Helsinki's Seurasaari Island

Less than a half hour northwest of Helsinki's city centre lies Seurasaari Island.  You access it by a quaint bridge and once there you can easily wander for several hours. My pictures come from the summer of 2012, but my daughter-in-law assured us that traffic did not slow appreciably during the winter.  

 



The water is pretty chilly, but some folks do hit the beaches.

The Open Air Museum on Seurasaari Island features period buildings moved from the Finnish countryside to this wooded site for both preservation and ease of visibility.  There is a remarkable variety that runs the gamut from little 18th century follies to  sod roofed rural storage buildings.

Below a two leveled storage building and pretty obviously a windmill



One of the most impressive buildings was the Karuna Church.  Dating from the 1680's it is the oldest building in the Open Air Museum.

 

The structure is accessible and the interior is charming.

 

 

It contains a remarkable old pulpit and the strangest dismembered arm wall sconces I have ever seen.

 

And in this sancuary there's always room for a few more

 

 

 

Nearby are some storage sheds for large old church boats that used to be used to transport isolated coastal and lake dwellers to Sunday worship

 

 

A craft fair was going on and a number of native cottage industries were being demonstrated.  There were basketmakers,  weavers and knitters, pottery whistle makers, and even a female blacksmith.

 

 

A  smattering of this and that will finish up our tour.  The stark colors in this fine old stable with painted brickwork caught my eye.

 

This old telephone booth was cute.

 

I'd not seen this particular type of wood rail fencing before.

 

And this is the end of the line. Park your bike and head out into the pathless wilderness.

 

 

The Sights of Central Helsinki

On to Helsinki!  Finland's capital city contains not much more than half a million people and it is a most manageable and accessible city.  It has an always scenic harbor

 great transportation via bus, subway, and glorious trams that glide along smoothly over much of the central city.

 oodles of restaurants offering native and every conceivable international cuisine,  museums galore,  concerts aplenty,  and world class design.

Any short visit must start with the Lutheran Cathedral.

 

The cathedral makes a fine sight from many places in the city.  The exterior may appear a bit grand, but the interior is all Scandinavian simplicity.

For a special treat visit the cafe and art gallery recently opened in the crypt.

 

If you stand on the cathedral steps all of the Senate Square unfolds before you

 

 Most of the rest of the central city is nearby.  You can promenade or enjoy a snack on the Esplanade.

You can shop at a great department store called Stockman.

 

There are at least a dozen museums within central city walking distance and some of art is right out in full view, such as the statues that adorn the Art Deco central railroad station.

If more ebullient decor is your cup of tea, you can try the Uspensky Russian Orthodox Cathedral

You are never far from music in Helsinki.  There is a full throated modern rock and club scene as well as a classical bent that is dominated by the music of native son,  Jean Sibelius.  A pilgrimedge of necessity is a visit to Sibelius Park to view the organ pipe melange designed by modern sculptor Eila Hiltunen.

  

  
Next up will be Helsinki's great green spaces.

Finland: The Other Scandinavia

For many travelers a trip to Scandinavia means a quick stopover in Copenhagen and than a visit to  Norway and Sweden.  I know that was our circumstance in 2001 when we used a Scanrail Pass to skitter all over Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.

The thing is we never really considered adding Finland to our itinerary back then and quite frankly it hadn't risen a lot on our "bucket list" in the intervening years. Then came a vivid bolt out of the blue.  Last summer our 47 year old batchelor son married a young Finnish woman he had met on a ferry between Stockholm and Helsinki.  Shortly after that came the announcement that the young couple  intended to live in Helsinki rather than Minneapolis.  Lo and behold  Finland jumped up to the top of our trip list. We quickly discovered that an eight hour direct flight from Chicago's O'Hare would get you there. 

To top it off we had our lovely and charming new daughter-in-law as a local guide and a whole new family to meet.

David and Lotta

So  



Upon our arrival we were taken by our son David and his wife Lotta to the home of Lotta's sister and her family.

