JF LANGE
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WIZARDS OF LIGHT AND WATER TEXT BY KAARINA GRIFFITHS
FRANCE’S NORMANDY WAS AN IMPRESSIONIST MUSE. THIS SUMMER, THE REGION CELEBRATES THE MASTERS WITH A FESTIVAL THAT PUTS HUNDREDS OF REGIONALLY INSPIRED, HISTORICAL WORKS ON DISPLAY.
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MUSÉE EUGÈNE-BOUDIN, HONFLEUR
Eugène Boudin’s “Conversation sur la plage de Trouville” (Conversation on the beach in Trouville) depicts leisurely life in Normandy.
F
rance’s coastal Normandy region has a longstanding reputation as an artist haven. In the harbour of Le Havre, Claude Monet (18401920) captured a sunrise that became an emblem of impressionism. During his early years Monet was the apprentice of landscape painter Eugène Boudin (1824‒1898), following him on his trips into nature around Le Havre. As a result, Boudin today is credited for influencing the Monet-defined movement. Later, as an arts student, Monet brought the likes of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley and Camille Pissarro to Normandy, and each created distinctive interpretations of the coast. Normandy’s first Impressionist Festival in 2010 attracted a million visitors. A similarly enthusiastic response is expected for the festival’s second edition, which runs from late April until the end of September. Paintings by Normandy-inspired masters of the form are on loan from art museums and private collections worldwide. “Water, which is present everywhere in Normandy, was a great source of fascination for impressionists,” says Françoise Prigent of the Musée Malraux (Malraux Museum) in Le Havre. “Artists were looking to create an impression of a moment, and found an ideal muse in the crashing waves along the coastline, the slowly flowing Seine, the lakes and the ponds.” Prigent adds that the coast’s volatile weather made it an appealing place for the study of light. “Impressionists wanted to capture light in its different forms: the reflection of the sun and clouds, the ripples of the wind and the hovering shadows on the water,” she says. The area has drawn domestic tourists since 1847, when a railroad connection opened between Paris and Le Havre.
BEACH LIFE WAS A NEW PHENOMENON IN THE 1800S.
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Industrialisation meant more free time, and urban dwellers began to flock to the water for their summer holidays. “Beach life was a novel phenomenon,” says Prigent; artists were offered a new visual world of water sports, boating and people otherwise interacting with the water. “Finishing a painting on the spot and depicting even mundane occurrences was also something new.” As a result the academic art world, which had previously addressed historical and religious topics, underwent a revolution. Artists drawn to nature, light and soft colours caused controversy in Parisian art circles, and were even banned from the exhibitions of the art academy. One critic called Monet’s sunrise over Le Havre harbour “just an impression,” and Monet incorporated it into the work by calling it “Impression, soleil levant” (“Impression, Sunrise”). A new movement was born. “Impressionists tackle subjects that are close to all of us: nature, everyday occurrences and moments of celebration. It’s easy for one to relate to these pictures. And because they incorporate emotion, they aren’t precise depictions of reality,” says Prigent. HARBOUR LIGHTS Dark waves roam in the harbour basin, and the silhouettes of freighter ships reflect against the grey sky. Wind blows through alleyways between containers and warehouses. The energy of Le Havre is a mix of modern architecture, college town vitality and, as in any harbour town, the pang of an impending departure. After the town was destroyed completely during the Second World War, architect Auguste Perret envisioned a new downtown out of cement and clean lines. The area is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Pont de Normandie, the stylish cable-stayed bridge, as well as the stunning Malraux Museum, are local sources of pride. Malraux’s permanent collection of impressionist art is the secondlargest in France, after the the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.
OT ROUEN
NEW YORK METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, THE ROBERT LEHMAN COLLECTION
Paul Signac was among the pioneers of pointillist style. “Concarneau, calme du soir” (Concarneau evening calm) is pictured above.
This town also provided the stage for Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki’s 2011 film of the same name, which picked up awards at Cannes and other high-profile festivals. Kaurismäki has said in interviews that he toured Europe’s coastlines in search of an atmosphere he finally located in Le Havre: this isn’t a modern and stylish world, but one marked by the worn quarters of the harbour, modest bars and multicultural life. The quick development of harbours during the industrial age inspired a new wave of artists. Docks, cranes and warehouses popped up quickly and changed the profile of the coastal areas. Steamships were now a common sight, and piers became filled with heaps of cargo and travellers boarding and arriving. All this commotion had to be captured. Between 1883 and 1903, Camille Pissarro painted a series that depicted harbours in changing weather and light. These lyrical works soon redefined the standard of impressionism, which had been set by Monet’s 1872 “Sunrise.” Pissarro and the Ports: Rouen, Dieppe, Le Havre brings together Camille Pissarro’s roughly 30 harbour-themed works for the first time (to September 29th). SUMMER MERRIMENT IN HONFLEUR At the lively harbour of Honfleur, a painter peers into his canvas to replicate the rows of wooden houses and gently swaying sailboats. Several passersby stop to observe him at work and exchange a few words. At nearby restaurant patios, bubbling Normandy cider and plates brimming with seafood are carried to tables. This is where impressionists came to vacation. Eugène Boudin was from Honfleur, and enjoyed bringing his artist friends here in summers. They stayed at Le Ferme Saint-Simeon guesthouse (“Saint Simeon’s Farm”) to paint and be merry. Artists, poets and musicians gathered at the terrace for conversations enlivened by wine and cider. Boudin referred to this inn as the best place in the world. Its matron, Madame Toutain, was a warm-hearted friend of
Visitors can take a painting class at Monet’s former atelier in Rouen.
the arts, and painters in financial straits were sometimes able to settle their bills with paintings. The building still stands at the Seine delta, but it has transformed from a getaway for cash-strapped artists to a five-star spa hotel. An impressionist-inspired menu is available, and painting workshops are organised upon request (20 Route Adolphe Marais, FERMESAINTSIMEON.FR). Honfleur is still a destination for unwinding. Its streets are packed with top restaurants, art galleries, boutiques and bars. From September 28th to 29th, the town hosts a traditional shrimp festival, which includes food, dance, music and other fun. Au Vieux Honfleur, located by the harbour basin (13 Quai Saint-Étienne, AUVIEUXHONFLEUR.COM), is one of the oldest restaurants in France. It boasts cuisine fit for the Queen Elizabeth II of England, who has been among its guests. A menu of fresh oysters, skate wing braised in butter, local cheeses and pears in caramel sauce is heavy and decadent enough for an artist’s tastes. From late June until the end of September, Musée Eugène Boudin holds an exhibition entitled The Woman and the Sea (La Femme et la Mer) in conjunction with the impressionist festival. Roughly 50 works explore a woman’s relationship to the sea: fishermen’s wives saw the sea as a livelihood, while wealthy ladies strolling on the beach with their umbrellas perceived it as a source of fun. Depicting women in various degrees of dress, these paintings addressed the varying female ideal: the majestic goddess or the voluptuous, seductive nymph. REFLECTIONS ON THE SEINE Claude Monet described the Seine, France’s most famous river, as his atelier, and liked to paint both on its embankments and in his small atelier boat. The Seine flows through Normany’s capital city of Rouen, whose old town reflects the glories of times past. This was one of Europe’s most grandiose cities in the Middle Ages, and the place where French royalty were crowned. The stunning gothic catheMAY 2013
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HIRAMATSU REIJI, SPECIAL COLLECTION
Hiramatsu Reiji’s “Reflets de nuages dorés sur l’étang” (Reflections of golden clouds on the pond) reinterprets Monet’s sceneries.
dral, reaching for the clouds, was made world-famous after Monet used it in several of his works. Monet’s former atelier offers a look into a different time. Flecks of dust dance in the pale strips of sunlight, and the cathedral of Rouen looms through the window. A lesson in painting the cathedral, at which travellers can learn to create a scenery through small movements and the use of pure colours, can be booked through the tourism office at +33 (0)232 08-3240 (ROUENTOURISME.COM).
TRAVEL PRACTICALITIES ROUEN IS LOCATED 112 kilometres from Paris, which equals roughly two hours by car or one by train. Le Havre can be reached in two hours by train and two and a half hours by car. Purchase railway tickets at (SNCF.COM); tickets acquired at the station have to be stamped before you board the train. Rail connections are also available between exhibition cities, and Honfleur is accessible by bus.
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Rouen’s museum hosts one of the festival’s main exhibitions, Eblouissants reflets (Dazzling Reflections) until September 30th. It includes works from five masters: Caillebotte, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir and Sisley. Each was inspired by the intricacies of light and movement on water, and the way in which this illustrates the fleeting nature of reality. Painting the reflections of various objects was a way to capture a split second of reality. The exhibition also includes historical photos. ON THE LILY POND IN GIVERNY Even those with little familiarity with art history are likely to recognise Monet’s depiction of water lilies. These were conceived inside Le Pressoir garden in Giverny, roughly 60 kilometres from Rouen. In the spring they haven’t yet bloomed, but standing on the Japanese bridge, one can nevertheless enjoy the glowing yellow and red palette of tulips and daffodils. Monet was an avid gardener, and filled Le Pressoir with a stunning sea of flowers. His fondness of Asian culture is also visible here. Apple trees gave way to Japanese cherry and apricot trees, and several arching Japanese bridges were built. Monet’s collection includes more than 200 drawings of famous artists of the Edo period (early 1600s to mid1800s), including Hiroshige, Utamaro ja Hokusai. Giverny has a museum devoted to impressionists. Signac, the Colours of Water is on display until July 2nd and made up of more than 100 drawings, paintings and watercolour works by Paul Signac (1863‒1935). The collection
FOR MORE INFO Festival home page:
NORMANDIE-IMPRESSIONNISTE.FR
Honfleur tourism office OT-HONFLEUR.FR
Musée Eugene Boudin
MUSEES-HONFLEUR.FR
Rouen tourism office
ROUENTOURISME.COM
Rouen museum
EBLOUISSANTSREFLETS.FR
Le Havre tourism office: S.RIQOULET/NORMANDIE TOURISMEION
LEHAVRETOURISME.COM
Musée Malraux
WWW.MUMA-LEHAVRE.FR
Giverny impressionism museum (Le museé des impressionismes Giverny) MDIG.FR
Caen museum of fine arts: MBA.CAEN.FR
illustrates his evolution from impressionism to modern and even abstract work. Late in his career he began capturing harbour scenes with colours resembling neon hues. His style represents neo-impressionism, in which a mood is created with strong, contrasting colours and pointillism. Signac enjoyed sailing and was able to capture the mood of leisure boating with a modern approach. Later this summer (July 13‒October 31) the Monetinspired works of Japanese modern artist Hiramatsu Reiji, as well as Japanese drawings from Monet’s collections, will be shown at the same museum. Its 15 works put a modern spin on traditional Japanese nihonga technique. Reiji’s visit to Giverny in the 1990s was instrumental in determining his later style. SPLASHING IN CAEN Less than 200 kilometres away, at Caen’s fine arts museum, Un été au bord de l’eau (Summer by the Water) exhibition encompasses 80 paintings showing beach life. Landmark swimmer paintings by Renoir, Cézanne, Cross, Seurat and Bazille are the highlight of the exhibition, which runs to September 29th. These painters changed the way the human form was depicted by bringing it into lush sunlight and nature. The show also features two female impressionists, Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt, who often don’t receive the same attention as their male counterparts. Although entering the art scene was no simple task for women, Morisot and Cassatt earned the respect of their peers: it has been
Giverny’s gardens are a place of pilgrimage for Monet aficionados.
said that Morisot’s style influenced Éduard Manet, her close friend. The exhibition also shows foreign neo-impressionists and modernists such as Joaquin Sorolla, Max Liebermann and Peder Kroyer.
EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS SALUTE THE MASTERS. A SUMMER CELEBRATION The Normandy Impressionist Festival has branded itself as one for the public at large, not just for art connoisseurs. In July, 15 temporary modern art pavilions exploring the theme of water will be built along the road leading from Caen to the ocean so that people living outside of urban areas can enjoy the celebration. Impressionists are also saluted through events including Debussy concerts, photography exhibitions, culinary events and an exhibition exploring impressionist influences on Christian Dior’s fashion. Strolling through scenes that birthed a beloved movement, a visitor, like Monet and his compatriots, has to only worry about the abundance of artistic choice.
