PITTSBURGH’S PASSION FOR ART
TOASTING MARIMEKKO
Culture issue
GERMANY’S MICHELIN SECRET
GEARING UP FOR EUROVISION
Trends, destinations and insights for travellers • May 2014
Your l na perso y cop
WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS
IN EASTERN FINLAND ANGKOR WAT’S
HIDDEN NOOKS SAIL TO
MOOMIN ISLAND
pop-up
Toronto
LI N DROOS WATCH ES & J EWELLERY Helsinki Airport Schengen +358 9 355 0500 Helsinki Airport Non- Schengen +358 9 355 0510 www.lindroos.fi
EDITORIAL
BY PEKKA VAURAMO CEO OF FINNAIR WWW.FINNAIR.COM
The temple complex of Angkor Wat offers endless inspiration.
PRODUCER Amanda Soila ART DIRECTORS Miia Taskinen Sirpa Ärmänen SUB-EDITOR Anna-Maria Wasenius LAYOUT DESIGNER Peter Sade CONTENT MANAGER Kati Heikinheimo ENGLISH EDITING Laura Palotie REPROGRAPHICS Anne Lindfors, Tuukka Palmio ENGLISH TRANSLATION Wif Stenger SUBMISSIONS bluewings@sanoma.com EDITORIAL OFFICES Lapinmäentie 1, 00350 Helsinki, Finland, Postal address P.O.Box 100, 00040 Sanoma, Finland, tel. +358 9 1201, fax +358 9 120 5988, e-mail firstname.lastname@sanoma.com ADVERTISING SALES Media Assistant Sirkka Pulkkinen tel. +358 9 120 5921 PUBLISHER Sanoma Media Finland Oy Custom Publishing PRINTED BY Hansaprint, Turku, Finland 2014 PAPER Nova Press 70g, Cover paper Lumi Art 200g CIRCULATION 60,000 ISSN-0358-7703
The power of culture
I
f travel is about the people you meet along the way, wherever there are people, there is culture. Learning to navigate different societies and read cultural codes is not just a necessary skill for travellers, but for anyone wanting to succeed in 21st-century life and business. The more we travel, the better we become at thinking about
old problems from new angles, considering other points of view, kick-starting our imaginations and developing our capabilities. You can’t think outside the box without actually stepping out of it once in a while. Culture, the theme of this month’s issue, is the product of people responding, thinking, learning, performing, building, and above all dreaming. From the Habsburg splendour of Vienna to the spiritual magnificence of Angkor
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Arja Suominen arja.suominen@finnair.com
Wat, it is these many manifestations of
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
inspire us to keep on forging ahead on
CUSTOMER FEEDBACK www.finnair.com > Information and services > After the flight or by mail: Customer Relations, SL/08, FI-01053 FINNAIR.
Where are you headed today?
www.finnair.com www.finnair.fi www.finnairgroup.com
the human spirit that make travel such an endlessly consuming passion – and our chosen life paths, whatever those may be.
Wishing you an inspirational journey, Pekka Vauramo
MAY 2014
10
44 52
22
THE POPPY BIRTHDAY
24
TORONTO’S SHOPPING SECRETS
34
INTO THE FINNISH WILD
44
ADVENTURES IN ANGKOR WAT
52
ART-LOVER’S CANDY STORE
54
THE FINNISH EPIC’S ALLURE
58
LIGHTHOUSE VOYAGES
64
AIRPORT EVOLUTION
72
ARTSY PITTSBURGH
Marimekko’s legendary print turns 50
Canada’s culture capital sprouts pop-up stores
Discover the untouched nature of Kuhmo
Temple hideouts for curious visitors
Our guide to Vienna’s best galleries
The Kalevala remains perpetually relevant
Experience magical Moomin landscapes
New shops and smooth transfers
The Steel City has turned into a creative mecca
22 ON THE COVER: JEN LEE KOSS AND KENA PARANJAPE BY MIKE LEWIS
8
10
12
14
NEWS
ART
DESTINATION
CULTURE
Airport upgrades
Calling on Carl Larsson’s home
Medieval buzz in summer Pisa
Eurovision 2014
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18
20
FOOD
DESIGN
HELSINKI
Germany’s Michelin surprise
A miniature summer cabin
Samurai spectacles
16
IN THIS ISSUE
REGULARS
Kenya, p. 6 Sweden, p. 10 Pisa, p. 12 Copenhagen, p. 14 Germany, p. 16 Finland, p. 18, 20, 22, 34, 58 Toronto, p. 24 Cambodia, p. 44 Vienna, p. 52 Pittsburgh, p. 72
24 72
6
TRAVEL MOMENT
32
ALEXANDER STUBB
50
TIINA ROSENBERG
69
THIS MONTH AROUND THE WORLD
80
FINLAND IN FIGURES
NEW PRE-ORDER MEALS
34
FLYING FINNAIR
for Economy Class customers See page 83
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 2014
BLUE WINGS
5
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MAY 2014
TRAVEL MOMENT BY DIEGO ARROYO
ON THE VERGE OF ADULTHOOD A MEMBER OF THE KENYAN SAMBURU familyÂis about to join the late afternoon ritual that marks the transition into adulthood for one of its members. The North Kenyan Samburu are known for their striking appearance and both
men and women wear colourful beaded necklaces, earrings and bracelets and paint their faces. Although dancing plays an important role in the Samburu Âculture, traditionally no instruments are used to accompany the singing and dancing.
MAY 2014
BLUE WINGS
7
TRAVEL NEWS
COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY KATJA PANTZAR
FINNAIR HUB UPGRADES Frank Sinatra as the plane circled in to land at JFK – we had been tipped off by their daughter that this was one of their dreams,” says Remes.
FINNAIR
TOP SERVICE
C
hange is afoot at Finnair’s hub, Helsinki Airport. As of mid-May, passengers will have three-fold more service options when they step into the airport. Up to six new security lanes will open on the second floor above the current Finnair check-in area to ease congestion during peak hours. Ten new self-service baggage drop counters will open and the current number of self-service check-in kiosks will increase to 34. “Eighty per cent of our customers already use self-service check-in either via the Internet up to 36 hours before
USING ELECTRONIC DEVICES ONBOARD PASSENGERS ON FINNAIR FLIGHTS may now use handheld devices such as smartphones, tablets and e-readers during all flight phases as long as the devices are kept in flight mode.
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flight departure or by using the self-service check-in kiosks at the airport,” says Markku Remes, Manager for VIP & Lounge Services. “All of these new additions will make departing for flights even easier,” he says. MAGIC MOMENTS
For Remes, who is responsible for Finnair’s three lounges at Helsinki Airport and for taking care of special requests, all Finnair passengers are VIPs. “Recently, for a couple travelling to New York to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary we played the song ‘New York, New York’ by
FLIGHTS OF FANTASY TRAVEL in all its forms is the theme of HelsinkiAirport’s “Views en Route” exhibition, which showcases Finavia’s collection of Finnishart from the 1960s to the present day. The Art Gallery is located by Gate 37 downstairs and open around the clock. Admission is free.
In the non-Schengen area of Terminal 2, a new Premium Lounge is under construction next to the award-winning Finnair Lounge near Gate 36. Designed by Helsinki-based dSign Vertti Kivi & Co, the Premium Lounge will be available to FinnairPlus Platinum and Gold members as well as frequent flyer cardholders with equivalent status at fellow oneworld airlines and their guests. “We’re looking forward to opening the new lounge in late June to keep up with burgeoning demand for our worldclass lounge facilities,” says Remes. “The expanded lounge environment will offer passengers calm, refreshment and relaxation while showcasing Finland as an international hub of art and design.” With features such as iconic chairs by design legend Eero Saarinen, state-of-theart private shower suites and a Finnish sauna, the Premium Lounge will also feature an exclusive tax-free shop selling Finnish and Nordic design and a range of high-end products. WWW.FINNAIR.COM
WINTER DESTINATIONS FOR THE UPCOMING winter season (2014-2015), Finnair will start scheduled services to Krabi and Phuket in Thailand, destinations previously served on a charter basis, and the route to Tromsø, Norway will also be reopened for the Aurora Borealis season in early 2015.
TRAVEL ART
TEXT BY WIF STENGER PHOTOS BY SINIMAARIA KANGAS
Director Chia Jonsson welcomes visitors to the Carl Larsson home museum.
The museum encourages youngsters to try painting in the Larsson style.
IDYLL FIT FOR AN ARTIST
S
weden’s self-image is embedded in a wooden house in Dalarna County, 220 kilometres northwest of Stockholm. Lilla Hyttnäs is known as the home of the country’s most cherished artist, Carl Larsson (1853–1919), but it was his wife Karin Larsson who shaped much of the house – and 20th century Swedish design. Their home in Sundborn, immortalised in the 1899 book Ett Hem (A Home), is now a museum that attracts 60,000 visitors annually. Between public openings, the house is still used by his descendants for christenings, weddings and an annual crayfish party – echoing Larsson’s paintings of his clan dining al fresco. This Carl Larsson-gården (“farm”) seems today like the epitome of rustic Scandinavian traditionalism. Yet when Karin and Carl designed it, it was daringly modern. Karin tossed out the dusty tradition of heavy, dark fabrics and furniture, and replaced it with a whimsical mix of bright colours and influences from Japan, Britain and France, where the couple met at an artists’ colony in 1882. The resulting jumble is casual and cosy, romantic and restful – and now familiar worldwide through reinterpretations by Swedish home décor firms such as IKEA and Hemtex. Life at Sundborn in Larsson’s time was often a bohemian idyll of parties, guests and pets. Namedays were celebrated with
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c ostumes, poems, plays and paintings. There was tragedy too, including the deaths of two of their seven children. Karin put aside her own painting career when she married Carl, but collaborated with him on many projects and created all the textiles for their home. “Carl said that when it came to colouring, he left it to her because she had a better colour eye,” says museum director Chia Jonsson. “She did most of the designs in the house; he painted them afterwards.” The home was the main subject of Carl’s paintings, and his wife’s decorative vision thus became familiar to viewers around the globe. After he died in 1919, Karin lived on at Sundborn for another nine years. “She kept on doing textiles. We have embroidery from the year that she died [1928], still in her trademark style. For instance, she liked to use arrow shapes and attach tassels to the corners,” says Jonsson. “She also kept writing him letters, telling him what she was doing. They wrote letters throughout their 37 years together, often teasing and calling each other funny nicknames. They kept the love, the heat between them. Even in their 50s, they would sometimes sneak out of a party to kiss behind a door.” FINNAIR FLIES to Stockholm Arlanda and Bromma airports up to 11 times daily.
RESTORING A GARDEN GLORY ON MAY 22, Carl Larsson-gården opens an exhibition on Karin Larsson’s flowers – and on June 14 celebrates the restoration of the garden to its original state. “The entire garden was dug up, and this spring several hundred new plants and trees are migrating into the garden,” says Helena Brunkman, great-granddaughter of the Larssons and artistic director of the museum. These include birches, apple trees, lilies, poppies as well as long-forgotten roses and many others. “Behind the scenes, there’s been a lot of expert research, studying photographs and artwork to get as close as possible to the Larssons’ dream garden,” Brunkman adds. CLG.SE
Su m m er Gr ee ti ng s
Swim min g Pool :)
Seaside Lot
Ma rin a Vil la
Ins ide the Vill a
Siesta in Strรถms รถ
TRAVEL DESTINATION
TEXT BY DAVID NIKEL
HIGHLIGHTS OF PISAN JUNE
BATTLING PISA
JUNE 16 The Luminara of San Ranieri Pisa by Candlelight JUNE 17 Palio of San Ranieri Historical Regatta JUNE 20–22 La Luna è Azzurra International Puppet Theatre JUNE 29 Battle of the Bridge
The riverside promenades line Pisa’s River Arno.
The famed Leaning Tower is just one of Pisa’s sights.
Battle of the Bridge is a chance to rediscover long-lost city rivalries and celebrate Pisa’s proud history. ISTOCKPHOTO
PISA TOURISM AGENCY
PISAONLINE.IT
A MEDIEVAL TRIBUTE HEATS UP THE TUSCAN CITY IN JUNE.
T
roops parade along the riverside dressed in elaborate and colourful sixteenth century Spanish costumes. Up to 100,000 locals, more than the population of Pisa itself, cheer them on. Excitement builds, drums beat, children shout, but all this is just the prelude to the day’s main event, Il Gioco del Ponte, or Battle of the Bridge. Held on the last weekend in June, the Battle of the Bridge is the highlight of the year for many Pisa locals. They rediscover long-lost city rivalries and celebrate their city’s proud history in the magnificent setting of the lungarni, the riverside promenades that line Pisa’s River Arno. Following the procession, the battle itself takes place on the Ponte di Mezzo, the white Veronan stone bridge more commonly used by tourists than for battle. The medieval contest sees teams push a heavy trolley in opposing directions along a track. The team remaining on the bridge wins the contest. The overall victory – and honour of the city - goes to the team with the most victories at the end of the exhausting day. The origins of the quirky game are unclear although several popular legends
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exist. One touches on Greek mythology, where Pelops, the mythical founder of Pisa, started the contest in a bid to replicate the Olympic Games. Another, a tribute to Kinzica de ‘Sismondi, daughter of a nobleman, who as legend has it, saved the city from the invasion of the Saracens in the early 11th century. Whatever the game’s true origins doesn’t really matter. It’s now an occasion for locals to celebrate and for their children to learn all about Pisan history and culture. A MONTH OF CELEBRATIONS
The Battle of the Bridge is the final event in Giugno Pisano, or Pisan June, thirty magical days when the city’s heritage comes alive. Expect theatre, concerts and events steeped in tradition. “Festa di San Ranieri, where Pisans honour their patron saint, is famous throughout the region,” says Tuscan travel writer Georgette Jupe. “Many of the famous monuments are lit up for the occasion with over 120,000 candles floating along the River Arno and illuminating famous Pisan landmarks.”
The unique experience of seeing Pisa by candlelight is followed the next day by a boat race, a tradition stretching back for centuries. Four teams, each representing one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods – Santa Maria, San Francesco, San Martino and Sant’Antonio – compete on the waters of the Arno, highlighting Pisa’s fine maritime tradition. Although Pisan June is dedicated to the Patron Saint, this year’s festival takes on two other significant anniversaries. It’s 950 years since the foundation stone of Pisa was laid and 450 years since the birth of Pisa’s most famous son, Galileo. Pisa has much more to offer than its world-famous Leaning Tower, with this June the ideal time to discover much of the city’s rich heritage. “Personally, I love walking around the center of Pisa by foot, along the River Arno, past the gorgeous Gothic church Santa Maria della Spina and the famous Piazza dei Cavalieri,” says Jupe. FINNAIR FLIES nonstop to Pisa twice weekly from June 23 till August 8.
EAU DE PARFUM
Royal Eagle
The Finest Clothing for Men in Finland
TRAVEL CULTURE
BY PÁLL TÓMAS FINNSSON PHOTOS BY EUROVISION AND COPENHAGEN MEDIA CENTER
EAT, DRINK AND ENJOY CHECK OUT The Standard (thestandardcph.dk), three restaurants and a jazz club in one, or The Fish Bar in the Meatpacking District (fiskebaren.dk), for a lovely meal while in Copenhagen. For a taste of the burgeoning Nordic Street Food scene, visit Copenhagen Street Food (copenhagenstreetfood.dk).
MORE INFORMATION DOWNLOAD THE “Join us in Copenhagen” app, which provides information about the full ESC 2014 programme, including events around the city. Lise Rønne, Nikolaj Koppel and Pilou Asbæk welcome audience to watch the world’s largest music competition.
