It is pretty obvious to most friends that Clay and I are not lacking in food.  One look could convince anyone of that noticeable fact.  We arrived in Helsinki with an impression that we should be worried about food prices.  Anyone that has been to Norway & Sweden would understand our concern.  We had read that Helsinki was expensive as well, but not nearly as outrageous in our personal opinion.

Staying at an Airbnb we were delighted to see that our host had left us a long list of suggested restaurants in our “not so touristy” suburb.  We learned from tour books and our host as well that the main meal of the day is lunch.  Lunch buffets are a tradition here, and in our local neighborhood we found the typical prices to be in the range of 8-12 Euros each.   Hurray for the Olmsteads.  We will not go hungry any time soon.

Our typical day in Helsinki consists of a breakfast at “home”, a large lunch at a local restaurant buffet, and a light dinner or late dessert at a local place or our apartment.  Today’s delightful dessert was at a place we spotted from our tram coming back from a visit to the Rock Church (covered in another paragraph).  We hopped off and were delighted to find Fika is celebrated in Finland as well as Sweden.  (Finland was once part of Sweden)  Princess cake is a Swedish specialty cake, and I am so happy that the tradition survived the Russian rule of Finland, from 1808 until 1917.  Guess the Finns like Princess Cake as well as Maggie.

Here we are, relaxing at our favorite place for coffee in the afternoon, the Early Bird. Great coffee almond croissants to die for (notice the clean plates). All served in an atmosphere that’s more comfortable than staying at home.

Yes, the food here is very good.  Typical Finnish meals – like in Austin, food consists of local fresh and natural ingredients.  East and West influences are everywhere!  Summer fresh foods include new potatoes, salmon, sausage, herring, strawberries, and blueberries.  Fresh fish – everywhere!  Fish soup everywhere especially salmon soup.  If coming to Helsinki check out local specialties and you can find reasonably priced food.  Trust me – you won’t go hungry if you plan ahead and avoid a lot of overpriced tourist restaurants.