FINNAIR FLIES to Paris five times daily.
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TEA
FOR TWO
FINLAND’S
RELIGIOUS LEADERS WHAT DO DIFFERENT RELIGIONS HAVE IN COMMON? WHY DO RELIGIONS SOMETIMES DIVIDE AND SOMETIMES UNITE, AND WHAT ROLE DO THEY PLAY IN SOCIETY? I ADDRESS THESE QUESTIONS WITH RABBI SIMON LIVSTON, LUTHERAN PASTOR VIRPI KOIVISTO, IMAM ANAS HAJJAR AND GREEK ORTHODOX FATHER AKI LESKINEN.
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What do you all have in common? Rabbi Livston (of the Jewish communities of Finland): We all have a cause and a purpose in life. We work for this cause: morality, ethical behaviour, the value of the human being, world peace. These are big words, but all of us can relate to them. I try to remain as close as possible to other religious communities. We are in a position to do things for the better. We want to open a dialogue with people. This connects us all. Father Leskinen (parish dean in Lahti, Finland): Different religions are like branches in a tree. Sometimes you find differences of opinion within one religion, but there is no one right or wrong answer. There are many faces of God.
Imam Hajjar (of the Islamic Society of Finland): We come from the same root: the belief in one God. In Finland there is a long tradition for cooperation between religions. There is a focus on building bridges, and a good network with religions of the Judeo-Muslim-Christian world. We are currently also building networks with other religions. Why do religions sometimes divide? Father Leskinen: In Finland we are very fortunate that we can enjoy the presence of different religions in harmony. This is not the case in all countries, and sometimes there are big differences within a single church. Pastor Koivisto (of the Hyvinkää Parish): Priests are, after all, people. We bring our values and our experiences [into our work]. We all believe we are dealing with the truth, which colours our views. But the tree Aki talked about is a beautiful picture. We should always remember that we represent a branch, and each of us is just one face of the truth.
Pastor Koivisto: The key question is how to give more responsibility to young people in the congregation so they can find a natural place for themselves. Young people can share their ideas with tools that are familiar to them, such as social media. We need to get better at this. Father Leskinen: I am not worried about children or young people being removed from religion. There is a time for everyone to come to religion. Faith is a very personal experience. Imam Hajjar: Muslim immigrant youth are often tightly knit together, especially in the first and second generations in the congregation. Sometimes the congregation brings them meaning. About 80 per cent of Muslims in Finland are immigrants in the first or second generation.
If you were not a rabbi, an imam, an Orthodox priest or a Lutheran pastor, what would you be? Father Leskinen: A carpenter. Pastor Koivisto: A councillor. Imam Hajjar: A medical doctor. I am still working on it! Rabbi Livston: Probably a businessman.
How do you relax? Rabbi Livston: I enjoy literature, theatre, opera, and seeing the city – that is, when there is time for these things in a family with three young kids! Pastor Koivisto: I enjoy listening to classical music and reading. Father Leskinen: Although I am losing some of my eyesight, I enjoy reading, and have a hobby not very typical for an Orthodox priest: Aikido. Imam Hajjar: I like to read, and I also have a techie side. I like computers. When I don’t have time to read, I listen to audio books.
What role does family play in your life? Rabbi Livston: Family is everything. Family is the micro-society that makes society at large work better. Everyone has a role, and everyone helps one another. In Judaism, family and religion are very linked. During the Sabbath we sanctify the wine with the family. We break the bread and share and enjoy togetherness. Pastor Koivisto: I have two grown children. Family is a blessing and a gift. It’s everything. Father Leskinen: My wife and I have an adopted son from India. Family is my source of strength. My parish is also part of my family. Imam Hajjar: In Finnish the word perhe means the nuclear family. For me family is more what Finns call suku: the extended family. My family is made up of my brothers, my sisters, my cousins, and my nieces and nephews. Family is the backbone that gives us strength for life.
What are the most overrated and underrated virtues? Rabbi Livston: It is difficult to point out an overrated virtue. Humility is underrated. Father Leskinen: Dependency between people is underrated. We are a very individualistic society. People are afraid to show their fragility and rely on each other. Pastor Koivisto: I agree with Aki. We encourage people to trust and believe in themselves and each other. We need to allow people to be fragile and to have faith, hope and love. Imam Hajjar: All virtues are important, so I agree with Simon: it is difficult to find an overrated virtue. The importance of justice is underrated. We may take a just society for granted here. It is the role of all of us to make society just.
How do you reach young people in the community? Rabbi Livston: I try to be innovative and have programmes that are suitable for kids, young adults, young parents and of course older people too, because they also play an important role in society and in the community.
Blanca Juti is a marketing and sales professional who blogs for fun. BLANCAJUTI.COM
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TEXT BY PETE BALDING
PHOTOS BY HERNAN PATIÑO
SLOW RIDE THROUGH THE
ÅLAND ISLANDS
THE TINY, AUTONOMOUS ÅLAND GRACEFULLY STRADDLES TWO OLD RIVALS: FINLAND AND SWEDEN. OFFERING IDYLLIC SEASIDE SCENERIES AND SMALL TOWNS, THIS GROUP OF ISLANDS ALSO DRAWS A WEALTH OF SUMMER TOURISM.
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Åland is famous for its abundance of cycle tourists.
Boats are as common as cars in the archipelago.
LIGHTHOUSE MARKS THE SPOT A UNIQUE EXCURSION from Eckerö on the western side of Åland is to visit the tiny island of Märket. The name means “mark” in Swedish, and signifies that this treeless rock was used as a nautical marker by early sailors. Since 1809, the skerry has also marked the border between Finland and Sweden. In 1885 the Russian administrators of the Finnish side of the island built an impressive lighthouse. It wasn’t until they finished, however, that they noticed they had built it on the Swedish side. It took 96 years for this oversight to be corrected. The border was redrawn in 1981
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with a sharp zigzag down the middle to include the lighthouse on the Finnish side and compensate Sweden with an equivalent amount of space. According to the Finnish lighthouse society, the lighthouse was automated in 1976. Volunteers spend several months of the year living at and maintaining this extraordinary but obsolete structure. This is also one of best areas in Finland to catch sight of seals. Write to matkat@majakkaseura.fi, or call +358 (0)44 320-0309 for information on how to visit Märket.
Tiny Märket island is shared by Finland and Sweden.
KUSTAVI
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VÅRDÖ
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SALTVIK MARIEHAMN
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low was our theme for the week, and that suited me just fine. Helsinki may not be New York or Beijing, but by Nordic standards the Finnish capital is as hectic as it gets. Like many Finns who head out of the city in summers (the country has nearly 500,000 summer cottages for a population of five million), I too yearned for a leisurely trip in the countryside – this time in the Åland archipelago. The thousands of islands and skerries that make up Åland are scattered across the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia from southwest Finland to within sight of the Swedish coast. Originally part of Sweden, the strategically located islands were ceded along with the rest of Finland to Imperial Russia in 1809 after a 19-month-long war. When Finland gained its independence from Russia a century later in 1917, the vast majority of the Swedishspeaking Ålanders hoped their islands would return to Swedish rule. Finland, however, wanted to keep them. The dispute reached the League of Nations, the precursor to the United Nations, and in 1921 the League decided that Åland would remain a part of Finland but as an autonomous, demilitarised region. Sweden and the Ålanders begrudgingly accepted the decision, but with its unique status, Åland’s primary industry, shipping, prospered. The community has done so well, in fact, that envious Finns are often quick to point out the privileges that only the Ålanders enjoy. One of these is the exemption from compulsory military service, applicable to the rest of Finland.
that shuttle back and forth every day between Åland, Finland and Sweden. We chose the less-travelled route, the so-called Northern Line, and drove for a couple of hours from Helsinki to Kustavi, a small town on the very western edge of the Finnish mainland slightly northwest of Turku. From there we proceeded across the first major island of Åland, Brändö, to the smaller island of Lappo where we spent the first night. The islands are connected with a multitude of ferries, which comply with a punctual schedule.
“THERE IS NOTHING TO DO HERE BUT RELAX.”
THE LESS-TRAVELLED ROUTE Although shipping is the major industry in Åland, tourism is a close rival. Many thousands of Finns and Swedes visit every year, especially in the exquisite summer months. Many arrive on the gigantic ferries
MANDATORY RELAXATION “There is nothing to do here but relax,” says Tiina Eriksson, owner of Pellas gästhem (Swedish for “guest house”) – and she’s not being modest. Originally the Lappo village school, the large red building with white trim now has apartments equipped in functional Nordic simplicity, each with its own bathroom and kitchen (WWW.PELLAS.AX). Nearby there’s a small grocery store, a post office, a bank, a full-service restaurant, and a small archipelago museum with a nice collection of the different types of skiffs and dinghies that once were vital to the local fishing and sealing industries. The tiny island, four kilometres long and two wide, has about 40 year-round residents. The population swells to a few hundred in the summer when the 100 berths at the village marina are occupied. Fine-looking sailboats from all over the Baltic are a familiar sight in Åland. We took a walk in the evening light after a satisfying fish dinner at the Restaurang Galeasen. The halyards tapping against the sailboat masts and the occasional call of a gull were the only noticeable sounds.
SHELTER FROM THE STORM If there was any lingering urban anxiety left, the next step in our excursion would help purge it. On the opposite end of Lappo island is another ferry that MAY 2013
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connects to the even more sparsely populated island of Björkö. This ferry operates on demand: I pushed the button near the ramp, and within a few minutes our ride had arrived. While Björkö has a few houses and cottages, the primary residents are sheep who range freely in the large grassy meadows in the middle of the island. We were invited to take shelter from a sudden summer shower in the home of Anders Stenmark, who has been raising sheep here for more than 15 years. He offered us coffee and played us a couple of tunes on his nyckelharpa, a traditional Swedish folk instrument. Soon after, his partner Eva Sundberg arrived home. She explained that she had just had a conversation with the sheep about the sudden cloudburst. Allegedly they had replied that they had weathered the storm just fine. Once the skies had cleared, we found a picnic spot on a large slab of granite jutting into the sea. Thanks to Everyman’s Right, a common practice throughout the Nordic countries, you are allowed to walk around or have a picnic on private land as long as you choose a spot well away from anyone’s home.
husband and son to the sea – despite choosing a life on the water, not many locals knew how to swim. “It used to be that a young man in Åland had two choices: to be a farmhand or a seaman. Many went to sea and came back and told stories about the world. That is why we have always liked having visitors here,” says Jarl Danielsson. His wife Peggy operates Peggys Hantverk & Kafé, a little handicraft shop on Vårdö island (PEGGYS.AX, in Swedish). Not far away is the equally charming Anna’s handicraft shop which is run by Kurt Eriksson, a polyglot who after a life at sea returned to Åland replete with stories of the four corners of the world. A spry 80-year-old, he shared a few tales with us, played tunes on the fiddle, and showed off four of the 14 languages he claimed to know: Swedish, Finnish, English, and Spanish.
“WE HAVE ALWAYS LIKED HAVING VISITORS HERE.”
STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD We proceeded further south along the Northern Line and took a much larger ferry to the island of Vårdö. This island is famous for its medieval church and as the home of author Anni Blomqvist (1909-1990) who wrote the Stormskär series of novels about the hard life of Maja, a fisherman’s wife. It later became a popular TV series. In real life, Blomqvist lost her
Woolen products made from Björkö island’s sheep are sold in local handicraft shops.