JOINUSINCOPENHAGEN.COM
EUROVISION IN A NOVEL SETTING
S
hortly after Emmelie de Forest ensured that Denmark would host the Eurovision Song Contest of 2014, the hunt for the right setting got underway. In a bold move, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, DR, decided to transform two old industrial halls, B&W Hallerne, into a fully equipped venue for the glamorous event. The old industrial area of Refshaleøen, where the halls are located, played a significant role in the development of the city of Copenhagen. It was previously the home of the B&W Shipyard, which employed up to 10,000 people before going bankrupt in the mid 90s. Today, it plays host to a large number of concerts, music festivals and cultural events. Staging the Eurovision 2014 in B&W Hallerne was a somewhat controversial decision, as the buildings had to undergo a massive transformation to become a fitting venue for the largest music competition in the world. They are now ready to accommodate 11,000 guests for each event, 1,500 journalists and press from all around the
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world. It’s estimated that 125 million viewers will tune in. Eurovision’s semi-finals take place on 6th and 8th of May and the Grand Final on May 10. STREET PARTIES AND EUROVISION EVENTS Copenhagen city centre will be turned into one big, international street party for the many Eurovision fans, locals and visitors that will be in Copenhagen during ESC 2014. “We’ve transformed Copenhagen’s main pedestrian street into a Fan Mile, which stretches from City Hall Square to Kongens Nytorv,” says Ulrich Ammundsen, head of events at Host City Copenhagen. Many of the events will be centred around the Eurovision Village at Gammeltorv and Nytorv, featuring live music, entertainment and big screen transmissions of the Eurovision shows. “Here, you’ll be able to enjoy the Eurovision Song Contest together with people from the entire world. Eurovision creates a unique feeling of togetherness,
even though it’s a competition. We very much look forward to soaking up the fantastic atmosphere and inclusive feeling,” Ammundsen says. The official opening of the festivities takes place on May 4 at City Hall Square, with the presence of all the contestants. GET MARRIED WHILE YOU’RE THERE! Eurovision Song Contest is an event that attracts a large LGBT crowd, a fact that Copenhagen, known for its diversity and tolerance, has decided to honour. This year’s event will have its own Pride Square, situated at the new Rainbow Square, and couples, whether gay or heterosexual, can get married during the event. Three spectacular wedding ceremonies have been organised – in a year that marks the 25th anniversary of same-sex civil partnership in Denmark – with the Eurovision festivities serving as a vibrant backdrop. FINNAIR FLIES to Copenhagen up to four times daily.
THE COMMON MAN STRIVES. THE REINVENTED GENTLEMAN IS.
WWW.PETRIFUN.FI
TRAVEL FOOD
TEXT BY URBAN NILMANDER PHOTOS BY CARIN TEGNER
GERMANY’S MICHELIN MIRACLE
T
he country that gave the world But what’s the secret behind these currywurst and sauerkraut has Michelin star taverns? quietly emerged as close second in “Tradition is important. For historithe Michelin world after France. cal reasons and in the kitchen,” explains Germany currently has a total of 274 Claus-Peter Lumpp, chef at RestauMichelin star restaurants, 11 of these have rant Bareiss which currently holds three three stars and 37 have Michelin stars. “The two stars. technique of cooking Eight of the stars are is traditional but what BETWEEN THE TREES found in Baiersbronn, ends up on your plate OF BLACK FOREST south German town of a is influenced by many LIES THE UNEXPECTED cultures.” mere 16,000 inhabitants. CULINARY CAPITAL The small town’s gastroAlongside traditourism has grown subtion, family and entreOF EUROPE. stantially in recent years preneurial spirit play an as the restaurants of important role and it is Bareiss, Schwarzwaldstube and Sackmann not unusual to see a member of the family have been scooping Michelin stars. The who owns the restaurant walking amongst waiting lists for the restaurants can now be the diners and personally greeting them. up to several months. At restaurant Bareiss it is Hermann
The small town of Baiersbronn is home to eight Michelin stars, three of which are found at Hotell Bareiss (on the right).
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Bareiss, the son of the hotel creator. A tall man with slicked back white hair, who wears a purple tie and a green jacket, is polite and attentive towards all the guests. On the other side of the valley stands three Michelin-star tavern Schwarzwaldstube, housed in Hotel Traube Tonbach. The two hotel families - Bareiss and Finkbeiner of Hotel Traube Tonbach - have competed and incited each other for six decades. If one built a new hotel, the other followed suit. THE MASTER CHEFS Claus-Peter Lumpp started as an apprentice at Restaurant Bareiss when he was 18. To broaden his horizons he moved to Dusseldorf but soon became allergic to meat and fish. When he returned home all his problems disappeared.
Appetisers on display at three Michelin-star Scharzwaldtube.
“Air, rain and the forests saved me,” he says. But that’s not the whole story. He worked with Alain Ducasse at Restaurant Louis XV in Monte Carlo and with famed German chef Johann Lafer at Val d´Or in Guldental, Germany “I work in my own way and test new things. Exact recipes set limits for creativity,” Lumpp says. Harald Wohlfart, master chef at Scharzwaldstube, housed in Hotel Traube Tonbach, became famous on the gastronomic scene when training six other three-star chefs in Germany. “Success is about having the right people working on a good idea. And an owner family who wants to develop the gourmet restaurant,” says Wohlfart. In Wohlfarts case, it’s the family Finkbeiners. The cooking is a mix of local and global. “I call my food multicultural. The roots are here, but clearly influenced by other cultures,” he says. Wohlfart has managed to keep his three Michelin stars throughout an impressive 20 years.
Rhubarb with elderflower cream and ice cream makes a delicious dessert.
“German cuisine has developed fantastically in the last 20 years. In culinary circles it´s been well known for a long,” he says. Claus-Peter Lumpp agrees. “We must be proud of ourselves. We are a culinary nation.” FINNAIR FLIES to Munich twice daily.
TOP STARS BAREISS COMPARTIR BAREISS.COM/EN/RESTAURANTS
SCHWARZWALDSTUBE TRAUBE-TONBACH.DE/EN/ SCHWARZWALDSTUBE-RESTAURANT
SACKMANN HOTEL-SACKMANN.DE/INDEX_EN.PHP
Tradition, family and the entrepreneurial spirit are the secrets behind restaurant Bareiss’ success.
Claus-Peter Lumpp at work.
MAY 2014
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TRAVEL DESIGN
TEXT BY AMANDA SOILA PHOTOS BY ROBIN FALCK
ROBIN FALCK ROBINFALCK.COM
Ideal for summer, this smart mini cabin can also be used in winter.
POCKET-SIZED
SUMMER CABIN
H
aving one’s own summer cottage is a common dream for many Finns. Unfortunately, tightly regulated building permits can sometimes turn into an obstacle. Finnish industrial designer Robin Falck found a way around the bureaucratic barriers: he built himself a ninesquare-metre mini cabin in the Sipoo archipelago, just outside Helsinki. “I started by researching the size restrictions for permit-free building. I found that as long as the cottage had a surface area of less than ten square metres and had no fireplace or running water, I would be fine,” says Falck. Setting to work in the summer of 2010 when he was only 19 years old, it took
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Falck just over two weeks to finish the the typical Finnish summer cottage. cabin which he decided to call Nido, the “My aim was to build a cottage that Italian name for a birds nest. Wanting to fits the nature around it. I also wanted to optimise the use of space, he stripped all be able to admire the stars and the trees the unnecessary elements from inside the cabin,” says from the design leaving Falck, whose initial idea was only the bare essentials. to build a cottage just for IT MAY LOOK The first floor of the cabin his own use. Soon, however, SMALL, BUT THIS has a lounge area with the potential of a mini-sized CABIN IS VERY a micro kitchen while cabin with its fresh and the second-floor loft is minimalistic design came to ROOMY. reserved for sleeping and attract international attenstorage. tion. Falck has already sold “I prefer minimalistic style anyway,” he the blueprints to Argentina and Norway. comments. “And although it looks small, “There has been a fair amount of interthe cabin is surprisingly roomy.” est from the United States, too, as they Mimicking a large boulder in its shape have similar building regulations as in Finland,” says Falck. and hue, Falck’s cabin is a far stretch from
LEATHER BAGS SCARVES WALLETS BELTS TIES
Marja Kurki Shop | Pohjoisesplanadi 25-27 | 00100 Helsinki | marjakurki.com
TRAVEL HELSINKI
BY DAVE DUNNE AND LAURA PALOTIE
HELSINKI WELCOMES
BUDŌ THRILLS
F
rom April through to June, Spirit of Samurai 2014 brings the skills and traditions of Japanese martial arts to Helsinki, with an exhibition and a number of events around the city displaying the pageantry and aestheticism of budō. Events begin on April 11, with the opening of the Spirit of Budō exhibition at the National Museum of Finland, which runs until June 8. The exhibition introduces the history of Japanese martial arts, and displays historical and replica weapons, from swords to traditional bows and armour. The term budō itself roughly translates as the ‘way of the warrior’ and is generally used as an all-encompassing term to describe all Japanese martial arts. But budō is these days also seen more as a way of living: payingclose attention to mental and spiritual development – as well as the physical training and learning of routines. “In budō, one of the most important things is courtesy – or etiquette – which
makes budō very popular in Japan. Parents want their children to learn the way of politeness, fairness and courtesy,” explains Tomohiro Ogawa from the Embassy of Japan in Helsinki. Martial arts in Japan have a long history – none more so than kyūjutsu or ‘art of archery’, which was first recorded in writing in 297 AD. Two stunning examples of kyūjutsu can be seen during the Spirit of Samurai festival. On Saturday, May 31 Suomenlinna will host Ōmatoshiki, an ancient archery ceremony, while the Yabusame ceremony involving Samurai horseback archery can be seen at Laakso Hippodrome in Helsinki on Sunday, June 1. This 800-year-old ceremony has never before been seen in the Nordic countries. Those seeking a more sedate activity might try check the Chadō tea ceremony at Suomenlinna on May 31. The tea ceremony – or “way of tea” – is heavily influenced by Zen Buddhism and developed over the centuries alongside the Samurai culture in Japan.
SPIRIT OF BUDŌ EXHIBITION, National Museum of Finland. April 11 – June 8 OMATOSHIKI ARCHERY CEREMONY, Suomenlinna. 2:30 pm May 31 CHADO TEA CEREMONY, Suomenlinna. 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm May 31 YABUSAME HORSEBACK ARCHERY, Laakso Hippodrome. 1:00 pm and 6:00 pm June 1*
M. MORITOMO
*A limited number of tickets will be made available to the public, free of charge, in May.
The Yabusame ceremony can be seen at Laakso Hippodrome.
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SPIRITOFSAMURAI.COM
HELSINKI HIGHLIGHTS THIS MONTH TECHNOLOGY ACADEMY FINLAND, the organisation awarding the prestigious Millennium Technology Prize, puts on a two-week innovation celebration. Events include a gaming seminar, a May Day concert by the Polytech Orchestra, and Startup Weekend Helsinki. This year’s winner Stuart Parkin gives a public lecture on May 6. His research has helped maximise the storage capacity of magnetic disk drives and ushered in an era of cloud computing. April 28 – May 14 TAF.FI
HELSINKI CITY RUN, the city’s annual half marathon, is organised for the 21st time this year and brings runners of all ages and skill levels to the city’s streets. The route passes several classic city landmarks such as the photogenic Töölönlahti bay, and finishes at the Olympic Stadium. Last year more than 17,000 people participated. May 10
WWW.HELSINKICITYRUN.FI
THE LOVELY HELSINKI FESTIVAL, launched during the city’s 2012 World Design Capital year, brings together shops, restaurants, cafes and museums. On May 14th about a dozen of the city’s florists put on a floral display competition along North Esplanade, one of Helsinki’s main thoroughfares. On May 15th shops are open until midnight and put on special events for night owls. May 14–18
IHANAHELSINKI.COM
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PATTERN
CELEBRATIONS AS THE MOST LEGENDARY PATTERN OF FINLAND’S BEST-KNOWN DESIGN HOUSE TURNS 50, A FRESH CROP OF ARTISTS IS INTERPRETING MARIMEKKO DESIGN IN A MAJOR EXHIBITION IN HELSINKI.
I
TEXT BY LAURA PALOTIE
PHOTOS BY MARIMEKKO
t’s deceptively simple, unabashedly cheer“Kiasma’s director Pirkko Siitari and Marimekko’sCEO Mika Ihamuotila wanted to ful, identifiable from a mile away – and establish a new meeting point for creative minds utterly unforgettable. For Finns, recogthat would spur the creation of new works of art,” nising the Unikko “Poppy” pattern in a says Arja Miller, chief curator at Kiasma. Each of Vogue photo spread or an episode of Sex the designers and artists taking part in the exhibiand the City can feel like spotting an old classmate on the red carpet. Many visitors tion has a long relationship to either Marimekko from abroad, meanwhile, are known for being so or Kiasma, and many also represent a new generfamiliar with this design that they think of it as ation of Finnish art and design. Marimekko’s logo. Since 2012 Unikko has also Many of the artists have made Marimekko fabadorned the livery of a Finnair long-haul A340 rics a central part of their works: Jenni Hiltunen, Airbus aircraft. for example, best known for her paintings and The poppy pattern, the brainchild of designer video pieces, is crocheting an enormous, web-like Maija Isola (1927–2001), turns 50 years old in tapestry out of Marimekko fabric scraps. Timo 2014. Vaittinen, meanwhile, is examining the ideology “Isola created it as a kind of objection to of the 1960s when Marimekko and its patterns Marimekko founder Armi Ratia’s statement about were born. floral patterns; Ratia had said that Marimekko “Marimekko’s colours, patterns and freedom would never print florals because they are so of expression have generated excitement, while much more beautiful in nature than on Kiasma has inspired these artists as an fabric,” says Minna Kemell-Kutvonen, architectural and spatial whole,” says design director of patterns at Kemell-Kutvonen. ‘The process has TOGETHER Marimekko. been a great joy to watch.” l runs from May 16 Legend has it that Ratia quickly to September 7. changed her mind after seeing Isola’s design. And for the past five decades the design has retained its KIASMA.FI appeal around the world. “Unikko’s timelessness is based on a sense of dynamism based on shape, movement and composition that makes it both stubbornly strong and approachably likeable,” comments Kemell-Kutvonen. Marimekko marks the 2014 anniversary with a fresh line of Unikko products, from limited editionceramic tableware to a line of unique, flowing silk dresses. CONTEMPORARY COLLABORATION Beyond Unikko’s birthday, this spring marks another special occasion for Marimekko: this month a special exhibition entitled Together opens at Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki. The exhibition features 16 artists who have been given the freedom to create unique works using any medium of their choosing, working either in groups or individually.
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MANDATUM HENKIVAKUUTUSOSAKEYHTIÖ
Korvaamaton Onni on helposti särkyvää. Joskus vakava sairaus, työkyvyttömyys tai kuolema särkee perheesi tai yrityksesi suunnitelmat. Henkilöriskivakuutuksien avulla onnistut paremmin säilyttämään sen, mikä sinulle ja läheisillesi on tärkeää.
www.mandatumlife.fi/korvaamaton
FOR THE CITY’S BEST SHOPS, YOU NEED TO KNOW WHERE TO LOOK; AS THE CITY GROWS, POP-UP SHOPS FILL IN THE CRACKS. TEXT BY BERT ARCHER
You’re not going to find these Brika baby shoes any place else.
PHOTOS BY MIKE LEWIS
hey’re not in any directory. You have to know where to find them, and even when you do, they’re often so small and fast, you might miss them. In recent years, Toronto has experienced a real popup boom as temporary embodiments of someone’s cool idea for a business get more and more chances to shine. Sometimes around for a day, sometimes a week, sometimes longer, the pop-ups offer a chance to try out whether there is a market for the idea. Brika, at the corner of Queen and Yonge streets in downtown Toronto’s Hudson’s Bay department store is one of the longer-lived versions. It’s been there since before Christmas, and will last until Mother’s Day in May. Some people walk right by as the Queen Street subway station, one of the city’s busiest, is just down the hall, and people tend to rush. Others stop at the counter and ask for directions to the men’s sock department. But if you stop and look, you’ll see a scented candle for sale, labeled Toronto Smoke. The one beside it says it smells like Whitehorse Spruce. There are half a dozen others with similarly particular, peculiar descriptions, with a card in front of them saying they were made by someone named Natalie Gluic in Toronto. In a crate on the floor lies a naively, prettily drawn little poster by another Toronto woman, Bess Callar,that helps you identify Canadian leaves. On the table, wooden
IT’S MORE OF A WEBSITE YOU CAN WALK INTO.
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Magic Pony co-founder Steve Cober nuzzles Totoro by Hayao Miyazaki, with Misaki Kawai’s sweatshirts in the background.
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For those who realise it’s there, Brika offers candles that smell like Canada.
Jen Lee Koss, left, and Kena Paranjape popped up with Brika, short for “fabrika”, to put oddly exquisite items in front of a larger audience.
cufflinks, one pair with a stag, another with stylised anchor burned into them by Valerie Thai from Vancouver. These are not the sorts of things you expect to find in a department store, which is one of the qualities that makes them perfect for pop-ups. WEIRD BUT POSSIBLY PERFECT STUFF Jen Lee Koss and Kena Paranjape started Brika in 2012 as online merchants of what Koss calls “craft, elevated.” Though they’re based in Toronto, they were doing most of their business in the US, and wanted to make some headway in their hometown. Neither is a born shop-keeper – Koss has degrees in business from Harvard and Oxford, and Paranjape, the granddaughter of South Korea’s former ambassador to the US, studied cello at Julliard – but they figured a pop-up wasn’t really a shop. And they were right. It’s more of a website you can walk into, with the sort of weird but possibly perfect stuff we’ve become accustomed to finding on eBay or Etsy but is still a surprise to see on a shelf. “Brika’s specialty is under-the-radar designers, talented and passionate, but otherwise unable to reach their target audience,” Koss explains. That would do as a description for another shop that popped up last summer for a week on Dufferin Street in the city’s west end. The Oasis Skateboard Factory
TORONTO IS NOW A BOOM TOWN.
