if it’s tuesday, this must be helsinki (part ii)

The Baltic Sea was like a sheet of glass, so it was smooth sailing all the way. Our cruise continued and so did our frenetic pace; we were grateful for days at sea, when we could sleep in a little, loll on a lounge by the pool, and just catch our breath. We continued north and the days got longer and longer, as we got closer to the infamous “white nights”; the sun was rising as early as 4:00am and wasn’t setting until after 11:00 pm. It was a natural wonder to behold but, boy, were our body clocks thrown off!

As we made our way through Europe, it was the markets and food stands that struck me the most. In every country, they were breathtaking to see: all manner of foodstuffs impeccably laid out and artfully displayed. Whether it was a fruit stand on the streets of Amsterdam, 

a chocolate shop in Berlin, 

or a fish stand in the food halls of Helsinki (ah…Helsinki!), 

shopkeepers clearly took a large measure of pride in the way their goods were presented. Frankly, I think they put many American grocers to shame.

In the middle of our journey, it was time to meet exotic and enigmatic Russia. We were spending two days in beautiful St. Petersburg, considered the cultural capital of the country, and we were so excited. Not only would we be spoiled by having a private tour guide, van and driver, but my very dear friend, Larry, would also be joining us on our adventure.

Lunch, however, was no longer up to me–we’d have to put ourselves in the hands of the expert. The first day, we spent the morning touring the city by car, stopping at historic points along the way. Before we visited the Hermitage, Winter Palace and magnificent museum, 

we stopped for lunch at a restaurant named, The Idiot. I had my reservations about this place because it was strictly vegetarian, but its eclectic, bohemian decor quickly won me over. Rumored to have been Dostoevsky’s hangout (hence the name), its below street locale is a charming collection of antique furnished grotto-like rooms. Of course, the free shots of vodka helped to win me over, too. But I was so excited to dig in to lunch, that I forgot to take pictures! Actually, the meal wasn’t that memorable: beet borscht was a bit sour and blini, which were more like crepes than the small pancakes I make myself, were lovely enough, but with just a soupçon of caviar and sour cream on the side. The real spectacle of the meal (which I did manage to capture) was the absinthe we ordered after the meal. There was an elaborate process of soaking and flaming a sugar cube, adding it to the spirits and then drinking the warmed liquor. Wow–let’s just say we floated through the Hermitage that afternoon.

On our second day in Russia, we headed out of town to Peterhof, the summer complex of Peter the Great. What a magnificent locale, with multiple palaces, gardens, and fountains on the shores of the Baltic Sea. 

As much as I enjoyed the beautiful landscape, I was looking forward to lunch–we were headed to a country spot in Pushkin that is said to be one of Putin’s favorites. Restaurant Podyorve, in a huge log cabin which was recently rebuilt due to an unfortunate fire, is filled with long tables to accommodate large parties and has bear skins lining its walls. 

I loved that they brought lots of dark bread and bowls of pickles and sour cream to the table as soon as we ordered. We each selected tried and true Russian favorites: beef borscht was more flavorful and full-bodied than the day before (though still not as good as my grandma’s), 

chicken Kiev had the appropriate amount of butter bursting from its center when it was cut open, 

beef stroganoff in a thick cream sauce over egg noodles was very rich, and there were stacks of big, thick potato pancakes. Of course, we washed it all down with lots of chilled vodka. I felt like a bear myself when we walked out of that place–ready for hibernation.

Overall, I was pretty blown away by our experience in Russia and would normally have wanted a few days to digest it all (literally and figuratively), but there was no rest for the weary. We were immediately on to Helsinki and, though I thought I could no longer be impressed, understated Finland blew me away. It is a small(ish) city with just the right balance of old and new, charming and innovative, and everyone there is so friendly! 

The main boulevard through town boasts a great variety of chic boutiques, Scandinavian design shops, and tasteful coffee shops and cafes that serve beautiful pastries. 

There is an amazing open marketplace, Kauppatori, along the banks of the harbor, which features produce stands, jewelry, clothing, Finnish goods, and cafes with picnic tables.