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MORE BIKES THAN CARS Vårdö is a short distance from Fasta Åland, the main island, where 90 per cent of the locals live. The capital city of Mariehamn is situated on the southern end. We, however, proceeded north to Saltvik where we spent a couple of nights at Hjortö Stugor & Stockhus (VISITALAND.COM/HJORTOSTUGOR/EN), a collection of modern and luxurious cottages by a narrow bay. Our two-storey cottage was big enough for a large family to call home, but according to owner Maria Häggblom, the cottages are also popular with groups of sports fishermen who try their luck year-round. Even on the “big” island everything is quite close. This is one reason why Åland is the most popular destination in Finland for cycle tourists. Approaching
The summer sun heats up Pub Stallhagen’s terrace.
SLOW BEER
Kvarnbo guesthouse is located a short ride from the town of Godby.
GODBY, A SMALL TOWN about 20 kilometres north of Mariehamn, is home to the Stallhagen brewery and gastro pub (Getavägen 196, WWW.STALLHAGEN.COM). While the microbrewery phenomenon has now reached most corners of the globe, it’s a bit surprising that one of the best in Finland is in this little out-of-the-way hamlet in the middle of Åland. The brewery started in 2004 and the restaurant opened in 2010. They have grown rapidly from a few batches at the beginning to over 200,000 litres a year today. They regularly brew about a dozen different types of beer ranging from a smooth honey beer to a hoppy American-style red ale, a personal favourite. Restaurant proprietor Christian Ekström is a firm believer in the slow-food philosophy that emphasises using the best available ingredients which are accessed, whenever possible, from local producers. This is not only true for their food, but also for the brewing process. They even print the words, “slow beer” on their labels. Ekström’s hobby is scuba diving, and he is a member of the team that found several nearly-200-year-old bottles of Veuve Clicquot Champagne on a shipwreck in 2010. One well-preserved bottle of bubbly fetched nearly 30,000 euros at auction. “We’re in the middle of the Baltic Triangle where more than 20,000 shipwrecks have been found so far. That’s more than in Bermuda,” Ekström says. The divers also found five bottles of beer. After analysis to extract the recipe at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Stallhagen was recently granted permission to replicate the ancient ale by the government of Åland. The first samples should be ready next year. According to Åland culture minister Johan Ehn, a portion of the profits from each beer bottle will go to charitable causes.
Mariehamn’s eastern harbour is home to several boat restaurants.
Bomarsund, which is home to the ruins of the huge but never finished Russian fortress, we saw a ferry carrying more bikes than cars. The Bomarsund fortress was destroyed in 1854 by combined British and French forces during the Crimean War. The large, disused cemetery nearby is a testament to the cultural diversity of that time, with grave markers from all the world’s major religions and with surnames from every corner the Russian Empire and beyond. The cultural roots run even deeper at the nearby and much older fortress of Kastelholm. Dating from the 14th century, this well-preserved castle played an important role in Sweden’s imperial history. At times it was the residence of princes and kings. Resplendent in the evening sun, it’s an imposing landmark. BATS IN THE BELFRY Our next abode was in the tiny church village of Kvarnbo, also in Saltvik. The view of the imposing medieval church whose origins date back to 1200 filled the window of my room at the Kvarnbo Gästhem (KVARNBOGASTHEM.COM). The house was a stately home in the 19th-century, but had since fallen into disrepair. Martin and Ella Cromwell- Morgan have carefully restored it, and paid careful attention to maintaining its authenticity. “We were able to buy back some of the original furnishings that were sold at auction,” Ella says and points to a Victorian bookcase. “This was one piece we recovered, and based on an old photograph we were able to refill it with the same books.” THE BIGGEST LITTLE CITY IN SCANDINAVIA Mariehamn, built on a narrow peninsula and home to 54 BLUE WINGS
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about 12,000 people, is not a big city. But being the capital and the only major urban centre in Åland, it is surprisingly lively and diverse for its size. During our visit the streets were packed with merry makers popping in and out of the many bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. Even on a normal summer weekend, there was a carnival-like atmosphere. It took about 20 minutes to walk across the peninsula from the east harbour, which was filled with hundreds of sailboats and yachts, to the west harbour where the huge ferries, floating hotels really, stop on their way to either Helsinki or Stockholm. One reason they stop here is to take advantage of Åland’s unique status that still allows the tax-free sales of goods such as alcoholic beverages. Before hopping on the next ferry to Helsinki, we still had time to visit the recently renovated and expanded Åland Maritime Museum (WWW.SJOFARTSMUSEUM.AX/ENG) and the museum ship Pommern, the last of the great wind-powered freighters. The four-masted barque, built in 1903, was the flagship for local shipping magnate Gustaf Erikson, and was in service until the Second World War. A dose of history was a fitting way to end our journey. At times Åland seemed almost too good to be true, that nothing bad ever happens here. Of course that’s not the case, but this tiny archipelago is nothing less than an idyllic microcosm. And by the end of the week I felt refreshed and ready to face big city challenges again. FINNAIR OFFERS codeshare flights to Mariehamn twice daily on weekdays in cooperation with Flybe.
PLAY TIME IN TOKYO
AN URBAN JAPANESE COFFEE BREAK CAN MEAN PLAYING GAMES WITH ANIME MAIDS, PETTING CUDDLY CATS OR BROWSING MANGA CARTOONS. TEXT AND PHOTOS BY HEIDI LIPSANEN
N
Cat cafés satisfy a temporary pet fever.
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o aspect of Tokyo is more famous than its array of crowded streets providing an overload of sensory stimulation. Fittingly, many cafés in the Japanese capital have also been branded far beyond their brews, catering to a variety of subcultures and pastimes. At pastel-coloured maid cafés, women dressed in doll-like outfits pay visitors a warm welcome. You then have the opportunity to sit and relax, play board games, or pose for a photo with your favourite member of the wait staff – usually for an additional fee. Alternatively you can ask your server to shake some love into your cocktail by reciting a spell or draw smiley faces with ketchup onto your meal. Many of these establishments are located in the electronics city of Akihabara, which is known as the centre point of anime and cosplay (costumed role play) enthusiasts. It has more than 60 maid cafes and other similarly themed businesses such as maid sushi bars and massage parlours. Although many visitors to this anime-influenced world are young local men, tourists abound as well. A similar concept aimed for women visitors is the butler café, whose trademarks are a handsome foreign wait staff and courteous service. One of the most famous is located in the Shibuya district (see BUTLERSCAFE.COM for information).
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE THE @HOME CAFÉ has four floors of maid-themed coffeehouses to choose from, ranging from a pastel-coloured experience to a café adorned with a tatami and served by wait staff in mini-skirt kimonos. Entrance fee is 600 yen (about five euros), after which you can choose drinks, meals and different entertainment options. Coffees are priced at about 600 yen, cocktails at around 800 yen (6.5 euros) and meals at around 1,000 yen (about eight euros). 4th‒7th floors, Mitsuwa building, 1-11-4 Sotokanda Chiyoda-ku Tokyo. Open 11:30 am–10 pm, 10:30 am–10 pm on weekends.
Tokyo’s Nekorobi cat café organises game sessions.
MANGA MADNESS A more relaxed introduction to the manga world is a visit to a specialised internet café where you can read cartoons, play computer games or watch films. This is where businessmen who have missed the last train sometimes come to spend the night. Showers, private internet booths and mattresses for napping are available. One of these is i-café Akiba Place, which is open around the clock, seven days a week. With 45,000 manga books, a game corner and different categories of private internet booths, it attracts more than 1,000 visitors per weekend. The average time of stay is three hours (priced at around 1,000 yen, or about eight euros, depending on where you sit). Microwaves and packets of noodle soup are available.
CAFE-ATHOME.COM/ ABOUT-ENGLISH
HELLO, KITTY Since Tokyo’s first cat café opened in 2005, they have become popular among city dwellers who cannot keep an animal in their small flats. You can snuggle up with friendly cats, learn about different cat breeds, play themed computer games or participate in a matchmaking party with other cat lovers. Nekorobi in the always-buzzing Ikebukuro neighbourhood is home to 13 felines. They represent breeds such as the Scottish Fold shorthaired, the Persian cat and the Norwegian forest cat. Many visitors fall in love with a particular cat and become regulars. Free internet access and small snacks are included in the admission fee.
A maid café staff member mixes a love cocktail.
FINNAIR FLIES nonstop daily to Tokyo.
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CAT CAFÉS POUNCE FROM ASIA TO EUROPE TEXT AND PHOTOS BY MIRVA LEMPIÄINEN
A
The Ycat café in Seoul, South Korea is home to 50 cats.
CAT CAFE may seem like a quintessentially Japanese institution – after all, the country is Hello Kitty’s homeland. Yet the first one, Cat Flower Garden, opened in Taiwan in 1998 before the concept landed to Japan in the mid-2000s. Since then there has been no stopping the feline fever. Japan is now home to about 160 cat cafes, where for less than ten euros one gets a drink and a chance to pet tens of Garfield’s cousins. There are also cafes featuring dogs, goats and rabbits. In 2012 the special coffee houses started making their way to Europe. The first of the continent, Café Neko (CAFENEKO.AT, Blumenstockgasse 5) with five resident kitties, popped up in Vienna, Austria last May. St Petersburg in Russia followed suit in October of 2012 with Cat’s Republic (EN.CATSREPUBLIC.RU, 10 Ulitsa Yakubovicha). London’s Old Street area is slated to welcome Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium (LADYDINAHS.COM) in May. The project, which will be the home of rescue cats, recently received more than 120,000 euros in funding through the crowdsourcing website IndieGogo.
TOKYO CAFE INFO: NEKOROBI 3F Tact T.O Building Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toyoshima-ku, Tokyo. Open 11 am to 10 pm daily. Admission 1,000 yen (about eight euros) for the first hour on weekdays, 1,200 yen (about ten euros) on weekdays and holidays. NEKOROBI.JP/ENGLISH I-CAFE AKIBA PLACE
7-8F Akiba place, 3-15-1, Sotokanda, Chiyodaku, Tokyo. Open 24 hours a day. Membership fees start at roughly 350 yen (less than three euros), depending on seat category and time of day. I-CAFE.NE.JP/AKIBA
Cat café visitors are allowed to pet the resident kitties, but are not allowed to pick them up against their will.
OVER 70 FLIGHTS A WEEK
TO ASIA Fly the faster, shorter route from over 60 European cities via Helsinki to 13 destinations in Asia. See our daily prices and book your flights at finnair.com
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THE RENEWABLE TRANSPORT
PUZZLE WITH TRANSPORT RESPONSIBLE FOR NEARLY A THIRD OF GREENHOUSE GASES, THERE’S GROWING FOCUS ON RENEWABLE SOURCES TO GET US AND OUR STUFF FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER.
TEXT BY WIF STENGER
ILLUSTRATIONS BY SANNA MANDER / AGENT PEKKA
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I
n Around the World in 80 Days, Phileas Fogg is racing back to England when his steamship runs low on coal. In desperation, he orders the crew to burn the wooden parts of the ship to keep up the steam: “The railings, fittings, the greater part of the deck, and top sides disappeared on the 20th, and the Henrietta was now only a flat hulk. But on this day they sighted the Irish coast...” This strategy couldn’t have sustained Fogg’s journey for much longer, but it did put to use a renewable energy source. With transport responsible for an estimated 29 per cent of greenhouse emissions, taming its emissions is crucial to limiting climate change. The key
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TEN PER CENT OF TRAFFIC FUELS IN THE EU MUST COME FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES BY 2020. to tackling this challenge is renewable energies, which also provide countries with more energy security and self-sufficiency. Yet their use is far from a simple process. RENEWABLE TARGETS “Biofuels are cleaner in that they produce less sulphur and other particulates when they’re burned,” explains Paul Nash, Head of New Energies at Airbus (see sidebar). “The most important difference for the environment, however, is that when you grow the biomass used to make biofuels, that material absorbs carbon dioxide. This means that while direct CO2 emissions from biofuels are more or less the same as those from conventional fuel, their overall contribution of CO2 to the atmosphere is significantly less.” The EU requires that ten per cent of its traffic and transport fuels come from renewable sources by 2020. Finland, which sees cleantech as a growing export market, has set a more ambitious goal of 20 per cent. How realistic are these targets? Would achieving them actually make a significant dent in the gases responsible for global warming? Scientists, environmental NGOs, industry groups and governments are sharply divided on these questions. One thing is clear: for renewables to be sustainable, their manufacture must not create more greenhouse gases than they’re worth or encroach on food supply or land used for it. The initial enthusiasm about biofuels such as corn ethanol pushed up global food prices, while palm oil production was blamed for rainforest destruction. The UN warns that production and land clearing for new fuel crops “may reduce carbon savings or even lead to an increase.” The EU now specifies that no more than five per cent of fuels can be made from food crops, with the rest to be based on waste, residues, or completely new types of raw materials.
