The travelers' schedule is posted on the Viikingit 98 team website: http://www.viikingit98.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=145&Itemid=61, so everyone can see what is happening from day to day. Keep in mind that Helsinki is seven hours ahead of Philadelphia.
On Tuesday, the boys, coaches, and a couple of additional parents headed to Vierumaki, a sports camp about an hour from Helsinki, for an overnight stay. Word from the camp is that all has gone very well, with floorball and saunas being a big hit--more to come on that when the players and families are reunited and the stories downloaded. But meanwhile, many of the Hawks families took the opportunity to head to Estonia. There was a small moment of panic when again, two of the travelers (who shall remain nameless) misplaced their passports. Fortunately, they realized this on Monday night, and figured that the bag in which the passports had been stashed were either at their host family's house or in the cab they had taken back to the hotel. Thankfully, they were with the host family, and the passports were retrieved just in time to board the ferry. So the Hawks are 5-for-5 on this trip for passports lost, then found.
The ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn, Estonia's capital, takes just two hours, and the travelers were again accompanied by four of our Finnish hosts. Upon arriving, the hardy group endured a brief blizzard, but the snow retreated after about a half hour, leaving only the cold for all to enjoy. The group divided and followed two professional tour guides through Tallinn's beautiful Old Town. They then shifted from medieval to modern with a trip to the KGB Museum. The KGB Museum, thankfully, was indoors, away from the elements. However, jet lag remains an issue: there was one parent (who shall remain nameless) who literally fell over, asleep, while on the tour. The tour guide continued her routine as if nothing had happened, while fellow Hawks families tried to avoid laughing (and failed miserably). Mercifully for that parent, it was then time for a medieval dinner at the Peppersack Inn (http://www.peppersack.ee/), in a building that dates from the early 14th century, followed by the ferry back to Helsinki and a return to the nice, comfortable Hilton beds. And happily for all, there was nothing on the schedule for the families until 1:00 p.m. the next day--at last, a day to sleep in!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Day Two: Getting to Know Helsinki
For photos of our first two days, click https://picasaweb.google.com/107623788813119326976/HawksInFinland2012?authkey=Gv1sRgCOzrpMyJgYubDw#
After a good, and much appreciated, night of sleep for most travelers, it was time to get our bearings and get to know our hosts. The host families dropped their charges off at the Hilton, and everybody piled onto two busses for a tour of Helsinki. Each bus had a tour guide who explained Finnish history, sites, and culture. The boys were very well behaved--okay, some of them may have dozed off during the ride--but when the busses pulled up to Helsinki's picturesque Senate Square, the siren call of the snow (of which we had seen very little in Philadelphia this winter) was too much to resist. The travelers disembarked to see the square, and soon, the snowballs were flying, even as the parents tried to take photos of the Hawks players in this famous spot. These are, after all, 13-year-old boys!
The tour guides continued to point out the striking architecture of Helsinki, with a dose of the interesting history of the country, much appreciated by the adults at least. After a while, we came to the other stop on the tour: the incredible Rock Church, carved into the natural bedrock, with a dome of copper wire. Snowballs flew again (outside, don't worry), but it is a measure of how cool the Rock Church is that the boys settled down for a look--and, again, some photos.
When the city tour finished, the busses deposited everyone at Helsinki's Government House. There, we were met by eight of our Finnish hosts, and divided into groups of about nine. Half of the travelers went to lunch in Helsinki, and the other half toured Government House, where Finland's Parliament meets, and learned a bit about how the Finnish government works. After an hour, the two halves switched. Then, with the official tours and lunch behind us, our Finnish hosts led our small groups back to the hotel, stopping at sites along the way according to what the groups wanted to do. Many went to the top of the Hotel Torni, which features the highest spot in Helsinki, 14 floors up.
