THE HELSINKI FOOD MARKET
Our first full day in Helsinki we did two things that were great fun. We went to the food market by the harbor for lunch and we visited the Design Museum.
But first of all we made breakfast for ourselves for the first time in a month after shopping at a local grocery store. Todd made some delicious fluffy omelets with chopped red peppers. Indian omelets are fried hard in the pan. With our omelet we had warmed nutty bread and Finnish cheese and coffee that we brewed ourselves and it was delicious. We were back to eating as we would at home, and although Indian food was terrific with even continental fish and chips or spaghetti being spiced with chili, it was good to be back to normal. We followed that up at night with boiled potatoes and a fresh salad with a delicious homemade dressing. This is a reminder that part of what makes travel so stimulating is getting away from your normal food and ways of doing things. It is also the thing that makes travel sometimes uncomfortable. You begin to long for what you are used to.
The food market is in a beautiful red brick building by the harbor. In the summer there is a much bigger food market in tents also by the harbor but today it was windy and cold with only a few outdoor tents. The indoor food market was warm and cozy.
I had a huge bowl of salmon soup with large chunks of pink salmon and boiled potatoes. It was offered in every one of the food booths and seems to be a national food. It was delicious. But part of the fun of the food market was seeing the variety of offerings.
There was tinned bear meat, tinned moose meat, tinned reindeer meat as well as dried versions. The place was bustling with people, both local and foreign.
BILLYBABA’S WANDERING 