In September 2023, I took an 11-day trip to Finland/Suomi. This trip was decades overdue, after I planned then postponed my trip in the 1990s.
My main comment is this: what a marvelous country.
Finland is a country that truly cares for its people, promotes outstanding public health policies to support its people, and has cultural values that prioritize proven activities that boost health. This was visible everywhere, in how they build and design communities, how they prioritize parks and active transportation, and in the way the create livable places throughout a country that, by most standards, has some very harsh northern weather. I found great walking and biking trails in every city. And people got outside and used those great resources (and they do that all year long too).
There’s much more I did not see, but have written about elsewhere too, including how Finland cares for its mothers and children.
Then there is Finland’s greatest cultural institution of all, the sauna. Estimates place the number of saunas in the nation at about 3 million, among a population of almost 5.6 million. When I drove over 2,000 kilometers in the lower half of the country, I saw them nearly everywhere, particularly next to houses in rural areas. I was able to savor their pleasures on Lake Saimaa, near Savonlinna, and also at the beautiful Sallas Pool sauna and pool complex next to Helsinki’s harbor.
I’ve attached some of my favorite pictures here. A much bigger set of photo essays can be found on my Flickr page. You will find a big cache of Finland photos, highlighting places I enjoyed, art, the economy, transportation, saunas, history, and Finland’s great natural places.
I have also published a much longer essay on my trip and meeting my distant relatives. We had a glorious time connecting and reestablishing the family ties that link our kin networks in the United States and Finland.
Toivottavasti pidät näistä kuvista!
Keywords: Finland, Suomi, Helsinki, Finland Travel, Finland History, Finland Culture, South Ostrobothnia, Sisu, Alahärmä, Kortesjärvi, Kurikka, Koli National Park, Outokumpu, Lake Saimaa, Savonlinna, Rauma, World, Turku, Suomenlinna, Hämeenlinna, Sauna,