The Nice Galleries in Stockholm: Söder with a Map

Stockholm, Sweden, June 1st 2018 and a plethora of previous dates

So, you've arrived in Stockholm from Helsinki via a cruise boat, I presume, and want to see some art during your six hour stay? Good choice! Even if you haven't, you're well allowed to read further. Stockholm's Södermalm, south of the Old City, is a fitting destination, with all its small, mostly uncommercial, artist run galleries and otherworldly nice cafés. You know, Swedish are the world champions in nice, and Söder is the best proof. Galleries included.

A party or a bar? In Stockholm you never know.

The galleries mentioned here are not all open on everyday basis and many of them have an extended summer break. Fridays and Saturdays are the best chances to see at least some of them open. Always check from the websites if there's actually something going on if you want to be sure. Then again, having a nice cup of coffee every time a gallery isn't open is a valid option, too!

The Viking ship arrives in Stockholm at 10 a.m, but it may take some time to get out of it. That's fine, since the galleries don't open before noon anyway. Luckily, there's Fotografiska with superhuman opening times to kill the time in. Turn right from the ship and walk less than a kilometer by the shore and there you are.



Fotografiska, a multi floor exhibition space for photography, takes large clientele seriously and most of its exhibitions are quite, let's say, user friendly. There has been numerous exhibitions lately on fashion photography, for example. Which is fine. Not so fine is how they tend to be camouflaged as something they are not: high art, feminist and distinct, when in reality they're all quite the same, strictly in service of commerce and more or less misogynist. But pretty. And often including celebrities, in front or behind the camera.

On the other side of the coin there are a lot of political, equality driving and even borderline controversial exhibitions, where people are lured to with aforementioned sweet baits. I've seen some great exhibitions in Fotografiska, too! Most of the photographs exhibited are somewhat classically beautiful and technically correct, in any case, no avant garde punk-sassy underground here. The top floor café with its wonderful view over the Strömmen bay and scandicozy furniture is beautiful and technically correct as well. In a good way.

Fotografiska
Stadsgårdshamnen 22
Sun-Wed 9–23
Thu-Sat 9–1 a.m.
Tickets: 145 / 115 kr, children under 12 free

Coffee is good, too

If you didn't have coffee at Fotografiska or want another opinion on the scenery, or are hungry already, or it's not even close to noon yet, stop next in Hermans restaurant. It opens at 11 am and by noon the buffet lunch queues are considerable. Hermans is a vegetarian / heavily vegan restaurant with a slightly mediterranean-middle-eastern touch. The cake shelf proves that vegan definitely is not a synonym of healthy. The space is like a huge summer cottage, where there's always a new terrace to be found somewhere. To get there from Fotografiska, cross the road, climb the exhausting stairs, turn to your left and enter through the garden after a few steps.

Diving is not recommended

OK, the first actual gallery should be open at noon, if the guard is on time, so it's time to move on.

ID:I is an artist run gallery with two small rooms. The running group includes 25 artist, of whom everyone is responsible for the gallery for three weeks every few years. With a wide set of curators, there are a lot of different styles and medias presented, but most of the art is quite minimalistic, subtle and somewhat conceptual. Take your time to absorb, it's worth it! Most of the exhibitions are guarded by the artists themselves, so it's easy to ask if you still don't quite get it.

ID:I Galleri
Tjärhovsgatan 19

Thu–Fri: 12–18
Sat–Sun: 12–16

Centrum för Fotografi, as the name suggests, presents photography, mostly Swedish, from both graduating students and seasoned professionals. The exhibitions are mostly contemporary photography, from a range of different genres, both single artist and group shows. The gallery is run by the Swedish photography association, which aims to educate the public as well, so they have a lot of seminars and other happenings going on, too. The space is one of the neatest and largest on the route, but still quite, well, nice.

The artist run Studio 44 shares the gallery with Centrum för Fotografi, so either one probably has something going on there. The profile of Studio 44 is pretty much same than ID:I gallery, even the number of artists running the place is the same. I've so far missed Studio 44's exhibitions, so no first hand experiences here, but it looks pretty interesting site to see mostly Swedish contemporary art of every possible media!

Tjärhovsgatan 44 / Kapsylen
Red door in the gangway
Centrum för Fotografi

Wed–Fri 12–18

Sat 12–16

Studio 44

Thu–Fri 12–18

Sat–Sun 12–17

Enter, works from graduating students of Mittuniversitet in CFF

In need of coffee? Right beside CFF there's a vegetarian / anarchist / berlinesque Kafé 44. I'm sure it's the nicest anarchist café ever. I mean, just how nice can an anarchist kladdkaka be?

