Jyväskylä art - dolls and bathrooms

Snowflakes land heavily on my face, woolly hat and jacket when I walk across the campus of University of Jyväskylä. Oh no, the poor lilac bushes have mistaken the (so far) warmish winter to be the spring and some buds are already appearing amidst the snow. Sorry, guys. You are far too early. Hope you don't catch a cold.

On Fridays there is free entrance to some museums of Jyväskylä so I head for Museum of Central Finland at Alvar Aallon katu 7. I wonder if there is any art on display in the bathroom? In the ladies, there certainly is. If you are planning to make art here, take your own papers. In case of emergency use papers provided by house. And the same in Finnish.

There is a piece of photography on the wall, toying with artistic displays of rolls of toilet paper. Just don't try this in the cubicle...

At the ground floor there is an exhibition that celebrates the city of Jyväskylä's 175th birthday this year. The exhibition features displays in the centerpieces of which are handmade dolls in period costumes from several decades since Jyväskylä was founded in 1837. The dolls were made by members of Doll Artists of Finland Society.

The texts are available only in Finnish, but there are wonderful details in the doll displays. For example the gentlemen who are about to order their dinner are reading a miniature menu written in Swedish and Finnish. The carefully tailored costumes are also great to look at.

There are scenes from important times in the city's history, including Jan 1, 2009, when Jyväskylä last grew by joining forces with two of its neighbouring communities, Jyväskylän maalaiskunta (red-gold coat of arms) and Korpilahti. The current mayor of Jyväskylä, Markku Andersson, is featured on the right.

The museum hosts large permanent exhibitions about the history of Jyväskylä city and the whole province of Central Finland, but this time I skip those. However, I take a peek to the second floor and around the corner there is a surprise: a loom ready for action. It is as if someone was actually weaving a traditional rug here, and using old clothes cut for the job. No idea if this part of the museum display or rug-weaving for real?

From the museum I walk to the campus of University of Jyväskylä, about half a kilometre uphill towards the city centre. First stop: university library where it is now possible to cast your vote in the Finnish presidential election of 2012, as it is advance voting time.

There is now quite a bit of renovation work going on at the university campus, with fences round some buildings, and it means that some routes are off limits... OK, I'll make a shortcut through the snow to the top of Seminaarinmäki hill there are some buildings from the times of the old Seminary, the predecessor of University of Jyväskylä, from the late 19th century.

Next to the Seminarium (S) building there is a small house made of large blocks of grey granite. The building is called Paja (workshop); after all, it was used as a workshop by male students of the original Seminary. Today it serves as a quiet place for worship and meditation, without references to any religion. I enter and switch on the lights. The front is very altar-like though.

The felt wall art is so simple, yet lights up the place with the terracotta colour. According to the guest book the visitors have used this room for morning prayers, zen meditation and a couple even got engaged here!

Right next door, on the ground floor of the red-brick Seminarium building, there is also artwork. For example the bathroom for the disabled is decorated by an old photograph from the days of the first Finnish-speaking teacher seminary, covering the window. Students relaxing outside...

My last museum stop is at the other end of the corridor, at the university museum's beautiful exhibition space. Mr Salmi was the university's official photographer in 1967-1990 and naturally photographed the academic degree ceremonies over the years. The black and white photographs have captured the festive atmosphere beautifully.

On the southern window of the gallery space there is yet another photograph from the old Seminary days, with two female students smiling happily. You don't see students wearing aprons these days!
 
And now, back to continue the walk through the snow...

Jyväskylä: Warming up at Lutakko

As if by a miracle, sun seems to have returned to Jyväskylä, at least for a while, this Sunday. I cross the railroad tracks from Matkakeskus (railway station-cum-coach station) to Lutakko via the pedestrian bridge. My steps echo on the wooden floor which is now wonderfully even; a year ago you felt almost like you were walking on pebbles because the knotty planks were so worn out. The glass walls are decorated by icy lace.

The icy decorations act as a filter but don't block the view to the railroad tracks and Mattilanniemi.

After a walk through Lutakonpuisto park, I reach Lake Jyväsjärvi which is finally covered with ice and a thin layer of snow. This winter has been fairly dark and snowless, filled with grey days... Seeing the sun shine on the frozen lake is a welcome sight.

The sign on the shore reminds you that Swimming is allowed in the designated area (Uiminen sallittu rajatulla alueella). The ice is not at all strong yet so if you dare to take a risk and venture on the ice you actually might end up swimming... I don't think too many people use the outdoor toilets over here but it's great that they are there for emergencies ;-)

How strong is the ice, actually? Looking over the lake, we see one or two people on the ice close to the opposite shore at Suuruspää. They must be icefishers who are sure to check the thickness of the ice rather than risk their life.