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Len, in the city’s east end, is like a toy store for the house-proud.
ONE NEIGHBOURHOOD DECIDED TO ACTIVELY ENCOURAGE GUERILLA ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
BRIKA Hudson’s Bay, Level -1 176 Yonge Street BRIKA.COM
sold skateboards made by kids at an alternative high school that tried to reengage otherwise disaffected students by offering courses in skateboard design and street art. In March, in the city’s east end, a documentary filmmaker hung his temporary shingle out in front of a disused shop and offered how-to workshops five days a week, four or five hours a day.
LEN: DEMOCRATIC PURVEYORS OF FINE ART & BEAUTIFUL THINGS
FLEETING SPACES These shops have been popping up everywhere in Toronto in recent years as the city undergoes a decadelong boom so big even Torontonians can’t keep track. There are almost 200 condominium and office towers going up right now, and entire new neighbourhoods being built on old industrial lands, or tucked into spaces you didn’t even notice until – bam! – there’s 32 new townhouses and a commercial strip with a lovely little café and an ironic t-shirt store. As buildings go up, people move, rents rise and business shifts, creating fleeting, interstitial spaces left as one shop closes and before another one opens, perfect for people who wouldn’t be able to afford open a store on the usual terms.
MAGIC PONY
698 Coxwell Avenue LEN4ALL.COM
Design Exchange 234 Bay Street MAGIC-PONY.COM
If you want to keep up with the Toronto pop-up scene, there’s a Facebook page for that, maintained by real estate agent and pop-up enthusiast Paul Indrigo. Just go to Facebook and search for Toronto Popup.
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WHAT’S ON IN TORONTO? CONTACT PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL (MAY 1–31) Every year, more than a thousand local, national and international photographers display their work in more than 200 venues – from galleries to bank tower lobbies to cafés – across the city. SCOTIABANKCONTACTPHOTO.COM
WORLD PRIDE (JUNE 20–29) Toronto has the biggest annual gay pride festivities in the world, but this year, it’s going to be considerably bigger as the city hosts World Pride 2014, 10 days of celebration centred on Church Street in the Gay Village and culminating in a parade down Yonge Street that attracts hundreds of thousands. WORLDPRIDETORONTO.COM
TORONTO OUTDOOR ART EXHIBITION (JULY 4–6) A big, city-hosted art pop-up, this annual event brings hundreds of local artists together in Nathan Philip’s Square in front of City Hall to sell their wares. You’ll find everything from landscapes to portraits to abstracts, ceramic art, glass art and wood art, at prices from under $100 to over $5,000 (€65–3,200). SUMMERLICIOUS (JULY 4–20) Restaurants across the city offer low-price set menus in this annual celebration of food. Locals flock to restaurants they can’t usually afford, and tourists can sample the city’s world-beating culinary diversity at half price or less. Menus are announced in the weeks leading up to the event. SEETORONTONOW.COM
ROGERS CUP (AUGUST 2–10) Tennis’ top pros have been competing on Canadian courts in a version of this two-city cup since 1881. This year, the men are in Toronto while the women play in Montreal. ROGERSCUP.COM
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Magic Pony’s pop-up is all about toys that are art, and art that is toys.
Last November, a sort of pop-up mini-mall called Vendor Queens opened for several weeks in a vacated condo showroom on Queen Street West, offering space to several small sellers of herbs, houseplants, hand-painted cards and leather goods. A couple of months earlier and just a few blocks east along Queen, Toronto singer Drake got into the pop-up act, opening a one-day-only t-shirt shop that attracted thousands. POP-UP CENTRAL One neighbourhood has decided to actively encourage this sort of guerilla entrepreneurship. You have to hop on the subway to get to Danforth East, which runs roughly between Coxwell and Main stations on the Bloor-Danforth line, but it’s worth it. The east-end neighbourhood has become pop-up central, the most likely part of town to find a pop-up on any given day. Natasha Granatstein works on Danforth East’s pop-up committee. It’s their job to find landlords with empty shops, and introduce them to people with an idea for a storefront. Most of the landlords had never heard of pop-up shops before, so when the committee started back in 2012, they had to offer a little something extra. “Our team of volunteers would go in and clean up,” Granatstein says. “It was quite a bit of work. We would paint, we would clean, we would scrub, literally scraping things off a floor. One of the stores had a six-foot hole in their main floor where there used to be stairs.” But they managed to fix it, using neighbourhood contractors who agreed to volunteer their time and provide materials at cost.
Len doesn’t seem to care much about the distinction between art and design, selling both, mostly local, side by side.
Len’s Christal Pshyk injected some hip into a neighbourhood with room for some.
Magic Pony inspires giggles among the artful.
Granatstein and her friends at the Danforth East Community Association helped open six shops in time for the Christmas rush that year. Things went even better the next year. “Two years ago, we had a 17 per cent vacancy rate,” Granatstein says. “Now it’s 9 per cent. Our problem now is finding space.” If you get off the subway at Coxwell station and walk over to Coxwell Avenue just north of Danforth, you’ll find one of the programme’s success stories. Len: Democratic Purveyors of Fine Art & Beautiful Things was the ideal pop-up shop. Named after one of the owners’ father, Len stocked hyperlocal arts, like the photo blocks – small photographs or local items and scenes mounted on blocks of wood – by artist Robert Riley, who lives a few blocks away. Christal Pshyk and husband David Kravinchuk – both transplants from Western Canada who moved to the big city to make their fortunes – opened Len as one of those six shops with the help of the community association in December, 2012. They had no idea what to expect, but ended up selling more than 80 per cent of their stock in just a couple of weeks. They also got a lesson in shop-keeping. “It helped us figure out hours, how to do promotions,” Pshyk says. It also struck a spark. After the temporary store closed, they bought more art, added cards and some other things they liked, like delicate white ceramic cups with animal tails for handles made by Kinto in Japan, and they nabbed the first storefront that came on the market. Their 400-square-foot shop has been open since May, a permanent testament to an idiosyncrasy made possible by pop-up.
IT’S THEIR JOB TO FIND LANDLORDS WITH EMPTY SHOPS.
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COMMERCIAL ALTERNATIVE The pop-up concept has become so entrenched in the city’s imagination that it’s also become an alternative for more traditional shop-owners who are getting priced out of an increasingly expensive downtown core. Steve Cober and Kristin Weckworth had a store called Magic Pony on that same strip of Queen Street that singer Drake popped up on. Cober explains the name as a “Dada take on a unicorn; something difficult to find, and the first step to finding it is believing in it.” Which sounds lovely. Too lovely, as it turns out, to last very long on a commercial strip on the make. They had opened the shop before the Queen Street strip boomed – they were, in fact, a big part of what made the strip cool to begin with – but by 2013, they just didn’t want to try to keep up anymore and shut down. Then in February, they popped up at the Design Exchange, an international design centre and museum built into the old Toronto stock exchange in the heart of Toronto’s financial district. They are operating as a gift shop for an exhibit called This Is Not a Toy, a collection of sculptures, figurines and other artwork by artists such as Takashi Murakami, Huck Gee, Frank Kozik and Tove Jansson that runs until May 19. (Cober says he became a big fan of Jansson’s Moomin comic books during the year he spent teaching English in his 20s in Joutseno in the early 1990s.) Among the artist-made stuffed animals and hand-sewn sweatshirts by Misaki Kawai on the Design Exchange’s ground floor, Cober talks to customers while Weckworth works the busy till. In most boomtowns, if you don’t get huge, you get gone, and modest pioneers like Cober and Weckworth who stick to their small-scale guns get shunted aside. But Toronto offers a pop-up escape hatch. You just have to know where to look. l FINNAIR FLIES nonstop to Toronto three times weekly from June 1 till September 21.
Suunto Shop
Mikonkatu 6, Helsinki
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TAX FREE
EUROPEAN VOICES BY ALEXANDER STUBB
How world trade became sexy again
W
hen I became duties altogether or allowing free competiTrade Minister tion in public procurement. three years ago, I was excited about THE EU AND THE US compose 50 per promoting Finnish cent of the world economy and 30 per companies around cent of world trade. Over the years many the world. But I soon realised that tradiof the standards and rules of trade have tional trade was not exactly oozing with been set by these two giants. After all, who sexappeal. would want to make a product which is The World Trade Organisation (WTO) not accepted in one or both of these mega was at a standstill. No-one believed that a markets? multilateral trade agreement among 159 Why did the EU and the US decide to member states was possible. The EU had a renew their marriage vows now? The easy few bilateral trade agreements in the pipe- answer is to say that “it is the economy, line, but nothing major in the horizon. stupid!” Yes perhaps, but only partially. A couple of years earlier I had given a The financial crisis did take its toll. speech at Chatham House We need growth in London. I was lamentand a transatlantic ing that the relationship SHARED VALUES ARE free trade agreement between the EU and the NEVER A BAD THING would, according to the European Commission, US was like that of an old IN A MARRIAGE. give annual growth rates couple. of 0.5 per cent at least The flare and romance up until 2027. had vanished from the But it is also about politics. The tragic 60-year-old transatlantic marriage. We events unfolding in Ukraine have brought needed something to reignite the the EU and the US much closer again. spark, and a free trade agreeWe realise that we live in a symbiosis. We ment would be a good start. need each other. And shared values are Most commentators liked never a bad thing in a marriage. the idea, but did not see it At the same time the EU and the US happening. are losing ground. Others are catching up. A lot has changed in three In a decade or two China will pass both as years. The WTO was able the biggest economy in the world. Other to muster a mini-package parts of the world are growing faster than on multilateral trade last the transatlantic couple. December in Bali. The packIt is not only about the WTO and the age had three parts: trade transatlantic partnership, there are other facilitation, agriculture and things cooking on the trade front too. development. The result, The biggest one is an initiative on green albeit modest, was important. growth. In essence it would mean that It was the first time since its countries would reduce and eventually foundation in 1995 that a deal remove all tariffs and barriers linked to was done. environmentally friendly innovations and In the meantime the EU and products. the US kicked off free trade I am a firm believer in free and fair negotiations last summer. In trade. They are the foundations of ecothe jargon we call those negonomic growth, and subsequently welfare. tiations TTIP: TransatlanAfter three years in the trade business it tic Trade and Investment is exciting to see that things are moving. Partnership. And yes, the EU-US marriage is full of It is no minor event when hope, and trade is sexy again. l the two biggest trading blocs in the world start talking about common standards Alexander Stubb is Finland’s Minister for in services and goods, European Affairs and Foreign Trade. removing customs 32 BLUE WINGS
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Tarjous voimassa 31.5.2014 asti.
PUKU + PAITA + SOLMIO
249€
(Norm. hinta 338,70€)
Espoo:Sello. Helsinki:Kamppi ja Kluuvi. Jyväskylä:Forum. Kuopio:Matkus. Lempäälä:Ideapark. Raisio:Mylly. Tampere:Koskikeskus. Turku:Hansa ja Skanssi. Vaasa:HS-Center. Vantaa:Jumbo. BRO T H E R S .F I
NIGHTS OF THE THE WILD SIDE OF EASTERN FINLAND IS BEST EXPLORED DURING THE NIGHTLESS NIGHTS OF SUMMER. THE KUHMO AREA IS AN UNTOUCHED HAVEN FOR WORLDCLASS ANGLING AND WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS – WITHOUT THE CROWDS. TEXT AND PHOTOS BY VILLE PALONEN
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EASTERN WILDS
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M
ovement on the opposite shore of a small lake catches my eye. Even before raising my binoculars I know what the dark shape is: a fullgrown brown bear. He’s heading directly towards me. As the bear sways closer, I watch him through my camera, heart racing. The beast is massive. It’s easy to see why the brown bear is dubbed “the king of the forest.” Feared and respected, this mythical creature is the national animal of Finland. The bear has dozens of nicknames in the Finnish language, and countless places are named after the majestic beast. There are roughly 1,500 bears in Finland, but wild encounters are very rare. The best bet for bear spotting is the eastern region of Kuhmo, which has one of the highest large predator densities in the country. The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is not aggressive towards people like its North American
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subspecies, the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis). Still, my hands tremble as I take the first pictures. Fortunately, I’m safe inside a hide, a tiny shed built for wildlife viewing. My host, 34-year-old Sami Rautiainen, runs bear viewing safaris with his father, wildlife photographer Lassi Rautiainen. Founded in 1988, Articmedia is Finland’s first commercial predator viewing business, today with 14 hides in four locations just a stone’s throw from the Russian border. The six-square-metre hide is strictly a nofrills affair: narrow windows, a dozen shooting holes for cameras, camping mattresses on the floor and a couple of empty water canisters behind the door for answering nature’s call. Surprisingly for a Finnish summer evening, there are no mosquitoes, but then again the indoor temperature is close to that of a poorly heated sauna. A stakeout can be quite an exhausting experience. Guests stay quietly inside the hide, typically from 6 pm until 7 am. Seated shirtless on plastic garden chairs, we watch the bear. He stands in the swamp less than 50 metres away, tearing apart a pig carcass. Every now and then he glances directly into my camera – as if aware of being watched.
“The pig carcass is tied down with rope so the bears won’t carry it away,” Rautiainen whispers. “A full-grown bear can eat ten kilograms at a time, and then digest the meal for a couple of days.” EYE TO EYE WITH THE BEAST Not all the local residents are happy about large predators being fed virtually in their backyards. Some argue that bear and wolf tourism makes these naturally timid animals too accustomed to humans. On the way to the bear viewing camp, I dropped by a local sheep farm. Over a cup of coffee, the owner explained his objections to the practice of feeding meat to bears in summertime: three years ago, a lone wolf slaughtered 14 of his sheep. The diet of the omnivorous brown bear consists of meat, berries, plants, ants and honey. They usually kill moose or deer only in autumn before hibernation or in spring when they wake. Rautiainen assures me that bears that visit pig carcasses also eat natural food such as berries.
A few years ago, the bear population in Kuhmo had grown so rapidly that officials granted a larger number of hunting permits than usual. Between 2010 and 2012, more than 50 bears were shot, 25 in one year alone. Last year no more than five permits were granted. Even though bear hunting is prohibited in the ten-square-kilometre area around the hides, recent population depletion has had an effect on the predator-viewing business. A few years ago, up to a dozen bears might visit a carcass during one night. Sightings have dropped, but you are still likely to spot a bear, wolf or wolverine on most summer nights. After half an hour’s gluttony, the bear gets up slowly and begins slouching across the swamp. “He’s heading to the next hide a kilometre away,” says Rautiainen. “There’s a Norwegiangroup, I’ll text them to be ready.” After we celebrate our bear sighting with a small cup of warm beer, Rautiainen describes the most amazing thing he has even seen from
THE BROWN BEAR IS NOT AGGRESSIVE TOWARDS PEOPLE.
A bear-viewing hide in a swamp just 1.5 kilometres from the Russian border.
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Wolves are more timid and rarer than bears. Spotting one is the highlight of a night in a hide.
a hide. “Two years ago, my wife and I watched a wolf stalking a young bear. He ambushed and chased the surprised bear up a tree. It might have been nothing but a game for the wolf, but they often steal meat from bears, too.” When a carcass is close to a hide, timid wolves tend to keep their distance. They wait patiently until a lone bear rips off a piece of meat, and work as a team to steal it when the bear strays further. The sun has set, but the sky remains clear and bright. A pack of wolves howl about a kilometre away. Surprisingly, the sound isn’t spine-chilling at all. It’s sad and woeful. Suddenly Rautiainen whispers very quietly. A lone wolf is approaching across the swamp behind us. I hold my breath and wait until the grey beast has loped into full view of my massive telephoto lens, and then press the shutter. The wolf stops and stares me right in the eye for a second. He then trots into the patch behind the carcass, returning almost immediately with a pig trotter in his mouth. Then the wolf disappears into the swamp, silent as a ghost.
YOU ARE STILL LIKELY TO SPOT A BEAR, WOLF OR WOLVERINE AT NIGHT.
