Finland’s flag may be blue and white, but during one week in summer, Helsinki proudly displays a more colorful spectrum for Pride, Helsinki. The biggest GLBT event in Finland and one of Helsinki’s biggest week long affairs, it has become an increasingly popular party in northern Europe. In the past, Helsinki Pride has held exciting activities alongside the colorful parade and demonstrations, enlisting a multitude of supporters for free expression…

Art is a reflection of the world around us, how we live in different environments and interact with many kinds of people. If you live in a busy city, perhaps you know how what I’m talking about. It’s hard enough to stop and smell the roses, let alone stop and speculate how our surroundings often figure prominently in the creative process. This year the 12th annual Helsinki Photography Biennial aims…

Caution: the out of the box creativity infused in Finland’s design aesthetic may lead to an inferiority complex. Side effects could include gasping in awe followed by sudden, uncontrollable curiosity. Lucky for you, Finland’s renowned design superstar, Alvar Aalto, was used to designing with medical criteria in mind. After his success with the Paimio Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Alvar became a significant figure in Finland’s vast history of venerable creators. His legacy…

Sky Ounasvaara Stepping into Sky Ounasvaara, it was crystal clear that the International Style had an impact on Finland.  Even a Lapland hotel set deep within the woods, high on a hill overlooking Rovaniemi, Lapland’s capital, had bought into the architectural movement which epitomizes Modernism in a big way. It was no surprise to me since Finland’s Number #1 design son, Alvar Aalto, had been a leading figure in this…

Restauant Saaristo As we boarded the launch to Klippan Island, the imposing white gabled building with a tall red spire and red shingled roof looked oddly like something from Cape Cod.  Yet we were cruising out of Helsinki harbor.  A soft rain was falling and our boatman wasn’t exactly happy. We’d spent an idyllic few hours this sunny Sunday touring Helsinki’s awesome fortress island of Suomenlinna, a World Heritage site,…

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen ... actually, you probably don't, but the Sami people do, since their livelihood is reindeer herding. The Sami are the Arctic indigenes of Lapland in northern Finland. You can be immersed in the culture of these fascinating people with a tour from Borton Overseas called "Exploring Sami Culture in Northern Finland." It's an 8 day tour of Northern Lapland with a…

Granted, the terms love and anarchy don’t usually go together. In fact, we tend to think of them as polar opposites (unless you love anarchy, in which case, sorry for the assumption). But when there’s a festival that screens such a wide variety of films as the Helsinki International Film Festival does, those polarized terms actually best cover the festival’s vast spectrum of themes. For twenty-five years, the Helsinki International…

Restaurant Spis From restaurateurs Antero Aurivuo, Jaakko Kinnunen and Jani Kinanen and the Swedish word for ‘fireplace’ comes Spis, a grand Helsinki bow to its Nordic roots. Blending design, music, and fashion with traditional cuisine, Spis invites more than just foodies to its tables. The tiny 18-seat café, which officially opened January 23, is appropriately nestled in Design District Helsinki, among boutiques, galleries and showrooms whose au courant aesthetics influence…