Tampere: A peek at Pispala

An absolutely gorgeous autumn sun shines on Pispala, Tampere and lures me towards the shore of lake Pyhäjärvi. I follow Isolähteenkatu street to the lakeside and pass a weird-looking handmade construction. A children's nature play ground under construction - Do not damage!, says the sign. All the "equipment" seems to be made of natural materials, with a huge spider's web woven of rags.

There is a light breeze blowing from lake Pyhäjärvi. I take a right turn because it will allow me to enjoy the joys of Pispala much longer - I'll probably need to return towards town the same way...

What I see above me on the footpath is no ordinary mess of branches but a work of art. I am glad this wooden "ball" is hanging high enough so no one can reach it without a ladder because it is made of kiehinen which are great when lighting up a fire!

Quite a few of the rowing boats have already been turned upside down for the winter but some are still ready for use. No wonder, the lake seems far from ready to freeze just yet. I'd love to go on the lake! But not without a boat of course, the water is already freezing cold.

I enjoy the afternoon light and take a look at my right, my left, my right, my left. On the left there is the lake, on the right the famous Pispala with its houses, gardens and history. Suddenly I meet a sign that says Kävelytestin kääntöpaikka, or Turning point for walking test. Glad this is no test but an ordinary walk so I can keep going.

A group of rowan trees brightens the side of the footpath. Suddenly I realize there is something odd in this particular tree; the color of the berries is not that of the typical rowan trees in Finland; this is more yellow. My observation is confirmed when I look at its neighbours which are a different colour, the "usual" one.

Autumn is a great time for house-spotting because after the leaves have fallen, you can see all the details of the buildings and gardens so much better. Like the nice downstairs windows that are hidden by the Victoria creeper from early summer to the autumn.

I turn to Uittotunnelinkatu (Timber rafting tunnel street) above which there is a wall made of natural rocks. Two dogs bark at me, to kill the time on this lazy afternoon when I enter the shadow-laden footpath.

The trees are gathered round a ditch-like opening at the end of which there is a tunnel - a timber rafting tunnel that connects lake Näsijärvi on the other side of Pispalanharju ridge to this side and lake Pyhäjärvi. I get even more surprised when I look down towards lake Pyhäjärvi and see a set of rails that lead towards the lake.

I wonder what kind of system has been at the receiving end of the log rafting tunnel, moving the logs that swam through to the open-air vehicle on the rails? The remains of the vehicle are still there.

Next I simply have to visit lake Pyhäjärvi shore just to see where the rails end. In the lake, of course, and the person who owns the white rowing boat - already turned upside down for the winter - is confident that no logs will pass this way anymore.

 

I follow the footpath by the shore back towards Tahmela. When I have reached the place where I first entered the lakeshore I spot a white ceramic bird nesting on a granite pillar. It is only then that I notice what house the bird is guarding: Kurpitsatalo, or Pumpkin House. The yellow wooden house seems quiet but the notice board outside its entrance reveals that there have been loads of activities here lately, and not just at the children's nature playground next door. 

Kurpitsaliike (Pumpkin Movement) has its headquarters in Kurpitsatalo. The movement defends local Pispala heritage and supports allotments for growing your own vegetables. There are still a couple of the season's last plants and herbs that haven't yet given in to winter.

I keep on walking, via Tahmela beach towards the streets from which I can choose which way to take to the top of Pispalanharju ridge. There are so many houses, ranging from the small and large old ones to modern ones that have been built between the original houses. It is hard to imagine what it must have looked like in here all those decades ago, before huge windows became fashionable.

When I've almost reached Hirvikatu street, I notice a pair of white, happy looking circus horses dancing on the porch. It would be nice to get a closer look!

I walk around the house to find out that Hirvitalo (Moose House) is a real art house, a centre of contemporary art. I boldly step inside the porch to try the door but almost immediately hear that there is no entrance before the next exhibition opens.

In the garden of Hirvitalo there are quite a few letters, made of fabric, hanging from the branches of the apple tree. I wonder if there are messages inside? If so, who are they for? Can or will someone open them sometime? When I spot a traffic sign on the grass - lying down - that states you are not allowed to walk here I begin to wonder...

