Let’s rewind a few weeks, shall we?
When I was doing preliminary research about things to do in Helsinki, it was hard to ignore the number of times Cafe Regatta crossed my radar.
Noted!
So on a chilly day, we dutifully bundled up against the biting wind (thankful for the sunshine), and headed off to get ourselves something warm for our tummies.
Cafe Regatta is a bit out of the way from the downtown core, but we loved it! When my brother and sister-in-law come to visit in a few weeks, this cafe has made it onto my Things to Do in Helsinki list.
Aren’t these “OPEN” shutters adorable?
In essence, this cafe is a little cabin perched on the water’s edge and it’s every bit as charming as it sounds.
I didn’t know it was open 365 days a year, but they make sure customers learn this fact early on!
It was so colourful and quaint. (The daffodils didn’t hurt.)
We were very thankful there was space to eat inside, but on a warmer day you’d have to wrestle me for an outdoor table. The views were lovely.
The eclectic mix of art and memorabilia inside was adorable. I’ve never seen a painting wrap around a corner. Also, the dog reminded me of Hannah; Engie, know I was thinking of you the whole time I was sipping my drink.
Not pictured, before I snapped this photo, there was a woman sitting in this corner enjoying her own goodies. When she got up to leave, she came over to our table and asked where we were from. When I said Canada, she said, But you don’t have any accent?! I’m not sure what she was anticipating, but I guess we sounded “normal” to her. (She was from Denver, Colorado.)
The kids, patiently waiting and very thankful to be out of the cold.
This hot chocolate was NOT cheap (the filter coffee is much more reasonably priced), but it was delicious. I got the mint hot chocolate. I don’t think I’ve ever had whipped cream on my hot chocolate; it felt like something straight out of a Hallmark movie. We just needed a skiff of snow!
There’s a fire pit outside and lots of wood; you can light a fire whenever you want (during their opening hours) and they sell things you can grill over the open flame.
Next up—literally within eyesight of Cafe Regatta—was a visit to the Sibelius Monument.
As composers go, Jean Sibelius is the most famous in Finland. He’s credited with helping to create a stronger national identity, crucial for resisting Russification. In terms of works, Finlandia is his best-known work. (If you’re familiar with hymns, this is the traditional tune used for Be Still My Soul.)
The monument is made up of over 600 hollow pipes.
My favourite picture from the day is courtesy of Belle’s photo roll! Look at that sun flare <3
I loved the texture on some of the pipes.
I had to chuckle when I saw this picture that Belle added to our shared photo album from the trip—see the 67??
Of far more interest to Indy was the nearby playground. This was an especially good one!
Our music lesson for the day…
I loved this circular swing structure… such an efficient use of space.
It’s a bird? Nope, it’s a plane!
We headed away from the park and Indy found a sculpture to climb all over.
Our next stop was the Tram Museum.
It was a relatively small, but we really enjoyed it. Also, the price tag (it’s always free!) was right up my alley.
There are six trams, including this one that was horse-drawn!
Three of the trams are open for exploration with some great signage (why yes, I DID read all the plaques) and interactive controls for the kids.
Belle got to practice how it feels to be in the driver’s seat.
Letting her brother sit on her lap won’t pass muster when she has her driver’s license.
He has a long time to go before he gets behind a wheel!
Fun fact: people who hop on the back of passing trams (buses or trains) without paying are called rabbits; so if you choose to take public transit this way, you’re “riding rabbit.”
Indy in the conductor’s seat ready to collect fares. I had some change in my purse, so we played with real money for a while. I guess that counts as his math for the day?
I thought the detailing on these original wooden seats was so pretty, and the shadowing on the floor was even nicer!
We had one more stop this particular day, but I’ll leave those details for another post…
Your turn:
- Have you ever seen a painting wrap around a corner?
- Have you ever ridden on a train/bus/tram without paying? (It’s okay, I won’t tell on you.)
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Helsinki feels so perfectly cosy on a cold day!
Cabin on the water, fire pit, whipped cream hot chocolate, it sounds and looks like the perfect place for a Disney (or Hallmark) winter movie backdrop.
The tram museum is exactly the kind of place kids either love or tolerate, and Indy clearly went full operational mode! And yes, I have ridden as a rabbit on Zurich trams! 😄
We actually have a tram museum in Zurich as well, which this reminded me of. It would be a really nice thing to do in the summer with my parents, they’d enjoy that kind of outing.