Helsinki Day

The day began at the City Hall. The mayor of Helsinki, Jussi Pajunen was there to open the Helsinki Day. Free coffee and rhubarb pie was on offer. However, I got a corner piece and there were just few flakes of rhubarb. The beggar lady of Aleksanterinkatu, the one who with an outstretched arm says ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’ was there too. She was wearing dirty clothes but at least the cafeteria people gave her several pieces of pie.

They gave out free books at the City Hall. I took the following books

Helsinki – Fille de la Baltique, Matti Klinge and Laura Kolbe.
Helsinki – Tochter der Ostsee.
Helsinki – Daughter of the Baltic.
Urban Guide Helsinki, Helsinki City Planning Department.
Finland – A Cultural Guide, Pirkko-Liisa Louhenjoki-Schulman and Kaius Hedenström.

I have the Klinge/Kolbe book already in Finnish but it’s good to have it in other languages as well.

I returned to the City Hall in the afternoon to listen to lectures and talks. While I was eating a homemade sandwich a little boy came near me and asked (in Finnish), looking very solemn, what am I eating. Bread, I said to the mite. When he heard my reply he started to smile mischievously, ran to his father who was nearby and said to him ‘he’s eating bread’. Spies are so young today.

Then I went to the Central Rescue Station. It was a bit difficult to take pictures because of the cramped space. However, it was bloody exciting to see fire engines!

Finally, there was the samba parade. For a moment there was a threat of rain but in the end there was sunshine which was nice because the performers had put a lot of time and effort on the show. I watched the whole show which lasted about an hour.