As I mentioned in my last post, my second trip to Kokkola was done with a specific goal in mind: in addition to finishing the literature course I'd started in December, I was on a mission to locate an English rowboat.
And not just any old rowboat: the one the good people of Kokkola captured from the Royal Navy in 1854 (in a battle known as the Skirmish of Halkokari), and haven't given back to the Brits despite several kind requests. It's very easy to miss in its little anonymous, snow-surrounded cottage at the edge of the English Park - and it's not all that impressive as far as trophies of war go. But there it is.
The city was lovely this time around as well, despite the skull-cracking ice and the persistent rain. This gave me a good opportunity to visit several museums and art galleries, - including one situated in Pedagogio, the oldest non-religious building in Finland (in the top picture) - and to see an impressive collection of minerals and stuffed animals (not my cup of tea, really - but hey, it was free and extremely educational).
I also noticed that I'm turning into a stereotypical academic tourist - one who likes to look at obscure paintings and visit one old house after another, all the while trying to think of something clever to say to the curator on the way out. Then, once I'm home, I can deftly deconstruct my experiences with a hint of postmodern cynicism.
Which might be the only use I'll ever have for my degree in Contemporary Culture.
7 comments:
I just stepped into your blog and I actually remember you, we were discussing about renaissance music on another site and I told you about Blackmore's Night, remember?
Life is going on well with you, it seems. And you've a really interesting blog, also. On this specific entry, I've briefly been in Kokkola this summer, just spent an hour there walking around the old town (and had also coffee in a lovely kahvila there). I thought about going back there at some point and spending more time there, now after reading your post I'm feeling much more about visiting it (oh yes, I'm one of those kind of people who can spend days visiting small museums and galleries and taking outrageous amount of pictures).
Hi Roberto!
Yes, I remember our discussion on Renaissance music, and as I recall, I did check out Blackmore's Night as well. A bit too 'ye olde worlde' for my taste, perhaps (look who's talking...).
Kokkola is very lovely in the winter. I can only imagine it's doubly so in the summer - and also swarming with tourists. Now most of the cafes and little shops were closed, which of course gave me more time for just walking around (and trying to find that rather well-concealed gunboat.)The funny thing is that I never knew there was such a well-preserved, colourful city that far north... One of the best-kept secrets in this country, it seems.
Oh, nice that you still remember! I've to admit now that I can't really listen to more than a couple of Blackmore's Night songs in a row. They have many good ones but they've to be taken in small doses.
I was a lot surprised by Kokkola too. I stepped there while driving from Oulu to Vaasa and I was pretty much bored by the trip (Road 8 is a lot boring, I was expecting to see a lot of sea but really nothing instead), so finding it was a good change. Well, the mood was not the best for exploring a new place and that's the reason why I spent just a short amount of time there. The good news is that there weren't those many tourists around there, even if it was July 27th.
I suppose the west coast isn't all that exciting - there's nothing to see between cities but flat fields and barns and tractors. But then again, as an easterner I'm severely biased. ;)
Well, I prefer east to west, that for sure. A lot of more interesting places and usually more friendly people there!
What part of the east are you from?
I grew up in Kainuu, and although I've lived in Jyväskylä for about ten years now, I still very much identify with the North-East.
In Kainuu I've never been (yet), but I've been twice in Jyväskylä. I like it, it's a nice place, it just rains every time I'm there (last year's vapunaatto has been a good example of that!)
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