The most promising of these so-called second-generation biofuels are either made from waste or grown on non-arable land, or even at sea, in the case of algae. These include the jatropha nut, which Indian Railways grows alongside its tracks to make oil that helps power its locomotives. Another one is camelina, which is being grown in Japan on land poisoned by the Fukushima nuclear accident. Among the companies producing fuel from camelina is Finland’s Neste Oil, which bills itself as the world’s leading supplier of renewable diesel. In the past, it has been accused of accelerating deforestation through its use of palm oil. Since then, Neste has shifted more to waste and residues, which now make up 35 per cent of the source material for its renewable fuel. Last year Neste Oil more than doubled its use of waste and residues, especially fish-processing waste and other animal fat. BIO-TRANSPORT A smaller Finnish company, St1 Biofuels, is focusing on producing what CEO Mika Aho calls “the world’s most sustainable bioethanol for transportation.” Its focus is on motor transport, which accounts for some 80 per cent of fossil fuel use in the sector. St1 is planning a facility in Kajaani to produce ten million litres of bioethanol annually from sawdust leftover by the sawmill industry. Along with several windfarms, the company already has five plants making ethanol from biowaste and food industry residues, with bakeries a prime supplier. “We locate these plants as close as possible to the source of the raw material – preferably next door or under the same roof. This eliminates the need for transporting it, which minimises the carbon footprint,” explains Aho. The EU and Finland’s Ministry of Employment and the Economy are also backing plans to build large plants to create biodiesel from logging scraps as raw material. Jos Dings, director of the Brussels-based NGO Transport & Environment, is cautious about such a model. “If we’re talking real waste, stuff that nobody else wants to use for anything else, that’s no problem,” he says. “But we really don’t have many of these true leftovers. On a small scale, such bioenergy might work.” Biofuel does seem to work in Brazil, where gasoline is 18 to 25 per cent ethanol made from sugarcane, with millions of “flex-fuel” cars running on 100 per cent ethanol. Brazil exports more than a billion litres of ethanol to Europe annually. At ten per cent ethanol, Finland has the EU’s highest mandated level of ethanol in 95-octane fuel. “There’s no technical reason whatsoever not to introduce E10 (an ethanol-petrol blend) throughout the EU,” says Aho.
PLUG-IN POWER However, Dings argues that the EU must move away from today’s liquid fuels – including biofuels – in order to achieve 70 per cent emissions reductions by 2050. He applauds the European Commission’s recent proposal that member states be required to build electric charging point systems for road transport. But are electric cars sustainable, considering that manufacturing of each one creates more than twice as much CO2 as a regular car, according to some estimates? “CO2 emissions of car manufacturing are surprisingly high,” notes Riku Eskelinen, coordinator of the newly-founded European EKOenergy certification network. “But average emissions of driving exceed manufacturing emissions in three or four years. Electric cars are much more sustainable than conventional diesel or gasoline-powered cars, though there are sustainability issues, for instance relating to the raw materials used in batteries.” “Over the next decades, batteries will improve and electricity will become cleaner,” predicts Dings. “This will make electric transport a more promising alternative than relying on hydrocarbon fuels.”
“BATTERIES WILL IMPROVE AND ELECTRICITY WILL BECOME CLEANER.”
ON TRACK TO CUT CO2 Rail traffic is often touted as one of the greenest means of transport. In 2009, the Finnish State Railways VR – which accounts for roughly one per cent of Finland’s electricity usage – announced that all its trains would “run on water,” i.e. electricity from existing hydropower plants. VR’s entire network is run with electricity, and the company says it cut CO2 emissions in half between 2007 and 2012. “The energy-efficiency of railways is mostly good, and if the electricity is clean, you have a good solution,” says Dings. However, Eskelinen notes that VR’s decision does not add to existing sustainable renewable electricity production. “VR has taken a step in the right direction by purchasing renewable electricity,” he says. “Nevertheless, hydropower has its own serious environmental MAY 2013
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FLOWER POWER IN THE AIR? LIKE SHIPPING, aviation faces major challenges in shifting away from fossil fuels – starting with cost. “Right now, biofuels cost about three times what ordinary jet fuel costs,” says Paul Nash, Head of New Energies at Airbus, who works closely with Finnair on biofuels. “Fuel already represents about 25 per cent of Finnair’s cost base.” “Obviously, the more the price of fossil fuel goes up, the closer we’ll get to parity with the price of biofuel. That will probably take ten to 20 years – unless you have concerted public policy that spurs faster development,” he adds. The International Air Transport Association predicts that biofuels could cut the aviation industry’s carbon footprint by 80 per cent. Airbus, meanwhile, hopes to achieve savings of 50 to 60 per cent. In 2011, Finnair flew the longest commercial biofuel flight to that date, from Amsterdam to Helsinki, using biofuel processed from used cooking oil. “We haven’t carried out new biofuel flights since then, although a long-haul flight is in our plans,” says Kati Ihamäki, Finnair’s vice president of sustainable development. “For Finnair, it’s important to find a fuel solution that is socially, ecologically and economically sustainable,” she says. “We aim to find a biofuel based on biomass produced nearby, such as forest products, microbial oils, algae and waste, for example.” One of the most promising sources now is camelina, a flower that grows in semiarid areas nearly all over the world. In 2011, the first business plane crossed the Atlantic using 50 per cent camelina fuel. It’s also being tested by the US Air Force, which plans to use 50 per cent biofuels in its planes by 2016. Finnair and Neste Oil are taking part in the EU’s Biofuel Flightpath, which is gearing up to produce two million tonnes of aviation biofuel by 2020. By then, the EU plans to build nine refineries to produce airplane biokerosene from a variety of feedstocks. Hydrogen fuel-cell systems and electrically-propelled aircraft are being tested, too. Riku Eskelinen of EKOenergy has an even more futuristic vision: “I hope to see the day when Finnair has its first solarpowered flight.”
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effects, such as the decline of migrating fish populations. Hopefully VR will switch to eco-labelled electricity.” He adds that this clean electricity could still involve hydropower, if certain improvements were made: these could include the construction of more fish passages to help restore spawning grounds. SAILING BACK TO THE FUTURE The largely unregulated shipping industry seems to be far away from widespread use of renewable power to replace marine diesel oil – or even significant emissions controls. Fishermen on Finland’s west coast are being encouraged to use biodiesel made from fish and other animal waste, which can cut greenhouse emissions in half. Iceland, meanwhile, is experimenting with the use of hydrogen fuel cells for boats. Another idea hearkens back to the tale of Phileas Fogg – the wind. Rather than sails, though, now
BIOFUELS COULD CUT THE AVIATION INDUSTRY’S CARBON FOOTPRINT BY 80 PER CENT. there are huge kites to help to pull vessels along. These computer-operated foil kites soar some 300‒500 metres above ships, harnessing strong upper winds to cut oil consumption by ten to 35 per cent annually. The International Maritime Organisation estimates that widespread use of such kites could cut industry CO2 emissions by 100 million tonnes a year. Sometimes the best new ideas are fresh takes on old ones.
Life is for
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TEXT BY LAURA PALOTIE
PHOTO BY ISTOCKPHOTO
A NEW CAMPAIGN INITIATED BY FINNISH PRESIDENT SAULI NIINISTÖ FIGHTS YOUNG PEOPLE’S SOCIAL ESTRANGEMENT BY ENCOURAGING CHANGES IN EVERYDAY BEHAVIOUR.
KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT THE
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widely reported aspect of Europe’s ecopendence here is encouraged from a young age. Finland is a safe nomic turmoil has been unemployment society in which kids can come home from school on their own, among those under 25: according to and part of the local coming-of-age tradition is moving away Eurostat, 23.9 per cent of young members of the from home after high school. In addition, a recent wave of urbanlabour force were unemployed in February of 2013, isation has resulted in extended families living far apart. up from 22.3 per cent in 2012. “We place a lot of focus on individual responsibility and makThe European Commission is fighting youth unemployment ing it on our own, which doesn’t always support those who can’t with several initiatives. Beyond its goals of reducing school dropkeep up the pace,” Huovinen says. Less than 20 per cent of Finns out rates and increasing the percentage aged 18 to 34 live with their parents, while of people completing higher education the EU average is roughly 46 per cent of degrees, the commission has advocated the population. the benefits of apprenticeships and other “Our ancestors wouldn’t have survived opportunities outside of the formal in the Nordic woods without a survival Here are a few ways in which family education system. instinct. However, we should also allow members and friends can help chilA consensus about the importance of our kids to be dependent,” says internadren and young people feel a sense reducing youth isolation seems to exist tionally cited child psychiatrist Tuula of belonging. across national and political borders, but Tamminen who has served as president of translating official recommendations the European Society of Child and AdolesInsist on keeping to a daily into actions remains a hurdle for cent Psychiatry. routine, and keep to it yourpolicymakers. Tamminen adds that the foundation for self. Sleep is like putting money President Sauli Niinistö of Finland keeping young people involved is made up in the bank. has recently answered this challenge. In of daily routines and close relationships. autumn of 2012 he kicked off the OrdiShe says that disjointed routines are a Give young people your time. nary Things (Ihan Tavallisia Asioita) problem in all wealthy Western societies. Be genuinely interested and initiative, which consists of concrete Working hours have become longer and don’t always try to teach them. steps adults can take to help young less regular, and time allotted for eating people feel cared for and involved. Its and sleeping is suffering. Tell kids stories about the goal is to create social change with According to Huovinen, the idea of past and your family history, citizen involvement. sticking to a family timetable earned the including the mistakes you made most enthusiastic approval among groups and how you coped. BEYOND TASK FORCES of parents and young people. Several The list of 36 tips was drafted in workinternational studies have shown that both Children should be encourshops that included social workers, children and adults are sleeping consistaged. Focus on getting police officers, teachers and other ently less. “Demands have grown and the through the problem together. experts, and were evaluated by groups of way we spend our time has become more parents and at-risk youth. The final list fragmented,” he says. “One director of a Physical contact strengthens was narrowed down from roughly 200 children’s psychiatric hospital told me that self-esteem and communisuggestions by a team of child psycholoif kids had more defined sleep schedules, cates acceptance and comfort. gists and pedagogical experts. his number of young patients with depres“President Niinistö decided against sion would be reduced by more than half.” Tell kids that it’s all right to be the traditional approach of assembling a unsure and to make mistakes, SMART BUSINESS task force,” says Sakari Huovinen, who and that they can always turn to an Several Finnish organisations and corporacoordinates the initiative. ”He wanted to adult for help. tions have partnered with the campaign. examine this question on an everyday Companies have, for example, distributed level.” (Source: Ordinary Things at Ordinary Things guidelines among their The list of actions, compiled into a TAVALLISIA.FI) employees, organised family events and booklet, includes recommendations on launched programmes to offer jobs to maintaining a daily routine, expressing young people. affection, spending time together and Huovinen compares this initiative to encouraging conversation. “We asked the maternity grant, which was written experts to select things that could easily into Finnish law in 1937 to encourage a rise in birth rates and be backed up by scientific evidence,” Huovinen says. help reduce infant mortality. The grant, which most mothers SLEEP AND DEPENDENCE receive in the form of a package that contains baby clothing, Finland is lauded for its accessible childhood health care and top diapers and other necessities, continues to this day. Finland’s infant mortality rate today is among the lowest in the world. PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) results “Social innovations last longer than technical ones,” says that have inspired international experts to study Finland’s educaHuovinen. “The one thing we have to succeed in is getting young tional system. But like other nations recovering from the global people involved and building a stronger culture of caring.” recession, Finland is facing a challenge in involving young people “I would like for the campaign to start a conversation that will – and has its own particular areas for improvement. bring changes to many different areas of society,” says Tamminen. One problem, experts say, may be rooted in the fact that inde-
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LITERARY
LONDON TEXT BY KATJA PANTZAR
PHOTOS BY ALEKSI NIEMELÄ
AS ONE OF THE WORLD’S LEADING BOOKISH CITIES, THE BRITISH CAPITAL OFFERS ENDLESS ITINERARIES THAT TAKE TRAVELLERS BEYOND THE TYPICAL TOURIST HAUNTS AND INTO THE BOROUGHS. MAY 2013
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Brick Lane’s Bangladeshi community was featured in Monica Ali’s debut novel.
reat folks and their stories make a place. “What is the city but the people?” asked English poet and playwright William Shakespeare in the early 1600s. As the British capital’s colourful – and at times controversial – mayor, Boris Johnson writes in his Johnson’s Life of London: The People Who Made the City That Made the World (2012): “The metropolis is like a vast multinational reactor where Mr Quark and Miss Neutrino are moving the fastest and bumping into each other with the most exciting results. This is not just a question of romance or reproduction. It is about ideas. It is about the cross-pollination that is more likely to take place with a whole super swarm of bees rather than a few isolated hives.” Indeed, London’s impact on world literature has been massive – ranging from Shakespeare to Sherlock Holmes, Jane Austen and Helen Fielding (of Bridget Jones’s Diary fame – a long-awaited third instalment will be published this fall), to award-winning authors such as Hanif Kureishi and Zadie Smith, who have written about race and the immigrant experience. Each writer brings a unique perspective to the city and offers travellers a new way of seeing and experiencing the metropolis.
