Restaurant Day walk in Jyväskylä

It's close to 10 am in Jyväskylä and the temperature is freezing -30°C. No idea if others are dying to go out for a walk unless they have to but for me there's no choice: have to leave the house as soon as possible to be among the first in the city center for the Restaurant Day. I've got one sure destination in my mind and don't want the last yummy cookie to disapper right in front of my nose.

I don't know how many pop-up restaurants are set up in Jyväskylä on this Saturday, Feb 4, that marks the 4th ever Restaurant Day in Finland. The Restaurant Day concept originates in Finland, and the idea is that anyone can set up a restaurant or a café for a day!

We take a brisk walk across the deserted-looking town to get desserted - at Poppeli, a wool shop at the back of which a round table will serve as a café table today.  Poppeli is located at the first pedestrian street in the history of Jyväskylä (more of a residential than shopping street, but with some shops), at Keskustie 18, between Gummeruksenkatu and Kilpisenkatu streets. The Restaurant Day café at Poppeli is run by Hooked On Sweets.

Normally, the choice of yarns, knitting needles, and crocheting hooks etc. are the main thing here but now there is heavy competition: the wonderful smells from the back of the room draw us to look at the baked goodies. The first café customers look very pleased...

There are different kinds of cheese cakes (e.g. blueberry), three kinds of banana bread, cookies, muffins, domino truffle balls. Wow!

This must be the best display of North American baking in Jyväskylä. The Canadian baker Dominique has done a fantastic job in baking all this. It's difficult to choose what to taste - you can't possible sample them all - but luckily we are three and can share a plateful. I'm especially happy to bite into a Santa's cookie (dried cranberries, dark and white chocolate, crushed almonds), among other delicious things. So glad there's also takeaway!

After visiting Poppeli, I try to find the locations of other Restaurant Day places in Jyväskylä by going online, but unfortunately that's exactly what others are trying to do as well, and I can't access the restaurant list due to the overload. I manage to get only one exact address, and besides that know that there should be pop-up restaurants on two streets not too far.

However, no matter where I look at Väinönkatu street, there are no signs guiding to a Restaurant Day restaurant. Next, I walk to the quiet Yrjönkatu street a bit further, but the result is the same. Apparently they don't have a need for advertising for casual passers-by? Also, silly of me not to write down the addresses before I left.

Finally, my luck turns at the corner of Yrjönkatu and Kyllikinkatu streets where Ravintola Sovinto (Restaurant Reconciliation) is set up for the day, and dares to advertise itself outside. Welcome! Who's the guy in the poster? Well, this pop-up restaurant is run by the local Green youth and students, in support of the presidential candidate Pekka Haavisto.

Inside, the atmosphere is peaceful, and the musicians are setting up their acoustic equipment. There's also a free concert for us customers. The restaurant menu is simple: two kinds of tortillas, fruit salad for dessert, tea, coffee, juice. Simple but good.

The restaurant tables are decorated by the presidential candidate's campaign material - after all, the election is only one day away on Sunday, Feb 5. I enjoy my tea and Seitan kebab tortilla, listening to the folk music singer.

I've already given up hope of how to find more Restaurant Day destinations by accident, and the temperature doesn't allow spending too many hours outside... When I see smoke coming up a chimney on Pitkäkatu street, my only thought is: wish I had stumbled also on a pop-up restaurant with an open fireplace!

P.S. Hooked on Sweets bakes for Poppeli once a week - visit Poppeli wool shop on a Friday to see what's available...

Evening of the Day of Light

A regular cold February day in Jyväskylä. I walk to Ruusupuisto park, home of the town's two Alvar Aalto-designed museums, in the hope of catching the last rays of sunshine. A newspaper story has mentioned that one of the museums has a lighting installation but of course it's still too light to see that; the terrace of Museum of Central Finland is... Well, just a terrace.

However, the sunlight is already fading fast and the blue moment is approaching. The walls of the Museum of Central Finland are already coming to light.

The lamps outside the museum are also waking from their snow-covered slumber.  At first their light is reddish but soon calms down to fit the mood of the museums and becomes white light. I'm beginning to feel the cold and decide to go indoors to warm up.

I enter the Alvar Aalto museum next door. The museum has free entrance on Fridays, but a notice on the wall announces that today is a special day: architect Alvar Aalto's birthday (born Feb 3, 1898) so the museum is offering all visitors a free cup of coffee and mint chocolate cake at Café Alvar downstairs. My lucky day! After warming up with this treat, I'm ready to step upstairs to see the exhibition.

There is a group with tour guide visiting the Aalto architecture section (which I've seen before anyway) so I'm quite happy to explore photographer Jouni Kaipia's exhibition Tiloja ja tilanteita (Spaces and situations) which naturally focuses on architecture, but not only that: also people, and in some cases, animals, play their important part in the lovely photos. There's no need to be an architecture enthusiast to enjoy this exhibition. Kaipia's photos make you feel good, and the hanging is far from boring!

You can use the exhibition space very cleverly if you think about it at the time of the hanging...