The Center of Contemporary Art of Pispala showcases quite a few works of art in the garden, ranging from a number of letters (that can be moved about to form words) attached on a garden shed wall - I read "PALJON SYKSYÄ", or much autumn as the translation would be, to different artworks beneath the apple tree. The wooden boat is beautifully carved but it doesn't look like extremely seaworthy. Or even lakeworthy.

I really need to start walking uphill. Should I choose a steep street or the steps? At the last minute, I take a couple of steps aside and almost fall for a different route, along the nice looking Varronkatu...

However, at this point there is no way I could ignore the famous Steps of Pispala. They are a must! And there is a significantly larger number of steps than there is for example at Harju steps in Jyväskylä, but then again, I am not in a hurry.

Step by step I climb higher and lake Pyhäjärvi seems to be even further away, so low. You really get a sense of moving up here!

...Until there are only few more steps left and I'm finally on top of Pispalanharju ridge!

I feel very content now that I've walked up here until I discover the steps continue even further. However, it is not such a bad revelation because they start heading down from the top of the ridge. Another, private set of Steps of Pispala (Pispalan portaat) seems to have been installed by the side of the real thing, but unlike the ones I'm treading towards, the private steps are fiercely guarded. 

On my way down I stop to gaze at the view towards lake Näsijärvi and Särkänniemi with its tall observation tower, Näsinneula. They seem to be so low...

I keep my fingers crossed. There is a museum for a local writer / poet Lauri Viita who lived in the area. However, I am not in luck; the museum is open only in summertime.

It means that I will stick to my role as an external observer. I simply have to go and check out the weird-looking red structure that you can see for miles: The Shot Tower (Haulitorni) which was not used by snipers for shooting people but instead for making shot balls of lead!

I suppose I need to turn and start heading for the centre of Tampere from Pispala - the light will fade soon. There are still a couple of local landmarks left. The local grill Vaakon nakki is more than 50 years old and keeps going strong but I am here too early to get to sample hot sausages (or anything else, for that matter!) in the cosy open-air tables. Covered with frost, of course...

Pauppa (not "kauppa" which means a shop in Finnish) houses the artistic Pau house (no idea when it keeps its doors open) which apparently sells some artful artefacts. I sense a positive vibe towards Pispala here! 

The restaurant Pispalan Pulteri has been here for decades, since 1968. And guess what - the name of the restaurant is derived from Johnny Hart's comic strip B.C. which has been translated as 'Pulteri' in Finnish.  Suddenly I think about my childhood and reading the comic strip in the Apu magazine at my Granny's.

Finally I see the mustard walls of Rajaportin sauna, the most famous sauna of Pispala. This will be a great finish for my walk. Just imagine a walk at Pispala - a touch of nature, a bit of architecture in the form of houses from different periods, art, literary history, a chance to pop in for a snack/meal or a drink, and a relaxing end for it at a proper sauna... However, better check when the sauna is open because I am out of luck and find only a closed door in front of me today. Need to return another time to experience the Rajaportti sauna, aged +100 years!

Tampere: A doughnut at Pyynikki

The early evening at Tampere feels noisy when I cross the Tammerkoski bridge and continue further along Hämeenkatu street. I don't feel like traipsing among the buses so I take a left and move on to Hallituskatu, one block off the busiest area.

At the end of Hallituskatu I reach Marianpuisto park and the silent maiden standing on a pedestal: Atlas-tyttö (Atlas Girl), by sculptress Essi Renvall, 1954, honouring the young women who worked for the flourishing textile industry in the city. The Girl with the Golden Shoes. Where should I go next? Pyynikki sounds good. 

I leave the city streets and step on a needle-covered footpath that meanders in the large forest at Pyynikki ridge. All around me, it gets more and more quiet, and I only hear a distant car passing somewhere behind the trees. It is easy to concentrate on the tranquil surroundings. The only disturbance comes from above: I put my trust on the weather forecast of the morning and have no raincoat or umbrella with me...

The footpath takes me past a couple of long, steep staircases that surely offer great excercise if you love just walking or running up and down. After all, Pyynikki ridge is supposedly the world's highest gravel ridge, rising about 160 meters above sea level.

