First Impressions of Helsinki. 1960.
Fish market in Helsinki. Photo: Janis Kravis.
I sold my old car and made arrangements to go on my first trip to Finland.
I have arrived in Helsinki. May 15, 1960.
My hotel is very central close to the main railway station, designed by Eliel Saarinen, and the Parliament Building. In Helsinki there is an abundance of cafes where you can purchase open faced sandwiches and many delicious kinds of pastries. On the street you can buy sausages, just sausages without bread. They are wrapped in wax paper, with mustard if you wish. They are delicious and most people buy five or six at a time. They are very reasonably priced - 35 cents for four sausages. Everything seems really inexpensive. My hotel room is $ 5.50 plus 15 % service charge, coffee 80 cents. A meal in a cafeteria style restaurant is two dollars and in a bit fancier restaurant 3 dollars. the business day here is really short and everyone seems to quit around three or four in the afternoon.
In the evenings I walk around the city, observe people and admire the store windows, which are all full of beautiful and delicious goods. Fruit is displayed in beautiful glass and ceramic dishes or suspended from the air. Meat store windows are piled full of the most beautiful hams and roasts, ducks and chickens and a variety of smoked fish. The cafes are frequented mostly by a younger crowd and I have to admit that I have not seen a better looking group of young people. Everyone is well dressed, the girls in short, full skirts with bouffant hairdoos, the boys in suits and ties. Some cafes are quite elegant, in one there might be young fellow playing the violin and in another, one playing classical music on the piano. The centre of the city is quite small but the suburbs extend into the ever present natural landscape. Helsinki is situated on several rocky islands and the water, granite cliffs and pine trees create a memorable environment.
From my hotel room i had a good view of Mannerheimentie, a major street named after the famous Finnish general Mannerheim, as well as the Parliament Building. One day there was a major military parade and memorial. Groups of soldiers from various regiments were parading by; old cannons and army equipment, musical bands, veterans in their old uniforms. It was a very long, impressive procession that went on for hours. I was particularly moved by the veterans, some of whom were very old and frail. I observed one leading a vintage bicycle that had ropes for tires rather than rubber. The pride in their nation and their strong desire for freedom was evident in their faces and bearing of all the soldiers of all ages. I remember thinking that if there was a war and i had a choice, these were the soldiers that i would want to be with.
From a business point of view, I was surprised that to find that almost all of the export managers were young fellows who had their MBA's and who spoke English and several other languages. Most of them were my age and it was easy to communicate. Many of them went to school together so they had a very strong network.