Fishing boats pull right up to the dock to sell their catch of the day.

Not far away, also along the waterfront, stands the Vanha Kappahalli, or Old Market Hall. When we discovered this gastronomic wonder, we were immediately wowed by the many food stands lining the halls inside with a vast selection of eatables: multiple fish stalls selling many kinds of smoked and cured salmon, herrings, shrimps, and roes–their offerings laid out like a fantastic smorgasbord for the eyes… 

…there were butchers selling sausages, duck and reindeer (very big in these parts), wine shops, produce grocers, candy vendors (Finnish licorice!), and pastry shops. 

Everything looked so mouthwateringly delicious, we didn’t know where to begin, so we sat down at a coffee stand to enjoy what turned out to be a perfect cappuccino to mull it over. 

For lunch, we decided to choose a selection of prepared open faced sandwiches, bought a couple of cold beers at the wine shop, and then stood at a high-top table in the center of the hall to chow down. What a lunch…what a town! After we ate, we stocked up on tins of smoked fish, licorice, and flavored salts to travel home with us, as a reminder of this phenomenal place.

The last city on our tour was Stockholm, a place I held high hopes for (having read the entire Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy). We wouldn’t be able to explore as much I wanted to there–too much time would be wasted just getting into town from the ship. We had to plan our strategy carefully: begin in the fashionable shopping district of Östermalm, cross the bridge to make our way through the old, windy streets of Gamla Stan (the original center of town), and then–if there was time–hike to the trendy area of Södermalm, known as Sofo. 

Lunch today would be at the oldest restaurant in the city, Den Gyldene Freden. Opened in 1722, this place has retained all the charm of its original tavern, while updating the space, as well as its traditional Swedish fare. The servers were friendly and helpful, explaining to us the offerings on the menu–we all opted for the two course lunch special. Before our meal was served, we were offered a lovely cup of cool and creamy asparagus soup, compliments of the chef– a refreshing and tasty beginning!

The starter was a selection of differently prepared herrings served with boiled potatoes and a selection of fresh breads and butter. It was interesting to compare the varieties, but still none of them stood up to the herring we had had in Copenhagen. 

The second course was a Swedish specialty called Kroppkakor, explained to us as a potato dumpling stuffed with seasoned, ground pork in a lingonberry butter sauce with cream on the side. While it was prettily presented, the dumplings were thick and heavy, and the butter and cream only added to the intense richness of this dish. Not one of us could finish their plate–this was a meal more suited to a cold winter’s night. Even still, it was a pleasant experience and, though our heavy lunch weighed us down a bit, we still managed to run to Sofo and troll through a few vintage shops before it was time to head back to the ship.

Back in Amsterdam and back on dry land for good, we had one more day to enjoy Europe before we boarded our flight home that evening. After disembarking our ship for the last time, we stowed our luggage at the Centraal Train Station and headed to the De Jordaan section of town, by the stylish Prinsengracht and Herengracht canals. After walking in and out of a number of trendy shops along the way collecting some last minute souvenirs, we settled for lunch at a small, unassuming cafe called, Letting. As we were anticipating the end of our journey, a comforting meal was in order–soup and sandwiches absolutely fit the bill. I began with a luscious cold pea soup with mint and the kids each enjoyed fresh tomato soup topped with pine nuts and pesto.

We all went with open face sandwiches–not quite smørrebrød, but delicious in their own way. Served on the cafe’s own freshly baked bread, there was a sandwich piled high with parma ham (prosciutto, really) drizzled with fresh basil pesto and another stacked high with slivers of Dutch cheese (gouda, maybe?) and fresh baby greens, topped with dollops of homemade plum jam. Paired with a glass of the local beer, we were very satisfied with our last lunch in Europe. Our previous food experience in Amsterdam notwithstanding, this simple fare was very tasty, and the perfect ending to a perfect trip.

And so, our odyssey came to an end. As we flew back to New York, we were still savoring all the sights, sounds and sensations we had experienced over the last two weeks. It was a fantastic vacation, one I’m sure we’ll remember fondly for years to come–especially those lunches….oh, those lunches!