OK, time to step out into the -20°C something temperature. But what is this museum piece of a bus doing here? It must belong to the group of Scandinavians who are right now touring the Alvar Aalto museum. Oh, the good old days? This bus has character compared to its modern cousins.

However, I wonder what kind of heating there is... Hope the travellers aren't freezing. At least some of them seem to have prepared for the worst, or maybe they just like to go skiing every now and then - there are two pairs of cross country skis tied to the back of the bus. Apparently this is where the skis used to be transported!

The night has fallen and it is finally possible to see the lighting installation by Annukka Larsen, designed in the honour of Museum of Central Finland which is celebrating its 80 years of existence, and of course architect Alvar Aalto who designed the building. However, it is funny that the lighting installation is temporary and lasts only few days. I don't remember how it looks normally (don't often walk here in the evenings) but am sure these lights make a great difference to it. So, it is kind of sad that these lights will soon be turned off.

I climb back up the wooden steps to the terrace of the museum to look down at Alvar Aalto museum.

The lights and the evening atmosphere make this so different from what it was like a bit more than an hour ago. It pays to see the same place at different times of the day.

The lighting installation seems to include also the tall pine trees next to the museum building. I doubt if the side entrance to the museum with its wooden doors - not in regular use for the public these days - is normally lighted in the evenings.

I cross the Keskussairaalantie street to the University of Jyväskylä campus area. Although the weekend has begun, there are still some people about, but mostly indoors. 

This Aallonpuisto park area is appropriately named after the architect Alvar Aalto; the buildings around it were designed by him. The row of windows at the top of a building glows through the darkness, on the other side of the sports ground. That's a sports hall named U2, with no reference to the band; each of the university campus buildings happens to have a a short name and 'U' most probably refers to 'Urheilu' which means sports.

The student cafeteria Lozzi offers no meals at this time of the night but there is still something going on there. The wooden ceiling of Lozzi is really beautiful and you can best see it with the lights on.

The neighbour building Lyhty is mostly used for meetings. Lyhty stands for lantern so it is quite natural there should be lights on to show it at its best, to give the large windows a chance to shine.

February 3 is a Day of Light in Finland. Having done a lot of work for lighting installations, Jyväskylä has named itself a City of Light. However, I wonder how many people will dare to go for a guided walk to explore the lighting installations... The temperature is really freezing and I again feel like getting back inside. Time to head for home.

Thanks to the moon for keeping me company. Holding the camera, my frostbitten fingers are telling me that I have seen enough lights for this Day of Light...

Jyväskylä: A bit of Aalto and light

The Aalto Hall at Jyväskylä is busy on this Sunday morning. More and more people pass through the heavy doors of Worker's Club (Työväentalo), beneath the colourful canopy. I'm not the only one enjoying a walk today although the temperature is close to -20C.

 

The neoclassical Worker's Club (1925) was designed by architect Alvar Aalto in his early career. The building has served not just its original purpose but also as the city theatre. These days it hosts events from concerts to parties; on this very day it welcomes a politician who is running for president in Finland's presidential election 2012 - and there are only two left in the race.

Such events can be very enlightening but there are also interesting real lights in this building. As you enter, you can spot a very decorative lamp above, right next to the cloakroom. Alvar Aalto's lamps have certainly changed their style since the 1920's.

On both sides of the stairs there is a colourful pillar, disguised as a classical vase, repeating the blue, red and gold of the canopy above the entrance.

The foyer on the next floor is airy, thanks to the height, but otherwise it is pretty narrow. The area is lit by golden, leaf-decorated chandeliers besides the light that floods in through the tall windows.

The Aalto Hall is located here on the 2nd floor of the building. Its back wall is curved and on the side of the foyer and it is filled with ornamented squares in brown and cream - again quite decorative! The lantern reminds me of the lanters that you can see above the doors of Aira building (also by Alvar Aalto), some blocks from here on Tapionkatu street.

The Aalto Hall itself is lit by star-shaped lamps high up in the ceiling. Stars for stars; the star of the event is speaking as I enter.

Inside the Aalto Hall, the curved back wall holds many small, delicate lamps that are wearing shell-shaped hats.

Presidential candidate Pekka Haavisto gives a content smile as he leaves the building for the next destination, Kuopio. I move on to Kauppakatu pedestrian street and am thankful for it being heated, part of the way, but only because it means there are no slippery bits. Otherwise, it is no joy to walk on a snowless street when you are wearing felt boots because they don't have thick soles.You can really feel how hard the asphalt is under your feet!

At Kirkkopuisto (Church Park) there is a single electricity distribution cabinet that has been touched by an artist. However, I don't think the artist had a permission to paint the happy birds on it. So far there hasn't been an art project to improve the appearance of electricity distribution cabinets in Jyväskylä, but one can always hope... In Finland, it's been done successfully at least in Turku, Tampere and Helsinki.

The Defence Corps building (Suojeluskuntatalo or Valtiontalo), another early building (1928-29) designed by Alvar Aalto was neglected for decades but it is finally being restored and it is now covered by tarpaulins.