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MINIATURE ALASKA A couple of days after encountering the king of the forest, I’m sweating in the middle of Kuhmo’s second largest lake, Lentua. Paddling a two-seater canoe alone is hard work. The canoe is steady enough, but it’s difficult to keep my course in the headwind. I zigzag along like a drunken eel. My ungraceful paddling style can be excused. After only a ten-minute crash course, I’m still a complete novice. Three days of solo paddling should teach me a lesson or two more. Renting a canoe or kayak is the perfect way to get a new perspective on Kuhmo’s great outdoors. With its wildlife and rugged landscapes, the region resembles a miniature Alaska. As much as 80 per cent of the land is covered by forest, and the map is dotted with hundreds of small lakes and a dozen larger ones. The most famous is Lentua, immortalised by the Finnish painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela in his illustrations of the national epic, the Kalevala. Lentua is a great destination for a few days of paddling. Most of the lake is a nature reserve scattered with uninhabited islands. There are no summer cottages in sight, only green pine forests lined with yellowish sandy beaches. The only sign of civilisation is a network of fireplaces and lean-to shelters managed by the Finnish forest service, Metsähallitus. Anybody can use them free of charge.
Sami Rautiainen runs predator-viewing safaris with his wildlife photographer father. Forget your creature comforts – the most important thing is the view.
KUHMO TRANSPORTATION KUHMO (population 10,000) is located in Eastern Finland, close to the Russian border. The nearest airport is 100 km away in Kajaani, served daily by Finnair’s partner, Flybe. From Kajaani you can take a bus to Kuhmo (1 h 40 min, €20) or rent a car at the airport. Oulu Airport is 260 km from Kuhmo. FINNAIR.COM
ACCOMMODATION THE MOST HEART-WARMING PLACE to stay is the family-run Lentuankoski campsite 15 km from Kuhmo. Cabin hire for two costs €40; caravans and tents €16. Services include a shared kitchen, washing machine, showers and sauna. The campsite is a short walk from angling hotspots. LENTUANKOSKI.FI
WILD TAIGA is a local tourism association offering information about accommodation and outdoor activities in Kuhmo. WILDTAIGA.FI
BEAR WATCHING
PETOLA VISITOR CENTRE, run by the Finnish forest service (Metsähallitus), is a couple of kilometres from Kuhmo centre. It features a multilingual exhibition about bear, wolf, wolverine and lynx, including interesting facts about Finland’s predator management policy. The centre also sells fishing licenses and has information about trekking routes. Free admission. SUURPEDOT.FI OUTDOORS.FI
ANGLING TROUT is planted regularly in a dozen of Kuhmo’s rapids. The most popular angling spots are Pajakkakoski in Kuhmo, whitewater Lentuankoski, and Kaarneenkoski in Niva village. Fishing licenses for rapids cost €10 per day. KALALLAKAINUUSSA.FI AHVEN.NET
CANOE TRIPS
A FEW OPERATORS organise bear and wolf viewing expeditions in the Kuhmo region. One of the most experienced is Articmedia near the Russian border. A night in a hide costs €150; cabin accommodation is €50, with a pick-up service from Kajaani Airport. Articmedia also rents professional photography equipment.
ERÄMATKAILU PIIRAINEN rents canoes and kayaks (€35-45/day), and will transport them to your desired starting point. The extremely helpful owner Urpo Piirainen also organises guided canoe trips and rapids swimming adventures.
ARTICMEDIA.FI
ERAPIIRA.FI
The crown jewel of Lentua’s refuges is a wilderness hut on Lehtosaari Island. The hut lies at the intersection of popular canoeing routes once used for transporting tar. I arrive late in the afternoon. Exhausted and with a stinging blister on my palm, I am greeted by a pleasant surprise. The island is deserted. I double check with binoculars: not another human being in sight. GET SMOKED The uninhabited island brings out the hunter-gatherer in me. After picking blueberries in the pine forest for half an hour, I head out to catch some dinner. Pike, the most voracious predator fish in Finland, is often underrated and sometimes reviled for eat40 BLUE WINGS
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ing valued species such as brown trout and freshwater whitefish. Inconsiderate anglers even kill pike just for the sake of it on trout fishing rapids. Their attitude is similar to that of certain hunters towards wolves: those bloodthirsty beasts are eating my prey! In truth, a well-prepared pike makes a superb meal. Fortunately for me, they’re relatively easy to catch. After an hour of casting, I return to the hut with a decent-sized pike. I gut and cut the fish and prepare the fillets over a campfire. The evening’s menu is smoked pike with mashed potato, followed by blueberries for dessert. The next day, I give myself a thorough “smoking.” Lehtosaari cabin is a great refuge for fishermen, paddlers and skiers. It has two rooms equipped with
The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is an awe-inspiring beast. Males can weigh up to 300 kilograms and they are big enough to easily take down a moose.
wood stoves and bunk beds, an outhouse and a firewood shed. But the truly amazing detail is the sauna. The tiny lakeshore hut is no ordinary steam room, but a genuine smoke sauna, an unforgettable experience by any standards. As the sauna has no chimney, smoke fills the room when I light a fire under the stove. I feed it with logs for almost four hours. Finally, the unusually large stove – containing about half a cubic metre of rocks – is properly heated. I undress and close the door behind me. The walls are black with a thick layer of soot. When I throw water on the stones, a cloud of white ash rises into the air. I bathe for two hours, jumping into the lake between steams.
After a wash and change of clothes, it’s already evening. The sun is still high, but the wind has calmed. It’s time to pack the canoe and continue my journey. GONE FISHING It’s the darkest hour, way past midnight. I stand kneedeep in a river, alone, with only water, rocks, trees and dark clouds around me. I cast my line behind a stone. Nothing. Someone once compared angling to religion. Casting a lure is like praying: there’s no guarantee you’ll get an answer, but you have to believe there’s something there beneath the surface, even if it’s invisible. An angler must have faith. MAY 2014
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A cool summer’s night is the best time to catch brown trout, says local angler Matti Sipiläinen.
It takes years for a baby trout to grow to catchable size.
Angler’s reward: a breakfast of spiced trout on rye bread. A good catch nourishes both body and mind.
Fishing for brown trout takes patience. It can be a piece of cake or mission impossible, depending on the weather, water level, temperature, and a dozen other factors – and, of course, luck. A few years ago my wife tried her hand at angling, and caught a decent trout on her third cast. When I first tried, it took ten days of serious work to pull off the same feat. But when I finally succeeded, I was hooked, too. Brown trout is such a lovely fish: beautiful, strong and delicious. Many rapids in Eastern Finland were destroyed in the 19th and early 20th century when channels were cleared for timber rafting. In recent years they have been restored for fish conservation. Large rocks and gravel have been returned to create spawning areas, and small and larger trout are planted regularly. Local fishing associations do most of this work. Recreational anglers such as myself contribute to the effort by purchasing fishing licenses. Kuhmo has about a dozen decent rivers and rapids where anglers can cast their lines. One of the most famous is Lentua Rapids, a kilometre-long stretch of white water and a calmer stream between two large lakes, Lentua and Lammasjärvi. KEEPING THE FAITH Tonight I have the river all to myself. All the other anglers have gone to bed, most of them empty-handed. After midnight, the fish grow more active. Small graylings snatch insects from the surface, and every now and then there’s a louder splash – a trout. I catch and release a couple of small ones – there’s a mini42 BLUE WINGS
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mum-size restriction for brown trout (60 centimetres in 2014) – and then, finally, get a heavier take. I know immediately that the fish is a keeper. After the fish has exhausted itself pulling against my flexible rod, I encounter an unexpected problem: it’s too cloudy to use my hand net. I simply can’t see the fish, so I guide it carefully towards the shallows. Just a metre away, it struggles one last time and manages to shake off the hook. Half an hour later, the same happens again. I sit on a rock, head in my hands, feeling cursed. Then I buck up and decide to try a new hook. I choose my tiny trout-pattern wobbler and wade back out into the water. Just as I begin to lose faith, a trout strikes. This fish is unmistakably stronger than the ones that got away. The reel screams as she pulls the line out, and I let her take as much as she wants. The river is narrow, and the trout can’t get far. I keep my rod curved and the line tight, taking a deep breath. The fish swims to the middle of the river and hides underneath a rock. I wait patiently for several minutes until I realise what’s going on: she’s trying to cut the line against a rock. Very carefully I pull and wiggle until the fish gets annoyed. She comes out and rushes downstream at full speed. I run after the fish, holding my rod up and stumbling on slippery stones, a big smile on my face. I feel alive. l FINNAIR partner Flybe flies to Kajaani up to four times daily.
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MAJESTY AND MYSTERIES THE MASSIVE TEMPLE COMPLEX OF ANGKOR WAT HAS BUILT UP A TOURISM METROPOLIS. BUT THIS NEARLY MILLENNIA-OLD CENTRE OF GRANDEUR STILL OFFERS PLENTY OF HIDDEN NOOKS FOR A CURIOUS VISITOR. TEXT BY KIT GILLET
PHOTOS BY JEFFREY LAU
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own a dusty side road a few miles outside the Cambodian city of Siem Reap, the small temple of Prasat Kravan stands among the flat terrain. One of the lesser temples of the 200-hectare complex around Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument on earth, Prasat Kravan is little more than a collection of five ornate, red-bricked towers located on top of a small hill. It’s likely, though, that anywhere else in the world this temple would be considered a national treasure in its own right – a 10th century Hindu temple built in the heyday of an empire. Here, however, it is almost lost among the magnitude of stunning religious buildings. Every year millions of people visit the majestic temples in and around Angkor Wat, located roughly 500 kilometres from Bangkok. Enjoying the temples at sunset, riding bikes and taking elephant rides, they often spend several days visiting just a small proportion of the hundred or so temples that constitute the largest and one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. Angkor Wat is the grandest architectural achievement of an empire that once stretched across the whole of Indochina. Many of the temples date back to the 11th and 12th centuries, when the Khmer kingdom was at its height and a succession of kings tried to outdo their predecessors in terms of grandeur and religious piety. One of the first Western visitors to the area, a Portuguese monk by the name of Antonio da Madalena, who visited in 1586, wrote that Angkor Wat was “such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world. It has towers and decoration and all the refinements which the human genius can conceive of.” A later Western visitor, seeing Angkor Wat in the 19th century, wrote that it was “erected by some ancient Michelangelo…grander than anything left to us by Greece or Rome.” The complex was largely ignored during the decades of Khmer Rouge rule and civil war that devastated the country in the 1970s and 80s, but since the 1990s millions have been spent on conservation in and around Angkor Wat, to try to bring some of the temples back to their former glory. It is slow work, however, and many temples have barely been touched.
However, there is so much to see at Angkor Wat that the nearby city of Siem Reap has been a boomtown in recent years, with new roads, restaurants and hotels appearing every year to accommodate the visiting masses. “Siem Reap has changed so much since my childhood. I now get lost in this city because there are so many new roads and buildings,” says Taerae Ngol, a 22-year-old hotel employee who grew up just outside of the city. Four million tourists are expected to visit Siem Reap this year, continuing a growth curve that has seen tourist numbers rise 25 per cent a year for the past few years, with most visitors buying a threeday pass costing roughly 30 euros (or 40 US dollars, a widely accepted currency in Cambodia).
DOZENS OF TEMPLES ARE JUST STEPS AWAY FROM EACH OTHER.
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CYCLE EXPLORATION A visit to Angkor Wat often begins at dawn, when, thousands gather daily to witness the sun rising over the iconic Angkor Wat temple. It is a ubiquitous image, appearing on Thailand’s national currency and flag, yet nothing can compare to seeing it with one’s own eyes; the silhouette of the temple appearing out of the early-morning gloom. Later in the day, by the lonely hilltop temple of Phnom Bakheng, one can watch the crowds pass below on their way to the walled compound at the centre of the ancient city complex. Despite the number of visitors, with so much to see many of the temples outside the bustling main complex rarely get more than a glance. This is a pity, as many of the outer temples are stunning and retain a peaceful and spiritual calm that has been lost from the crowded, more tourist-oriented temples. While most visitors arrive by bus or hire a rickshaw, Angkor Wat by bike is perhaps the best way to get a true glimpse of the sprawling temple complex and explore its many hidden charms at a leisurely pace. Most hotels in Siem Reap offer free bikes to their guests. One of these gems is Prasat Kravan temple, standing within a grove of trees an ancient temple sat virtually deserted. A beautifully image of Vishnu, one of the primary Hindu gods, is carved into one of the towers, while all around weathered inscriptions and imposing statues of lion stand in various stages of collapse. One is likely to spot only a handful of other visitors, and maybe a few cows grazing nearby.
Dawn breaking over Angkor Wat temple.
HOW TO GET THERE BANGKOK AIRWAYS and Cambodia Angkor Air now have around a dozen direct flights making the hour-long journey between Bangkok and Siem Reap every day. A pricey but effortless option. Most tourists choose the cheaper option, and take one of the direct buses that ply the route between Bangkok and Siem Reap. Expect the journey to take between seven and nine hours. There are two trains a day that run from Bangkok to the Cambodian border, with the journey taking five and a half hours. From there you can take a taxi, or bus, the two hours onwards to Siem Reap. Alternatively, combine a visit to Angkor Wat with a few days in Phnom Penh, the vibrant Cambodian capital. Buses run hourly between the two and take around five hours on a good day. Buses and flights also connect Phnom Penh with Bangkok.
THAILAND
LAOS
Angkor Wat Siem Reap
CAMBODIA Resting among the temples: four million people are expected to visit Angkor Wat this year.
PHNOM PENH Gulf of Thailand
VIETNAM
Sophen Aik, a Cambodian raised in the US, says that he comes there every time he is back in the country. “I could spend days just photographing here.” But despite the thousands of tourists who descend on the ancient Khmer temples around Angkor Wat each day, it is surprising easy to find oneself exploring a magnificent complex completely alone. At Baksei Chamkrong, a pyramid temple just outside the main wall, steep stone steps lead to a small reclining Buddha in a small, ill-lit room at the top. Sanskrit engravings tell of a succession of Khmer kings stretching back into mythical times. No one else is around. When one finally makes it into the main compound of the ancient city, it is overwhelming to the eyes. At Bayon, a majestic temple built by Jayavan VII, 200 large Buddhist faces stare out from 54 individual towers. Nearby, dozens of temples are just steps away from each other, covered with elephant motifs and religious imagery that would have taken artisans a lifetime to craft. A few wooden shacks offer food and drink, as well as shelter from the scorching midday heat.
With Cambodia’s Buddhist tradition, many young monks can be seen wandering through the temple complex.
Nearby is Prasat Bat Chum, just a dot on the map that doesn’t seem to get more than a handful of visitors a day. Propped up by bamboo scaffolding, the temple has clearly seen better days, but there is something inspiring about being alone next to a Buddhist temple dating back to 953 AD. Bat Chum is the first known Buddhist structure in the region; the Khmer kingdom’s official religion changed from Hinduism to Mahayana Buddhism in the 12th century, under the rule of the ‘builder-king’ Jayavarman VII, and many of the latter temples are Buddhist. IN LARA CROFT’S FOOTSTEPS At the temple of Ta Prohm, conservation work is still very much underway, and many of the towering trees that have taken over the temple, growing out of the walls and temple buildings, have been allowed to remain. At Ta Prohm there is a strong sense of nature reclaiming the temple grounds, and its unruly look has garnered fame among tourists. This being one of the locations of the first Tomb Raider movie also brings visitors. 48 BLUE WINGS
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SLEEPLESS SIEM REAP Back in Siem Reap, the city is buzzing. Restaurants are filled, and visitors, young and old, sit on outside terraces recovering from long days spent visiting the temple complex. Siem Reap doesn’t sleep, and even late at night the bars are crowded. On the walls of FCCC Angkor, one of the poshest bars along the riverfront, photographs taken during the war in the 1970s hint at the darker period of Cambodia’s recent history. In recent years boutique hotels have also moved in, where a decade ago there were just cheap guesthouses and expensive chain hotels. At the Angkor National Museum, two floors of exhibition halls are filled with ancient costumes, religious items and introductions to the kings of Khmer. The history of the Khmer kingdom and its ancient capital are on display. “Angkor Watt is the most important place for Cambodians; it is a sign of our ancient and proud history,” says Van Long, curator of a nearby, smaller museum focused on Khmer crafts. It is easy to see why Angkor Wat remains a national treasure to Cambodians. Cycling along the rocky paths between temples there is simply too much to take in, even with several days to do it in. Watching the sun set over one of the outer temples, history blurs into present; this sight has remained unchanged for nearly a thousand years. In a world that often seems to be racing into a new time at an ever-growing speed, spending a moment in the comfort of history can be soothing. Even more welcoming is the idea that these temples have prevailed, and now act as testament to the devotion of an ancient kingdom long gone. l FINNAIR FLIES nonstop to Bangkok daily with excellent connections to Siem Reap.