Lotta's sister, her husband, and their two delightful children

We were given instructions on how to take our very first sauna. We did it. And we can attest that it may be the ideal way to battle jet lag. Refreshed and ready we were then treated to a magnificent first Finnish meal.

Jan, David, Lotta

Later in the afternoon we checked into our hotel, the Scandic Continental on Mannerheim in Helsinki.


After getting settled we met Lotta and David for dinner and took a nice walk along the lake that was just across from our hotel. 

Lotta, Dave, Jan looking out over Lake Toolenlaht

The sun was sinking and the light began to edge toward gold.

On the far side of the lake and up high on a hill is Linnenmaki Amusement Park

On the near side a boat rental was just closing up for the night.

Finland!

Next week we shall tour Helsinki.

 

 

 

 

 

Basha Museum of Western Art Just Outside of Phoenix, AZ

It's a little off the beaten path, but it is a path that you will not be sorry you elected to follow. The Zelma Basha Salmeri Gallery of Western American and Native American Art  showcases what has to be one of the most outstanding private collections of western art in the country.  It is open typically from 9-4 Monday through Friday and the admission is free. Since it is located at the Basha Corporate Offices and the galleries may be used for business events on occasion, it might be wise to call  ahead at 480-895-5230 if you are planning to visit.  The actual address for your map or GPS is 22402 S. Basha Road in Chandler, AZ

What you see when you get there will be an extraordinary collection of baskets,

a wide selection of western themed paintings,



an absolutely astounding collection of sculpture,

shelf after shelf of Hopi Katsinas,

and a fair selction of pottery, festishes, jewelry, and weaponry.


Ropes, bars, and glass cases are kept to a minimum so you can examine most of the objects up close. 

This is a remarkable museum.  Pair it with a meal at the Queen Creek Olive Mill and you have quite the perfect Arizona day.    Check out our visit to the Olive Mill at http://stirringthepudding.blogspot.com/2011/04/nothing-like-queen-creek-olive-mill-in.html

Pueblo Grande: The Real Old Phoenix

Once upon a time, when the Salt River ran down out of the mountains and into the valley that now holds the thriving city of Phoenix, the ancient Hohokam built an extraordinary complex of villages tied together by a large series of irrigation canals.  Pueblo Grande (large village or town) was one of the central settlements in the valley.  It is located near the present day Sky Harbor Airport and the planes seem to be tracking across your field of vision constantly as you walk in the compound.

Pueblo Grande is not only right in the city, but it is a practical size to explore.  It has been carefully excavated and restored and there is a modern air conditioned museum, shop, and theatre to retire to if the heat becomes a bit too much.

The trail out from the museum leads you around the base of the football field sized platform mound, which dates to around 1450 ACE. It was probably the ceremonial and administrative center of the community.

You then circle out to a later adobe Hohokam house replica from about 1300 ACE.





Further on is a small group of earlier pithouse replicas dating from around 950 ACE



A close up shows their low entrance area.




From there you curve past an excavated ball court that was used from around 750 ACE to 1200 ACE.  There are many of these in Mexico but not many in the American Southwest.




Then you pass a small garden plot that is used to demonstrate Hohokam irrigation methods. Note the stone used to block the flow when enough water had passed into that section.



And finally the path winds up to the top of the ceremonial platform mound



where you can survey the entire village


A painting inside the museum gives you an excellent idea of how the whole complex might have looked in its heyday.  You can see the Salt River flowing in the background.


Today on the top of the mound you can only see some of the outlines of ancient rooms and storage areas.

 When you are finished with your walk you can return to comfort of the museum to cool off a bit before returning to your car. 

More musings on a hot summer morning

Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. -Martin Luther King Jr.