Kafé 44 also has a tiny terrace in the backyard

Galleri Axl Sund is not really part of this tour, since it opens weekdays at 16 and you should be back in the ship by then. If you're rich enough to visit Stockholm on Saturday or Thu–Fri after 4 pm, pop in, but in other cases, just peek in from the windows. And for that, Dear Mr. Sund, would you mind leaving the lights on for the proletariat to see in properly from the dark, cold, rainy, nice street?

Galleri Axl Sund
Folkungagatan 103
Thu–Fri 16–19
Sat 13–16

Lusine Djanyan and Alexey Knedlyakovsky: Den Vita Cirkeln  

Steinsland Berliner is my favourite gallery in Stockholm. It has edgy contemporary art, as a proper edgy gallery should, but also abundance and colours – and even humor! The gallery is not afraid to exhibit controversial themes, but doesn't shy away from "old fashioned" plain old paintings exhibitions either – always well curated and displayed. The gallery is run by Jeanette Steinsland and Jacob Kampp Berliner, and with that kind of cool surnames, it would be stupid not to have a nominal gallery. The space is also super nice with large windows and a lot of day light pouring in. Well, video artists might disagree on that.

Steinsland Berliner
Bondegatan 70
Wed–Fri 12 – 17
Sat 12–16

Arvida Byström: Cherry Picking

Galleri Axel is a tiny one room gallery, dedicated to showing details of and new angles to known photographers' works as well as introducing new talents. The style of the art presented is mostly quite classical – but definitely not boring. The gallery is run by the photograph Bea Tigerhielm and it also has a fine web shop. It comes in handy, since most of the photographs can easily be imagined on a wall of a super nice cultural home that Stockholm is filled with.

Galleri Axel

Södermannagatan 16

Thu–Fri13–18

Sat 11–17

Galleri Axel is probably the tiniest of the tour

Tegen 2 is another gallery that has escaped me, but try your luck and see if it's open. According to past exhibitions, the program seems interesting, comprising mostly of video/media art of political kind.

Tegen 2
Bjurholmsgatan 9b, inner yard (I guess)
Fri–Sun 12–17

Even if the Tegen 2 gallery is not open, the yard is worth seeing.
If you manage to sneak in.

On your way, you'll notice (if you're observant) a funny piece of public art, in Nacka's hörna (Nacka's Corner). The statue See you at the goal (1984) by Olle Aldrin was erected in honour of a Swedish football player Lennart "Nacka" Skoglund. That makes me wonder two things.

First, Sweden has kicked Finnish (among other nationalities) ass in ice hockey for thousands of years, why a statue for someone who kicked ball in the fifties, with one famous goal, and pretty much spoiled his life with alcohol? Isn't this a Finnish thing to do? Second, what's with the nicknames here? In Sweden and Swedish speaking Finland people have the most inexplicable nicknames, whose sole purpose seem to be as weird and far from the original name as possible. There's no logic whatsoever!

Nacka's famous "curling home direct from a corner" kick. I presume.

If you think you'll need some coffee, Älskade Traditioner (Beloved traditions) is handy available by the route, at Södermannagatan. They have all kinds of organic, raw, vegan and other type of good stuff on their shelves, and good coffee, too.

Candyland's ten(ish) founding members are free to invite any artist to exhibit in the gallery, without the consent of the others. So, there's no strict line in curating, apart from a theme of gentle, warm humanity, which may or may not be in my eye only. Most of the exhibitions are comprised of paintings and drawings of up and coming nordic artists, but to not give a too traditional picture here, there also has been shadow theatre, freedom training and a performance about border control in the exhibition program.

Candyland
Gotlandsgatan 76
Opening times vary, usually Fri–Sun 13–16

Building up the next exhibition

Now, here's some street credibility for you: hangmenProjects gallery looks like it's an ex garage, how grunge is that? Surprisingly, the funding of the gallery is less bohemian: there's an exhibition/art producing firm backing the bills, owned by the artists that run the gallery. So, no responsibilities to funding authorities, meaning free hands. What a curatorial dream! That being said, there is no specific curatorial line, if mostly presenting works of the gallery owners and the group of artists working for the company doesn't count as one. In this case, a dash of nepotism of a professional kind is a good spice.

hangmenProjects

Ringvägen 86 

Opening times vary

Gotten so far? Now, go a few step back and to the back of the house

You probably are a bit tired already, so take a bus back to the harbour if you don't feel like walking another 2 km. You can check the timetables from sl.se, the nearest stop to the harbour is Londonviadukten with some 200 m of walking. Be sure to leave at 15:30, absolutely latest, to be in the ship in time. Earlier, if walking. And even earlier, if you like to "save" and buy your own food instead of eating in a ship restaurant.

A good, nice place for snack shopping is Urban Deli by Nytorget. My favourite there is the frozen creme caramel, which I obviously only buy to keep my other (healthy) food cold in the bag. The shelves of the small shop are filled with things you just need to taste or the world will come to a sudden end, and by the counter you'll find why it was necessary to use quotation marks in "save".

