Helsinki Architecture

We were in Helsinki a couple of weeks ago.  I'll start with some shots of the architecture and then get on to the rest of it.

The architecture was almost certainly my favorite thing about the city. (The proliferation of Marimekko and the sunny shores were pretty great, too.)  Sometimes it felt like I was in Russia (or how I imagine it to feel being in Russia or some other Eastern Bloc spot), sometimes it felt similar to Stockholm, and other times I caught a French-ish or Southern European vibe.  There was an art deco ("Jugend") current running strongly throughout, but also some nice modern spots.

I think my favorite part was the attention to details.  No opportunity for a decorative flourish was left without.  And, oh the reliefs!

I love the checkerboard details and those cute square balconies jutting off the turrets.  Oh, and those Elroy "antennae" on top of the turrets!  

Oh, and the beauty that follows is the Temppeliaukio Church (or more simply, the Church in the Rock).  Us dumb-dumbs walked all around the outside of the stone wall (shown in the first photo) before finding the entrance at street-level.  Our long entrance sort of added to the mystical feel of the place, I guess.

It is a beautiful and peaceful spot, indeed.