“The American public is suffering from an education deficit. By this I mean it exhibits a growing inability to think critically, question authority, be reflective, weigh evidence, discriminate between reasoned arguments and opinions, listen across differences and engage the mutually informing relationship between private problems and broader public issues. This growing political and cultural illiteracy is not merely a problem of the individual, one that points to simple ignorance. It is a collective and social problem that goes to the heart of the increasing attack on democratic public spheres and supportive public institutions that promote analytical capacities, thoughtful exchange and a willingness to view knowledge as a resource for informed modes of individual and social agency.” This is the opening of a long article by Henry Giroux. http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/9865-beyond-the-politics-of-the-big-lie-the-education-deficit-and-the-new-authoritarianism

I don’t agree with all of his later points, but I am a strong believer in the fact that the more we incessantly and vilely trash the only institutions we have in our “representative” democracy the worse off we all become. When intelligent people cannot differenciate between undocumented poisonous diatribes and fully supported and reasoned argument, we are doomed to follow the path of ignorance. I have no problem with policy disagreements that challenge authority or the status quo, but when the disagreement constantly starts with the supposition that the other side must be “criminal” and is pursuing some kind of evil agenda instead of a different agenda, I feel the necessity to back off and ask the kind of questions I was taught when I was studying Aristotle’s Rhetoric way way back in the dark days.

i.e. Who are you and what is your reputation as a purveyor of truth? What evidence do you cite or use to prove that your assertions are valid? What is the reputation of the sources you cite? What percentage of your argument hinges on emotional flames like name-calling, racist insinuation, fear mongering, blatant untruth, etc. How do you or do you answer or rebut any opposing arguments?

The fact that your grandmother says it or that some news source or book says it does not prove it true. Only a compilation of multiple sources followed by some kind of reasoned assessment of probability gets you toward the final answer. And only some kind of compromise may allow you to move toward a solution that will contain a little bit for both sides in a complex and perhaps ultimately unsolvable issue like “What is the best way to deliver the best possible medical care to the most possible people in your country?” Some facts are undeniable. Several other civilized industrial countries have statistically lower infant death rates, less obesity, and higher life spans with a different system of healthcare administration. Do we adopt their systems whole cloth? Not at all.   Do we look at what they are doing and try to get better results for us with some tinkering? Yes. If we don’t we are ignorant and foolish and do not have the best interests of our country’s citizens at heart.    

Bits and Pieces

A bit of theatrical trivia from Darren Dalglish. 

"Agatha Christie's long running thriller The Mousetrap, has extended its booking period and is now selling tickets through to 21 Dec 2013 at the St Martin's Theatre. Directed by David Turner, The Mousetrap's plot is one of the West End's best-kept secrets, and audiences are requested to keep the identity of the killer locked in their hearts. A group of people gathered together in a remote part of the countryside discover there is a murderer in their midst. The question is which one of them is the guilty party. Originally written as a radio play, the world's longest running play has now chalked up over 23 ,000 performances."   

Chris Hayes "Up" this morning was talking about how the current political ties to Wall Street, which essentially ensures that a bailout will occur if you screw things up,  encourages wild speculation and cheating.   Question? Does this in education policy?  The transfer of teacher employment from a seniority driven system to a defined merit driven system puts a premium on meeting short term external requirements that demonstrate that you are doing your job.  Knowing that this drives your advancement and pay,  encourages you to do things that make you look good on the short term requirements in spite of the fact that most good and dedicated teachers feel that the success of teaching may only be measureable in the long term.    We are now beginning to see whole school systems being accused of trying to fix the results in some way in order to look better.   When assessment and control seems inneffective, misplaced or crazy then it becomes easier to justify fudging the system.

Am wrestling with this. 

Will be fun to see how the Republicans will react to Obama's new immigration policies.  
Romney is characterized as principled by his base for finally seeing the light and reversing his positions on abortion and medical insurance.   Willl Obama be seen as principled for doing the "right thing" in order to secure more support from his base?   I would be willing to bet not.

Sauce for the goose is apparently not sauce for the gander. 

Is the incipient racism of the last three main examples of rude interruptions of the first Aftrican American  pesident by far right figures not to be discussed?     Liar by a far right congressman,  finger wagging in face by a right wing govenor, and a conservative newsman's interruption of a news conference while the president was still speaking and had not called for questions.