But definitely not in nice.

OTHER PEOPLE VISITING STOCKHOLM GALLERIES
• Insinöörin taideopas: Tukholman galleriat (in Finnish)
• Scandinavian Traveler: Stockholm Art Gallery Guide

Galleries in Helsinki: Kallio with a map

There are a lot of small and/or artist and/or curator run and/or avant garde galleries in Helsinki's Kallio area, nicely situated quite close to each other, all having a distinctive character. I'm a member in a curator group P14, and we ran one of them for the year 2017. We had a gallery on loan, so to say: we took care of Kallio Kunsthalle for a year, as its regular host had some time off.

As a part of our activities in gallery running life, we published a monthly map of the nearby galleries' exhibitions and other interesting spots in the Kallio area. Even though our year in the Kallio gallery business is over, the rest of the galleries still remain, and some new ones have emerged. Changing exhibitions omitted, the map is still useful for a contemporary art (and coffee) inclined visitor in Kallio. So, here you go:



Original-ish PDF format map includes a variety of other interesting spots in the area at large as well, the Google map version (above) concentrates on the recommended route, with food and drink consumption possibilities in the close proximity of it.

Here's even a gif version, just in case

GALLERIAKIERROS IN KALLIO

Strictly taken, not all the listed galleries are in the Kallio area, but too close and good to be missed. Which neighborhoods belong to Kallio officially, which are Kallio in spoken language and which are not part of Kallio at all, is a regular discussion in Kallio (in any meaning) bars and squares and internets, so that you know. Try claiming that your apartment, situated on the wrong side of bordering street of Kallio, is in Kallio, and you'll get your share of snarky comments – probably spiced up with a few words of old working class lingo, stadin slangi, just to show off.

In Helsinki, Instagram blooms with #galleriakierros (Gallery tour, it's a thing) photos during weekends, as veteran and aspiring culture professionals and lovers are having their leisurely stroll amongst the art hot spots of the city. For Kallio Gallery Walk the best day is Saturday, when all the galleries are open, at the approximately same times. The tour takes around four hours, depending on the program of the galleries and the amount of breaks. So, you should start pretty sharp at noon to do the whole tour without breaking sweat. You can cheat a little by using tram number nine for a few stops, see Gmaps version for that. Or rent a bike. Or skip a few galleries.

THE GALLERIES

All the area's galleries are quite small and more or less underground, even literally. The emphasis is on the up and coming artists, though some established artists fit in quite nicely. If you're looking for a traditional lake scenery painting with a moose and maybe a swan, you probably won't find it here – unless you accept a lump of minced moose meat with a dirty brush stuck to it, commenting pollution of Baltic Sea with a dripping toilet seat, with soundtrack maybe by Astrid Swan, as such. Just a random, totally fictional example here.

Entrance to all the galleries is free of charge. The opening times are marked as they are right now and may change. Do check them from the galleries' websites!

Galleria Kuvitus

Recently opened Galleria Kuvitus is maintained by the Finnish Illustration Association. It's the only gallery in Finland, and one of few internationally, to focus on illustration art. It hosts 10 juried and curated exhibitions each year, exhibiting both published illustrations and illustrators' art projects. The space also houses the Association's office. 

Hämeentie 28
Mon–Tue 11–17
Wed 11–19
Thu–Fri 11–17
Sat 12–16

kuvittajat.fi/galleria-kuvitus

#galleriakuvitus

Kuvitus is possibly the most chic of the Kallio galleries

Sarjakuvakeskus

Edit 2022: Sarjakuvakeskus has moved and has no gallery activities anymore.

Finnish Comics Society’s gallery exhibits comics, comics based art and art done by comics authors, widely speaking. The artists are mostly Finnish or Finland based, but some international visitors are included in the cast. The premises include also the Society's office and a Turku Comic Book shop's store. And a reading nook. And workshops. And you name it. A comic fan may forget the rest of the tour after entering here.

Porthaninkatu 9
Mon–Fri 15–19
Sat 11–16
www.sarjakuvakeskus.fi

Damn those opening times!

On your way to Kalleria, you'll walk through Karhupuisto (Bear Park). This is a good place for a coffee break, since the park is surrounded with cozy cafés: Kulmakahvio/Bear park Café, Bergga and IPI. During the warmer summer days the super gay, but non-exclusive Bear Park Café operates from the kiosk in the park, with chairs and tables outside. A warmly recommended Kallio experience!

Kalleria

Kalleria is a somewhat curated gallery space, exhibiting mostly young and underground artists from the less refined side of contemporary art, and even outside of it. Anyone can ask to rent the space, so there is not an artistic policy as such and styles, themes and levels vary a great deal.