At Ta Prohm, trees have tried to take back the land, resulting in dramatic scenery.
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EUROPEAN VOICES BY TIINA ROSENBERG
History turns a page
S
ome art experiences group was intrigued by Hauser’slife situare unforgettable. I will ation. He was a stranger who disrupted always remember the familiar norms and practices by continuously asking the unbearable question German movie The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser ‘why?’ The question of an individual’s relationship with the surrounding world (Jeder für sich und Gott becomes the fundamental theme in the gegen alle) by Werner performance.” This is not a new question, Herzog from 1974. It is but an important one for each new genthe touching story of a neglected child, eration of artists. According to Q-teatteri, later named Kaspar Hauser, who was “the individual is expected to endlessly found in the city of Nuremberg in 1928. develop him or herself He could barely walk because life itself has and could only speak become a product.” one sentence. When As an event, Q-teatKaspar later learnt to “LIFE ITSELF HAS teri’s Kaspar Hauser talk, he said that he had been locked up in a BECOME A PRODUCT” echoes Finnish director Arto af Hällström’s 1978 dark cellar for his whole rock musical Pete Q. It life. He had never met became a cult phenomother people and evenenon in its day and had tually died tragically a major impact on Finnish theatre.In Pete after a stabbing. The murderer was never Q, a new theatrical generation discussed caught and Kaspar’s origins remained a its relationship to the styles and content of mystery. early ’70s drama. The Helsinki theatre company Pete Q and Q-teatteri share the letter Q-teatteri has made a loose contemporary stage adaption of Hauser’s Q, which in physics symbolises heat and story. It was directed by Akse electric charge. Both premieres certainly Pettersson, who co-wrote it with had electricity in the air. The younger Johannes Ekholm, and stars Lotta generation of Finnish thespians turned a Kaihua, Jussi Nikkilä and Eero Ritala. new page in theatre history. According to The premiere in February was a Q-teatteri, “Kaspar is a revolutionary figsmash. Maria Säkö, theatre critic at ure: he does not want to want in a world the daily Helsingin Sanomat, raved: that continuously creates new cravings “We must stop the clock now. From and desires in order to function. When he now on, we will talk about the is asked what it was like in the dark cellar, time before and after Q-teatteri’s he answers simply: better than outside.” l Kaspar Hauser.” The show became an overnight sensation, with most Tiina Rosenberg is the rector of the performances quickly selling out. University of the Arts in Helsinki for the Kaspar Hauser has now been 2013-2017 term, and currently on leave of extended until June 12. absence from her professorship at the Actually Q-teatteri’s Kaspar University of Stockholm. Her research has Hauser is not so much about the focused on feminist theatre, performance child Kaspar as about its creators’ studies, feminist theory, gender and sexuality, own generation. According to the and critical theory. company’s website, “the working
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VIENNA ART GALLERIES
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OPEN THE KEG Founded in 1999, Kerstin Engholm Gallery, or KEG for short, was one of the first galleries on Schleifmühlgasse, today a wellknown art street. Conceptual in approach yet open to all types of art, KEG mostly presents solo shows and takes part in the annual “Curated By” project, which brings group exhibitions to 20 of Vienna’s most prominent art galleries. KERSTINENGHOLM.COM
FINNAIR FLIES nonstop to Vienna twice a day.
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TOP
VIENNA ART GALLERIES
IF OVER 100 MUST-SEE MUSEUMS STILL LEAVE YOU HUNGRY FOR MORE, VIENNA’S ELECTRIC ART SCENE IS BOUND TO SATE YOUR CULTURAL APPETITE. WITH ITS RICH MIX OF LESSER-KNOWN GALLERIES, THE AUSTRIAN CAPITAL IS AN ART-LOVER’S CANDY STORE. TEXT BY HELEN KORPAK
PHOTOS BY JUSSI SÄRKILAHTI
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JUST MISBEHAVING Galerie Meyer Kainer is a contemporary art haven, at once mischievous yet conceptual. The gallery’s roster includes artists of different generations and nationalities, ranging from Austria’s famous Franz West to Japan’s young Ei Arakawa. Next door’s equally exciting Galerie Martin Janda and a host of other galleries make the area one of Vienna’s avant-garde hotspots.
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HIDDEN BEAUTY Don’t be fooled by the elusive secondfloor location. You won’t know where to turn your head first at Galerie Krinzinger. Housed in a beautiful old apartment in Vienna’s first district, the gallery was founded in 1971 by art dealer Ursula Krinzinger. The elegant old ceiling reliefs provide a superb backdrop to a smorgasbord of contemporary art. GALERIE-KRINZINGER.AT
MEYERKAINER.COM
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NOW YOU SEE IT Contrary to what the name suggests, das Weisse Haus is not always located in a white house. It moves regularly, dedicated to promoting young, up-and-coming artists. Currently in a process of relocation, it was housed at a former school until this spring. Where in Vienna it will pop up next is still a secret. Expect the unexpected. DASWEISSEHAUS.AT/EN
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LIGHT OF THE EAST Housed in a former bread factory, Ostlicht is a sleek and spacious new addition to the Viennese art scene. Like its partner, the famous WestLicht, it focuses exclusively on photography, showcasing work by internationally established names. There is also a beautiful library with a collection of over 20,000 rare vintage books and contemporary titles. Open Wednesday through Friday. OSTLICHT.AT
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MIRRORING FINLAND’S THE KALEVALA IS A MONUMENT OF FINNISH LITERATURE WHOSE INTERPRETATIONS ILLUSTRATE HOW THE NATION CHOOSES TO SEE ITSELF. THE EPIC, TRANSLATED INTO MORE THAN 60 LANGUAGES, REMAINS PERPETUALLY RELEVANT – THOUGH IT DOES NOT OFFER AN EASY PATH INTO THE FINNISH PSYCHIC LANDSCAPE. TEXT BY JORMA LEPPÄNEN
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ILLUSTRATIONS BY SATU KETTUNEN
ecommended reading material for those visiting or moving to Finland often includes two novels: Aleksis Kivi’s Seven Brothers (1870) and Väinö Linna’s The Unknown Soldier (1954). These books’ characters portray the psychological range of Finnish men astonishingly well. Unfortunately, there are no excellent English translations of either of them. Meanwhile, there are several outstanding translations of the Kalevala (1835), a work of epic poetry which was compiled by Elias Lönnrot from ancient Finnish folklore. The Kalevala does not, however, provide the reader with the same kind of access to the Finnish mentality as novels. For instance the Kalevala’s protagonist, Väinämöinen, was seen in Finland as a warmongering Viking or tribal leader for centuries. However, the myth of the Finnish heroism crumbled for good during the Second World War. After the war, when the Soviet Union dictated severe peace terms to Finland, Väinämöinen was began to be seen as a grand man of knowledge and words, a shaman hero of the Arctic fishing people. After the war years, another Kalevala character, Lemminkäinen, emerged as a popular favourite. According
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to American folklorist Patricia E. Sawin, he is a combination on frivolousness, bloodthirstiness, infidelity, sexual indulgence and drunkenness. DRUNKENNESS AND JUDGMENT Lönnrot, who lived from 1802 to 1884, was a doctor by profession. As he travelled around and visited people, he compiled and combined fragments of folk poetry, concocting stories and characters much as folk healers made medicines from plants. The Kalevala served also as a sort of medicine. Indeed, Lönnrot had therapeutic goals as a poet. The Kalevala stories teem with horrible events. Its heroes are unrestrained in their passions. Tribal leaders’ yards are decorated with spears topped with human skulls. However, even though everything is allowed in the Kalevala, it is not all for the good. There is judgement to balance out the wildness and intoxication. When Väinämöinen clears a field, he does not cut down and burn all the trees, but rather leaves one tree
for the singing birds. And even though he is a war hero and wizard capable of miracles, he still needs help and asks a cuckoo to sing “for the growth of the forests/for the ripening of the barley/for the richness of the Northland/for the joy of Kalevala.” Väinämöinen is able to defeat his opponent with the power of words without touching a sword. Yet he is still only human. Lönnrot’s tale of Aino reminds us of that. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST When Väinämöinen defeats his opponent, Joukahainen, by literally singing him into a swamp, Joukahainen promises to give Väinämöinen his sister Aino in exchange for his own freedom. Aino’s mother adorns her daughter with jewellery and is happy to marry her off to a fine husband. However, Aino is afraid of the old man and runs to the beach, shedding jewellery and clothes along the way. She drowns accidentally while watching the mermaids play. Aino turns into a fish and hopes that Väinämöinen will catch her. This happens eventually but Väinämöinen does not recognise the girl, who splashes back to the water, disappointed. Humiliated Väinämöinen then has to listen to the object of his love scolding him. Lönnrot included many of his own ideas in the Aino myth. We do not know, however, what he intended to teach us with this story. It is generally thought that a young woman commits suicide because she considers Väinämöinen to be old and ugly and does not want to submit to the will of her mother and brother. We could just as well assume that Aino falls in the water by accident and that her transformation into a fish refers to her becoming wiser: for she does indeed want to marry Väinämöinen eventually. She would hardly attach herself to his fishing rod otherwise. In the late 1990s, the Kalevala Women’s Association chose Aino as its patron, replacing Väinämöinen’s enemy, Louhi. Louhi, the queen of Pohjola (the North), rules her clan, raises her children and comforts crying soldiers. She is also a seer whose words make people fall asleep and who can turn herself into a bird of prey. She is wild and courageous yet shrewd and cunning. During the golden age of Finnish Art, more than a hundred years ago, Louhi was usually portrayed as a wicked witch with a crooked chin. Aino, on the other hand, a symbol of innocence and beauty, is still used in Finnish advertisements, for instance.
CREATIVE MYTHOLOGY The Kalevala was included in Finnish school curricula in 1843, at the same time as the Finnish language itself. However, the work never gained a huge popularity among students. Teachers took a very solemn attitude toward it and children were put off by its archaic, dialectal language. The Kalevala and the way it was taught at schools came under the most severe criticism in the 1960s. The spirit of the day was strongly rational and the epic poetry’s magical world did not fit into that frame of mind. In the 1980s, when teachers stopped force-feeding the Kalevala to their students, adolescents began to realise that the folk poems were an essential part of Finland’s communal consciousness. Today they identify with these old myths by stretching, breaking and complementing them to meet contemporary needs. The Kalevala’s content is now mixed into fairytales, soap opera plots, news events, environmental issues and sports. Teenagers’ Kalevala-themed essays are a form of creative mythology, resembling, say, James Joyce’s tales inspired by Ulysses. Moreover, Finns are increasingly attracted by the Kalevala thanks to incentives provided by international culture. For instance, it is fascinating to look for the Kalevala’s influences on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings or to explore how Amorphis and other heavy metal bands have adapted Kalevala poems in their song lyrics. And in a 1999 Donald Duck story, Gyro Gearloose builds a Kalevala-style miracle machine, the Sampo.
KALEVALA’S INFLUENCES ON THE LORD OF THE RINGS IS FASCINATING.
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RUNE SINGERS AS FORTUNE-TELLERS Jani Torpo, a first-grader who had learned about the Kalevala at the Villilä elementary school in Tampere, wrote about the Sampo of his dreams in the 1980s: “It would give me gold and silver and salt and sausages and sweets and erasers and a bike and a horse and a motorcycle and a lion.” This little boy’s view of the Sampo is similar to that of Paavo Haavikko, one of the most renowned Finnish authors. In the 1982 TV miniseries The Age of Iron, based on Haavikko’s manuscript, the Sampo was depicted as a money-making machine. We know from the Kalevala that the blacksmith Ilmarinen forges the Sampo for Louhi in Pohjola. When Väinämöinen tries to steal the machine, it breaks into pieces and vanishes in the sea. According to the myth, the Sampo brought prosperity in an unforeseen way, but we do not know how it functioned. According to Lönnrot, the Sampo embodied the highest scientific and technical know-how of ancient times, such as technologies related to agriculture. The Sampo was a kind of system that collected and refined knowledge. It was an undisputed fact that its owner would be the master of this world.
Perhaps the old shamans with their witch drums were not referring to the past when they sang of the Sampo. Perhaps instead they foresaw the era of the internet and international competition for the most advanced intelligence systems. The present-day wizards of black-clad metal bands suggest that we read the Kalevala the same way as the Bible’s Book of Revelation. Perhaps it is, after all, a tale of the future? l JORMA LEPPÄNEN is a journalist at Sanoma Media Finland and an author who has written about his relationship with folk poetry and creative mythology in literature including Kirjailijoiden Kalevala (The Writer’s Kalevala), published by the Finnish Literature Society in 2013.
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BEACONS BECKON
SÖDERSKÄR LIGHTHOUSE IN THE OUTER ARCHIPELAGO OF PORVOO PROMISES A VOYAGE INTO A MAGICAL MOOMIN LANDSCAPE.
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TEXT AND PHOTOS BY EEVA PUHAKAINEN
inland’s 60-plus lighthouses attract up to 100,000 visitors every year, with trips arranged to roughly half of them. The Suomenlinna lighthouse, atop a church on a fortress island just outside Helsinki harbour, is accessible by a short ferry trip from the city, while the fascinating Söderskär lighthouse is not far away. “Our cruises are hugely popular, so it’s advisable to book well in advance,” says Sampsa Jalo, skipper of the M/S Katarina. “In July, you should reserve at least a week in advance.” Over the years that Jalo has been bringing people to Söderskär island, the sea has shown its strength, sometimes making the island inaccessible. “Even in August, the fog can rise in a second. In that case we just have to wait on the
island before returning,” he says. “No wonder they built a lighthouse here.” Söderskär lighthouse, in the trickily-navigated Porvoo archipelago, was first lit in 1862. FOR BIRDERS AND MOOMIN FANS Though it’s only 26 kilometres from Helsinki’s Market Square, Söderskär is one of the last islands in south-eastern Finland’s archipelago before the open sea and Estonia’s north coast. This secluded rocky island is a great destination for history buffs and birdwatchers. It serves as a nesting place for 25 bird species including the rare Caspian tern, the endangered velvet scoter duck, and the
Söderskär inspired Tove Jansson’s beloved novel Moominpappa at Sea. 58 BLUE WINGS
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black guillemot, which is distantly related to the penguin. The island also takes visitors into the world of Tove Jansson’s all-ages novel Moominpappa at Sea. The writer and artist, who summered on nearby Klovharu Island, also spent time on Söderskär. The place apparently inspired her next-to-last Moomin novel, in which Moomintroll’s family moves into a lighthouse on a remote island amid a stormy sea. Local guide Pinja Maunula urges visitors to read the story and look for similarities between the book and the island. Maunula, who has spent four summers on the island, says that something in the peaceful lifestyle, the wide open sea and birds always brings her back.
EVEN IN AUGUST, THE FOG CAN RISE IN A SECOND.
LADY IN AN IRON CORSET While Finland was under Russian rule (1809– 1917), Finland’s sea traffic grew busier and a new lighthouse was needed in the outer archipelago. The preliminary drawings were made by renowned artist Albert Edelfelt (1854–1905) whose home museum is located in nearby Haikko on the mainland. Ernst Lohrman, a German-born Finnish architect specialised in churches, finalised the design. However, something went wrong in their collaboration. Soon after the lighthouse was completed, it began to sway in the wind and sag in the middle. During the years 1912 to 1917, it was reinforced with rails, iron hoops
TOVE JANSSON EXHIBITION THIS YEAR MARKS the centennial anniversary of the birth of Tove Jansson, who died in 2001. The Ateneum Art Museum’s centenary exhibition presents her career as a painter, author and creator of Moomin characters and tales. The museum is located on central Helsinki’s Railway Square. Through 7 September ATENEUM.FI
Söderskär is a wild life reserve. Access is therefore limited during the bird nesting season. MAY 2014
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An idyllic cafe next to the lighthouse offers snacks and displays contemporary art.
DOZENS OF LIGHTHOUSES ON THE FINNISH COAST MOST FINNISH LIGHTHOUSES are owned by the state transport agency, which cooperates with tour operators and the Finnish Lighthouse Society. Accommodation and tour services are available at Marjaniemi in Hailuoto, Tankar in Kokkola, Sälgrund in Kaskinen, Kylmäpihlaja in Rauma, Isokari in Uusikaupunki, Bengtskär in Kimitoön,Utö in Pargas and Söderskär in the Porvoo archipelago. Some other lighthouses are accessible for boaters. During International Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend ( August 16–17) visitors have access to many lighthouses that are normally closed to the public. These include some in military zones, where even groups need permits to visit. The Finnish Lighthouse Society provides information on special trips during the event at M AJAKKASEURA.FI.
