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Ambassador’s Journal: November 20, 2009

Ambassador Bruce J. Oreck — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:59:43 +0000

My wife, Cody, and I try to travel around Finland as often as we can and although we have already been to many places outside of Helsinki and have lots of trip planned for the future, work keeps us here in the capital city a great deal of the time. Accordingly, every week we try to explore some lesser known treasure of Helsinki. So a few days ago Cody arranged a tour of the Sohlberg house museum which is a part of the Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation. (Sakari was a justice of the Supreme Court, and his wife Päivikki, a referendary counsellor.) The foundation sponsors medical science and health care in Finland through generous grants. But it also preserves the large and wonderful apartment that was the Sohlberg home.

So off we went with the Spanish Ambassador, H.E. Ricardo Zalacain and his wife, Monica Espinos, Heidi Day (of the U.S. Embassy) and Octavian Balea (a photographer friend). The tour was lovely and fascinating – a real look into the private world of some important citizens whose lives covered a significant portion of the 20th century.

Ambassador’s Journal: November 18, 2009

Ambassador Bruce J. Oreck — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:47:09 +0000

Several weeks ago my wife and I spent a rainy afternoon at the terrific Suomen Rakennustaiteen Museo, the Museum of Finnish Architecture. Finns are renown for a long history of innovation and beautiful architecture and that proud and on-going achievement is captured in the exhibitions and library of the museum. I highly recommend this wonderful museum for everyone who wants to know more about the art of the built environment. (And yes, for those looking for just the right gift, they also have a first rate book and gift shop!)

Historic preservation has been a long time personal passion. And for the last decade both my wife and I have been very active in energy efficient and sustainable building practices. (Although I will leave a detailed discussion for a future journal entry, these principals are fully compatible with beautiful design.) At any rate, we invited the museum director, Severi Blomstedt, and his friend and longtime Helsinki resident, the British born architect and author, Jonathan Moorhouse for lunch at the Embassy. What was scheduled for an hour drifted into over two hours as we discussed a century of Finnish architecture. Wonderful conversation and the start of what will be great friendships!

With Severi Blomstedt and Jonathan Moorhouse

Life in Helsinki

Michael A. Butler — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:58:24 +0000

Serving as Deputy Chief of Mission – and, for the time being, as Chargé d’Affaires – at the US Embassy in Helsinki is personally rewarding for me in any number of ways. Finland is a beautiful country, I enjoy working with our Finnish counterparts, we have a highly professional team at our embassy, and Finland is a player in many issues of primary importance to the United States. I have another, very special reason as well. Several decades ago, as part of my Doctoral studies in the History of American Diplomacy at the University of Virginia, I wrote a dissertation on US diplomatic relations with the “Oslo Nations” during the 1930s. The “Oslo Nations” were seven European neutrals who initiated a consultative process in response to events in Europe during that decade. I’ve now had the good luck to serve in two of the “Oslo Nations” – first Norway, now Finland.

One of the special benefits of my job is the ability to travel throughout Finland. In July of last year, my wife and I represented the United States at the Savonlinna Opera Festival. Seeing world-class opera performed in a medieval castle turned into an opera hall is an unforgettable experience. So is the summer night’s stroll along the lakefront following the performance. My first trips to Turku and Tampere came during last year’s US presidential election, when I participated in programs sponsored by the North American Studies Departments at those cities’ universities. Since then, I’ve made a point of traveling back on my own, whenever we have visitors. My son and I traveled to Turku on Christmas Eve to experience the Declaration of Christmas Peace. I love taking friends to Turku’s wonderful Gothic Cathedral, where a Queen of Sweden is buried. And Tampere has to be Europe’s best living example of waterpower’s role in the Industrial Revolution. A visit to the restored Finlayson buildings and a walk along the city’s falls is a must for any visitor to Finland.

3B Tram at Kauppatori (Photo Credit: Wikimedia)

All of that without even mentioning the special joy of exploring Helsinki’s sites – Engel’s Senate Square, the ferry to Suomenlinna, and the informal tour of the city’s highlights offered by an hour’s travel on the 3T tram.

When the snow clears I’ll hit the road again, with the goal of visiting other Finnish cities that I don’t yet know. I look forward to bringing greetings from the United States while learning first-hand of about their histories and culture.