I'm simply horrified, not just surprised, when I see a casual walker crossing the lake from Kuokkala to Lutakko. I just don't think it has been cold enough for long enough to be sure that it is already safe to walk there; after all, there are currents below the bridge which make the ice treacherous. Would I dare to go on the ice and help if the walker fell through? Luckily, she makes it on the shore...

I'm still pondering the strength of the ice when I walk around the corner and see a drift of smoke coming from the chimney of the little wooden building on the quay. Great, Kotakahvila coffee shop is already open although the skating season obviously hasn't started yet on the Jyväsjärvi lake! The place is run by students of Tiimiakatemia (Team Academy) whose studies include work as entrepreneurs.

I can't resist the call of a hot drink - coffee, tea, hot chocolate or berry juice available - and a grilled sausage, so better step in. On a day like this it is a real treat to be able to sit in front of an open fire

on reindeer skin, getting warm after a walk in the cold. Just to warm up though, because from here the walk will continue... But not before we've enjoyed a relaxed chat with the friendly staff and other customers of the cosy café.

Jyväskylä: Free art on the Epiphany

Finally the ground in Jyväskylä is covered by snow properly. The landscape is so pure and white that it feels like the first snow of the winter. After the unusually warm winter this is paradise! The amount of daylight is still scarce but having snow around you makes life much lighter.

The fresh snow covers some tall aspens in layers like mountainous whipped cream frosting spread randomly on the tree trunks.

The duckboards on the little shortcut path that connects Kortesuo to Viitaniemi are frozen solid under the snow. When the small forest was almost flooding a while ago, the water came right up to the duckboards, and eventually the slush froze, making the surface uneven. That's alright for those of us who are on foot, and we don't mind the narrow pathway. This is no highway anyway.

I step aside to give way to a passing cyclist who complains about the narrow track. Well, the wide asphalt bicycle / pedestrian path is only a 100 meters from here... I'm not in a rush and stop to have a look at the tiny brook which is slowly freezing over.

I reach Viitaniemi and turn left. On Taidepolku lane, a dwarf snowman does its best to scare passers-by.

Soon I arrive at Jaroslavl square (Jaroslavlin aukio) which honours Jyväskylä's twin city Jaroslalvl in Russia. In the shadow of the tallest building of this suburb, Viitatorni - designed by architect Alvar Aalto, there is a lower building which used to house a small supermarket before most people started to go grocery shopping by car. There is a candle burning outside the large windows. Is that an invitation? I step across the snow-covered square and try the door handle.

I get a warm welcome from the smiling lady in black. The newest art gallery in town has opened its doors only some days ago, on Jan 4, 2012. Galleria Variantti is run by Kauko Sorjonen Foundation, and it was founded in celebration of the local patron of the arts / businessman's 70th birthday. The opening exhibition Ihmisiä ja mielenmaisemia (People and landscapes of the mind) presents paintings and small sculptures by Finnish artists from Mr Sorjonen's collection, mostly from late 19th and early 20th century.

The artists include e.g. Ville Vallgren, Alvar Cawén and Fredrik Ahlstedt, but my favourites are Wilho Sjöström and impressionistic Kylpijä, a bathing lady, and especially the small oil paintings that remind me of the still summer evenings: Järvenranta kuutamossa (Lakeside in moonlight) by Hjalmar Munsterhjelm and Elokuun ilta (August evening) by Ellen Favorin.

Until now I've thought that Epiphany is a real Bank Holiday but the shopping bags carried by people who are returning from Jyväskylä city centre reveal that at least some shops are open. As I descend from Harju ridge to Kilpisenkatu street, I realize my wallet is at home so there is no chance for a hot cuppa or anything else that requires a bit of cash.

Luckily, there are things that you can do for free. On Kilpisenkatu street, there is a window display by the Craft Museum of Finland:  Eija Koski's works made of natural materials. The gorgeous, simple wreaths could be displayed at any time of the year but now they seem to spell Xmas. However, the soft and sweet wreath covered in catkins (above) makes you think of Easter... Among other materials, Koski has covered her wreaths in birch bark, dried mushrooms and seedcases.

 

A collection of delicate himmelis, traditional Xmas decorations made of straw, decorate the second window. 