Slowly but surely, the path rises higher. I meet a simple stone memorial on which there is text that is not too easy to read but I finally manage to decipher what it is for. This is where the sea level used to be at some point - and from where I'm standing now it is quite a drop to the lake down below!

More and more raindrops land on my face so I abandon my original plan to walk a bit further and decide to walk up, to head back to town pretty soon. The solitary sign says something about the area having been taken care of to revive vegetation on the ridge. No idea what measures have been especially advantegous for the plants.

The next wooden steps I meet lead me to the top of the ridge, straight to Pyynikki Tower. The granite structure is not just an observation tower but also houses a pleasant surprise: a café that is open every day of the year, as the sign outside kindly promises.

The friendly café is located downstairs so you don't need to pay a fee to enter; however, to go up the stairs or to take a lift to the observation deck there is a small fee. The place is open until 8 pm - great!

Pyynikki Observation Tower Café is well known for its fantastic doughnuts so naturally, I have to sample one, with a glass of lovely organic apple juice. Delicious! The glass is decorated with a picture of the observation tower; a nice touch!

The walls of the café are decorated with an art exhibition that suits the tower very well: pictures of owls.

I pay a ticket to go upstairs. You can't visit an observation tower without enjoying the view, no matter the weather, can you? I admid that a rainy evening may not be the best time to go sightseeing but actually, the views are pretty nice also in this weather. The scenery over Pyynikki ridge and its forests towards Pispala and the lake beyond is simply stunning.

I walk slowly round the observation deck. Lake Pyhäjärvi, lake Näsijärvi, the famous landmark Näsinneula Tower at Särkänniemi, the city centre. The weather's not so bad, after all.

The visitors before me have already left the tower and closed the wooden door to the staircase. Before I reach the handle to go down, I notice a small piece of paper nailed on the door (free translation...)
The very second
she closes the door after her again
begins the nostalgia
longing for the seconds
that have just passed

Thanks for the poem, dear Anonymous. I play these words in my mind, over and over again, when I walk back to Tampere city centre from Pyynikki ridge.

Tampere: A brief spring stroll

By chance, I happen to stroll behind the Tampere Cathedral where there are quite a few lovely houses that can take you back to earlier times. Some street names in the area are related to the town's industrial history, especially to that of textiles.When I last walked here it was winter time and I didn't notice these pretty wooden gates that cleverly hide the garbage cans.

The residents of the yellow house at Sukkavartaankatu 7 seem to pay attention to details. The square holes in the stone foundation are not covered by boring grey covers but they happily announce the number of the house, making each of them a work of art.

The next stylish wooden building on the same street, Pirkonhovi, seems to be in Jugend style. Something in it makes me think about a church but this is not a church. Through the upstairs windows I can discern some hand looms. Even if the textile industry is now history in this area, there are still skilled hands at work, perhaps weaving rugs or something more complicated...

The area where I am walking is called Juhannuskylä (Midsummer Village) and if you take a stroll at slow pace, there are lots of details to look at. On the next street, I stop at the white house to examine the blue-grey ornaments by the doorway and then stretch out my hand to feel the white wall. I was so sure the facade was made of wood but it isn't; it is made of white painted steel. How strange!

Further down, walking towards Satakunnankatu, I pass the Tampere Cathedral, a great example of Finnish national romantic architecture (Lars Sonck, 1902-07), made of grey granite.

I cross the Tammerkoski rapids to Finlayson area but decide to start heading back to where I came from. After crossing the Satakunnankatu street I discover a relief on the wall, squeezed between the yellows stickers of the laundry on the corner. The building, Tekstiilitalo (Textile House) was built here in 1958, replacing the old wooden building where one of Finland's former presidents, Juho Kusti Paasikivi spent his childhood years in 1870-75.

At the Frenckell Square it is already spring, with the few trees by the side of the square in full bloom. The pink colour of the flowers matches the red brick architecture of the area - the former Finlayson cotton mill as well as the Frenckell building which originally housed a paper mill, right here in the city centre.

Behind the Frenckell building, there is a pedestrian bridge that will take me back across Tammerkoski rapids. This is no ordinary bridge but it serves also as a place for Love Locks (Lemmenlukko). I am convinced that the number of love locks left here has grown astronomically since I first saw them!