As the travelers straggled into the Hilton after this fun and informative day, everyone had a very brief chance to catch their collective breath. Then it was time to head to the ice rink. Parents and players alike were escorted by our hosts to the Metro station, where we all took the subway to Vuosaari. The Viikingit ice rink is brand new--it just opened this fall--and is about a 15-minute walk from the subway stop. Through the cold and snow, the intrepid Hawks travelers followed the guides and were proud to make it to the rink in time for the Hawks to have joint practices with the Vikings. At last, some hockey! The ice was humming with activity, as the parents relaxed in the pleasant coffee shop between the rinks. (The setup is similar to the rink at Oaks--but much, much nicer. And the parents were delighted to find that the wi-fi signal is very strong!)
After the practices ended, the boys (who, yes, showered at the rink) and their families were met by the boys' host families, who were hosting their extended group of guests for dinner, mostly in their homes. What a special evening--the Finns are such gracious hosts, and more than willing to settle in for a long Monday night with the Americans. At the end of the evening, the parents again said farewell to their boys, then headed back to the Hilton to share stories of the day.
After a good, and much appreciated, night of sleep for most travelers, it was time to get our bearings and get to know our hosts. The host families dropped their charges off at the Hilton, and everybody piled onto two busses for a tour of Helsinki. Each bus had a tour guide who explained Finnish history, sites, and culture. The boys were very well behaved--okay, some of them may have dozed off during the ride--but when the busses pulled up to Helsinki's picturesque Senate Square, the siren call of the snow (of which we had seen very little in Philadelphia this winter) was too much to resist. The travelers disembarked to see the square, and soon, the snowballs were flying, even as the parents tried to take photos of the Hawks players in this famous spot. These are, after all, 13-year-old boys!
The tour guides continued to point out the striking architecture of Helsinki, with a dose of the interesting history of the country, much appreciated by the adults at least. After a while, we came to the other stop on the tour: the incredible Rock Church, carved into the natural bedrock, with a dome of copper wire. Snowballs flew again (outside, don't worry), but it is a measure of how cool the Rock Church is that the boys settled down for a look--and, again, some photos.
When the city tour finished, the busses deposited everyone at Helsinki's Government House. There, we were met by eight of our Finnish hosts, and divided into groups of about nine. Half of the travelers went to lunch in Helsinki, and the other half toured Government House, where Finland's Parliament meets, and learned a bit about how the Finnish government works. After an hour, the two halves switched. Then, with the official tours and lunch behind us, our Finnish hosts led our small groups back to the hotel, stopping at sites along the way according to what the groups wanted to do. Many went to the top of the Hotel Torni, which features the highest spot in Helsinki, 14 floors up.
As the travelers straggled into the Hilton after this fun and informative day, everyone had a very brief chance to catch their collective breath. Then it was time to head to the ice rink. Parents and players alike were escorted by our hosts to the Metro station, where we all took the subway to Vuosaari. The Viikingit ice rink is brand new--it just opened this fall--and is about a 15-minute walk from the subway stop. Through the cold and snow, the intrepid Hawks travelers followed the guides and were proud to make it to the rink in time for the Hawks to have joint practices with the Vikings. At last, some hockey! The ice was humming with activity, as the parents relaxed in the pleasant coffee shop between the rinks. (The setup is similar to the rink at Oaks--but much, much nicer. And the parents were delighted to find that the wi-fi signal is very strong!)
After the practices ended, the boys (who, yes, showered at the rink) and their families were met by the boys' host families, who were hosting their extended group of guests for dinner, mostly in their homes. What a special evening--the Finns are such gracious hosts, and more than willing to settle in for a long Monday night with the Americans. At the end of the evening, the parents again said farewell to their boys, then headed back to the Hilton to share stories of the day.
Day One, 36 Hours Long
The Hawks arrived at Haverford Middle School on Saturday morning ready for adventure. The two buses left on time for JFK, traffic was cooperative, Finnair was efficient, and everyone had moved through security with more than two hours to spare--more than enough time for lunch and relaxation before boarding. Though the members of one family, who shall remain nameless, lost their passports briefly before checking in, the missing items were found and the first crisis was averted.