BENGTSKÄR (1906), the tallest lighthouse in the Nordic countries, towers 51 metres above sea level (the building itself is 45.8 metres tall). The round tower connected to a stone building stands on a skerry on the southern edge of the Archipelago Sea. In summer, it’s the southernmost inhabited place in Finland. The lighthouse offers accommodation and meeting space for up to two dozen people on its second floor. Location: Kimitoön municipality (59° 43.4’ N 22° 30.1’ E) Connections: Boat connections daily from Hanko’s East Harbour, as well as from Turku and Rosala Island. BENGTSKAR.FI
SODERSKÄR, built in 1852, is 32.5 metres tall. The splendidly preserved lighthouse milieu is easily accessible. There are several lighthouse keepers’ residences and a link to the neighbouring island along a rope bridge. Access to the island is restricted during bird nesting season. Location: Porvoo archipelago, east of Helsinki (60°06.5‘N 25°24.8‘E) Connections: Cruises from the Helsinki Market Place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays during the summer (royalline.net). You can also book a taxi boat to the island.
SUOMENLINNA Church was built in 1854. Its tower, which has served double duty as a lighthouse since 1929, rises 41.8 metres from the ground. This popular wedding site near Helsinki harbour is well worth a visit while exploring the city. Location: Kustaanmiekka Island, Helsinki (60° 08.9’ N 24° 59.4’ E) Connections: Suomenlinna Ferry from the Market Square or Katajanokka.
SODERSKAR.FI
SUOMENLINNA.FI
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Söderskär island can be reached by water bus or private boats.
and a concrete “iron corset,” giving the building its present look. During the Second World War, the island housed an anti-aircraft unit as well as a telegraph and telephone switchboard. “During the war, the lighthouse was kept dark so the island was spared from attacks,” explains guide Katriina Laitila. “According to rumour, people still held dances on the smooth rock parts of the island, even though it was banned during the war.” In 1957, the lighthouse was automated, and in 1989 its light was turned off for good. Finland’s first prism, a so-called Fresnel lens system imported from France, is still in the tower for visitors to admire. Today the lighthouse serves as an art gallery with annual exhibitions. The building has been in private ownership since 2003. Visitors can stay overnight in its suite and bathe in a sauna dating back to 1876. This summer, additional accommodation is available at the Lighthouse Keepers’ House. l
THE ART OF BUSINESS The new culture and congress centre Art Factory in Porvoo has been prized among the best international congress centres. Business Destinations Travel Awards gives the Art Factory the title of Best Cultural Venue for Corporate Events - Europe.
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EVOLUTION
AT HELSINKI AIRPORT
NEW SHOPS AT HELSINKI AIRPORT ARE THE LATEST SIGNS OF EXPANSION AND SERVICE DEVELOPMENT, BUILDING ON ITS ADVANTAGE AS AN EFFICIENT TRANSFER HUB FOR PASSENGERS FLYING BETWEEN EUROPE AND ASIA.
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TEXT BY TIM BIRD
PHOTOS BY FINAVIA
CONTINUES H
elsinki Airport has come a long way in the last 20 years. Its evolution into an efficient hub for transfer traffic between Europe and Asia, now handling 15 million passengers a year, is one of Finland’s modern success stories. This success has been achieved through the Via Helsinki strategy devised in partnership with Finnair and its Asian network, currently comprising 13 destinations. But that evolution is continuing, and that means new services and facilities. Renovation has started of the stores in the commercial area serving long-distance flight passengers near departure gates 33–35. This is in the area of the airport serving intercontinental flights as well as European countries not covered by the Schengen agreement, travel to which requires passport checks. A totally new area replacing the existing store facilities is under preparation and due for completion this spring. Finavia has also transferred its duty free operations to World Duty Free Group (WDFG), the fourth-largest operator in Europe with operations globally at more than 100 airports in 20 different countries. The first renovated WDFG shops will open in 2015. Another major development will be the opening in 2015 of the rail link between central Helsinki and the airport. Inevitably the changes mean a degree of disruption while those services and facilities are put in place, but Finavia, in charge of administration of Finnish airports, is well drilled in keeping things moving while renovations are under way. “Smooth, pleasant passenger experiences are the goal,” promises Anne Gullstén, senior vice president at Finavia. The latest improvements represent the start of a major development programme at Helsinki Airport. “The aim is to ensure that the airport will be able to maintain its strong competitive position in transfer traffic between Europe and Asia,” says Gullstén. “The programme will be carried out between 2014 and 2020. Helsinki Airport is preparing itself to serve as many as 20 million passengers in the early 2020s.”
Smooth, pleasant passenger experiences are the goal for improvements at Helsinki Airport.
PASSENGER WISHES COME FIRST Passenger expectations have priority in all development at the airport, she stresses. “Capacity increases will be based on genuine demand for air travel. We think it is important that airport passenger services develop to international standards. Air passengers expect experiences and good shopping opportunities. We’re seeking better service, new brands and an appealing product range. “The new Non-Schengen shopping area is almost ready but the construction will continue there through summer 2014 when the walk-through Duty Free area starts to develop,” says Gullstén. “For the next couple MAY 2014
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”New additional security control area for departing customers will be opened upstairs early summer next to Finnair check-in area.”
of years there will be new openings and therefore some construction work, but we make our best not to impact the passenger flow in any way. Our aim is to bring the services closer to the passengers. With our partners we’ve made totally new space allocation plans which will provide the best service and product offer. The new commercial space will mean a better environment for both staff and customers.” COOPERATION WITH AIRLINES Maintaining functionality and efficiency over the course of such big changes presents various challenges. “Detailed planning together with airline operations and continuous communications with passengers in advance and in terminals – that’s what prevents major disturbances,” explains Gullstén. “But of course this major development will cause some minor inconvenience.” “Helsinki has a clear vision to be the leading transfer airport in Northern Europe,” says Timo Järvelä, Key Account Manager, Airline Customers at Helsinki Airport. “For longer term development, the airport will expand to double its current size in 20 years. Helsinki’s geographical location on the shortest route between Europe to Asia is a permanent competitive advantage in the long term. In addition to Finnair’s Asia traffic, we hope to see more growth on other eastern traffic, especially to Russia.”
Even though it’s expanding, Helsinki Airport remains one of the more compact airports in Europe, and that means fast connection times. Air space in this part of the world is also relatively uncongested, and so delays are kept to a minimum – a detail proved by Finnair’s consistently high punctuality ratings. “Passengers prefer to choose the time-saving travelling option,” says Järvelä. “Helsinki Airport offers a smooth and reliable passenger experience. Reliability means the fastest travelling time and your luggage is following you on your way. An expanded Helsinki Airport will still offer fast connections compared to the big European hub airports and more services and experiences for passengers. The volume of Asian travelers will grow strongly and Helsinki is keeping its’ leader position to develop its service offering – including signage in Asian languages, automated border control, food offerings, and customer service communication.” The customer service development idea at Helsinki is that passengers are guests at the airport, enjoying an ambience that is “international with a sense of place.” Anne Gullstén sums it up: “Our vision is to provide a hub where demanding consumers from everywhere meet exceptional providers of products and services in an attractive and convenient environment.” l
THE SHORTEST ROUTE BETWEEN EUROPE TO ASIA.
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THIS MONTH AROUND THE WORLD WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO DO AND SEE COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY MIRVA LEMPIÄINEN
VAPPU REVELRY Vappu is Finland’s rowdy spring carnival. Thousands of people party it up on the eveningof April 30, but for many the real highlight is the traditional picnic of May 1. Finland’sparks become a sea of white and black as people wear their traditional student caps while dining and listening to live bands.
LEHTIKUVA
May 1 WWW.VISITHELSINKI.FI/EN
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THIS MONTH AROUND THE WORLD
Mexican fun
New music
Historical race
Sámi in NYC
San Francisco’s Mission District goes all out for its 10th festival of Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican battle day of 1862 that’s now a celebration of Latino heritage in the United States. Some 10,000 adults and kids gather to enjoy Latino foods, music, dance, magic tricks and balloon art. This year’s event focuses on health and quality of life issues.
Dubbed the “Cannes of the music world,” the Great Escape Festival brings 400 fresh international artists to England’s Brighton for the enjoyment of fans and music industry professionals. The line-up includes some Finnish rising stars, such as soft-voiced Mirel Wagner and tram driver-turned-musician Jaakko Eino Kalevi.
In the lead up to the famous Formula 1 Grand Prix (May 25), the 9th annual Grand Prix Historique takes place. Hundreds of charming old cars from the 1930s to the 1970s take to the principality’s famous racing circuit in a biannual contest organised by the Automobile Club of Monaco.
A new exhibit at New York’s Scandinavia House explores the history, politics, and culture of Scandinavia’s only indigenous people. Sámi Stories: Art and Identity of an Arctic People showcases contemporary works by artists of Sámi descent, and displays traditional handicrafts, including a shaman’s drum and a cradle.
May 3 SFCINCODEMAYO.COM
May 8–10 GREATESCAPEFESTIVAL.COM
May 9–11 GRAND-PRIX-MONACO.COM
May 10 – August 9 SCANDINAVIAHOUSE.ORG
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ISTOCKPHOTO
THIS MONTH AROUND THE WORLD
Thai rockets
Teacher’s Day
HK art
Africa Rising
Presenting a modern – and very loud – version of the rain dance, the people of Northern Thailand launch rockets into the sky at the start of rainy season. Each is powered by more than 120 kilos of gunpowder. The Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival in Yasothon is a wild carnival of folk music, street parades, theatre and fun costumes.
Education is highly respected in South Korea, a country at the top of the PISA rankings. This respect is particularly evident on Teacher’s Day, known as Seu-seungwehnal, when students give their favourite educators flowers and small gifts.
The fourth Asia Contemporary Art Show in Hong Kong presents the works of 400 emerging and midcareer artists from 18 countries and 100 galleries. The four-day exhibit takes place twice a year, in May and October. It has become the most influential satellite event for Art Basel Hong Kong, also held May 15–18.
The continent with the fastest growing middle class, Africa and its economics are discussed in Maputo, Mozambique. The Africa Rising conference is organised by the government of Mozambique and the International Monetary Fund. The event brings together policymakers, the private sector, civil society and academics.
May 15–18 ASIACONTEMPORARYART.COM
May 29–30 AFRICA-RISING.ORG
May 10–11 WWW.TOURISMTHAILAND.ORG
May 15 TEACHER-APPRECIATION. INFO/TEACHERS_DAY/ SOUTH-KOREA.ASP
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PITTSBUR KNOWN FOR ITS STEEL INDUSTRY AND APTLY NAMED AMERICAN FOOTBALL TEAM, THE STEELERS, THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH HAS RECENTLY TURNED INTO A CREATIVE MECCA.
TEXT BY GORDON F. SANDER
PHOTOS BY GORDON F. SANDER AND ISTOCKPHOTO
GH IS ART! MAY 2014
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ABBY WARHOLA
Shooting the breeze at Espresso Mano, a popular hangout in Lawrenceville, an arts-intensive section of Pittsburgh.
© AWF
“Cow” by Andy Warhol (1966). 74 BLUE WINGS
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Scott Fitzgerald, the famed American writer and author of The Great Gatsby, once wrote that there are no second acts in American lives. All I can say is that he didn’t know Pittsburgh. Perhaps no major American city has undergone as rapid a change as this storied western Pennsylvania metropolis located at the confluence of the Allegheny, Ohio and Monongahela Rivers. Once known as “Smoky City,” because of its omnipresent iron ballasts, Pittsburgh has undergone a remarkable transformation since the 1980s, morphing from an industrial city best known for its football and hockey teams, the Steelers and Penguins, to one with a distinctive, edgy cultural identity. Of course, Pittsburgh still has its football team. For Pittsburghers, or “Yinzers,” as they are sometimes affectionately called after the local accent, Pittsburgh is and always will be Steeler City. As the volcanic cheer emanating from any of the city’s sports arenas and bars when the six timeNFL champion Steelers or its sister teams, the Pirates and the Penguins, are playing will confirm – or the passing conversation at Pamela’s, the city’s fabled diner chain – Pittsburgh may well be America’s most sports-mad city.
The entrance to the fabled Andy Warhol Museum on Pittsburgh’s North Side. The city’s favourite artist son is pictured in the window at the right, along with a menage of his Pop Art cows.
But Steeler City is also mad now about something else: culture. Or, as the new slogan of the city’s largest arts organisation, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, goes, “Pittsburgh Is Art.” STEEL CITY’S ARTISTIC LEGACY In point of fact, Pittsburgh has produced its fair share of talented visual artists over the years. Mary Cassatt, the great, late 19th-century American Impressionist and colleague of Degas, hailed from Pittsburgh. So did John Kane, the uber-talented Scottish-born so-called “naïve painter” whose bucolic cityscapes of Pittsburgh during the late 19th and early 20th centuries provide a window on what life in Iron City was like when its furnaces were going full blast. Then, of course, there is Pittsburgh’s most famous native artistic son, Andy Warhol, whose idiosyncratic vision and legacy are memorialised in the Andy Warhol Museum. Established in 1993, six years after the Pop Artist’s untimely death, the seven-floor museum, the country’s largest dedicated to a single artist, features a mammoth collection of Warhol’s works. These include various iterations of the artist’s trademark Campbell’s Soup can and Brillo paintings, and enough Silver Elvis’s to make you dizzy, as well as thousands of Warhol’s photographs and films from his old Factory days. Be on the lookout for the errant, white-haired Andy impersonator wandering the halls with studied blank face.
A Steeler City comic gets moving at the sold-out Friday night show at the Arcade Comedy Theater.
The museum also features an impressive assemblage of Warhol memorabilia from the artist’s Pittsburgh days. If you want to know what grade Andy got in drawing at Schenley High School, which he attended during the Second World War, before studying commercial art at what was then the Carnegie Institute of Technology, look no further. And don’t forget to stop by the Silver Cloud
GALLERY CRAWL IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT TRUSTARTS.CULTURALDISTRICT.ORG/EVENT/2522/ GALLERY-CRAWL-IN-THE-CULTURAL-DISTRICT
UNBLURRED GALLERY CRAWL First Friday of each month PENNAVENUE.ORG/EVENT-CALENDAR
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SET IN PITTSBURGH BEYOND VISUAL ART, the city formerly known as Iron City has also put up good numbers on the literary scoreboard. Here is a short list of five of the best Pittsburgh books. An American Childhood by Annie Dillard (1987): One of Pittsburgh’s most prolific literary lights of the post-war generation, Dillard won the Pulitzer Prize in 1975 at age 24 for A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. Twelve years later she reminisced about growing up in the city as it shed its US Steel persona, and the pallor and soot that went with it in this classic memoir. The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon (1988): Chabon began working on his debut novel about “the summer of love” of Art Bechstein, the sexually confused son of a mob money launderer with big dreams, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh. “I smoked and looked down at the bottom of Pittsburgh for a little while, watching the kids play tiny baseball...a miniature housewife on her back porch shaking out a snippet of red rug and I made a sudden, frightened vow never to become that small and vowed to become big….” Out of this Furnace by Thomas Bell (1941): Based on the experiences of Bell’s own family of Slovak immigrants, this American Germinal follows three generations of “Hunkies” as they work and slave amidst the giant, unforgiving ballasts. It’s a haunting and heart-breaking look back at Pittsburgh’s “Dante years.” The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (1999): This novel, first published by MTV and recently made into a successful movie co-starring Emma Watson, follows Charlie, a shy Pittsburgh teenager, through his freshman year of high school. He learns about life, love and the thrill of driving through the Fort Pitt tunnel. “Downtown. Lights on buildings and everything that makes you wonder…And in that moment, I swear, we were infinite.” Pittsburgh Revealed (1996). Pittsburgh is a well-photographed city. Follow the city’s various lives with the aid of this excellent collection published by the Carnegie Museum of Art, which includes classic shots by modern masters W. Eugene Smith and Margaret Bourke-White. A smoky 1955 aerial shot by Bourke-White indelibly captures the “old” Pittsburgh, a gorgeous 1996 colour panorama of the city’s revarnished crystalline skyline by Aaronel DeRoy Gruber, the promise of the new. 76 BLUE WINGS
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“Asleep 1,” by Lindsay Merrill (2010).
room, where visitors can bat away silver pillows to their heart’s content. Afterwards head back downtown across the Monongahela River via – you guessed it – the Andy Warhol Bridge, while taking in the city’s iconic, crystalline-studded skyline. CARNEGIE GLORY All of the aforementioned artists’ works, along with those of many of the great American and European masters, are also on display at the monumental Carnegie Museum of Art. A room devoted to European and American art of the 1820-1860 period is particularly exquisite: note how the paintings are displayed in a manner that recalls the exhibitions and domestic interiors of the 19th century, closely grouped and hung in multiple rows along the walls. This is also the place to see how Lincoln’s America (including pre-industrial Pittsburgh) looked. Look out for Thomas Doughty’s winsome Three Men Fishing (1831) and Russell Smith’s arresting Pittsburgh Fifty Years Ago from the Salt Works on Saw Mill Run (1884). While you are roaming the Carnegie, don’t forget to check out the sprawling Hall of Sculpture, with its striking Greek and Roman reproductions, including a scaled-down Parthenon. Afterwards, skip down the museum’s fabled multi-chromatic Magic Stairway and grab a club sandwich at the superb cafeteria beneath a giant Warholesque diptych of the museum’s namesake and chief benefactor, Andrew Carnegie. It was Carnegie, the philanthropic-inclined steel magnate who was once America’s richest man, who inaugurated the triennial Carnegie International, the oldest North American exhibition of contemporary world art, in 1896 “to find the masters of tomorrow.” Over the years the triennial has exhibited the works of such varied then-or-soon-to-be masters as Winslow Homer, Auguste Rodin, Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock, as well as Pittsburgh’s own John Kane, who was officially, and belatedly, discovered by the art cognoscenti at the 1926 Carnegie International at age 67.
