Cruising From Helsinki to Stockholm: Duty-Free Shopping and Tap Dancing

Penelope says that cruising to neighboring countries is a huge thing in Finland. In fact, some people take a cruise before they host a party, just so they can stock up on liquor at the duty-free store. She suggested we take a 16-hour, overnight ferry to Stockholm and I was so in. But since I was only in Europe for 9 days, we took an absurdly cheap, absurdly fast flight back from our Stockholm adventure. The cruise-flight combo worked out great. And I got the whole ferry experience. 

We drove to Helsinki and set sail!

Our cabin was tiny but perfect for one night. The sofa flipped down to become a bed and a bed flipped down on the other side. 

I wish I had taken more photos of the boat. I think this "youth lounge" was an attempt to prevent underage drinking, but it was totally empty. 

Besides the expansive duty-free shop, the main attraction was the nightclub. We walked in and Penelope said, "Ohh, karoake!" But no, that off-key warbling was the band. I grew to love them. They really knew their way around a Pitbull song. Finns seem like a quiet lot, but they really lose their inhibitions on the dance floor. 

And at midnight, there was a tap dance show. I started off on the skeptical side, but these kids' enthusiasm won me over. A Finnish tap dance crew dancing their hearts out to Pharrell's "Happy"? Or Michael Jackson's "Beat It" while wearing Lakers jerseys? I am glad I witnessed this. Talk about life-affirming. There's a lot about life I don't know, but I think if part of your time on earth included tap-dancing on a Finnish ferry, it would be a life well-lived.

Then we woke up and we were in Stockholm!

Finland! I Went to Finland!

One of my best friends from high school moved with her Finnish husband to Tampere last year, and it was only a matter of time before I got out to visit. So early in May, I flew out to Helsinki, and all I had to do was figure out how to get on the bus for the 1.5-hour drive to Tampere. No problem, right?

Until I got to the airport and there was no employee around to ask about the bus. I asked a few people, some who didn't speak English, some who gave me conflicting directions, possibly because I butchered the pronunciation of Tampere. A bus pulled up that read "Tampere" so I just got on it, hoping for the best.  The bus went on a seemingly interminable journey, stopping at bus stops that were in the middle of nowhere (see below). Someone would scamper out of the woods from God knows where and we'd continue on our way. 

I kept drifting in and out of sleep because of jetlag. Was that my bus stop? I rode the bus to the end of the line and then considered my options. Thank goodness Penelope showed up! So happy to see her. I wasn't sure what I would do next if I was in the wrong town. 

While on the bus, I looked at the street signs and wondered how Penelope is learning Finnish. It looks so different than English. I am so impressed that she is tackling the language and can communicate, go to the grocery store, meet people, etc. I think I might just give up. 

The first few days, we explored Tampere. Here it goes!

I made Penelope buy this bread. McEnnedy American Way!! The Statue of Liberty! The bread was terrible though.

I had big plans about buying everyone I know these homoerotic Finnish stamps (you have to click on the link), but they weren't out at the post office yet. Drat! Had to buy these chocolate mints instead, as seen in Bon Appetit. 

Squirrels!

Tour of the town! McDonalds has a prime spot! Speaking of...

A burger with tortilla chips and sour cream? McDonald's, you are holding out on us in the States.

We had pastries instead! Delicious!

We ate donuts too. They were cardamom-flavored and light and airy. They were from the sister location of this spot.

This is a burrito truck in Finland. 

I enjoy taking photos of interesting shop names. Exhibit A. 

Exhibit B. Or should I say D. 

It was so fun to tour around with a local. I'm betting I wouldn't have gone to this cool public library if I was by myself. 

The library is shaped like a turkey! Here is an aerial view. Penelope wasn't quite sure why. 

I had read that all mothers in Finland receive a box of baby supplies, thanks to the generous welfare state. And here's what's in the box. Those are some cute baby clothes. Who needs a baby shower? 

Tampere seems like such a livable, pleasant spot! We walked around the park and stumbled upon a dog class. And the coolest playground ever.

See, trampolines! This is the most air I got. The rest of the photos look like I am standing still. In my defense, you try jumping on a trampoline in ankle boots with a heel.

We also drove to the Ittala glassworks factory, where the famous Finnish brand produces Aalto vases, Kastehelmi bowls, and more. We walked through the museum, but unfortunately the factory itself was closed to visitors that day.

The factory store was wonderful. I spent a long time deciding what to get and wishing I could fill my suitcase with glassware. 

Ultimately, I went with the salmon pink vase! It was cheaper because it's a factory second. As Joe said, we could spend our whole lives trying to figure out what exactly makes it a factory second, looks perfect to me.

Charleston Eating Tour, Spring 2014

I didn't do any planning for my five-day trip to Charleston with friends. I just showed up at the airport, and let our friend who was born and raised in Charleston show us around. Actually, I take it back. That was a plan and the best plan I could've made. I didn't take as many photos as I could've but, here's what we got up to!

Hominy Grill Brunch, Charleston Nasty Biscuit = demolished

Hominy Grill bloody mary is a must.

Gigantic bowl of kale at Bull Street Gourmet Market. Yuppies wished it, and it was so.

Cocktail dotted with little gelatin pearls, just waiting to be sucked up the metal straw. I really want metal straws for my kitchen, for no discernible reason. And check out the mirror on the table.

Dinner in the gorgeous private dining room at McCrady's Restaurant. Four courses for $65 feels like a bargain here, the duck was easily the best I've ever tried. I was insanely spoiled, because the next night we went out at FIG. Nine vegetable salad is where it's at! We also got a cocktail at the very cozy bar at Husk. See? Spoiled!