It is nice to see that the tarpaulins feature the building itself! A drawing of the front of the Defence Corps building is depicted on Kilpisenkatu street and a smaller picture of the building (probably from the days it was planned) can be seen on the side of Vapaudenkatu street.

Back at Kirkkopuisto park, the benches do not offer a comfortable resting place for walkers. That is, unless you love to sit on a thick layer of snow (which someone has attempted to do...). I would need a sheepskin beneath me to sit here comfortably.

Further on, at the university campus, Alvar Aalto's buildings have moved on to modern times. The red brick walls are simple, with fewer details than in architect Aalto's works created in the 1920's. I'm looking at angular shapes, simple door handles, a single window peeking from the corner of the top floor of the university main building.

The university campus is covered in snow and resembles a winter wonderland. Aallonpuisto park is on the southern side of the university main building and sunlight falls here in the afternoon, thus making that the best time of the day for a visit. The footpaths are kept in good condition no matter how much snow falls from the sky. There are quite a few walkers about; the gentleman walking behind me kindly brings me the mitten I've accidentally dropped while taking photos and for obvious reasons, I'm pretty thankful! You can endure only few minutes without gloves or mittens in this temperature...

I can't use my usual shortcut from the university campus via Moirislampi pond to Voionmaankatu street (there is construction work going on) but have to taken another route to Pitkäkatu street.

The old green two-storey building on Pitkäkatu street has grown quite a few icicles that are glittering in the afternoon sun. The advertising space is empty but you can use the frame to create a momentary work of art for yourself. Just pick a spot and look what's up there!

For walks in this kind of temperature (especially when it gets colder than -10 °C), I warmly recommend traditional felt boots (hand made); they are simply the best. With a pair of woollen socks and felt boots you can walk for hours and not feel cold.

Snowshoeing afternoon at Hailuoto

For a person living in Central Finland, a ferry trip from mainland Oulunsalo to Hailuoto island, close to Oulu, is quite exciting; the sea is frozen except for the narrowish passage that stays open, thanks to the regular traffic and strong ferries. I stretch my legs outside while waiting for the ferry trip to begin, under the shadow of the tall wind turbines. 

The open ferry carries quite a few cars and the journey across takes some 20-30 minutes. A glimpse of the sun is a welcome sight on this cloudy day when the amount of daylight is scarce anyway.

I breath the fresh air and walk round the deck. It is fascinating to watch not just the frozen landscape but also the round pieces of ice that are rocking in the water; they have been shaped by the waves produced by our ferry.

If you take a ferry to Hailuoto at 1.30 p.m. on a January afternoon, a snowshoeing trip cannot be a long one unless you are wearing a headlamp. We drive across Hailuoto island close to its western shore and take our snowshoes: time to go.

The marked trail begins by the side of Sumpuntie road. It is easy to spot the yellow signs that mark the way although the path itself cannot be seen through the snow. For a while I wonder how come my snowshoes seem to slip somehow until I realize that in places, I'm stepping on snow-covered duckboards that are not wide enough for my snowshoes!

The land is even and the route so well marked that it couldn't be easier. The person who walks first naturally has the heaviest job, clearing the trail for the people behind him, but even that isn't too hard.

There is enough snow on the ground to justify walking on snowshoes but there is no need for poles. We are not aiming to go far, only to the closest lean-to (laavu) because of the limited amount of daylight left for today. It's great to be out here!

The lean-to close to Hannuksenlampi pond is deserted when we arrive there. Clearly, no other visitors today because there are no traces in the snow. We are glad to find dry firewood by the side of the lean-to; all you need is to clear the fireplace and start the fire.

Our snowshoes take a break by the bench while we are warming up and enjoying our snacks.

And what can be better than cooking sausages over an open fire on a winter day... that gradually fades away and we sense darkness approaching. Oh yes, the sun has already set. I tie my snowshoes back on and march to where we started from, leaving the others to return after me. We're so close to the western shore of Hailuoto, but we've been walking in the forest. I really want to see a the seashore before it gets totally dark.

I arrive at Rantasumppu resort parking lot, pass the tiny holiday cottages and head towards the beach. The three changing cubicles stand on the dune; no swimmers about... Finally - the snow-covered beach facing the Bay of Bothnia. Darkness is already falling, and it is so blue all around me. The only sound I hear is the wind that brings fresh air from the sea.

I have never been here before but it is easy to find my way to Marjaniemi, the westernmost place on Hailuoto island. I got simple instructions before dashing off from the lean-to: when you've arrived at the beach, walk to your right, along the shore. Although it is pretty dark, I can still see where to go, thanks to the snow that magically illuminates the landscape. The lights from Marjaniemi and its lighthouse are guiding my way. However, it is best to stay on the safe side and not venture too far from the dunes because there is no way to tell where the ice might begin. For a while the snow gets so thin that I take my snowshoes off but soon it's time to put them back on again.

Step by step, Marjaniemi lighthouse gets nearer. On the seafront there is also another tall structure: a wind turbine, of course, working its way through the night. The first stars are appearing on the dark blue sky; time to say goodbye to the island and return to Oulu. What a great first visit to Hailuoto!