Pittsburgh artist and self-described urban archaeologist Paul Rouphail in front of his panoramic canvas of Buenos Aires, “Summertime” (2013).
GALLERY CRAWLS The next Carnegie International is scheduled for 2016, but you need not wait that long in order to discover the next wave of masters. Just check out some of the cornucopia of private galleries which has recently sprouted up across Pittsburgh. Or, if you’d like to absorb and/or imbibe your new found art with a flying jury, join in with one of Pittsburgh’s wildly popular “gallery crawls.” First there is the Cultural District gallery crawl, which takes place every three months and takes in the fast-growing number of exhibition spaces in the downtown area. “We started ten years ago with just four or five galleries or alternative spaces,” says Murray Horne, curator of visual arts at Wood Street Galleries and one of the “godfathers” of the nova-like Pittsburgh art scene. Since then the crawl, which also features an artist market, live bands, and food trucks bearing the local delicacy, kielbasa and other culinary delights, has morphed into a giddy, district-wide conga line that encompasses over a dozen spaces and regularly draws a crowd in the hundreds. “It’s amazing how it’s grown,” says Horne. A sculptor and native New Zealander, Horne has been a curator at the influential Wood Street Galleries since 1996 when Pittsburgh was still shaking iron filings out of its hair. “Of course the free beer helps.” Then there is the more free form Unblurred Gallery Crawl, which takes place the first Friday of every month and boogies down and around the mushrooming Penn Avenue Arts Corridor in the Garfield and
East Liberty districts of Pittsburgh’s rapidly gentrifying East End. Here you can witness and participate in everything from spoken word to modern dance and green technology workshops, while savouring the diverse homemade wares on display at Most Wanted Fine Art, the Irma Freeman Center for Imagination, and other kindred cutting-edge spaces. LAWRENCEVILLE HIP “The Pittsburgh arts scene has grown substantially since I first arrived here,” avers Lindsay Merrill, a realist painter who lives in Lawrenceville, the cosy-buzzy “inner suburb” of the city that has been called “the Williamsburgh of Pittsburgh.” “There are a lot of different styles of art in Pittsburgh from experimental to store front projects to the multitude of plastic and media arts,” says Merrill, who specialises in aviation scenes. She is fond of painting over a steaming Finca El Puente, one of the high quality coffees on offer at Espresso Mano on Butler Avenue, Lawrenceville’s main drag. “What unites all of us is a do-it-yourself mentality and an enthusiasm for sustainability and the potential of underused or vacant building spaces.” “Pittsburgh is a great place to be an artist and work and live,” says her partner, Paul Rouphail. “There’s
WHAT UNITES ALL OF US IS A DO-ITYOURSELF MENTALITY.
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Hamina Tattoo Military Music Festival 29.7.-2.8.2014
“A Tall Building in an American City” (2013), Paul Rouphail’s ode to the former US Steel City building in downtown Pittsburgh.
room to grow here.” Rouphail is a self-described urban archaeologist who specialises in limning city landscapes, and whose brooding landscapes have caused more than one observer to compare him to a young Edward Hopper, with an edge. “It’s also exciting to be part of the city’s renaissance” he says. Both Merrill and Rouphail attended Carnegie Mellon University, the same school where their famed predecessor, Andy Warhol, first learned to wield a brush. The difference is that they, like a growing number of their peers, elected to stay in Pittsburgh, rather than to move to other cities in search of putatively greener pastures. The couple’s funky home base of Lawrenceville may remind one of Soho in Manhattan before it turned into a luxury goods mall, with a touch of San Francisco’s North Beach thrown in. Where else can you find an art gallery that boasts its own massage parlour? That would be Zombo Gallery, with its Divine Touch Therapeutic Center, the demented offspring of local art dealer-turned-DJ Michael “Zombo” Devine. Or a bowling alley with a Rock and Bowl event in which local bands perform on the bowling lanes? That would be Lawrenceville’s famed Arsenal Lanes. While in the neighbourhood, try the Challah French toast at the warm picaresque Coca Café, the neighbourhood’s bestknown brunch spot. (The avocado omelette also comes recommended). As the day winds down, check out the tequila selection and Tex-Mex ambiance at the Round Corner Cantina, a bar across the way which is popular with the artist crowd, as well as the increasing number of savvy cultural tourists who have found their way to this newly-minted arts mecca. “Yes, I guess you could say that we are putting down roots here,” says Rouphail, as the buzz from the packed outdoor patio rises to a veritable hum. l
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ECONOMIC STRUCTURE Employed persons by industry, 4th quarter 2013
FINLAND IN FIGURES
MANUFACTURING Food prod. and textiles 14%
Construction and energy Miscellaneous services
FOREIGN TRADE 2013 EXPORTS BY PRODUCTS BY ACTIVITY: 55,903 MEUR (per cent of total)
14%
34%
20%
Forest industry prod
Other manufactured goods 24%
8%
25%
Chemical ind prod
11%
Electric and electronics
Agriculture
4%
16%
Other industries
IMPORTS BY USE IN 2013: 58,168 MEUR (per cent of total)
Energy Capital goods
Metal and engineering products 48%
Trade and hotel
Transport and communications
MONTHLY TEMPERATURES AND RAINFALL IN HELSINKI 2013 MEAN MAX MIN RAINFALL AVERAGE 1981-2010
Intermediate goods
Financial and business services
15%
10%
13%
Machinery and equipment
Forest products 14%
14%
14%
Metals and metal products
Manufacturing
0
C 0 C 0 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
-4,9 -1,8 -5,2 3,1 12,6 17,5 18,1 17,2 12,6 7,5 4,7 2,3 3,3 6,0 4,3 12,9 22,6 28,6 25,6 25,5 20,3 14,4 9,4 7,8 -22,6 -9,4 -18,4 -5,9 2,1 9,0 11,3 8,6 0,3 -3,1 -7,0 -10,3 80
Non-durable goods Durable consumer goods 0%
5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
EXPORTS AND IMPORTS (MEUR) TOTAL 2013 SWEDEN GERMANY RUSSIA USA NETHERLANDS CHINA GREAT BRITTAIN FRANCE
EXPORTS
55,903 6,477 5,411 5,354 3,559 3,463 3,170 2,898 1,767
IMPORTS
58,168 6,656 7,323 10,519 1,959 3,348 3,737 1,836 1,915
POPULATION 5.5 million, giving an average density of 18 people per sq. km of land area; annual growth rate 0.5% Life expectancy: men 77.5 and women 83.4 years. As in most other industrial countries, t he middle-aged groups predominate. Average household s ize: 2.1 persons. 54% of the households live in single-family houses; 44% in apartment b locks. 85% 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: 89.3% speak Finnish; 5.3% Swedish. Religion: 75% are Lutheran; 1% Orthodox. Education: 81% of the popula tion aged 25 to 64 have com pleted upper secondary or tertiary education and 37h% (the highest percentage in the EU countries) have university or other tertiary qualifications.
AREA 390,920 sq. kilometres or 150,900 sq. m iles, 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, autonom ous G rand D uchy 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 80% of women aged 25–54 are employed outside the home. Average monthly earnings, 4th
quarter 2013: men 3,578 euros; women 2,963 euros. Unemployment rate 9.1%, in February 2014 according to Labour Force Survey. ECONOMY GDP 2013: 193 billion euros, the annual change in volume -1.4%. Annual inflation rate as of February 2014: 1.3%. Currency: Euro.
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT PER CAPITA 2012* (EUR)
Nominal
Adjusted for Purchasing Power Standard
NORWAY 77,500 49,900 DENMARK 43,800 32,000 SWEDEN 43,000 32,800 USA 38,800 37,900 FINLAND 35,900 29,400 GERMANY 32,300 31,100 FRANCE 31,100 27,500 UK 30,500 28,400 EU27 25,600 25,600
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 Findicator: WWW.FINDICATOR.FI
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.com
www.finnair.fr
www.finnair.de
www.finnair.com/ru
www.finnair.ee www.finnair.com/jp
www.finnair.es
www.finnair.dk
www.finnair.com/cn
www.finnair.kr
www.finnair.it
www.finnair.fi/pl
Flying Finnair AUTOMATED BORDER CONTROL
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BEFORE AND DURING THE FLIGHT
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INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
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HELSINKI AIRPORT
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MAPS
88
CORPORATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
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FLEET
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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.
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。 こちらで個人情報と生体認証データを読み取ります。
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.
Have a nice journey!
Smooth crossings ARRIVING AND DEPARTING passengers at Helsinki Airport can use the 25 automated border control gates. Ten of these are located in the departure hall; the rest are located at arrivals. The Finnish Border Guard’s automated border control helps serve growing passenger volumes at Helsinki Airport. EU, EEA and Swiss nationals with biometric passports can take advantage of the automated border control gates. Third country nationals, who 82 BLUE WINGS
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are exempt from the visa requirement and hold a biometric passport, may also use the automated border control upon departure. The service is available for Japanese and South Korean citizens. 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.
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。 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。 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。
www.finnair.com/jp
대한민국 전자여권을 소지한 승객께서는 유럽에서 한국으로 입국 시, 헬싱키 공항에서 자동출국심사 서비스를 이용 하실 수 있습니다. 우선, 전자여권의 사진 페이지를 인식장치에 올려주시기를 바랍니다. 이 과정에서 여권정보가 시스템에 자동 인식됩니다. 첫 번째 게이트가 열리면 안으로 들어가 오른쪽에 위치한 카메라로 안면인증을 거치게 됩니다. 이후 마지막 게이트에서 출입국관리 직원의 출국확인도장을 받으시면 됩니다. 보다 간편하고 빠른 본 자동시스템의 많은 이용 바랍니다. 대한민국 전자여권은? 2008년 8월 25일 이후 발급된 여권으로 표지 하단부에 전자칩과 안테나가 내장 되어 있는 여권입니다.
www.finnair.com/KR
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 36 hours before departure or by text message. Find out more about our check-in services at WWW.FINNAIR.COM. IN CASE A FLIGHT IS DELAYED OR CANCELLED, Finnair will inform you about the situation via SMS. Please make sure that you have provided Finnair with your mobile phone number. Find out more information on flight disruptions at FINNAIR.COM/FLIGHTINFO.
Finnair in a nutshell • FINNAIR IS NUMBER ONE in air traffic between Northern Europe and Asia. • IN 2013, Finnair carried 9.3 million passengers.
Feeling hungry? FINNAIR OFFERS Economy Class customers on European scheduled flights the option to select and pre-order a meal to enjoy onboard. Choose from five delicious options: a fresh salad with smoked salmon, an all-day breakfast enchilada, beef burgundy, pasta bolognese and chicken korma with rice. The price of each meal is ten euros when purchased online. Go to WWW.FINNAIR.COM and select “My Booking” latest 72 hours before your flight. Choose a meal, and pay using a credit card. You will get a confirmation email and an EMD receipt. The pre-order meal is an optional, chargeable service available for Economy Class customers travelling on scheduled short-haul flights operated by Finnair and on AY2000-series flights operated by Flybe, with the following exceptions: flights within Finland, to/from Baltic countries, to/from Stockholm, to/from St Petersburg, to/from Dubai and Madrid-Helsinki return flights.
• CLOSE TO ONE AND A HALF MILLION passengers fly between Asia and Europe via Helsinki each year. • IN 2013, THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS on scheduled flights totalled 8.5 million. Domestic travel accounted for 1.6 million passengers. Passenger total on leisure flights was nearly 768,000. • IN 2013, FINNAIR TRANSPORTED more than 146,000 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. This information is also listed on the safety instruction card in your 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. • 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. Pre-order meals are available for Economy Class passengers on most European flights. • Complimentary non-alcoholic beverages are available on scheduled flights.
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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Inflight shopping • You may order products in advance from our large and affordable pre-order assortment at www.finnairshop.com. Pre-order service is available on all flights except on domestic flights and on flights to and from Bergen, Stockholm, St Petersburg, Riga and Tallinn. On most flights we also have onboard sales items including gift items, cosmetics, fragrances and confectionary. The selection varies by route. • Tax-free products, alcohol and tobacco are sold on aircraft flying to and from destinations outside the European Union. These include all intercontinental flights, as well as Alanya, Antalya, Dubai, Ekaterinburg, Geneva, Moscow, Tel Aviv and Zurich. On flights within the EU, products are affordable but not tax-free. • 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. • SHOP WITH POINTS Pamper yourself with Finnair Plus points at www.finnairplusshop.com
FINNAIR INFO INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
THIS MONTH ’ S INFLIGHT PICKS BW P
ICK
OF T
HE M
Movies, TV, music and games onboard
ONT
H
S The Monuments Men In a race against time, a crew of art historians and museum curators unite to recover renowned works of art stolen by Nazis before Hitler destroys them. (Chinese Subtitles, Rating PG-13)
The Lego Movie Emmet, an ordinary LEGO mini figure, is mistakenly identified as the key to saving the world. He is drafted into an epic quest to stop an evil tyrant, a journey for which he is hopelessly and hilariously underprepared. (Rating PG)
MUSIC MIXES ON THE FLY NOKIA MIXRADIO offers a wide variety of music on Finnair’s long-haul flights. Mixes feature genres such as jazz and hip-hop and artists from regions including India and China.
What Happens in Vegas Set in Sin City, the story revolves around two people who discover they got married following a night of debauchery, with one of them winning a huge jackpot after playing the other’s quarter. (Chinese Subtitles, Rating PG-13)
Ella ja kaverit When their beloved school is shut down by the schemes of a fame-hungry race-car driver, Ella and her friends must band together to take on their nemesis in the race of a lifetime! (English Subtitles, Rating NR)
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues With the 70’s behind him, San Diego’s top rated newsman, Ron Burgundy, returns to the news desk to take the nation’s first 24-hour news channel by storm. (Chinese Subtitles, Rating PG-13)
it back, relax and enjoy your flight with your personal entertainment system. Use your handset or touchscreen to choose from 72 movies, 150 TV shows, 24 music channels, up to 200 CD albums and 15 games. From films to news and sports, there’s always something for you to enjoy, including programs from Hollywood, Asia and around the globe. Available language tracks include English, Japanese, Korean, Thai, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Swedish and Finnish, depending on the program, as well as Finnish and Chinese subtitles. We also offer family films and cartoons on all international and leisure flights. Selection may vary by aircraft type. You can also create a music playlist from up to 200 CDs (on select aircraft). Most entertainment systems also include a satellite phone for texting and emails, and a power outlet so you can use your own laptop computer or personal entertainment device. The 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 including headphone rental (on Boeing 757, €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). Messages cost $2.00 each. Calls cost $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
31x 31
31a-e 30
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
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
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.
NON-SMOKING Smoking at Helsinki Airport is prohibited outside of designated smoking rooms.
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. 86 BLUE WINGS
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Borde contro
36
Border control
SHOP
SHOP
2ND FLOOR
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CHILDREN Children’s playrooms offer videos, microwave ovens and baby care facilities.
