The rain arrived sometime before I woke, a soft, persistent drumming against the window of the hotel room. Not a storm, nothing dramatic, just a grey weight pressing down on the city, the kind of day that makes you want to burrow deeper into the duvet. But I was awake, and the city was waiting, and I'd promised myself I'd spend this first week moving, not resting. So I pulled on my jacket, the one with the hood that I'm already grateful for, and stepped out into the wet.
The air smelled of damp asphalt and the sea, a briny tang that you notice more when the sun isn't distracting you. I walked down from the hotel, past the pale stone of the buildings, their facades beaded with water. The streets were quieter than yesterday, the Sunday quiet replaced by a Monday murmur. People hurried past with umbrellas, their heads down, but there was no sense of rush, just a steady, purposeful flow. I passed the Stockmann department store, its grand windows glowing in the grey light, and made my way towards the harbour.
I had a plan, of sorts. A visit to the Old Market Hall, the Vanha Kauppahalli, which I'd only glimpsed from the outside on my first day. It sits right on the edge of the Market Square, a beautiful 19th-century red-brick building that has been feeding the city since 1889. On a day like this, it felt like the perfect refuge, a place to be indoors but still feel part of the city's pulse. The rain pattered on my hood as I crossed the cobblestones, and I could see the ferries bobbing in the harbour, their decks slick and empty.
Inside, the Market Hall was a warm, amber-lit world. The air was thick with the smell of fresh bread, smoked fish, and the rich, earthy scent of spices. It's a sensory overload in the best way, a welcome contrast to the grey outside. I wandered past stalls piled high with berries – bilberries, or mustikka, at the very peak of their season – and chanterelle mushrooms, their golden trumpets arranged in neat wooden boxes. I slowed my pace, just to take it all in, watching the vendors, the locals, the quiet commerce of a city that knows how to do food well.
I found what I was looking for at one of the stalls in the middle of the hall: a steaming cup of salmon soup, lohikeitto. It's a simple thing, but on a day like this, it's exactly what the body craves. The soup was creamy and rich, with big chunks of salmon and soft potatoes, and I stood at a small counter, cradling the cup in my hands, letting the warmth seep into my fingers. It cost me about twelve euros, and it was worth every cent. This is the real Helsinki, I thought, not the grand sights, but this quiet, honest comfort.
After I finished, I wandered the rest of the hall, past the cheese counters and the stalls selling reindeer meat and rye bread. I bought a korvapuusti, a cinnamon bun, from one of the bakeries, its surface glistening with sugar. They're everywhere in this city, and I understand why. I ate it as I walked back out into the drizzle, the sweetness cutting through the damp air. The Market Square itself was mostly empty, just a few hardy sellers huddled under their awnings, the famous market boats bobbing quietly in the harbour.
The rain had softened to a fine mist by early afternoon, and the wind was still gusting in from the sea. I decided it was a good day for the fortress. The ferry to Suomenlinna leaves from the Market Square, a short, cheap ride that's included in the public transport ticket, and I'd seen it from the water on my first evening. This would be a different kind of immersion. I checked the HSL app on my phone, my monthly pass, a little over seventy euros, flashing on the screen. I tapped my phone on the reader and stepped onto the ferry, finding a spot at the window.
The crossing took about fifteen minutes, the ferry cutting through the grey water, past the low, rocky islands of the archipelago. Seagulls wheeled overhead, their cries sharp and plaintive. The city shrank behind me, its white cathedral a pale ghost in the mist. I love that feeling, the moment you leave a place behind, even for a short while. It resets the perspective. As we approached the fortress island, the massive stone walls and ramparts of Suomenlinna rose out of the sea, a formidable sight even in the quiet rain.
Suomenlinna is a strange, beautiful place. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a sea fortress built by the Swedes in the 18th century, a sprawling complex of bastions, tunnels, and old military buildings scattered across a cluster of islands. But it's also a lived-in neighbourhood, with residents, a school, and even a microbrewery, I'm told. As I stepped off the ferry, the rain had all but stopped, leaving everything slick and glistening. There were few other tourists. I walked up the main path, the stone walls dripping with moisture, and felt a profound sense of calm.
I spent the afternoon just wandering. I walked along the ramparts, looking out at the Baltic Sea, grey and endless. I peered into the dark, dry tunnels of the old fortifications, imagining the soldiers huddled inside during long winters. I climbed to one of the highest points and watched a ferry leave for the city, a tiny toy boat on a vast, metal-grey expanse. The wind was strong up there, and I pulled my jacket closed. It was peaceful in a way that felt absolutely right for the day. I wasn't rushing. I was just being here.
On my way back to the ferry, I stopped at a small café on the island, a simple, functional place. I ordered a coffee, a cappuccino, and it cost me around four euros and seventy cents. It was the most expensive cup I've had so far, but I was paying for the location, for the chance to sit and watch the boats and the rain. I thought about the week ahead, about the festival crowds that would soon fill the streets for Flow Festival, and the metalheads for Hellsinki Metal Festival. The tourist season was peaking, but I felt like I was getting a glimpse of the city underneath, the one that endures.
This, I think, is the real point of these first days. It's not about seeing everything. It's about learning how a city breathes with the weather, how it moves on a grey Monday afternoon. It's about understanding why the Finns have such a deep appreciation for the simple things – a warm bowl of soup, a cup of coffee, the quiet satisfaction of a walk in the rain. It's about the concept of sisu, perhaps, that blend of resilience and quiet determination that gets you through the long, dark seasons. You feel it in the air, even in August. There's a certain firmness in the way people walk, a comfort in their own company.
The ferry ride back was quicker than the one out. The city lights were beginning to twinkle in the early twilight, and the rain had stopped completely, leaving a clean, washed sky. I walked back through the Market Square, past the empty stalls, and up towards the Esplanadi, the park at the heart of the city. The chestnut trees were heavy with leaves, and the sense of late summer was palpable. In a few weeks, the green would begin to turn, and the ruska season would start its slow, fiery march from the north down to the lake district, where I'm heading next.
I stopped at the edge of the park and looked back at the harbour. The lights from the Old Market Hall glowed warmly, and the white form of the Helsinki Cathedral was just visible in the dusk. I was tired, but it was a good tired, the kind that comes from being outside in the fresh air all day. I thought about the flat I would need to find, the rents in the city centre, which I'm told run around twelve hundred euros a month for a modest one-bedroom. It seems a lot, but you feel safe. You feel held by the city.
I'm starting to learn the rhythm now. The long, unhurried days of late summer, the savouring of every hour of light, the simple rituals of coffee and a walk. This is not a place that gives itself to you all at once. It unfolds slowly, like the summer itself. And I'm content to let it take its time. The rain has stopped, the sky is clear, and tomorrow will be a new day. A day to explore the quiet, orderly district of Töölö, maybe, or to find my way through the Central Park. It will still be here. And so will I. For now, this is home.
I bought a cold drink from a small shop near the station and sat on a bench for a long while, just watching the last of the day fade. The trams clattered past, their lights bright, their bells ringing softly. A man walked his dog, and a small group of teenagers laughed on a corner. The city was settling into the evening, a comfortable, familiar routine. And I was a part of it, even for just this moment. It's a good feeling. A very Finnish feeling, I think. Moi, Helsinki. See you tomorrow.