The flight was happily uneventful, with most of the boys distracted by the in-flight entertainment system for most of the eight hours. After all of the warnings, did they sleep? Of course not. About half managed an hour or two of snoozing; the other half were still too excited.
The group was met in Helsinki by our Vikings hosts, who led our band of travelers and luggage to two buses. The first stop was the Vikings' lovely new ice rink, where there were two equipment rooms in which the Hawks could store their hockey gear for the week. Then it was on to a hotel conference center, overlooking the beautiful (and still iced-over) Gulf of Finland, where a buffet lunch was served. Eyes lit up at the sight of the meats, and speculation was rampant: was this reindeer, or perhaps elk? Sorry, boys, it was merely roast beef and turkey. The adventurous ones in the group tried the ligonberries and the beet salad, while the more reserved went with the cheese, salad, and fruit. As they ate, the Finnish host families arrived, and soon all around the dining room were clusters of Americans and Finns, greeting one another and catching up after a year, or meeting one another for the first time. Eventually it was time for the boys to head to their Finnish homes, and for the American fellow-travelers to find the Hilton that would be their home-away-from-home.
By this time, of course, it was 2:00 in the afternoon--7:00 a.m. in the US--and no one had really slept in about 24 hours. Too bad! In order to get onto the new time schedule more quickly, it was important for everyone to stay up until at least early evening. (This meant that the adults had to resist the call of their comfortable hotel beds.) Thus, once belongings were dropped off and everyone had freshened up, all headed to a sports center for the opening party--the parents doing so by Metro for the first time, with the welcome help of our Finnish friends.
The opening party was a major hit, with floorball under the black lights being a major feature. Bowling was also popular with kids and adults, and there was more food in the party room. By the end of the four hours scheduled for the party, boys were draped over the chairs and couches in a daze. The American parents said their goodbyes and headed back to the Metro, and the boys went off to their Finnish homes, at last able (and more than happy!) to get some sleep. And so the 2012 Finland Exchange began.
The flight was happily uneventful, with most of the boys distracted by the in-flight entertainment system for most of the eight hours. After all of the warnings, did they sleep? Of course not. About half managed an hour or two of snoozing; the other half were still too excited.
The group was met in Helsinki by our Vikings hosts, who led our band of travelers and luggage to two buses. The first stop was the Vikings' lovely new ice rink, where there were two equipment rooms in which the Hawks could store their hockey gear for the week. Then it was on to a hotel conference center, overlooking the beautiful (and still iced-over) Gulf of Finland, where a buffet lunch was served. Eyes lit up at the sight of the meats, and speculation was rampant: was this reindeer, or perhaps elk? Sorry, boys, it was merely roast beef and turkey. The adventurous ones in the group tried the ligonberries and the beet salad, while the more reserved went with the cheese, salad, and fruit. As they ate, the Finnish host families arrived, and soon all around the dining room were clusters of Americans and Finns, greeting one another and catching up after a year, or meeting one another for the first time. Eventually it was time for the boys to head to their Finnish homes, and for the American fellow-travelers to find the Hilton that would be their home-away-from-home.
By this time, of course, it was 2:00 in the afternoon--7:00 a.m. in the US--and no one had really slept in about 24 hours. Too bad! In order to get onto the new time schedule more quickly, it was important for everyone to stay up until at least early evening. (This meant that the adults had to resist the call of their comfortable hotel beds.) Thus, once belongings were dropped off and everyone had freshened up, all headed to a sports center for the opening party--the parents doing so by Metro for the first time, with the welcome help of our Finnish friends.
The opening party was a major hit, with floorball under the black lights being a major feature. Bowling was also popular with kids and adults, and there was more food in the party room. By the end of the four hours scheduled for the party, boys were draped over the chairs and couches in a daze. The American parents said their goodbyes and headed back to the Metro, and the boys went off to their Finnish homes, at last able (and more than happy!) to get some sleep. And so the 2012 Finland Exchange began.
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