While I was eating carefully-sourced, expertly prepared meals from critically acclaimed restaurants, I checked in to see what Joe as eating for dinner. "Wyngz," he texted back. That's right, wings with a Y and a Z. I think they are legally required to be spelled that way, as they are a "chicken food product". In fact, they includes the proviso: "does not contain wing meat." 

The library ladder at Edmund's Oast 

Edmund's Oast brewpub was more casual, but just as great. It's located in a giant hall with a vaulted ceiling and meat hanging from the ceiling, sort of like a hipster Medieval Times. 

The Japanese cabbage pancake is the stuff dreams are made of.

Asian-Southern fusion sounds a little terrifying, but Xiao Bao Biscuit is delicious. The decor is perfectly undone, and this might be the first place I'd go if I went back.

Best cat EVER!!!

Besides the food, one of the highlights of my trip was meeting this cat. I want one!!! It's my friend's friend's cat and it is mesmerizing. I screamed when I saw it. "What the hell is that?" This is a flattering photo, because you can't tell that the kitty is a little chubby. I thought, wow, that's what my fat cat looked like without her fur. Weird! I did some reading and Sphynx Cats are supposed to have a pot belly, it's part of the breed standard. Even weirder!

Animal interlude! Look at this turtle, being all cute.

We stayed in a friend's apartment in the best location ever, right on the main drag, King Street. So charming! For high-end shopping, Hampden is quite spectacular. I had never heard of Elle Sasson before browsing Hampden, and I wish I had places to go in her whimsical-meets-tropical designs.

I brought my running clothes and went for a jog one afternoon. I didn't want to bring my cellphone, so I went with just a key. But there was a key code you had to enter to get into the apartment, so as I ran, I repeated the string of numbers. 5-3-8-9, I chanted in my head. 5-3-8-9, 5-3-8-9. But as I rounded the corner to our block, things started to go awry. 5-3-9-8. 5-8-3-9. Or was it 9-8-5-3? I had no idea. And no phone to call any of my friends, and no options really. Vacation panic! Amazingly, someone opened the door and let me in after 15 minutes. I never saw anyone in that small apartment building before or after that.

Here are some photos from Farm Bar, a Kinfolk-ready coffee bar and restaurant in a trailer near the train tracks. The Reston-born owner actually did host Kinfolk for a dinner at her farm!

My travel companions looking like rockstars!

Sums up our Charleston trip!

Tennis Earrings, Anyone?

I told myself I wasn't going to buy anything for myself in February, but broke that promise at Meeps with these vintage earrings. They have little tennis players on one side and a court on the other! Look at them! I was going to let them go but then I saw another girl pick them up and my competitive spirit kicked in. Tennis!

I Hate You!

Here's what I made last week at Meeps DC's very adorable "Palentine's Day" party hosted by Alison Baitz of On Flora. They had all the supplies and stickers and glitter ready for crafting, including this pre-made "I Hate You" slogan. "Can I make a mean one?" I asked, and the unsaid answer was: It's your world, girl. So here's what I came up with. I carried it on the 96 bus, out in the open so the glitter wouldn't smear, then scurried home via K Street. 

"Look, Joe, I made something for you," I said casually. I didn't really make this for anyone but I thought it would be funny to punk Joe. Which is actually very mean.

He took it seriously. "I don't know how to take this," Joe said thoughtfully, contemplating what this might mean for our relationship. "Actually, you couldn't have been more clear."

It's a pretty cute hate card though, right? Joe wrote this tweet about it:

Lovely pre-Valentine's Day card from @adelechapin ! #glitter #blessed #love pic.twitter.com/Hc5jvnCJsO

— Joe O'Donnell (@Joe_L_ODonnell) February 6, 2014

I better do something really sweet on Valentine's Day to make up for this. Joe's birthday is on February 13, which is inconvenient because I feel like it detracts from Valentine's Day. Haha, ok that was mean! Really, it means I can't nag him too much about planning something nice in the lead up to V-Day because his birthday takes precedence. 

"Just think, next week you will have two days of pampering and gifts," I told him. He said, "No, I'll have one day of pampering and one day of crying." That's true. I have had my sky-high expectations burst in the past, leading to me crying at the dinner table in a crowded restaurant. This will be the year I mellow out. "You don't have to do anything for Valentine's Day," I told Joe, but he knew that was a trick. He's too smart for that. 

I keep asking him if he's planned anything. "Not yet," he said today. "Is it because you hate Valentine's Day?" I needed to know. "It's a lot of pressure because you know whatever you do, the evening's going to end with your girlfriend crying."

It doesn't have to end that way! To be fair to Joe, I cry a lot. And he's gotten used to it, because it's so unpredictable. I'll be laughing and then suddenly crying. Laugh-crying, we call it.  It used to scare him, but now it's no biggie. No matter how crazy I am, it doesn't scare him. It somehow doesn't even faze him. When I tell him every detail about a book I am reading, and the fact that I like Miley's "Adore You" single, or that I saw a cute dog on the street, he always listens like it's the most important thing in the world. And we think the same things are funny. I hope he thinks this blog post is funny. I love you, Joe! Happy Valentine's Day! 

Goodbye, Pulp! You Will Be Missed!

I went to interview the manager of Pulp about the store's very sad closing, and then went on a bit of a card-buying bender. 

Employees told me other people had bought more. What can I say? I love cards and this was my last chance at Pulp and everything was 40% off. They always had the coolest assortment, and the best window-shopping experience too. It's a shop that seemed very cosmopolitan to me when I first moved to D.C., after growing up as a NOVA suburban kid. This is what city shopping is supposed to be like, I thought. This is it. 

Now I need to be ok with putting these cards in the mail and letting them go. Life is change, and Meryl from Pulp had a good outlook on it: "It's ok that it comes to an end. It's difficult and it's sad and you kind of wish it didn't have to be that way, but it does."