Kaarlenkatu 10
Opening times vary, but possibly Wed–Sun 12–17
kalleria.fi

Exhibition: By the Sea by Wiebke Pandikow

Pertin valinta

Edit 2022: Pertin valinta has moved to Hakaniemi

The underground punk band even in the scene of punk, Pertti Kurikan nimipäivät, has changed their art genre of choice and founded an outsider art gallery with a store to match. The gallery exhibits art by/about outsider artists. In the Sekotavarakauppa-store (that's a tricky wordplay to translate. General Distore?) there's a variety of books, music and household items with the weirdest and most wonderful decorations, mostly by the aforementioned artists. Good mood guaranteed!

Hakaniemenkuja 2  
Wed–Fri 12–18
Sat 11–15     
www.pertinvalinta.fi

Not your regular corner shop

Alkovi

Alkovi (Alcove) is a 24/7 display window gallery, watched from the street, presenting contemporary art exhibitions and projects especially in relation to the  location and the site. The connection the site of Kallio is fitting, since you might have to find your way to Alkovi through a long line of people, queuing for Hursti Charity food rations twice a week. The days of the Finnish welfare are way behind us, I'm afraid.

Helsinginkatu 19
Open 24/7

www.alkovi.site

Alkovi, always available

Rupla

Edit 2022: Rupla has closed

Rupla (Ruble) is a café populated by young bohemians, with art exhibitions changing every three to four weeks. The style of the exhibitions is often traditionally provocative; expect to see some vulvas and politicians in campy and colourful situations, or a painting made by a bear. This is an excellent place for a lunch/brunch break, too.

Helsinginkatu 16
Mon–Fri 7:30–20
Sat–Sun 11–17
rupla.fi

The brunch is worth a visit, too!
Exhibition: Tyhjiömatka (Vacuum Travel) by Jesse Avdeikov

Rõõm Helsinki

Edit 2022: Rõõm has closed

Rõõm (Estonian for Joy) Helsinki is a little cosy eco-lifestyle shop with a bonsai size gallery space. The artists exhibited are often connected with different areas of design and/or illustrate humans in their environment. The exhibitions change monthly.

Helsinginkatu 17
Tue–Fri 11–17
Sat 12–16
www.roomhelsinki.com

Rõõm's gallery corner is the tiniest!
Exhibition: Kevään eväsretki (Spring Outing) by Laura Havanto

Sorbus    

Edit 2022: Sorbus has closed, but just as weird gallery Outo olo continues at the premises.

Sorbus gallery is an artist-run space, organizing exhibitions and events from different areas of art: in addition to art exhibitions, there might be readings, concerts or a 24 hour dance performance in program. Or something else. Gallery's style is experimental and somewhat political. The name comes from Latin name of rowan tree, growing in the neighborhood. It was also the name of one of the cheapest wines in the official liquer store Alko, consumed by the most experienced drunkards of Finland.

Vaasankatu 15
Opening times vary
sorbus.fi

Sorbus (gallery, back) and sorbus (tree, front)

On that note, as you continue towards Free Space for Art, you'll pass first Piritori (actually Vaasanaukio, but Speed Square is the common name) with its ground painted huge balloons and meth heads in their daily chores, and then Kurvi crossing with addicts of more traditional substances, like alcohol. There are some really nice cafés too, though.

Free Space for Art

Vapaan taiteen tila is a forum for the students in Art University to organize their exhibitions, concerts, performances and other events, so there is a lot more happening than just exhibitions. Here the students can freely try out their weirdest ideas, so you might catch some future trends and exhibitions later mentioned in art history – or just really really awkward student art. Both are definitely worth a visit. The space is in an emergency shelter, which luckily is free from its original use, and the largest of spaces mentioned here. The website usually lists just the name of the event/artist, you'll have to do some googling to find out more about it. Or you can just go to see if there's something going on. It could be... anything.

The entry is opposite of Vilhonvuorenkuja 16
Opening times vary as Hell
www.vapaantaiteentila.fi/en/

Free Space for Art – underground in so many ways

On your way to Make Your Mark Gallery, you'll pass the
lovely pink buildings of Vilhonvuorenkuja and one of the
steepest hills in Helsinki road map

Make Your Mark Gallery

Helsinki is a graffiti city, in a Nordic scale at least. There's even a book about it, dating back from 1998, Helsinki Graffiti by Anne Isomursu and Tuomas Jääskeläinen, the latter being one of the first graffiti artists in Helsinki. It's the most stolen book from the libraries, I've heard, which is quite fitting. Ever since the eighties and nineties' hysteric anti-graffitism a lot has changed and nowadays there are a bunch of sites for so called legal graffitis. One of them is at Suvilahti area, on your way to Make Your Mark Gallery. The area is quite impressive in it's abandoned/gentrified glory, so take your time walking through it.

