A few days in Helsinki: escapade to Porvoo

April 18, 2014. Waking up in Helsinki. The atmosphere in Helsinki is calm and serene, the air is pure. In Helsinki, it feels like all stress is cleansed by the Baltic winds.

Great breakfast at the Hotel Haven. And then we are on our way to the Kampi bus station. Today we have decided to go visit the old town of Porvoo, about 50 km away from Helsinki.

There are 2 buses to go to Porvoo. A fast one which rides on the highway. And a slow one, which takes the small roads and makes many stops. Of course we choose the latter. We will take the long way to Porvoo. The Kampi bus station is huge. There are tens and tens of buses departing for many different destinations, including a line going all the way to Saint-Petersburg.

Today is very quiet, as it is a holiday in Finland. Our bus makes his way through Helsinki, passing by the Olympic stadium, and then exiting the city. Along the way, it makes numerous stops indeed, mostly to drop passengers: families visiting friends or relatives, students with their backpacks, old Finnish people who probably prefer the bus over driving their own cars.

In front of us, wide-open landscapes with a very low density of inhabitants. Cozy wooden houses spread far from one another, surrounded by pine trees and birch trees. Nature is everywhere. The road is straight and impeccable. This is Finland, undoubtedly. We wish we could encounter an elk or a reindeer. For Santa Claus, there is no chance: we are not up North enough, and it is not wintertime!

After about an hour and a half, we reach Porvoo, the final destination of our bus ride. Everyone gets off the bus. The town seems deserted. Not a single tourist in sight, which is actually fine with us! We spot the signs pointing to the old quarter, and off we go.

The old quarter of Porvoo is made of narrow, cobblestone streets bordered with charming, wooden houses painted in bright colors: pink, green, red….it is so beautiful, peaceful, and harmonious. On every house, whatever the color, all windows frames are white. It is a subtle, elegant touch.

Of course, the houses are all equipped with double windows and double doors. Winter is harsh in Finland, as you know. In their windows, Finnish people like to set up nice little displays of various ornaments: animal collections, cactus plants, lighthouses, little dolls, small decorated cans and jars, … whatever the owners like. It can also be an ephemeral decoration to go with a special celebration like Easter or Christmas…So nice and hearty.

You can tell that the town was prosperous in the old times. Until the 18^th century, Porvoo was the second most important commerce center in Finland, after Turku. A large Swedish community settled here back then.

We reach the top of the old town where the ancient cathedral is standing still. In spite of its humble size, it confidently asserts its place overlooking the town and the river. This cathedral is famous in Finland because it houses a statue of King Alexander the 1^st. in 1809, Finland became Russian after having been Swedish, and the Tsar called up a meeting of the Diet in this very cathedral, during which he granted a broad autonomy to Finland.

As we are strolling around the cathedral, an Easter service is under way inside. The sun rays enlighten the courtyard, which is really peaceful.

Parked just outside the cathedral’s fence, a very old Peugeot 203 completes the scene.

From this high point above the town, we walk down the old narrow streets, and before long we reach a nice little place at the end of Mellangatan Street.

We sit down at Café Fanny for lunch. Excellent sandwiches (look up the photos on our Instagram account!), friendly service, and we enjoy a very pleasant moment, sitting outside in the sun and contemplating the place. Just around the corner, we find these very old wooden houses with red and reddish-brown facades. It is all so irregular, crooked and bent, that you wonder how the doors and windows can still open or close.

Continuing our walk down, we reach the very famous red houses bordering the river. We cross the bridge over the river to find a better view point. Standing on the other bank, we are struck by what is just a truly beautiful sightseeing: the line-up of the small, humble red houses, lying right by the river, with the cathedral in the background. As always in Porvoo, the old houses are renovated with tact and respect for tradition.

The old town of Porvoo has remained connected to its heritage with authenticity and humility. The town irradiates a peace and sweetness of living which we have found delightful. Porvoo is simply charming.