tampere

is a beautiful city, whither I went saturday and whence I returned sunday.

to get there I took an InterCity train from Lappeenranta (through birch forests and misty lakes) to Lahti, a commuter train (which has a plush purple interior and on which the announcements are only in Finnish and Swedish, as opposed to the Finnish, Swedish, and English of InterCity trains) from Lahti to Riihimäki. thence I was supposed to take an InterCity train from Riihimäki to Tampere but as I was on said Riihimäki-bound train, watching the landscape (many small (and sometimes abandoned) red farmhouses with white trims in the middle of silver woods and orange fields), I thought I need some extra adventure and as we pulled into the Riihimäki station I remembered my talent for getting lost.

I hurried up and, after wandering the platforms for a few minutes (as a warm up), hopped on a Helsinki-bound train, rather than my designated Tampere-bound one. since the two left the station at the same time, it would have looked like an honest mistake by a confused foreigner to any observant stranger present.

this Helsinkiin train was a commuter train, which I hadn't anticipated, but the lack of English announcements made my adventure all the more wonderful. C:

I showed the conductor my ticket and asked Finnishly if I was on the wrong train, recieved an affirmative answer and a (very friendly and helpful!) shove off the train at the next stop (Hyvinkää) just as the doors were closing. I took the next train back to Riihimäki and easily found another to Tampere. hopefully some of you can relate when I say this: there is nothing more satisfying than getting lost in silence and finding your way back asking (fairly unnecessary, as the train system is very logical) help of everybody you meet just for the fun of asking for help in Finnish. it probably the most relaxing and refreshing getting lost experiences of my career.

at any rate, I arrived in Tampere an hour after I had originally planned. but Nacho (the Argentinian exchange student who had invited me to Tampere for the weekend) was a gentleman and met me there when I arrived. we set off right away and wandered the city aimlessly at a breakneck speed. it's the biggest Finnish city I've yet visited, with gorgeous old buildings and wide cobbled streets and squares.

the marketplace by the river. there was a puukko stall.

 

an example of what seems like typical Tamperelainen architecture.

 

a city of captivating facades.

 

speaking of which, this is the front door of the library, a Howl's Moving Castle-esque creature that I think pays homage to Tampere's history as an industrial city. unfortunately, it wasn't open while I was there, but Nacho and I ate our improvised sandwiches under its awning with our backs to the rain and on I spent nearly all of sunday in its basement with Nacho's host sister Sini (who spent an exchange year in New Zealand which granted her a lovely accent and the nickname of Kiwi) at the Muumi museum there, looking at original (Goreyesque and wonderful) Muumi sketches and original (no-particularly-Goreyesque, but also wonderful) models of the inhabitants of Muumilaakso. they were giving away free posters...

 

 

...one of which now graces my bedroom door. c:

 

 

on the trainrides back, the landscapes had changed--haybales that had been lying in the fields before were now wrapped and piled, and trees that had been green only the day before now bloomed fantastic golden yellow. autumn in finland is a quiet explosion of gold and green and silver, like a slow, misty smile.

 

a very happy october to you all!