Time flies by quickly in Finland but our team continues to achieve a lot. Today, we awoke to sunshine and blue skies, not to mention, a tour of the city of Helsinki. Yes, the city streets charmed me again today and I soon found myself having an improbable romance with architecture. I’m sure you have heard of Eliel Saarinen, Onni Tarjanne and Theodore Hoije before? No?! In Finland, they are famous for their ability to create incredible architectural design. I could write this entire entry about all I’ve learned about Finnish architecture but I’ll stop and get to the roots of our project today.
Following our culturally stimulating morning we journeyed to Suomenlinna: a UNESCO World Heritage site and an island of around 800 inhabitants that hosts nearly a quarter of a million visitors each summer. We spoke with permanent residents and picked up some of the history of the island along the way.
Suomenlinna is very similar to the Adirondacks. Though far smaller than the 6 million acres Adirondackers call home, it is similar in that summer is the busiest time of year and acts as fuel for the economy. Suomenlinna is a protected historic area but though it is protected, guests are welcome to visit and live just as they are in the Adirondacks. However, there is a critical difference between Suomenlinna and the Adirondacks because there is an emphasis on sustainable development. While working to preserve their historic surroundings, the citizens of the island do not wish to keep it frozen in time but advance their technology by living in a very sustainable fashion.
The rest of our day involved a trip to the ship yard where large wooden sail boats are traditionally made. It became apparent as we learned of how the ships are built that Finnish carry so much pride in all their country has to offer. The ships they were building were seaworthy, some sleeping up to 25 in their bunks, and they were built using wood from Finland. Builders didn’t buy lumber that would have to travel thousands of miles, requiring gallons of gasoline and taking away from local markets. Instead, they capitalized on the natural resources available to them and it resulted in a quality product. Even our lunch was a traditional meal of fish soup (the best soup I have ever had in my entire life and I’m quite the picky eater) but once again the Finns were supporting their local market, something that Americans really should try to do.
As an importing society it sounds strange to embrace the idea of independence but America has so much to offer. This week, I challenge you: try to support local food and businesses. Do you know how many miles your food travelled before reaching your plate today? Well, that’s enough food for thought, literally.
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