I wonder what the red wrinkled balls in part of the largest himmeli are? Probably dried rosehips.

A couple of steps down and across the street, I arrive at Kauppakatu street. Taidemuseo Holvi, Jyväskylä Art Museum, seems to be open, but what about the entrance fee? Wait a minute, it is Friday and free entrance! It's my lucky day. Downstairs, there is a pretty desolate large work called The World by Noora ja Kimmo Schroderus. Black mountains, steel roads, wrecked cars, people frozen as statues. A dead world to me.

Upstairs, the world seems brighter. I sit down for six minutes to enjoy the enchanting flow of bluish-lilac images that have taken over the wall of the gallery and feel relaxation take over my body. Artist Jaana Partanen displays her works in Mental Alchemy - Harry Potter Layer (don't fancy the name of the exhibition but suppose it hints at the magical element) which is quite captivating. At the next floor, Partanen's exciting 3-D imagery tells individual stories in each photograph that you need to pass very slowly to see the changing images. Quite fantastic, and I love the colours. Science meets the dreamworld.

The last work of art I pause to look at is outside Taidemuseo Holvi, on its window. The lady at the ticket counter reveals that this is created by the staff of the museum who happened to decorate the frame in the spirit of Xmas for the holidays. Next week, there may be something totally different!

Jyväskylä: Lights for the loved ones

This year there's hardly any snow on the ground at Jyväskylä, Central Finland on Xmas Eve. It means that the cemeteries won't look as amazing as last year when there was plenty of snow and the temperature was so cold that I wore my traditional felt boots - the warmest pair of boots I have - for the day's walk.

There are not too many other walkers about. After all, this is the time of the year when Finns are tucked safely at their homes and relax strictly with family, at least usually. When the clock strikes 12 noon on Xmas Eve, and Turku declares Xmas Peace, it means the start of an almost total holiday for 2 days. Today it is easier to greet the few strangers that also happen to be out walking at this hour. Hyvää joulua (Merry Xmas)!

After 4 kilometres, I reach my destination. Most people seem to have come to Lahjaharju cemetery before me. The cemetery is alight with hundreds, no, probably thousands of candles with which we remember those who have passed away.  It is always a touching site, the lights for the loved ones. There is a constant flow of people coming and going, the sound of lighting matches, candles being lowered on the ground. As of old, some men take their hats off.

For those whose loved ones are not buried at this cemetery, there is a granite memorial at which you can light your candle and stop for a moment. I light my own candles, one by one. This is a time to remember. 

I leave the Lahjaharju cemetery to continue my journey to another one right in the city centre. The usually busy Lohikoskentie road is almost quiet which means a much more pleasant walk. On the way I pass Taulumäki Church where a sermon, one of many at Xmas time, is being held. No stopping for me; my mission tonight is only for the cemeteries.

At the Old Cemetery, off Puistokatu street at city centre, there are many memorials. The one at the right side of the main entrance, close to the chapel, commemorates the ones left behind at Carelia in World War II. Many people with roots in the parts of Carelia that was lost to Russia in the war have lighted their candles here, remembering also their lost homes on the other side of the Eastern border.

A field of lights in the night greets me here as well. Besides the numerous graves at which candles burn, there is a similar memorial as at Lahjaharju cemetery, for those whose loved one is not buried right here.

The war graves are at the other end of the Old Cemetery, with a memorial in the middle. Today, the memorial is guarded by four soldiers in arms, in honour of the ones who gave their lives for Finland in WW2. At 6 p.m., there is a change of guards, and to my pleasant surprise the replacements do not seem to be carrying guns. Peace!

I leave the cemetery that is now even more peaceful. Outside its gates, at Jyväskylä city centre, far fewer people seem to be about so it looks almost deserted. Not quite though; Old Bricks pub has just opened its doors for those who need to warm up or would like to have some company, or maybe just be in a place where there are other people. The simple Xmas decoration, a big star shines bright above Kauppakatu street and its compass symbol. Let there be Peace on Earth.

Hanko: peace on the beach

A quiet December day at Hanko on the southern coast of Finland. Strolling down Appelgrenintie road, I need to slow down continuously, to have a closer look at the lovely wooden villas of which many date back to the second half of the 19th century. Villa Thalatta, Villa d'Angleterre, the hotel Villa Maija... They were all there when Hanko was at the peak of its popularity as a spa resort already in the turn of the 20th century, when the wealthy tourists were enjoying spa treatments, busy social life and the lovely beach of the small town. Luckily, most of the old villas are carefully restored, even if some of them are used only during the busy summer months. 