Some of the graffitis of Suvilahti and an abandoned gas holder.
No idea how that works. Or what it is, actually.

Make Your Mark is a gallery curated by two graffiti artists, working since the 80's. Exhibitions of graffiti, photography and visual arts change monthly. Whatever the genre, the works exhibited usually have a strong connection to graffiti. There's also a graffiti equipment store in the gallery space, and an outdated train line map on the floor.

Kaasutehtaankatu 1, building no 6
Tu–Fri 12–19
Sat 11–16
Sun 12–16
makeyourmark.fi

If you get inspired by the art, remedies are close.
Exhibition: Red Shades by Mason.

Kohta

Kohta is a privately initiated kunsthalle in Helsinki. It has a strong tendency towards minimalistic and conceptual art – at the inaugural exhibition there was just a stump of tree on display. Well, that's not all there is to it, but gives an idea. You won't find naivist art with chubby pandas, flaming with colours here. The emphasis is on the concept, even though visuality does play a part.  Kohta is the only gallery in Kallio area that looks like a real gallery where professionals work and it even has a desk. The name translates both as soon and a spot. The latter as in place, not as in pimple.

Teurastamo inner yard, Työpajankatu 2 B, building 7
Wed–Fri 12–18
Sat–Sun 12–16
www.kohta.fi

Kohta even has an understated, stylish bench. And a visitor.
Exhibition: Works on Paper by Simryn Gill.

The Teurastamo (Slaughterhouse) area is, as the name tells, a former area of slaughterhouses. There are some meat markets left, even if the slaughtering happens elsewhere these days. Also, there are a lot of wholesale markets, but the most interesting thing (for me, at least) are the restaurants and bars popping up to the abandoned industry halls. They are all quite near to Kohta, so this is a good place to be hungry. At least you should have a scoop of ice cream in Jädelino, great vegan options available, too!

A BONUS TRACK

Edit 2022: resided, that was 2018. The gallery is still there and well worth a visit!

Another trendy hip tip for an eager gallery visitor is of course Töölö – that's where we, P14, are residing this year, at Gallery Oksasenkatu 11. Welcome!

Oksasenkatu 11
Opening times vary, most often:
Wed–Fri 14–18
Sat–Sun 12–16
www.oksasenkatu11.fi/blog/

Part of our group at the opening of Ida Palojärvi's
exhibition Light Misunderstandings

OTHER POSTS ABOUT GALLERIES IN HELSINKI

• The Culture Trip: A street art tour in Helsinki
• Visit Finland: 9 Galeries d'art à explorer à Helsinki (en français)
• Helsinki Side Quest: Niche galleries for more than just fine art

Traditions and Obsessions on a Baltic Cruise

Baltic Sea Between Helsinki and Stockholm, March 11th to 13th 2018 (and various other dates)

The Stockholm cruise is somewhat an institution among the Finns. And Swedes, too. The previous call it ruotsinlaiva (Ship to Sweden) and the latter finlandsfärja (Ferry to Finland). Especially in the ruotsinlautta case, one is supposed to overeat at the buffet, drink the cheap booze, party in the overtly colourfully lighted disco, including at least some dance steps to the 80's hits played by a cheesy cover band, sing some karaoke with deepest of feelings, buy some more cheap booze from the tax free and pass out in someone else's cabin. All this wearing glitter decorated tops and polyester shirts, possibly changing wearer during the night.

Sunsets are the only reason to go outside during the winter,
in the summertime there are additional bars on decks

Kids are supposed to, according to their ages, pass out early by sugar rush caused by the cheap candies bought from the tax free, cry in terror of their parents behavior or scheme their way to the very first sip of alcoholic beverages. In the morning, parents are supposed to throw up and take the kids to Gröna Lund amusement park, where the kids throw up and then it's time to go back to the ship and do it all over again.

Even though the EU has ruined the really cheap booze part and there are occasionally actually good bands performing, you can still live this dream. Anyhow, there are other options. Like, here I am, as I write, relaxed, having a sip of sparkling wine (not the very cheapest, I might add), well fed, surrounded by pretty much sober families. The scenery passes by peacefully and if it was summer, I could even see it. A success!

Staring at the scenery

There are two ferry companies, Viking Line and Tallink Silja, of which Silja is traditionally regarded a tad classier but is accordingly more expensive. I've traveled both, found the differences quite small and ended up using Viking Line, because of the prices and better location of the harbor in Stockholm.

The main rule is to travel starting Sunday–Wednesday. Thus you avoid the most drunk weekdays of Friday and Saturday on board. Also, the trips are cheaper. Following ads, or even by joining Viking Club, you get quite favorable special prices, starting from a few euros. Offers don't happen between start of June till mid August, though, because the ships have more than enough customers in families with vacationing school kids then. So go before / after. By answering the company's email questionnaires and buying enough stuff from the tax free, you might get an offer for another cruise, and then the same happens again and all of a sudden you're in the Viking Loop. I should now, I traveled eight times last year.