Beigel Bake, open around the clock, is London’s oldest bagel shop.
GO EAST A five or ten-minute walk from Shoreditch Station lies Brick Lane, also known as Banglatown, the heart of the city’s Bangladeshi community. Monica Ali’s debut novel Brick Lane (2003), named after the East London street, captures the struggles and joys of Nazneen, a young Bangladeshi woman who moves to London to marry an older man, Chano. Set partly in Tower Hamlets where they live, the novel chronicles family life through an outsider’s eyes. Though Ali’s novel was well received – it was shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker prize and made into a film – some locals protested over the making of the screen version because they felt the novel neither accurately nor favourably portrayed the local community. Today Brick Lane is known as the “curry capital of London” and both visitors and locals are spoiled for choice – restaurants Aladin (at number 132), Nazrul (130), Monsoon (78) and Sheba (136) all consistently make the critics’ and readers’ top curry restaurant lists. Many of the establishments don’t serve alcohol, so be prepared to bring your own drinks – yes, it’s allowed. The street is also home to Beigel Bake (159 Brick Lane), London’s oldest bagel shop, which serves fresh bagels (reportedly 7,000 a day) in traditional Jewish style with fillings such as cream cheese and salmon. Open 24 hours a day seven days a week, Beigel Bake is an East End
BOOKISH LONDON ON FOOT A BROAD SELECTION of guided walks, literary and other WALKS.COM
LONDON’S IMPACT ON LITERATURE IS MASSIVE.
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TUBE TALES TO MARK the 150th anniversary of the London Underground, the Penguin Underground Lines box set brings together 12 tales of the city inspired by different tube lines. The 12 authors include Fantastic Man, John Lanchester, William Leith, Richard Mabey, Lucy Wadham, Peter York and Leanne Shapton. PENGUIN.CO.UK
institution popular with creative night owls and pubbers and clubbers looking for refuelling. This part of London has a lively nightlife scene, including indie live music venue 93 Feet East at The Old Truman Brewery (91 Brick Lane, TRUMANBREWERY.COM). The arts and media centre hosts exhibitions, events and sample sales in what was once the city’s largest brewery. For a sample of Monica Ali’s Brick Lane, visit the market “where Eastern promise meets East End chaos,” according to city events guide Time Out. The flea market is open on Sundays at the northern end of Brick Lane along Cheshire Street. Vendors sell everything from books to junk and antiques, jewellery and clothing. Brick Lane runs north down to Spitalfields, the setting of many a novel and work of non-fiction based on the story of serial killer Jack the Ripper, who operated here in the late 1800s. Today, many of Britain’s top-selling artists including Gilbert and George and Tracey Emin live here. Writer Jeanette Winterson renovated an old Georgian house into Verde & Co (40 Brushfield Street), an organic food shop, as part of the slow food movement.
Brick Lane is known for its top curry restaurants.
Hampstead’s literary haunts include the Keith Fawkes antique bookshop.
GO NORTH A fifteen-minute walk from Hampstead Station is one of London’s oldest pubs, the Spaniards Inn (THESPANIARDSHAMPSTEAD.CO.UK). Built in 1585, it’s essentially a country pub in the city, complete with a cosy garden and an impressive literary history. Here, in the low-ceilinged wood-panelled rooms, writers John Keats, Charles Dickens, William Blake and Lord Byron drank. The pub MAY 2013
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The Spaniards Inn has been an author watering hole.
IT’S ELEMENTARY Sherlock, the popular BBC TV series based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s series of books about fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, is currently in production with season three set to premiere this fall. Nigel Williams Rare Books (25 Cecil Court) in Covent Gardens carries rare first editions of Conan Doyle’s masterpieces.
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features in Dickens’ Pickwick Papers and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and reportedly Keats wrote his poem “Ode to a Nightingale” here, though several accounts suggest that he penned the piece in his nearby home, now the Keats House museum on Keats Grove. Today’s prices – four pounds (almost five euros) for a pint at the Spaniards reflect the area’s affluence – Hampstead’s real estate is some of the city’s most expensive. Nonetheless, it’s a lovely spot to stop for a drink after a walk on Hampstead Heath, a 790-acre ancient park complete with walking trails and three open-air swimming pools, two of which are open year-round. Down the road, Old Hampstead Village is also rich with history. The city’s first-ever literary salon was reportedly held here and the neighbourhood has been home to a veritable who’s who of literati over the decades including Daphne du Maurier, Ian Fleming, Samuel Taylor Coleridge,
Lord Byron, Enid Blyton, A.A. Milne, George Orwell, DH Lawrence, Evelyn Waugh, H.G. Wells, Aldous Huxley, and the Amis’s – Kingsley and Martin. The recently restored modern Isokon Building on Lawn Road was once an experiment in collective housing and home to mystery writer Agatha Christie, sculptor Henry Moore and German architect Walter Gropius. More recently, Amanda Craig’s Hearts & Minds (2009), a literary thriller that explores the interconnected lives of five Londoners, opens with a body being dumped on the Heath. CENTRAL Not far from Holborn Station is Bloomsbury, in the borough of Camden, between Euston Road and Holborn. Once an ancient village, Bloomsbury is close to the busy shopping thoroughfare of Oxford Street. Bloomsbury is best known for the group of writers and artists who called themselves the Bloomsbury Group (1907‒1930) and included Virginia Woolf, Clive Bell, Lytton Strachey, T.S. Eliot, E.M. Forster and Vita Sackville-West. The group challenged the strict rules and views of the day that had been set by the Victorian age. A blue plaque marks the spot where Virginia Stephen – later Virginia Woolf – and her sister Vanessa started the Bloomsbury Group at 46 Gordon Square. But the plaque is dedicated to influential economist and writer John Maynard Keynes, who later lived in the same house. Woolf and her husband Leonard Woolf later founded the Hogarth Press, which published TS Eliot’s seminal “The Wasteland,” arguably one of the most important poems of the 20th century, out of their homes on Tavistock Square and Mecklenburg Square. Pride and Prejudice author Jane Austen’s writing desk – an ergonomically sloping block of wood that was placed on a table – is housed at the new British Library (BL.UK, 96 Euston Road), which, before it opened in this new location in 1998 was housed at the British Museum (BRITISHMUSEUM.ORG, Great Russell Street). The Library’s previous location is part of the reason why so many high profile international writers – including Gandhi, George Bernard Shaw and Karl Marx –visited the Bloomsbury area over the years. There’s even a Gandhi statue in Tavistock Square. The impressive British Library at St Pancreas on Euston Road was the largest building constructed in the UK in the 20th century and houses more than 150 million items, requiring 625 kilometres of shelves. Back in Bloomsbury proper, the University of London’s Senate House building featured as “the Ministry” in the film version of George Orwell’s dystopian classic 1984, and at the British Museum, the recently renovated and light-filled Reading Room is open to the public. Nearby, the Great Ormond Street Hospital is also linked to literary greatness. Children’s author J.M. Barrie bequeathed all the proceeds from theatre versions of his Peter Pan to the hospital in 1929. The trust continues to help fund the children’s healthcare centre, and in the process, future generations of potential writers.
5 LONDON MUST-READS HARRIETT GILBERT, host of BBC’s World Book Club recommends: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens: evocative picture not only of the city but also of its river: the Thames. (Plus it’s one of Dickens’s shorter, most immediately exciting books – a real thriller with climatic chase scene.)
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The Girls of Slender Means by Muriel Spark: darkly funny picture of London (specifically Kensington) in the grim, impoverished days after the Second World War. The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi: coming-of-age story set in the 1970s about music, race and (escaping from) the London suburbs. Wise Children by Angela Carter: a joyful celebration of illegitimacy, carnival, and the often-overlooked London south of the river.
White Teeth by Zadie Smith: a joyful celebration of racial and cultural multiplicity, in Willesden, northwest London, in the closing decades of the 20th century.)
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THIS MONTH AROUND THE WORLD WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO DO AND SEE COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY MIRVA LEMPIÄINEN
TULIPS IN CANADA The Canadian Tulip Festival, first held in 1953, brings together 500,000 visitors and a million tulips. Ottawa’s Commissioners Park hosts the grandest display, with 300,000 tulips on 30 flowerbeds. The tradition came from Holland: in 1945, the Dutch sent 100,000 tulip bulbs to Canada after Canadian troops helped liberate the Netherlands during the Second World War.
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THIS MONTH AROUND THE WORLD
Vietnam traditions
Tel Aviv’s open doors
Hockey champs
Midwives in focus
The Vietnamese town of Hue is hosting its fifth artisanal festival, titled The Quintessence of Vietnamese Crafts. Guests can meet local artists and learn about ceramics, embroidery, weaving and paper flower making. The country’s No. 1 designer, Minh Hanh, will present her creations in an outdoor fashion show.
Following the lead of London and New York, Open House Tel Aviv (Batim Mibifnim, or Houses From Within) gives architecture buffs the chance to explore hundreds of homes and public buildings in this coastal Israeli city. Free walking tours are offered throughout Tel Aviv, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003.
Finland and Sweden co-host the Ice Hockey World Championship games for the second year. The preliminaries will be played in both countries, while the semifinals and medal games will take place in Stockholm. Finns have only one wish: to relive the golden days of 1995 and 2011. Finnair is the Finnish national team’s sponsor.
European mums get pampered on May 12, but many women in developing countries never see their first Mother’s Day: one in 22 die in pregnancy or childbirth. Midwives can change that. Maternity Worldwide encourages hosting a Muffins for Midwives bake sale that funds training in Uganda, Ethiopia and Malawi.
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Helsinki circus
Artist’s dreams
Golf with Finnair
Through Bowie’s eyes
The globetrotting Finnish visual theatre group WHS stays local in May. Its new premiere Lähtö marks WHS’s debut in the Finnish National Theatre in Helsinki, and its classic Odotustila performance is part of a weeklong circus festival, Cirko. The avant-garde WHS has toured in more than 30 countries since 2002.
Painter Hannu Palosuo’s new exhibit in Rome’s Hendrik Christian Andersen Museum merges symbols, meanings and references in a dreamlike logic. The Finn, born in Helsinki in 1966, works in his homeland and Rome. Palosuo’s art has been featured at shows including the 53rd Venice Biennale.