For me the charm of Hanko lies in the more quiet months. The Hanko Casino (1879) with its twin towers stares boldly at the sea, no matter the weather, but rests during the winter. Welcome back next summer... The building's name has nothing to do with gambling; it has only served the visitors as a restaurant and a ball room. The original Hanko Spa building was right next door, but it didn't survive the time when Soviet troops occupied the Hanko Peninsula during World War II and had to be torn down after Finland got Hanko back.

When I look at the sandy beach in front of the Hanko Casino, it's almost as if it wasn't December at all. At the same time, about a year ago, the beach was frozen solid and it was white everywhere, and I left my footprints on the snow.

You could almost think that the ancient cannon guarding the shore has done something to cheer up the day, like fired a friendly shot of light into the sky. On a day like this, I am thankful for any extra rays of sunlight.

I take the narrow path that starts from the eastern shore of Itälahti bay. The path is called Love's Path and it will lead me round the Puistovuori hill. Mind you, lovers; don't count on walking hand in hand all the way because it is at times a very narrow trail. Of course, that means that you can join hands again many times.

A loving couple, G&J, has passed this way, leaving a decorated slate behind them on the ground among the fallen pine needles. I step on the wet rocks and follow the trail to a ledge next to the sea, to see a pothole. Glad they've placed a rail around it, and that it's not below zero;  the rocks are only wet, not icy, so I feel quite safe walking here. A bit further, there are some remains from World War II: derelict bunkers facing the sea. I stop to admire the view to the horizon and breath the fresh air.

Love's Path winds its way forward, across the rocks and through the forest, with the sea on my right. A wooden bridge crosses a dry ravine and I spot a bit of writing on the handrail. Clearly written by teenagers... . Jag elskar Dig! (I luv You!)

Stone steps take me down from the windy Puistovuori hill. On my left, the steep moss-covered rock creates an illusion of a wall that continues forever.  The path turns into a lane and I spot tiny holiday homes on the trees. Alright, birdhouses, but there are so many of them in small area that it seems like this is a holiday village for the birds... In such a great location, close to the beach...

The weather is not a great delight today, if you are a friend of sunshine, but I still continue along the Långsanda beach towards the other end of Kolaviken Bay. It might rain, it might not; we'll see.

The pedestrian path on the shore may seem endless, but even so, you won't be bored. On the right you can spot small and large villas from Hanko's spa era, and on the left there is the sea which is never dull to watch. A huge cargo ship has just left Hanko harbour to cross the Baltic Sea, and the sky is ever-changing.

Finally, I reach my destination: Neljän Tuulen Tupa (The House of the Four Winds) which is true to its name. I bet it's almost always windy here. The café first opened in 1904, and in 1927-33 it was owned by Carl Gustaf Mannerheim who was then a Hanko resident. Not perhaps such a famous person then, but Mannerheim became Finland's 6th President in 1944-1946. In the summer time, there is a café, but of course it is closed off-season. There are still some remains of the summer: parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme are still very much alive although it is December!

I wonder if the round granite table rested on the rocks already when Mannerheim was running the café. A great choice however, because plastic chairs would not survive in these winds. It is as if the waves were splashing against the rocks more fiercely.. Time to turn back towards Hanko centre. 

I've hardly started my journey back when it starts. The hail storm, that is. Suddenly the scenery changes to white, and the hail beats against my face. Better tighen the hood.  The couple walking in front of me chooses to take shelter below some large trees but I tread on. It can't last too long.

It's as if someone had taken a large bag of pearl sugar and sprinkled it on the beach. On this stretch of land, you can stop to have a look at things large and very small...

The hail storm is over in a couple of minutes, and the wind begins to die as well. The sun comes up for a second and sheds some light on the waves. The Långsanda Beach is coated with hail sugar and looks almost surreal. I spend a moment looking at the Baltic Sea. It is very hard to imagine what this beach is like in the summer, filled with people, warmth, different sounds of life... At this moment the beach is all mine, and I can only hear what Nature wants me to hear.

When I return to Hanko centre, the light is already starting to fade, although it is only early afternoon. I take a peek at the yard of an old building. Even though there is no snow, you can tell there is Xmas in the air.

Walking on the Bulevardi street, I get some uninvited company from above. This time it is not hail but rain... Alright, perhaps it is time to step inside for a change. How about a cup of tea and some freshly baked bread in an old villa? Yes, please. My destination is clear: Alan's Café at Villa Orrman. And I'm not in a rush to leave...