We decided to do a ladies’ weekend getaway in Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Our group was diverse, with the youngest member being in her early thirties and the oldest only a tad short of 80. We reserved accommodation from Töölö Towers and flew with Finnair. That is, as far as I am concerned, the best way to get to Finland if you want to fly. Whoever can say whatever to that, but for us, it worked perfectly. Even the wheelchair service, which we (mind you!) did not realize we could have reserved beforehand, worked like a dream. So, everyone was friendly and helpful; the signature blueberry juice was as tasty as ever, and we arrived at our destination without any traumatic experiences.

Dinner at Green Hippo

And what did we do in Helsinki? For starters, we ate well in Green Hippo and slept well in our 4-room apartment. I must mention that Helsinki was never one of my favorite destinations, but this time, it pleasantly surprised me. We visited Oodi, Helsinki Central Library, and I was completely blown away. I have never seen a library like that before. I mean, have you ever seen a library that has a Kino, a restaurant, a cafe, a roof terrace, a workspace for sewing or 3-D printing, a music studio, and instruments that you can borrow? And this is just a few details to mention. It also has endless space for reading, working with computers, or for kids to play; it even has a space for teenagers where they can hang out.

Staircase at Oodi

Oh, and did I mention BOOKS?! Yes, it also had books that one could borrow. Amazing. The beauty of this all touched my Bookaholic’s heart. I did not borrow any, but I spent a moment of zen on the roof terrace with a cup of coffee in a paper cup and enjoyed the sun. What an amazing library and/or city parlor they have built for the people of Helsinki! If you visit the city, you do not want to miss that place. Mark my words on that!

My zen moment at Oodi

We also visited MERKKI, a media museum, because we had heard that they were hosting a special 80-year Pippi Longstocking exhibition. The expectations were high, but unfortunately, that exhibition turned out to be a bit boring. It was more like a playroom for kids. Well, Pippi Longstocking is a story for kids, but anyway. Luckily, we discovered their printing cellar, which was incredibly interesting. It introduces the technologies of traditional letterpress printing. The old typesetting machines were fascinating. If I did not completely misunderstand everything, Helsingin Sanomat has been printed in this building before. I always loved the smell of printing ink, and in this place, you could still almost smell it! Bookaholic’s heart was touched, again.

Entrance to Pippi Longstocking exhibition

Have you already read Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren? I’m sure you can find that at your local library. Read it and let me know what you think!