Finland’s national golfing contest for youth aged 12–21 kicks off its new season. The first of the summer’s eight rounds of games will be played in late May at Aurinkogolf course in the sunny town of Naantali. Finnair Junior Tour’s grand finale will take place at Alastaro Golf near Loimaa, Finland on September 14–15.
Singer David Bowie is the star of a new exhibition in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. The display, titled David Bowie is, highlights the cultural icon’s five-decade career with the help of more than 300 objects: Ziggy Stardust bodysuits from 1972, 60 original stage costumes, handwritten lyrics, photos and more.
Until May 26 WWW.MUSEOANDERSEN. BENICULTURALI.IT
May 25–26 GOLF.FI/FINNAIR-JUNIORTOUR
Until August 11 WWW.VAM.AC.UK/CONTENT/ EXHIBITIONS/DAVID-BOWIE-IS
May 11–12 and 22–25 W-H-S.FI
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TOM HAKALA
THIS MONTH AROUND THE WORLD
ECONOMIC STRUCTURE Employed persons by industry, 4th quarter 2012
FINLAND IN FIGURES
MANUFACTURING Food prod. and textiles 14%
Construction and energy Miscellaneous services
FOREIGN TRADE 2012 EXPORTS BY PRODUCTS BY ACTIVITY: 56,777 MEUR (per cent of total)
14%
34%
19%
Forest industry prod
Other manufactured goods 25%
8%
23%
Chemical ind prod
13%
Electric and electronics
Forest products 14%
13%
15%
Metals and metal products
Manufacturing
4% Agriculture
10%
Financial and business services
16%
14%
Machinery and equipment
16%
Other industries
IMPORTS BY USE IN 2012: 59,158 MEUR (per cent of total)
Transport and communications
MONTHLY TEMPERATURES AND RAINFALL IN HELSINKI 2012 MEAN MAX MIN RAINFALL AVERAGE 1971-2000
Intermediate goods Energy Capital goods
Metal and engineering products 47%
Trade and hotel
C C C mm
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII VIII
IX
X
XI
XII
52
36
38
32
37
57
63
56
76
70
58
-3,4 -6,8 0,8 4,1 10,9 13,7 17,7 16,0 12,5 6,7 4,2 -5,3 4,6 3,9 9,3 14,8 22,5 24,5 26,6 24,2 19,8 14,0 8,9 2,5 -15,9 -26,2 -14,3 -5,5 3,5 5,6 10,2 8,0 5,3 -6,2 -7,5 -16,2 80
Non-durable goods Durable consumer goods 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
EXPORTS AND IMPORTS (MEUR) TOTAL 2012 SWEDEN GERMANY RUSSIA USA NETHERLANDS CHINA GREAT BRITTAIN FRANCE
EXPORTS
56,777 6,283 5,238 5,688 3,580 3,561 2,961 2,885 1,689
IMPORTS
59,158 6,220 7,282 10,579 1,970 3,327 4,642 1,752 1,808
POPULATION 5.4 million, giving an average density of 18 people per sq. km of land area; annual growth rate 0.5% Life expectancy: men 77.2 and women 83.5 years. As in most other industrial countries, the middle-aged groups predominate. Average household size: 2.1 persons. 55% of the households live in single-family houses; 44% in apartment b locks. 84.4% are urban-dwellers, with 1 million in the Helsinki Area, which includes Espoo and Vantaa.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CURRENT TRENDS IN FINLAND, SEE:
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Other major cities in Finland include Tampere, Turku, Oulu and Jyväskylä. Languages: 90% speak Finnish; 5.4% Swedish. Religion: 78% are Lutheran; 1% Orthodox. Education: 81% of the popula tion aged 25 to 64 have com pleted upper secondary or tertiary education and 37% (the highest percentage in the EU countries) have university or other tertiary qualifications.
AREA 390,920 sq. kilometres or 150,900 sq. miles, of which 9% is fresh water; land area is 303, 909 sq. kilometres or 117,337 sq. miles. There are 188,000 lakes. 6% of the land is under cultivation, with barley and oats the main crops. Forests (mainly pine and spruce) cover 68% of the country. GOVERNMENT Sovereign parliamentary republic since 1917. From 1809– 1917, autonomous Grand Duchy within the Russian Empire; before that part of the Kingdom of Sweden for centuries. The president is elected ever y six years. The new president of Finland, Sauli Niinistö took office in March 2012. The 200 members of Parliament are elected for fouryear terms. Finland has been a member of the European Union since January 1995. WORKING LIFE 85.0% of women aged 25–54 are employed outside the home. Average monthly earnings, 4th
quarter 2012: men 3,535 euros; women 2,920 euros. Unemployment rate 8.7%, in February 2013 according to Labour Force Survey. ECONOMY GDP 2012: 190 billion euros, the annual change in volume -0.2%. Annual inflation rate as of February 2013: 1.7%. Currency: Euro.
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT PER CAPITA 2011* (EUR)
NORWAY USA DENMARK SWEDEN GERMANY FINLAND FRANCE UK EU27
Nominal
Adjusted for Purchasing Power Standard
70 500 34 700 43 000 41 000 31 700 35 200 30 600 27 800 25 100
47 500 37 100 31 400 31 700 30 300 28 900 27 000 27 300 25 100
Eurostat
Source: Statistics Finland
This is Finland at WWW.FINLAND.FI (English, Russian, Chinese, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese) News by Finnfacts at WWW.GOODNEWSFROMFINLAND.COM
Tervetuloa / Välkommen/ Welcome / Bienvenue / Willkommen / Добро пожаловать / Tere tulemast / ようこそ / Bienvenido / 欢迎 / Benvenuti / Velkommen / 환영 / Witamy /
www.finnair.fi
www.finnair.se
www.finnair.fr
www.finnair.de www.finnair.com/ru
www.finnair.ee
www.finnair.com/jp
www.finnair.es
www.finnair.com/cn www.finnair.it
www.finnair.dk
www.finnair.kr
www.finnair.com
www.finnair.fi/pl
Flying Finnair AUTOMATED BORDER CONTROL
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BEFORE AND DURING THE FLIGHT
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IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
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FLEET
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HELSINKI AIRPORT
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MAPS
90
CORPORATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
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FREQUENT FLYER BENEFITS
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FINNAIR INFO HOW TO USE THE AUTOMATED BORDER CONTROL GATES
Place your passport with the info page face down on the reader. Please wait while your passport is being read for biographical and biometric data. When the scan is complete, the gate will open.
Enter through the gate and turn right. Remove your glasses and hat. Look directly at the screen keeping your face visible. The camera will compare your facial image with the biometric feature scanned from your passport. Wait until the second gate opens. The border check for EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals is completed when the gate opens. Third country nationals must now move towards the border guard, who will check your entry stamp and mark your passport with an exit stamp. After that the border check is completed.
Have a nice journey!
日本人で、ICパスポート（※）をお持 ちの方は、2012年5月から試験的に、 出入国審査場において自動化ゲートを ご利用頂けます。 ヘルシンキ空港のシェンゲンエリアか ら、日本に向けて出国される際にお使 い頂くことが可能です。 まず、パスポートの顔写真ページを読 み取ります。該当ページを開き、読み 取り機に向けて置いてください。
二番目のゲートが開いたら、出入国審 査官のカウンターにお進み下さい。 パスポートの入国スタンプを確認した 後、出国スタンプを押印致します。 ご協力頂きまして有難うございます。 ※ ICパスポートとは、2006年3月20日 から申請受付を開始したIC旅券、つま り冊子中央にICチップ及び通信を行う ための
こちらで個人情報と生体認証データを 読み取ります。
アンテナを格納したカードが組み込ま れているバイオメトリック・パスポー トのことです。
ゲートが開いたら中に入り、右を向い てください。カメラで顔認証を行い、 パスポートの顔写真と照合します。
www.finnair.com/jp
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Smooth crossings PASSENGERS AT HELSINKI AIRPORT can now use the 25 automated border control gates, which are for arriving and departing passengers. Ten of these are located in the departure hall; the rest are located at arrivals. Previously only EU, EEA and Swiss nationals with biometric passports have been able take advantage of the automated border control gates. As of May, the Finnish Border Guard is launching a trial that will expand the scope of eligible users. Third country nationals, who are exempt from the visa requirement and hold a biometric passport, may use the automated border control upon departure. First the service will be available only for Japanese citizens. Other vise exempt nationals will be eligible to use the service in the near future. The increase in passenger volumes at Helsinki Airport requires that border control be organized in a smooth and efficient manner. The Finnish Border Guard’s automated border control fulfils this objective. The automated border control is monitored by a border guard ensuring secure border crossings. Please note that passengers travelling with an infant or wheelchair must use the manual border control line.
FINNAIR-INFO
FINNAIR INFO BEFORE THE FLIGHT
BEFORE DEPARTURE
Speed up your takeoff! Checking in to your Finnair flight is quick and easy. You can save time and reduce hassle by checking in at a self-service kiosk at the airport, online or by text message. Find out more about our check-in services at WWW.FINNAIR.COM.
ONLINE CHECK-IN Check in over the internet at your convenience, 24 hours a day, for all scheduled Finnair departures from Finland or destinations abroad (except from Ljubljana, where check-in can be completed on the airport’s own website), as well as connecting flights. Online check-in is also available for leisure flights departing from Finland. The service opens 36 hours before departure.
AUTOMATIC CHECK-IN Save time before departure and leave the check-in to us: if you haven’t completed online check-in, we will automatically take care of it for you and send your boarding pass to your mobile phone. If your flight departs in the morning, you will receive a check-in confirmation between 5 pm and 7 pm the previous evening. If your flight departs in the afternoon, you will get a confirmation approximately three hours before the flight takes off. This service is available for Finnairoperated flights and Flybe-operated AY2000 series flights departing from Helsinki and other airports in Finland, Amsterdam, Bergen, Brussels, Budapest, Copenhagen, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, Gothenburg, London, Madrid, Manchester, Munich, Milan, Oslo, Paris, Prague, Riga, Stockholm-Arlanda, Stockholm-Bromma, Tallinn, Toronto, Vilnius, Warsaw and Zurich.
CHECK-IN VIA A SELF-SERVICE KIOSK To check in at an airport selfservice kiosk, all you need is your passport or your Finnair Plus membership card or credit card. Finnair check-in kiosks are available at the following airports: Helsinki, Amsterdam, Beijing, Brussels, Budapest, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hong Kong, London, Manchester, Munich, Oulu, Prague, St Petersburg, Stockholm-Arlanda, Tallinn, Vienna, Warsaw and Zurich. The kiosks at Helsinki Airport can also be used when departing on a leisure flight.
Finnair in a nutshell • Finnair is Number One in air traffic between Northern Europe and Asia.
BAG DROP SERVICE If you only have carry-on baggage, proceed directly to security control. After selfservice check-in, checked baggage should be left at the Bag Drop desk within the normal check-in times. ONLINE CHECK-IN is available for leisure flights departing from Finland, and at check-in kiosks for departures from Helsinki.
• In 2011, Finnair carried 8 million passengers. • Close to one and a half million passengers fly between Asia and Europe via Helsinki each year. • In 2011, the number of passengers on scheduled flights totalled 7.3 million. Domestic travel accounted for 1.5 million passengers. The total on leisure flights was nearly 740,000. • In 2011, Finnair transported more than 145,000 tonnes of cargo. • Established in 1923, Finnair is one of the world’s oldest operating airlines. • Finnair’s route network includes more than 50 international destinations.
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FINNAIR INFO DURING THE FLIGHT
IN THE AIR
Welcome aboard! SAFETY
PERKS FOR KIDS
• Safety information is presented by the cabin crew at the start of each flight. The same information is also listed on the safety instruction card in the seat pocket.
• Children are offered puzzles or colouring books on intercontinental scheduled flights and leisure flights.
• Safety belts must remain fastened when the “Fasten safety belt” sign is on. For safety reasons we recommend keeping them fastened even when the sign has been switched off. • During the flight, passengers may use MP3, CD or DVD players as well as laptop computers when the “Fasten safety belt” sign is off.