Why? you ask. WHY ON EARTH??!!!! you might even put it. Well, the biggest reason is obviously Stockholm, but more on that in another posting.

The welcoming port of Stockholm

When in middle of travels, I need my methadone, and a short trip abroad, anywhere abroad, is just that. Also, for some reason, I sleep very well in ships – especially in a tad more luxurious two persons cabin, equipped with a two persons soft bed, which is just large enough for one. The humming of motors gives me such a good sleep. Furthermore, I find the few hours in open sea, when internet doesn't really work, very relaxing. Viking Line has lately very kindly eased the non-internetting, by making the users renew the connection once in an hour and changing the password every day. Rather than going to info to check the new password in one's pajama's, it's so very alluring to just give up and read a book. Of course, it's also quite relaxing not to be able to actually go anywhere, without serious risk of drowning.

I mentioned the soft beds of a tad more finer cabins. Let's go deeper in that. Never settle with the cheapest option of windowless cabin. The stereotype of drunken Scandinavians is based on reality, and you might spend some time in your cabin, trying to avoid them. Or non-internetting. In the cheapest cabins, you'll have a good chance having one or eight of them as neighbors, too, or even more horrific teenage versions. Quite loud. So, upgrade at least to a cabin with a window, it really is not that expensive. The cabins are quite small and it's not exaggerating to have one of four persons all to yourself. The mentioned lux but still affordable cabins are available in the ship Mariella only.

The cheapest cabin with a window option on the left, 
a tad more expensive on the right.
Humans added for scale.

In my childhood I dreamed of the overwhelming buffet of the ship, pouring with shrimps and chocolate sauce, my favourites at the time. Respectively. Nowadays I sport a tad more developed taste, but the food still is ok. The wine is included in the reasonablish whole deal price, which drives people to drink too much and buy scarves they can't afford, but overall the ambience is quite civilized in the restaurant. There are other restaurants on board, too, but let's just say that it helps to be a carnivore. With a vegan friend of mine, with whom I started my career as cruise ship regular, we usually buy fancy food in advance and do not leave the cabin. A very viable option, that one, too.

Example of a moderate picnic in the cabin with food oriented friends

The buffet includes food, too

The tax free shop looks innocent enough and you'll walk in like "oh, there's nothing I'd have to buy from here, I'll just stroll to the candy shelf and buy me a chocolate bar", but be warned: amongst all the usual nothing special stuff there might be lurking something you just feel compulsed to buy. Like a Balmuir scarf just your colour, too expensive, last one left. Just a random example. For those believing in the almighty power of Elizabeth Arden's 8 hour lip balm in curing dry lips, leper and broken limbs; it's sold here very affordable. FYI: In Finland the stuff is known as Ellun ihmerasva (Elsie's miracle cream) and it has a cult following.

Defs not a shopping trip

Pieces of Information

Viking Line departs from Helsinki at 17:30, arrives in Stockholm the next morning at 10, departs back to Helsinki the same day at 16:30 where it arrives at 10:10 next morning. You have to be in the ship half an hour before the departure. The scheme is almost the same with Tallink Silja. 

• Ferry companies: Viking Line, Tallink Silja

• Other people done the cruise:  Malins mix (in Swedish), Wandering Dejavu (about a Silja cruise), Nordic Fairy

Movie Set Town of Wild Wind and Nasty Dogs & Shrimps

Progreso, Mexico, February 13th to 17th 2018

Progreso is a small harbour town, with 6 km pier to beat the shallow shore. The pier was built in the 20's by Finns, I heard, and didn't bother to check the fact, since I like to gather extra points for my nationality. Whenever suicide and depression rates are discussed, I pretend I'm from Bulvania.

You can hardly see the end of the pier

As I arrived, the town was full of people, since it was the hey day of the Carnevale, with a parade and other festivities. The beach boulevard Malecon was packed with crowds, treats and tivolies. I may have eaten a marquesita or four, with both cheese and nutella. Wild life!

A surprise parade! Again!

Malecon on Tuesday

None of it was left the next day. 

Malecon on Wednesday

After that, it was all quiet on the eastern part of the town, where I stayed. Except for the wind. The wind never stopped blowing, not even during nights. There were barely any people on the streets nor on the beach, most of the seaside cafés closed. 

The amount of abandoned houses was remarkable and their looks fascinating. Of course, there were the lovely coloured and very much lived in houses, too. I could say the town is kind of lame, but with a weird feeling that anything could happen. If Federico Fellini and Aki Kaurismäki would have made a movie together, this would have been a perfect location. 

Oh my Godfather, I loved it!

