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Posted: 6/6/2015 5:13:39 AM EDT
I have been here in Helsinki Finland for the last week for business related tasks, and i just had my stay extended for another week.

Need some tips on where to shop (need some items to make the wife feel like she visited also) and anything I need to see while here.

I'm also playing with the idea if picking up a reindeer hide, so tips ther would be appreciated (where to buy, fair price ect).

Thanks for any input
Link Posted: 6/6/2015 5:54:47 AM EDT
[#1]
I live in Helsinki. So shoot me some questions and I'll try and answer. I do not know where to buy the reindeer hides for cheap though.
Link Posted: 6/6/2015 1:19:04 PM EDT
[#2]
Ans some ideas to buy for the wife:

- Kalevala jewelry is a really typical Finnish thing if your wife is into trinkets.
- Marimekko clothes and other stuff is either very appreciated or then pretty much hated. Sort of a hit or a miss in that sense I presume.
- A bit on the expensive side, but if your wife is into shoes, Minna Parikka's collection is somewhat appreciated by the womenfolk I've been told (just checked on the web and they're hideous IMO)
- Stockmann's has some Hackmann/ Fiskars/ Iittala kitchen stuff that might be appreciated
- Artek has some very typical, but expensive Finnish interior design stuff and furniture, but that might be a tad difficult to get abroad.



Link Posted: 6/7/2015 3:07:09 AM EDT
[#3]
Trinkets are good, touristy type things are good, traditional things are good.

For example, i stopped through Holland, so i had to get a pair of wooden clogs for her

My hotel is actually in espoo, but i find my self in the middle of down town helsinki often (i have a car with gps ect).
When i have the time i usually just drive until im bored and have the gps bring me back.

I see alot of nice german cars, how ever i have seen a few american cars that caught my eye.

In order; 90's V8 chevy camaro, 1970's Chevy Corvette (my favorite so far being a vette owner ), and yesterday driving in espoo a 60's fast back mustang.
All appeared to be in perfect or near perfect condition.

So far ill note how very well kept everything is, i have not seen one piece of trash anywhere except for a garbage can.

My hotel room while very small is well designed and appears to of been designed/decorated by ikea

The scenery is beautiful, trees everywhere, sea, docks, and boats everywhere
The office is on the water front, and i see several taking their boats into work (my dream lol).
Link Posted: 6/7/2015 3:16:49 AM EDT
[#4]
I'll also say this; most of the traditional things i found doing an internet search we associate with Christmas.

Everything has a "north pole" feel growing up in the U.S.
Link Posted: 6/7/2015 5:15:46 AM EDT
[#5]
Something to do:

- You can always find members of the (mostly  anglosphere) expat community enjoying a couple of beers and decent burgers in an Aussie bar called the Woolshed (located right next to the central railway station).  Drinking and driving is not considered cool, so leave your car at the hotel.
- Take a tourist boat cruise around Helsinki. On a nice day the scenery is pretty awesome.
- Fort Suomenlinna is a quite interesting piece of history (actual fortress island. You'll get there with the public ferry). You can even visit a ww2 Finnish submarine there!
- There's a tank museum in Hämeenlinna (roughly 100 km north from Helsinki) if you are into that kind of stuff. Mostly ww2 era german and Soviet tanks.
- I would take you shooting, but our shooting club's range is located on a military installation so that's kind of a no-no :-(. Public ranges simply do not exist in the metropolitan Helsinki area.
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