• Music and video entertainment is available on intercontinental scheduled flights and leisure flights. • On the Airbus A340-300 and Airbus A330-300 aircraft, games are available as part of the personal entertainment system. MEALS • Meals or snacks are served on most international flights. • Complimentary non-alcoholic beverages are available on scheduled flights.
Inflight shopping Purchases can be made in two different ways on most flights: • You may order products in advance from our large and affordable pre-order assortment at www.finnairshop.com. • On most flights we also have onboard sales items. The selection varies depending on the route. • Tax-free products, alcohol and tobacco are sold on the aircraft when you fly to and from destinations outside the European Union. These include all intercontinental flights, as well as Ekaterinburg, Geneva, Moscow and Zurich.
ENTERTAINMENT • Inflight entertainment on intercontinental scheduled flights and leisure flights includes music, movies and an Airshow programme, which allows passengers to track their flight on a map. • On scheduled flights, headphones are available free of charge. On leisure flights, the entertainment fee includes headphones.
• Alcoholic drinks are for sale in Economy Class on European scheduled flights, except on routes to and from Riga, St. Petersburg, Stockholm and Tallinn. • In Economy Class on intercontinental scheduled flights we serve a hot meal with complimentary wine and beer. • On European and intercontinental scheduled flights coffee, tea, juice and soft drinks are complimentary. • In Business Class all drinks are free of charge. On leisure flights, there is a charge for all beverages. • On flights to and from northern Finland, alcoholic beverages are sold after 9 am.
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• Due to limited space onboard, alcohol and tobacco products are not for sale on flights operated with Embraer aircraft, but these products may be ordered through the pre-order service. • On flights within the EU, products are affordable but not tax-free. • Gift items, cosmetics, fragrances and confectionary are sold on scheduled flights to and from the following destinations: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Dubrovnik, Düsseldorf, Ekaterinburg, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hamburg, Ljubljana, London, Madrid, Manchester, Malaga, Milan, Moscow, Munich, Nice, Paris, Prague, Rome, Venice, Vienna and Zurich. SHOP WITH POINTS Pamper yourself with Finnair Plus points at www.finnairplusshop.com
FINNAIR INFO IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
The Abyss
Escape From Planet Earth
Hairspray
MOVIES, TV, MUSIC AND GAMES TO ENTERTAIN YOU
Sex and the City
Back to 1942
S
it back, relax and enjoy your flight with your personal entertainment system. Using your handset or touchscreen makes it easy to choose from more than 40 movies, 100 TV shows, 24 music channels, up to 200 CD albums and 20 games. Whether you like action, comedy, news, sports, pop or classical, there’s always something for you to enjoy, including programs from Hollywood, Asia and around the globe. We also offer films and cartoons
suitable for children and families on all international and leisure flights. For music, you can even create your own playlist from a choice of up to 200 CDs (on select aircraft). What’s more, most entertainment systems include a satellite phone for texting and emails, and a power outlet so you can use your own laptop computer or personal entertainment device. Your system also offers an Airshow moving map that displays the progress of your flight.
Personal entertainment systems are available on Airbus A330 and Airbus A340 aircraft. Headphones are free of charge on intercontinental scheduled flights. On leisure flights (AY1000 series), there is an entertainment fee which includes headphone rental (on Boeing 757 aircraft, €5.00 per person including return flight; on Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft, €8.00 per person per flight). Most Airbus A340 aircraft and all Airbus A330 aircraft are equipped with an electricity socket, telephone and the option to send SMS & email messages via the Inflight Entertainment System (not available for inbound SMS to the US or Canada). The messages cost only $2.00/message and the charge for calls is $7.00/first minute and $3.50/every 30 secs thereafter.
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FINNAIR INFO BEFORE AND AFTER THE FLIGHT HELSINKI AIRPORT
TRANSFER SERVICE
34
33
32
32a
31a-e 30
31x 31
HOW TO TRANSFER • Check your gate and departure time on the airport monitors.
35
• If your baggage has not been checked through to your final destination, collect it from the baggage claim area and go to check-in and security control.
SHOP
Security control
NON-SMOKING Smoking at Helsinki Airport is prohibited outside of designated smoking rooms.
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Transfer Service 3
36 Finnair Tax-Free Shop
FINNAIR LOUNGE
AIRPORT SHOPPING
Finnair Plus members receive special discounts at the Finnair Tax-Free Shop when presenting their membership card.
37
2ND FLOOR
37a-d
GROUND FLOOR
Border control
AUTOMATED BORDER CHECKS are available to passengers with biometric EU, EEA or Swiss passports. Place your passport on the reader with the photo page down, then pass through the first gate, turn towards the monitor, and wait for the second gate to open.
SHOP SHOPPING Receive special offers for airport services when you show your Finnair Plus card. You will recognise our partners by the Finnair Plus symbol. Helsinki Airport features more than 30 shops and boutiques and various restaurants and cafés.
Borde contro
2ND FLOOR
38
CHILDREN Children’s playrooms offer videos, microwave ovens and baby care facilities.
SHOP
SHOP LOUNGE
• All Finnair and Flybe departures are located in the same terminal.
WIRELESS INTERNET is available free of charge. An eService Bar is located across from gate 21.
Border control
LONG-HAUL AREA NON-SCHENGEN
• If you don’t have a boarding pass for your connecting flight, please contact the transfer service desk. • Most passengers transferring from nonEU countries to EU countries have to go through security and passport control. Please note that liquids are restricted in carry-on baggage.
SHOP
LOST AND FOUND INQUIRIES, tel +358 600 41006 WWW.LOYTOTAVARA.NET
SHOP
WALKING TIME GATE 24-30: 7 MIN
CHECK OUT
T2 29
28
Restaurant & Deli Fly Inn
27
FINNAIR LOUNGE 26
Finnair Tax-Free Shop
23
GATE AREA
Security check
er ol
CHECK-IN 240–270
CHECK-IN 201–232 SHOP
SHOP
24
25 Transfer Service 2
SHOP
Security check
22
Finnair Service Desk
GROCERY
21
20
SH
OP
SCHENGEN AREA
THE LATEST FINNAIR PLUS TAX-FREE OFFERS ON PAGE 97.
LOUNGE 2
1ST FLOOR
SHOP 19
Tourist info
18
Pharmacy
17 16
Transfer Service 1
15
CHECK-IN 101–114
14
Security check
Baggage storage
T1
GROUND FLOOR
13
GATE AREA 12
2ND FLOOR
11
BUS CONNECTIONS The Finnair City Bus to the Helsinki railway station leaves from Terminal 2 every 20 minutes, stopping also at Terminal 1. Travel time is about 30 minutes. Price: €6.30
SHOP
1ST FLOOR
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INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS FROM HELSINKI
Great Circle Estimated Distances Flight km Times
ALGHERO AMSTERDAM ANTALYA AQABA ARRECIFE BANGKOK BARCELONA BEIJING BERGEN BERLIN BILLUND BODRUM BRUSSELS BUDAPEST BURGAS CANCUN via Scandinavia non-stop CATANIA CHANIA CHONGQING COPENHAGEN DALAMAN DELHI DUBAI DUBROVNIK DÜSSELDORF EKATERINBURG FARO FRANKFURT FUERTEVENTURA FUNCHAL GENEVA GOA via Sharjah GOTHENBURG HAMBURG HANOI HÔ CHI MINH CITY (Saigon) HONG KONG HURGHADA INNSBRUCK IRÁKLION KAVALA KERKYRA KIEV KOS KRABI KRAKOW LANGKAWI LAS PALMAS LISBON LJUBLJANA LONDON MADRID MALAGA MANCHESTER MARSA ALAM MILAN MINSK MOSCOW MUNICH NAGOYA NEW YORK NICE NORRKÖPING OSAKA OSLO OVDA PALMA DE MALLORCA PAPHOS PARIS PHUKET PONTA DELGADA
2473 1525 2637 3494 4518 7912 2632 6325 1112 1123 1060 2572 1651 1481 1982 9127 2636 2756 6736 895 2639 5229 4537 2027 1512 2098 3480 1543 4578 4310 1994 6739 785 1172 7478 8510 7821 3743 1701 2777 2159 2331 1171 2620 8350 1186 8560 4700 3369 1713 1863 2950 3357 1817 3932 1953 740 876 1577 7780 6626 2202 530 7751 766 3457 2777 2898 1900 8312 4316
03:35 02:35 03:40 05:05 05:55 09:45 03:55 07:55 03:30 02:00 01:50 03:55 02:40 02:20 03:00 13:40 12:05 03:45 03:50 08:40 01:40 03:40 06:50 05:55 03:00 02:25 03:05 04:45 02:35 06:05 05:45 03:00 10:15 01:25 02:00 10:10 10:50 09:35 05:05 02:35 03:55 03:15 03:25 01:55 03:45 10:20 02:00 10:25 06:10 04:50 02:40 03:10 04:25 04:35 03:00 05:10 03:05 01:25 01:40 02:30 09:40 08:45 03:25 01:30 09:30 01:30 04:30 04:00 04:00 03:05 10:05 05:50
Great Circle Estimated Distances Flight km Times
PRAGUE PREVEZA PUERTO PLATA via Scandinavia RHODES RIGA RIMINI ROME SANTORINI SEOUL SHANGHAI SHARM EL SHEIKH SINGAPORE SKIATHOS SPLIT ST. PETERSBURG STOCKHOLM TALLINN TARTU TEL AVIV TENERIFE NORTE TENERIFE SUR TOKYO TORONTO VARADERO via Scandinavia VARNA VENICE VERONA VIENNA VILNIUS WARSAW XIAN ZAKYNTHOS ZÜRICH
1322 2397 8417 2668 382 1993 2235 2660 7050 7410 3664 9272 2353 1956 301 400 101 245 3230 4691 4745 7849 6619 8665 1911 1847 1903 1462 633 940 6421 2526 1781
SCHEDULED DESTINATIONS
02:10 03:25 12:40 03:45 00:55 03:00 03:25 03:40 08:40 09:05 05:00 11:30 03:30 02:55 01:00 01:00 00:30 00:50 04:25 06:10 06:10 09:45 08:50 12:55 02:55 02:55 02:55 02:30 01:15 01:40 07:50 03:55 02:45
LEISURE DESTINATIONS PARTNER-OPERATED CODE-SHARE OR MARKETING DESTINATIONS SEASONAL ROUTE EW SCHEDULED DESTINATION N IN 2013
Atl Oc antic ean
DOMESTIC FLIGHTS FROM HELSINKI ENONTEKIÖ IVALO JOENSUU JYVÄSKYLÄ KAJAANI MARIEHAMN KEMI/TORNIO KITTILÄ KOKKOLA/PIETARSAARI KUOPIO KUUSAMO OULU PORI ROVANIEMI SAVONLINNA TAMPERE TURKU VAASA VARKAUS
900 931 360 235 464 282 609 823 391 335 667 514 214 697 281 143 150 348 259
02:15 01:35 01:00 00:45 01:00 00:55 01:30 01:25 01:05 01:00 01:15 01:05 00:40 01:20 00:55 00:35 00:35 00:55 00:50
Bay of B isca ya
Arct ic
Ocea n
Nor weg ian S ea
Nort
h Sea
Black Sea
Medit erranea n Sea
Arctic Ocean FINNAIR-INFO WORLD MAP
Finnair Plus members earn Plus points from travelling on any scheduled flight with a oneworld airline.
Atlantic Ocean
Cartagena
Pacific Ocean
Ocea n Atlantic Ocean
oneworld:
more than 800 destinations
Arctic Ocean
Taiwan
Indian Ocean
Pacific Ocean
FINNAIR INFO CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
Society and the environment Finnair wants to be the number one choice for quality- and environmentally-conscious travellers. The airline collaborates with many environmental and humanitarian organisations, and invites its frequent flyers to participate in these efforts by donating Finnair Plus points. Here are a few other examples of Finnair’s societal involvement in a changing world:
• From 1999 to 2009, Finnair cut its carbon dioxide emissions per seat by 22 per cent. By 2017, it intends to reduce this number by another 24 per cent; total reductions per seat from 1999 to 2017 will equal as much as 41 per cent. Finnair supports the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) goal of zeroemissions air travel by 2050, as well as a global emissions trading scheme. • Finnair flies one of the youngest fleets in the business. The average aircraft age is 8.4 years. Operating with new aircraft cuts back on fuel consumption and emissions by 20 to 30 per cent. The airline also flies the shortest routes between Europe and Asia via Helsinki, reducing fuel consumption. Passengers and cargo are carried on the same flights.