One of the abandoned houses on the seaside

There were the colourful views...

...and the not so fancy ones.

The pier area, however, is another thing entirely. The daily cruise visitors have made the surrounding streets somewhat tourist oriented. Like "Taxi? Taxi? Taxi?" in Bali, "Massage lady?" was the signature call here. All the travel-magazine-like pictures are taken close to the pier, but the reality is way more boring.

I noticed the cruise effect in the online restaurant reviews, too. If there is a nice waiter nicknamed Joe who speaks English, dollars are accepted and there's a hearty burger on the menu, good reviews are granted. Still unaware of that, I chose a nice looking restaurant by the pier with good reviews, and ended up eating outside to avoid a Irish style troubadour, drunk retirees and horror movie lighting. My spagetti was lukewarm on arrival and chilled to freezing in the blowing wind, which also made my hair mix with the spagetti, not that I could make any difference. I hit some nasty tasting shrimps in my dish and decided, against my deepest held beliefs, stop eating midway.

There were good restaurants, too, but the whackamole effect of opening times was even stronger here than in Mérida. I ended up eating pretty much any place that was open. La Antigua was a good bet, with fine food and nice patio with some visibility to the sea. There was also a cozy, regurarly open and good Indian restaurant called Comida India. And loads of interesting-looking places, never open.

A sea view. Note the palm tree bending in the wind.

Compared to the gentle beasts of Holbox, the dogs here were killers. Not the ones roaming around the streets, but the ones behind fences. They waited in total silence until I was right beside them and then started a full blown barking charge, with the intention to cause me a heart attack. No doubt. I barely lived to tell.

For hammocking Progreso is not ideal, since the beach is pretty much poleless and the wind would have taken me away anyhow. Luckily, my hotel room had a high ceiling and huge windows, so I could just open the latter (and jam them to keep them open in the wind), lie on my bed and pretend I'm having a nap outdoors.

Pieces of information
• Progreso in Wikitravel
• Other people exploring Progreso: Trips, Tips and Tortilla Chips, Yucatan for 91 Days,  A Life by Design

Whackamoling Meals in the Art Hub of Yucatan

Mérida, Mexico, February 9th to 13th 2018

You know the whack a mole -game? No? Google it.

It is quite similar to find an open restaurant in the cities I visited in Yucatan. If there is information on the opening times of a restaurant online, it most likely is not connected to reality. One shouldn't trust the opening times on doors, either. Or count on the restaurant being open at the same time you saw it open yesterday. Or at all. And, if the pronounced opening times do match real opening times, they most likely are bizarre. Like from after lunch to right before dinner. or opening after dinner time. The breakfast might be served way to the afternoon and, accordingly lunch only after breakfast. I ended up eating two breakfasts per day quite often. Not complaining about that, though. My advice is to eat whenever you see a nice restaurant open. Just whack it while you can!

One of my favorite restaurants in Mérida, the lebanese Cafe Alameda, open till 5 pm [sic].

In Merida,  I did feed my soul, too, with art. It was easy, since Merida is the capital of Yucatan, also in terms of art. There are several art galleries and institutions there, I'll list some below.

On the grounds of the 10–15 exhibitions I visited, the Mérida art scene is way more playful and colourful than the North European one I'm used to. Modernism is alive and well to the point that sometimes a painting from five years ago looked like one from the fifties. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Also, women in art were mostly portrayed as mysterious and super feminine, which was kind of boring for me. Then again, the gender roles are a tad different in Mexico and Finland I guess.

OK, let's start with galleries!

Gallery Nahualli presents mainly two artists: sculptor Melva Medina and painter Abel Vázquez.
The space is beautiful and so are the art works.
Location Calle 60, between Calles 43 and 45, www.nahualli-gallery.com

La Sala exhibits up and coming Mexican artist, for example the style chameleon
Alfredo Romero and gray scale expert Miguel Rodriguez Sepúlveda
Location almost next to Nahualli, Calle 60, between Calles 43 and 45,
www.lasalaart.com

La Sala also has the most beautiful tile floors.

Galeria Eskalera is a charming two floor gallery, presenting local artists, including later settlers.
Eskalera was the most avant garde gallery I visited, with works of surprising materials and
laconic humor. It's located at Calle 70, between Calles 57 and 59.
Eskalera in Facebook

A crocodile art piece by the big name of Eskalera, Joseph Kurhajec

Unlike in Valladolid, here the vernissage was not an illusion and I was invited!
SoHo Galleries had an charity exhibition Art with Heart with loads of artists,
international but emphasizing Mexican and Cuban talents.
Located at Calle 60, between Calles 41 and 43,
www.sohogalleriesmx.com

One of the most interesting artists of SoHo galleries was Jorge Aguilar Jaar, 
combining traditional imagery with contemporary style.

