Finland

Åland Islands

Between southern Sweden and Helsinki lies the unique geo-political archipelago called the Åland Islands, a fairly short ride on one of the many ferries that serve the Baltic. (Again, a helpful map for the geographically-challenged.)

The Åland Islands have a unique relationship with the world and the nation of Finland, of which they are formally a part.

As noted proudly on the sign, the islands are self-governing for the most part and demilitarized. Through a complex history involving exchanges between Finland, Sweden and Russia over the last couple of centuries, this region, while part of Finland:

• enacts its own domestic legislation (excluding foreign affairs, the court system and state taxation), and
• is neutral in times of war, does not support any military activity and its citizens are exempt from Finnish military service.

The sole official language is Swedish, not Finnish; its currency is the Euro (same as Finland)….. but it has its own postal service. Here is a beautiful Åland stamp.

SIDE NOTE: If anyone enjoys stamp collecting or knows someone who does, please let me know, as we have a collection of interesting pieces from both Åland and other countries that we would love to share.

The biggest sector of the economy is shipping and trade…. Which makes sense considering its key location on the Baltic Sea.

The total population of the islands is about 30,000 souls; Mariehamn is the largest town and capitol city with almost 12,000 people.

It’s a charming place with its own atmosphere of contentment, tolerance and pride….

The traditional dish is the Åland pancake

Turku

From Mariehamn, it’s a 5-hour ferry to the first major city on the Finnish mainland – Turku, or Åbo in Finnish.

We stayed in a cool hotel that used to be a prison….

With only one full day in Turku, we visited one “sight” – the Luostarinmäki outdoor museum. It’s a 200-year-old district of wooden houses and craftsmen’s workshops… a realistic simulation of how people lived in the pre-industrial 1800s.

The “play area” provided an opportunity to revisit an old skill….

More fun street (and waterway) art…

The Finns do like their canine companions – and often take them along on trips.

A common display in Finland relates to the war in Ukraine….. certainly an issue of concern in a country that shares a border (and a history as a victim of aggression) with Russia.

Side Notes on Travel

The ferries that service the cities and towns that circle the Baltic Sea are really impressive – whether you are bringing along a car or not.

Panoramic windows, lounges, clean and comfortable overnight cabins, children’s activities, dining alternatives, bingo and bars and live music!

It would be very cool to take an unstructured trip using the ferry system to go from one city to another, circling around or criss-crossing the Baltic from Copenhagen to Oslo to Stockholm to Helsinki to Tallinn to Hamburg (even to Turku and Åland!) You could spend as much or as little time in each location as whim and time constraints dictate. You would not need a car…. Most of the docks are in walking distance from the city centers. And getting there would be a big part of the fun, with a front-row seat to port activity and shoreline. Very cool.

Speaking of cool, maybe you remember Henry’s acquisition of a walking stick way back in June in Ireland…. It has accompanied us all along the way, proving quite useful as we were often waved to the front of security and passport control lines.

Final Note from Finland

The Moomins are cartoon characters dreamed up by a Finnish author who first published their story in a children’s book in the mid-1940s. They are large soft trolls that resemble hippos who have adventures together with their friends. Extremely popular in Finland, as well as the rest of Scandinavia (and Japan!)…. In books, comic strips, theme parks, television and of course, merchandising.

Finnair, the national airline of Finland, incorporated Moomin art on a couple of its aircraft…..

Back now in the US, we look forward to enjoying the fall and winter weather (which we hope will come soon). Until next time, we wish you peace, civility and kindness – please take some and pass it around.