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• As part of the Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay (AMDAR) program, Finnair provides weather measurements to the Finnish National Weather Service and to a number of meteorological institutes globally.
• Through its collaboration with Nordic Offset, a Finnish company, AREA travel agency offers companies the opportunity to offset their carbon emissions from business travel by donating to renewable energy projects in growing markets such as China and India. • Finnair employees are offered continuous training and development opportunities. The company also conducts an annual employee wellbeing survey, participates in campaigns promoting equal treatment at the workplace, and places a strong focus on occupational safety.
THE LATEST ON SUSTAINABILITY FINNAIR HAS published an annual overview of its
sustainability efforts since 1997. The company’s 2012 Sustainability Report, published this spring and available online, offers information on the Finnair’s efforts in four areas: customers, personnel, operations and safety. The report has been prepared according to Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) guidelines since 2008. Among the topics covered in the 2012 report are Finnair’s recent efforts to reduce aircraft and load weight, its support of the EU’s Single European Sky and emissions trading initiatives, and the company’s impact on the Finnish economy. The report also covers recent savings measures and structural changes within the company, including its outsourcing of specialised areas such as engine and component services. In human resources, Finnair launched a new job grading system and code of conduct in 2012.
www.finnairgroup.com/ responsibility/index.html
FINNAIR INFO ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
PARTNER OF THE MONTH Through its collaboration with the Association of Friends of the University Children’s Hospitals, Finnair provides domestic flights for families requiring treatment outside of their home towns.
• Finnair supports groups such as the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation and UNICEF, and has provided humanitarian assistance during environmental crises including the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The airline has also worked with smaller organisations including Tikau and ENO, an environmental education programme. • Finnair prioritises recycling: for example, the airline has donated cabin crew uniforms, blankets and other textiles to Uusix and GlobeHope, companies that turn used materials into design items. • Finnair serves 16,000 meals
onboard daily, with more than 55 per cent of the waste going to recycling or re-use.
• Plastic wine bottles, mugs, packages and utensils, as well as cardboard cups and paper napkins are burned to produce energy. Aluminium cans and clear plastic bottles are recycled. The recycling process begins during the flight. • Plastic trays are washed and reused. In Business Class, washable dishes and utensils are used. F · innair’s emissions calculator (at www.finnair.com/emissionscalculator) allows travellers to check their personal fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by plugging in their departure and destination cities. Data assurance is done by PricewaterhouseCoopers and updated on a quarterly basis.
HOW YOU CAN HELP At pointshop.finnair.com, members of Finnair’s frequent flyer programme can donate points to the following organisations: ☛ The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation ☛ The Association of Friends of the University Children’s Hospitals ☛ The Cancer Society of Finland ☛ The Finnish Red Cross ☛ UNICEF ☛ The Baltic Sea Action Group
BLOGS.FINNAIR.COM WWW.FINNAIRGROUP.COM/ RESPONSIBILITY/INDEX.HTML
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FINNAIR-INFO FLEET
AIRBUS A340-300 Number Seating capacity Length Wingspan Cruising speed Maximum cruising altitude
7 270/269 63.6 m 60.3 m 890 km/h 12,500 m
AIRBUS A330-300 Number 8 Seating capacity 297/271/263 Length 63.6 m Wingspan 60.3 m Cruising speed 890 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,600 m AIRBUS A321 Number Seating capacity Length Wingspan Cruising speed Maximum cruising altitude
6 136–196 44.5 m 34.1 m 840 km/h 11,900 m
AIRBUS A320 Number Seating capacity Length Wingspan Cruising speed Maximum cruising altitude
10 110–165 37.6 m 34.1 m 840 km/h 11,900 m
AIRBUS A319 Number Seating capacity Length Wingspan Cruising speed Maximum cruising altitude
9 105–138 33.8 m 34.1 m 840 km/h 11,900 m
EMBRAER 190 Operated by Flybe Number 12 Seating capacity 100 Length 36.2 m Wingspan 28.7 m Cruising speed 850 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,300 m BOEING 757 Number Seating capacity Length Wingspan Cruising speed Maximum cruising altitude
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4 227 47.3 m 41.4 m 860 km/h 12,800 m
Enjoy your Finnair Plus benefits FINNAIR PLUS is a frequent flyer program open to all Finnair passengers. Children between the ages of two and 17 can join the Finnair Junior Plus program. Enter your Finnair Plus membership number upon booking or show your card at check-in to earn Plus points on Finnair and oneworld flights. FINNAIR PLUS POINTS can be collected from more than 300 Finnair Plus partners around the world, including car rental companies, restaurants, hotels, airport shops and more.
award with a set amount of points, or a flight on a oneworld airline. An Any Seat flight award can be purchased on the Finnair Plus site and used when booking a Finnair flight.
MEMBERS can use points to buy services from Finnair Plus partners or make purchases from the online Finnair PlusÂShop, which stocks more than 3,500 items from gadgets More benefits to design classics. Shop with points, money or a combina& offers for tion of both. members!
Join now!
FINNAIR OFFERS its frequent flyers a variety of benefits and flight award options. Purchase an Any Seat flight award with a flexible combination of points and money, a Classic flight
JOIN FINNAIR PLUS at www. finnair.com/plus or by filling out an application in your seat pocket. The Finnair Plus site also includes information on collecting and using points and allows you to check your points balance, book flight awards, and browse special offers.
There are four Finnair Plus tiers: Basic, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Move up to higher tiers by collecting qualifying tier points on Finnair or oneworld flights. See more information at www.finnair.com/plus.
BASIC BENEFITS:
+ C lassic and Any Seat flight awards
+ T ext message check-in for + + + + +
Finnair flights P ayment for excess baggage charges with points W aiting list priority based on tier P lusShop and partner service purchases with points D iscounts and points for partner services P oints for credit card purchases
ADDITIONAL SILVER BENEFITS:
+ B usiness Class check-in with
Finnair -Priority Lane* security checks + O ne extra piece of baggage free of charge and Finnair lounge access when flying with Finnair + 1 0% points bonus on Finnair flights + 1 0% discount on purchases made in Finnair Shops and on flights outside of the EU
Finnair Plus
oneworld
BASIC SILVER GOLD PLATINUM
--RUBY SAPPHIRE EMERALD
Benefits by tier
ADDITIONAL GOLD BENEFITS: seat 48 hours before + Confirmed
+ + + + + +
Finnair flights (European or intercontinental for Business Class, intercontinental for Economy Class) Priority Lane* security checks t ravel class upgrades for Finnair flights U se of a service phone number S pecial baggage free of charge on Finnair flights O neworld Business Class and Frequent Flyer lounge access + 1 guest 1 5% points bonus on Finnair flights
ADDITIONAL PLATINUM BENEFITS:
+ N o expiration of points during tracking period
+ Oneworld First Class checkin and lounge access
+ 25% points bonus on Finnair flights
* For example: Helsinki, Stockholm-Arlanda
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FINAVIA
FINNAIR PLUS FREQUENT FLYER BENEFITS
Small comforts before you fly Find out how to earn and use Finnair Plus points with purchases at the airport. DO YOU EASILY exceed your baggage Take five allowance while travelling? Not to worry. Arrive early at Helsinki Airport and enjoy You can use Finnair Plus points to great opportunities to earn and pay excess baggage charges spend Finnair Plus points. Relax for all Finnair flights. with a pint at the Oak Barrel Excess baggage vouchers pub, dine in style at the SeaFor more details cost between 8,000 and sons Restaurant or sample on Finnair Plus 23,000 points dependpastries at the Alvar A ing on your destination. services, please visit: designer café. Finnair Plus The voucher is valid members earn points by FINNAIR.COM/ for one year, entitling presenting their card at you to travel with an adalmost all restaurants and SHOPPING ditional item of baggage cafés at Helsinki Airport. As weighing up to 23 kilos. of March, you can now also use points in real-time at all estab-
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lishments run by Select Service Partner Finland, except Starbucks cafés. Shop till you drop Don’t forget to pop in at the Finnair TaxFree Shop, where you earn five Finnair Plus points for every euro you spend on purchases over 15 euros. Monthly offers are available for Finnair Plus members, and Silver, Gold and Platinum members receive a 10 per cent discount on all normally priced items. You can also use points to order 20 and 50-euro vouchers to spend as you please at Finnair Tax Free Shops at Helsinki, Tampere and Turku airports.
FINNAIR PLUS FREQUENT FLYER BENEFITS PARTNERS
OFFERS FOR FINNAIR PLUS MEMBERS IN APRIL
SEE YOU OPPOSITE GATE 28!
Tax-free offers at the airport THE FINNAIR TAX-FREE SHOP at Helsinki Airport welcomes Finnair Plus members with monthly offers and benefits. Just show your membership card and save up to 20% or more on our regular tax-free prices on certain items.
BURBERRY SUMMER FRAGRANCES FOR WOMEN AND MEN -20%
WINES Pichon Baron 2004, 75 cl / Suduiraut 1999, 75 cl For Finnair Plus members €160 (normal tax-free price €190) Château Doisy Vedrines 2005 37,5cl, Sauternes For Finnair Plus members €19.90 (normal tax-free price €26) Fabrizio Bianchi Chardonnay 2009, Castello di Monsanto For Finnair Plus members €17,90 (normal tax-free price €21)
GUESS MANDA BAGS -20% from tax free prices
GATE 28
Beef up your points balance THERE'S AN easy way to increase your Finnair Plus point balance: simply log in to your account at finnair.com/ plus, purchase the amount of points you need, and spend
them however you wish: on flights, travel class upgrades, or products and services from our partners. You can also buy Finnair Plus points as a gift for a friend.
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FINNAIR PLUS PLUSSHOP
Shop online with Finnair Plus points HOME DELIVERY
Samsung’s Galaxy Camera, available at Finnair PlusShop, caters to the avid photo-sharer. The first camera to feature the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system, the Samsung Galaxy Camera is made for the social media connoisseur. Surf the Web via wi-fi or 3G, share photos with other devices, post your shots to Facebook and upload mobile games and other Android apps.
€599
193,477 Finnair Plus points
THE ONLINE FINNAIR PLUSSHOP stocks over 3,000 items and delivers around the world. Pay with Finnair Plus points, money or a combination of both. Items will be shipped to your home or to your nearest post office.
FINNAIR PLUS PLUSSHOP
More PlusShop offers NEW!
MOOMIN MUG MOOMINTROLL, turquoise 5,879 points €18.20
NEW!
FATBOY® BUGGLE-UP Different colours 110,466 points €342
MOOMIN MUG SNORKMAIDEN, pink 5,879 points €18.20 NEW!
POLAR RCX3 HEART RATE MONITOR Also in black 53,295 points €165
MARIMEKKO MINI UNIKKO KINTO TOILET BAG Different colours €49.50 15,989 points
BACSAC® BACLONG 3 110 L €109 35,207 points NEW!
MARIMEKKO SHOULDER BAG Different colours 31,977 points €99
ARTEK AALTO E60 MOOMIN STOOL Different themes €235 75,905 points
SAMSONITE COSMOLITE -SUITCASE 75 CM Different colours 135,337 points €419
PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
PAY WITH A FLEXIBLE COMBINATION OF FINNAIR PLUS POINTS AND MONEY USING OUR POINTS/MONEY SLIDER.
WWW.FINNAIR.COM/PLUS
€18.20
5,879 points
EXAMPLE: MOOMIN MUG EURO PRICE GOES DOWN AS THE AMOUNT OF POINTS IS INCREASED.
www.baume-et-mercier.com
PRODUCT LINE AS · T: +47 815 22 330