SHOP
Transfer Service 3
• 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, Lentäjäntie 1 (next to terminal T2, street level) Open Mon-Fri 09:00-17:00 and Sat 09:00-15:00. Tel 0600 41006 (1,97€/min +local network charge) 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
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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
SHOP
1ST FLOOR
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
FINAVIA
SHOP 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
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INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS FROM HELSINKI
Great Circle Estimated Distances Flight km Times
ALGHERO 2473 03:35 AMSTERDAM 1525 02:35 ALANYA/GAZIPASA 2722 03:45 AQABA 3494 05:05 ARRECIFE 4518 05:55 BANGKOK 7912 09:45 BARCELONA 2632 03:55 BEIJING 6325 07:55 BERGEN 1112 03:30 BERLIN 1123 02:00 BIARRITZ 2581 03:45 BILLUND 1060 01:50 BODRUM 2572 03:55 BRUSSELS 1651 02:40 BUDAPEST 1481 02:20 BURGAS 1982 03:00 CATANIA 2636 03:45 CHANIA 2756 03:50 CHONGQING 6736 08:40 COPENHAGEN 895 01:40 DALAMAN 2639 03:40 DELHI 5229 06:50 DUBAI 4537 05:55 DUBROVNIK 2027 03:00 DÜSSELDORF 1512 02:25 EKATERINBURG 2098 03:05 FARO 3480 04:45 FRANKFURT 1543 02:35 FUERTEVENTURA 4578 06:05 FUNCHAL 4310 05:45 GENEVA 1994 03:00 GOA via Sharjah 6739 10:15 GOTHENBURG 785 01:25 HAMBURG 1172 02:00 HANOI 7478 10:10 HÔ CHI MINH CITY (Saigon) 8510 10:50 HONG KONG 7821 09:35 HURGHADA 3743 05:05 INNSBRUCK 1701 02:35 IRÁKLION 2777 03:55 KAVALA 2159 03:15 KERKYRA 2331 03:25 KIEV 1171 01:55 KOS 2620 03:45 KRABI 8350 10:20 KRAKOW 1186 02:00 LANGKAWI 8560 10:25 LAS PALMAS 4700 06:10 LISBON 3369 04:50 LJUBLJANA 1713 02:40 LONDON 1863 03:10 MADRID 2950 04:25 MALAGA 3357 04:35 MANCHESTER 1817 03:00 MARSA ALAM 3932 05:10 MIAMI 8342 11:10 MILAN 1953 03:05 MINSK 740 01:25 MOSCOW 876 01:40 MUNICH 1577 02:30 NAGOYA 7780 09:40 NEW YORK 6626 08:45 NICE 2202 03:25 NORRKÖPING 530 01:30 OSAKA 7751 09:30 OSLO 766 01:30 OVDA 3457 04:30 PALMA DE MALLORCA 2777 04:00 PAPHOS 2898 04:00 PARIS 1900 03:05 PHUKET 8312 10:05
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Great Circle Estimated Distances Flight km Times PISA PONTA DELGADA PRAGUE PREVEZA PUERTO PLATA 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 TROMSØ VARADERO VARNA VENICE VERONA VIENNA VILNIUS WARSAW XIAN ZAKYNTHOS ZÜRICH
2093 03:20 4316 05:50 1322 02:10 2397 03:25 8417 11:15 2668 03:45 382 00:55 1993 03:00 2235 03:25 2660 03:40 7050 08:40 7410 09:05 3664 05:00 9272 11:30 2353 03:30 1956 02:55 301 01:00 400 01:00 101 00:30 245 00:50 3230 04:25 4691 06:10 4745 06:10 7849 09:45 6619 08:50 1081 02:00 8665 11:40 1911 02:55 1847 02:55 1903 02:55 1462 02:30 633 01:15 940 01:40 6421 07:50 2526 03:55 1781 02:45
SCHEDULED DESTINATIONS LEISURE DESTINATIONS PARTNER-OPERATED CODE-SHARE OR MARKETING DESTINATIONS SEASONAL ROUTE EW SCHEDULED N SEASONAL ROUTE NEW SCHEDULED DESTINATION IN 2014
Atl Oc antic ean
DOMESTIC FLIGHTS FROM HELSINKI IVALO JOENSUU JYVÄSKYLÄ KAJAANI MARIEHAMN KEMI/TORNIO KITTILÄ KOKKOLA/PIETARSAARI KUOPIO KUUSAMO OULU PORI ROVANIEMI SAVONLINNA TAMPERE TURKU VAASA
931 01:35 360 01:00 235 00:45 464 01:00 282 00:55 609 01:30 823 01:25 391 01:05 335 01:00 667 01:15 514 01:05 214 00:40 697 01:20 281 00:55 143 00:35 150 00:35 348 00:55
Bay of B isca ya
Arct ic
Ocea n
Nor weg ian S ea
Nort
h Sea
Rostov-on-Don
Medit erranea n Sea MAY 2014
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Arctic Ocean FINNAIR-INFO WORLD MAP
Finnair Plus members earn Plus points from travelling on any scheduled flight with a oneworld airline.
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Ocea n Atlantic Ocean
oneworld: more than 800 destinations 90 BLUE WINGS MAY 2014
Arctic Ocean
Taiwan
Pacific Ocean
Indian Ocean
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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:
A NEW STEP IN EMISSIONS TRADING
• 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 9.9 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.
THE EUROPEAN UNION’S Emissions Trading system
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• HOTT (House of Travel and Transportation), which houses Finnair’s headquarters near Helsinki, has received the esteemed LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum international environmental certification. The system ensures that a construction project meets the strictest requirements for environmental efficiency. HOTT is owned by pension insurance company Ilmarinen, and Finnair is the primary tenant. • 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.
(ETS) was established in 2005 to systematically reduce pollution from greenhouse gases in Europe. Based on the cap and trade principle, within which companies can acquire, purchase and trade emissions allowances, the ETS has included the aviation sector since 2012. Finnair, as many other airlines, is a proponent of a global emissions trading system. In April a new step was reached in emissions trading in EU aviation: the Plenary of the European Parliament announced that only flights operated within Europe would be covered in the EU’s Emissions Trading System from 2013 through the end of 2016. The decision gives the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) time to develop a larger-scale model for emissions reduction, and serves as a compromise for airlines operating from the United States, Asia, or elsewhere outside of Europe’s borders. “Finnair supports the European Parliament’s decision, as it will enable for the formation of a global emissions trading system,” says Kati Ihamäki, Finnair’s VP of Sustainable Development. A model for a global emissions trading model is expected at the Assembly of the ICAO in 2016. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), meanwhile, endorsed a solution for carbon-neutral growth in the aviation sector at its 69th Annual General Meeting in 2013; this included a set of principles for governments to adopt a single market-based measure for emissions trading. Finnair’s stance is that emissions compensation should be an airline’s responsibility, following the principle of “the polluter pays.”
FINNAIR INFO ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
DID YOU KNOW? According to Flightstats, Finnair was the world’s second-most punctual airline in 2013.
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
• Finnair prioritises recycling: assess and improve an airline’s for example, the airline has environmental management. donated cabin crew uniforms, Strongly believing that, as with blankets and other textiles to safety, the whole sector would Uusix and GlobeHope, compabenefit from a more systematic nies that turn used materials approach to environmental into design items. management, Finnair is part of • Finnair Group collaborates a pilot group of IATA member with environmental manageairlines participating in the ment company Ekokem on programme. waste management, including • Finnair is a member of United waste sorting, recycling and Nations Global Compact, a reuse. Materials such as cardcorporate responsibility initiaboard, paper, plastic and metal tive that comprises more than are recycled at Finnair, while 8,000 businesses. Participating hazardous waste is properly companies agree to make huprocessed. Material not suitman rights, fair labour standable for reuse is transported ards, environmental responsito Ekokem’s facilities for bility and anti-corruption core energy production. parts of their operations. • The recycling process begins • In 2011 Finnair signed the United onboard, where cabin attendNations Women’s Empowerants sort the waste generated ment Principles that encourage during the flight. companies to promote gender • In 2013 Finnair was certified equality and women’s empoweras a Stage 1 operator in IATA’s ment. The principles are the reEnvironmental Assessment sult of a collaboration between Program (IEnvA), a new envithe United Nations Development ronmental management sysFund for Women and the United tem designed to independently Nations Global Compact.
☛ 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 ☛ Hope
FIND OUT MORE Finnair has published an annual overview of its sustainability efforts since 1997. The 2013 Annual Report – Finnair’s first to integrate sustainability indicators with financial reporting – measures and accounts for Finnair’s financial, economic, social and environmental performance and explains its impact on business results.
www.finnairgroup.com/ annualreport2013 BLOGS.FINNAIR.COM
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FINNAIR INFO FLEET
AIRBUS A340-300 Number 7 Seating capacity 270/269/261 Length 63.6 m Wingspan 60.3 m Cruising speed 890 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 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 (ER) Number 11 Seating capacity 136–209 Length 44.5 m Wingspan 34.1 m Cruising speed 840 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 11,900 m AIRBUS A320 Number 10 Seating capacity 110–165 Length 37.6 m Wingspan 34.1 m Cruising speed 840 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 11,900 m AIRBUS A319 Number 9 Seating capacity 105–138 Length 33.8 m Wingspan 34.1 m Cruising speed 840 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 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 EMBRAER 170 Operated by Flybe Number 2 Seating capacity 76 Length 29.9 m Wingspan 26.0 m Cruising speed 850 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,300 m
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Join Finnair Plus & enjoy countless benefits FINNAIR PLUS IS a frequent flyer programme open to all Finnair passengers. Children aged 2−17 can join the Finnair Plus Junior programme. Enter your membership number upon booking or show your card at check-in to earn points on Finnair and oneworld flights.
USE POINTS TO BUY services from Finnair Plus partners or make purchases from the online Finnair Plus Shop, which stocks more than 3,500 items from gadgets to design. Shop with points, money or a combination of both.
COLLECT POINTS FROM more than 300 international Finnair Plus partners, including car rental companies, restaurants, hotels, airport shops and more.
JOIN FINNAIR PLUS AT www.finnair.com/plus or by filling out an application form found as an insert in this magazine. The Finnair Plus site includes plenty of information and allows you to check your points balance, book flight awards, and browse special offers.
FINNAIR PLUS MEMBERS ENJOY a variety of benefits and flight award options. Purchase an Any Seat flight award at finnair.com/plus with a flexible combi-nation of points and money, a Classic flight award with a set amount of points, or a flight on a oneworld airline.
Finnair Plus
oneworld
BASIC SILVER GOLD PLATINUM
--RUBY SAPPHIRE EMERALD
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.
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 on Finnair flights F innair 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
ADDITIONAL GOLD BENEFITS:
+ C onfirmed seat 48 hours before
+ + + + + +
Finnair flights (European or intercontinental for Business Class, intercontinental for Economy Class) P riority 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
check-in and lounge access
+ 25% points bonus on Finnair flights
* For example: Helsinki, Stockholm-Arlanda
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FINNAIR PLUS FREQUENT FLYER BENEFITS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q A
Can I donate points to charity? Absolutely; Finnair has partnered with several local and international charitable organisations. Go to www.finnair.fi/pluspartners to find out more and make a donation.
Q A
My daughter is ten years old. Can she become a Finnair Plus member?
Children between ages of two and 17 can join the Finnair Plus Junior programme. A membership is valid until the child turns 18. Junior members get a 50 per cent discount off the regular point cost of all return Finnair award flights, and can use points to purchase a variety of reward items.
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Q A
an I pay for an additional piece of luggage C using Finnair plus points?
es you can. You can purchase an excess baggage voucher for Y Finnair flights at finnair.com/plus.
Did you know? NEW PREMIUM LOUNGE IN SUMMER 2014. Finnair introduces a new Premium Lounge to complement the current Finnair Lounge in the non-Schengen area. The new facility will be available to Finnair Plus Platinum and Gold members and their guests only, as well as frequent flyer cardholders with equivalent status at fellow oneworld airlines.
FINNAIR pLUS frequent flyer benefits pARTNERS FINNAIR PLUS FREQUENT FLYER BENEFITS PARTNERS
OffersOffers fOr fOr finnair Plus members in finnair Plus members in november FEBRUARY The Finnair Tax-free shop at the Helsinki Airport welcomes reme Finnair PlusTax-free membersshop with monthly offersAirport and benefits. Just The Finnair at Helsinki welcomes your V mber OFFERSFinnair FOR FINNAIR PLUS IN MAY alenti show your Finnair Plus card and save 20% MEMBERS or more on our Plus members with a variety of offers and benefits. ne on feb
regular tax-free prices on certain items.
Just show your Finnair Plus card and save 20% or more on our regular tax-freeshop prices on items.Airport The Finnair Tax-free atcertain Helsinki
14
welcomes Finnair Plus members with a variety of offers and benefits.
TAX-FREE SHOP
GATe 28 NEW & IMPROVED!
WINE WORLD & 2ND FLOOR LIFESTYLE WORLD DESIGN ITEMS • EXCLUSIVE BRANDS FROM FINLAND LUXURy COSMETICS • TOp FRAGRANCES • GIFT ITEMS JEwELLERy • qUALITy wINES • SwEETS AND TOyS.
Selected Wolford legwear and Ready to Wear items –20% from normal tax-free prices
additional offers: ray-ban sunglasses, aviator
€136
Normal tax-free price €170 ray-ban sunglasses, Wayfarer
€92
Normal tax-free price €115
selected Products
teau Poitevin bourgeois aOC médoc
6.90
-20%
WIN A TRIP TO neW YorK
VISIT OUR RENEWED GATE 28 STORE AND WIN teau la Couspaude 2010, TWO RETURN TICKETS Rabl Cru Grüner C saint Émilion Grand Classé TO THE BIG APPLE!
mal tax-free price €19.90
6.90
Veltliner
mal tax-free priceKäferberg €64.90 2012
€16.90
Normal tax-free price €19.90
ABBA The Museum
epping into Stockolm'S ABBA the muSeum is like tending a live concert by the world's most successful pop nd! Original costumes, memorabilia and gold records are display, along with interactive sing-alongs and danceongs that can be recorded and saved onto your ticket ID. nnair Plus members can use their Plus points (or points a combination of cash) to redeem an award voucher for trance to ABBA The Museum.
nd out more and apply at www.finnair.com/Plus Shop at www.lippu.fi and use Finnair points to buy tickets.
Kenzo products –20% VISIT Selected OUR RENEWED 2ND FLOOR from normal tax-free prices WITH GREAT BRANDS
FINNAIR PLUS PLUSSHOP
Shop online with Finnair Plus points HOME DELIVERY
Timberland Earthkeepers® Adventure Cupsole Chukka men’s shoe THIS NEW CLASSIC FROM TIMBERLAND appeals with its casual streamline. Simplicity hides many eco-concious features for durability. Recycled rubber has been used in the outsoles, the linings are crafted from 100% recycled plastic bottles, and the leather is provided by a tannery which is rated for its water, energy and waste management practises. Anti-fatigue technology built into the midsole provides standing comfort, shock absorption and energy return specifically for people who spend long days on their feet.
Regular price €139 Member offer €89 + 1,000 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
ORREFORS BEER COLLECTION €78, six glasses, 2 × Pils 45 cl, 2 × Lager 60 cl, 2 × Taster 47 cl Member offer €55 + 1,000 points
NOKIAN JALKINEET HAI RUBBER BOOTS €65, new spring colours apricote and sky blue Member offer €49 + 1,000 points
RIEDEL COCA-COLA GLASS €30,20, two glasses Member offer €25 + 1,000 points
SAMSUNG GALAXY S5 4G SMART PHONE €699, black & white Member offer €659 + 1,000 points
IITTALA AALTO VASE 120 MM €92,60, white or clear Member offer €65 + 1,000 points
VILLEROY & BOCH €175, Victor cutlery set, 24 pieces Member offer €99 + 1,000 points
FINLAYSON POLKU -GIFT BOX €70, two bath towels & two hand towels Member offer €39 + 1,000 points
MARIMEKKO SMALL UNIKKO AOC LUX UMBRELLA & MARIMEKKO MINIUNIKKO SMARTBAG €69, black and red Member offer €50 + 1,000 points
TI SENTO MILANO €156, necklace & earrings Member offer €119 + 1,000 points
PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
WWW.FINNAIRPLUSSHOP.COM
THE ORIGINAL – THE LUGGAGE WITH THE GROOVES In 1950, RIMOWA issued the first suitcase with the unmistakable grooves. Since then, it has evolved into a cult object in its own right. To this day, the original RIMOWA luggage has lost none of its fascination. It remains the luggage of choice for all those who seek the extraordinary – including model Alessandra Ambrosio. RIMOWA Flagshipstore Helsinki – Pohjoisesplanadi 25, 00100 Helsinki – Open now www.rimowa.com