El Caimito is a small gallery, with an emphasis on trading art,
also from other artists than currently exhibited.
Located at Calle 54 between Calles 39 and 41, www.elcaimito.com

There was a couple more galleries and studios near La Eskalera I was told about by Eskalera's Janet. Unfortunately I didn't find them right away and had to rush to dinner errm to very important meeting and missed them. People with more strength, ask again and visit! Another missed gallery was Galerie Mérida at Calle 59, between Calles 52 and 54. Based on stalking from the windows, a place worth visiting!

And then to the art institutions!

Centro Cultural La Cupula presents art and design in a stylish, white cube
and folk crafts combining large gallery space. At the time of my visit there was
the super interesting exhibition De-Construcciones by Demian Flores on display.
Located at Calle 54, between Calles 41 and 43, lacupulamerida.org

Nice floor tiles here, too

Museum Fernando García Ponce aka MACAY presents both modern and
contemporary art, not that the line is that clear. Located at
Pasaje de la Revolución, between Calles 58 and 60, www.macay.org
Pictured here: Haiku by Wendy Ross

Centauro by Mario Martín del Campo

The scale model -like atrium exhibition space presented works by Georgia Chahuras

The accidental light art piece in the corridor, on display in sunny afternoons.
At the front a work by Jorge Yazpik.

Jorge Marín's dynamic-corporal statues

Pia Seiersen Lorenzana's exhibition Oscilaciones was a rare specimen of minimalism.

In addition to architectural and cultural interest, Palacio del Gobernador falls also into the art sector. Pretty much like in Valladolid, the mansion was decorated with large murals about the history of Yucatan. That's not a beautiful history, as it rarely is in colonial areas. The use of art as a way of information is pretty well done here, I think, and the murals have an independent artistic value, too.

Making it in Public

Using local public transport is always a challenge for me, since the habits of paying, stopping a vehicle and getting out of it are different everywhere. A risk of an awkward moment of  mistake making is all too present. In Mérida, however, I gathered all my courage and asked the hotel receptionist, how to act in the local bus. Here's what I learned.

There are no official bus stops, except somewhere in the central area. You just wait and hail the bus anywhere by its route. Enter and pay the price of the trip to the driver. The price is the same, no matter the lenght of the trip, 8 pesos in Mérida, 6,5 in Progreso, other cities I have no idea. When you want to exit the bus, go and say so to the driver, although it did seem to be enough just to go and stand by the door and/or driver. If it's full, shout "Bajan!" as you want to stop. Playing by the rules, one should exit from the back door, but the front door seemed to be the preferred way out.

I was warned that the bus drivers might be a little macho and unpolite, but all the drivers I met were quite nice, except the one that shouted after me "Your Ticket!", just as I had nonchalantly given my coins without waiting for one. Like a local. Luckily, no one did that after the incident. Also, my dabbling bajan-por-favors were aptly understood as "Hello, I'm a tourist, let me out".

Sunday Stroll on Wheels

Paseo Montejo, the super long boulevard of Mérida, is hugely overstated. Just being long is not that interesting, unless the topic is killer snakes or pay check, and the "many interesting houses, cafés and restaurants" along the boulevard, advertised by tourist guides, are really not that numerous, either.

An actually interesting building along Paseo Montejo.
Zebras on sale!

On Sundays, though, the boulevard comes alive, when half of the lines are closed from cars and reserved for bikes and vehicles remotely reminding bikes. There are a lot of vendors hiring out bikes and I rented one for an hour. There was a childlike joy in riding a bike with no destination, among all the other people, I must say! Mind you, this is not a sports event, more like flaneuring on wheels. There are kids learning to bike, friends having conversations while driving so abrupt changes in directions are likely. Be careful!

Francisco de Montejo the Younger shows when it's time to turn back

Mental Upgrade/Downgrade

I stayed in a hotel which was a fresh reminder of Scandic style simplicity (in Mexican scale). I soon realised that the ground floor rooms were actually converted from a garage, the yellow parking lines still visible. I admired the quite hipster design decision, just wondering why the rest of the ex parking area wasn't used as a lounge – not that I'd resent the empty space, either, all breathing and zen. Oh my golly, my designer friends would be so jealous to hear what an extraordinary place I'd stayed in! 

Imagine my disappoinment waking up the next morning to find two cars in the after all not so ex garage. Matter really matters: those two cars had downgraded my super hipster hotel room to a room in a back of a garage, with quite a peculiar view.

A room with an ex view

Other than that, the hotel was beautiful, quiet, clean, well connected and affordable. Next time I'll demand a room on the first floor, though.

Pieces of Information
• Mérida in Yucatan Today
• Other people exploring Mérida: Food Fun Travel, Hippie in Heels, Aye Wanderful, Prince & the Pear, Sillä välin maailmalla (in Finnish and English)