By: Karli Eller
I step off the bus and make my first left and am met with racks and racks of clothes. As I walk along the shopping street, lined with red and white street pavers, I notice the crowds of people perusing blouses, scarves and dresses. I glance back and forth as I walk down the middle of the road, trying to see if anything catches my fancy.
Just past the shopping street I come upon the Ekenäs Church, the only one of its kind in Finland, constructed out of greystone. Outside the front entrance bikes are strewn in a haphazard manner as three young boys stare at their phones, waiting to see which Pokémon character they will try and catch next.
I step off the bus and make my first left and am met with racks and racks of clothes. As I walk along the shopping street, lined with red and white street pavers, I notice the crowds of people perusing blouses, scarves and dresses. I glance back and forth as I walk down the middle of the road, trying to see if anything catches my fancy.
Just past the shopping street I come upon the Ekenäs Church, the only one of its kind in Finland, constructed out of greystone. Outside the front entrance bikes are strewn in a haphazard manner as three young boys stare at their phones, waiting to see which Pokémon character they will try and catch next.
My stomach begins to rumble so I continue on towards a little café right near the water. Café Gamla Stan is its name. Different varieties of quiche and cake are on display behind a glass window. Possessing a limited menu makes it very easy to order. I order a slice of shrimp quiche and a piece of chocolate cake and then wait. And wait some more. It is unclear what is to be done next. Customers are randomly selected to pay, with no obvious order to the process. Finally, I pay and then head outside to join my group of friends. My food arrives shortly and I dig in to the quiche. Ehh, it’s alright. Not great, but not terrible. I have higher hopes for the cake, but am disappointed when it closely resembles the consistency and taste of a brownie. As I finish up my meal I am struck by the sight of the apple orchard blooming with green apples overhead. The food might have been mediocre, but the setting is perfect.
Belly full, I resume my tour of Ekenäs. Two blocks beyond the café sits the Baltic Sea. A sidewalk runs along the coast presenting multiple picture opportunities. We pass a small public beach, an ice cream stand, the Ekenäs Nature Center, a restaurant built on poles in the sea and finally a dock half occupied with sailboats.
On the walk back I come upon a store selling local crafts. I find three, whimsical postcards printed by an artist down the street, perfect to send my family members back home. It is time to leave and as I board the bus I think that two hours was the perfect amount of time for this quaint, coastal town. For an avid shopper, more time might be necessary, but for myself it was just enough. Smaller and less impressive than the seaside towns of Hanko and Naantali, Ekenäs was still worth the visit, if for no other reason than the lovely walk along the Baltic.
On the walk back I come upon a store selling local crafts. I find three, whimsical postcards printed by an artist down the street, perfect to send my family members back home. It is time to leave and as I board the bus I think that two hours was the perfect amount of time for this quaint, coastal town. For an avid shopper, more time might be necessary, but for myself it was just enough. Smaller and less impressive than the seaside towns of Hanko and Naantali, Ekenäs was still worth the visit, if for no other reason than the lovely walk along the Baltic.