So a few days ago, I wrote about how Stockholm has a feel that's more in common with continental cities like Copenhagen than with a city like Oslo, which I called 'Scandinavian'. I hazarded a guess that Helsinki would be similar to Oslo in that respect, and while they definitely have a lot in common, I really hadn't considered the Eastern influence of Moscow and St. Petersberg on the development of the Finnish capital.

While Oslo was planned by continental European planners, Helsinki owes much of its layout and fabric to Tsarist and Soviet planners. The building stock of Helsinki is quite similar to that found in the other high latitude capitals, but it follows a much more rigid street plan, and building plan than Oslo and Stockholm, and there is substantially more ornamentation on the more recent buildings.

The other thing that's impossible to miss about Helsinki is how seriously it takes its reputation as a fashion capital. There's a lot of random stuff that just screams "Look at me, I'm designed." The city is slated to be the official world design capital in 2012, and is taking that distinction very seriously. Everywhere there's posters and installations taking shape. The legion of trendy stores is trying to look even trendier. I walked into a mall and discovered a food court on the top floor so hip, it could've been an Apple Store in the US.

Anyway, about this picture. It's looking across the Töölönlahti lake just north of the city center. Nice dramatic clouds today.