Like I promised last week, from Oulu, the bustling city in
the northern Finland, we are driving a bit south, where I am stuck pretty out
of my real will.
Something like 80 km south, after having encountered a few sparse
houses of those people who do not want to have anything to do with any neighbor,
we reach Raahe, one of the 10 historic wooden towns left in the whole Finland.
The town counts something like 25000 inhabitants and you can
consider it the bustling city of the surrounding area, the place where people
around go for the big shopping or to have something more to do during the
weekends.
For me it has become the hub to experience some life. Coming
from the capital, where it is difficult to feel alone, this was a dramatic
change as I rarely meet anyone for the whole five days a week I am spending in my
working place.
Surprisingly, the population is made up for the 67% of
people aged between 15-66 years old, the 19% is under 15 years old and the rest
is over 64 years old. Meaning that the town is not really a dying one, and
despite its remote location, people enjoy the quiet and peacefulness of the
location. We can also say that this is the final proof of how Finns love to
live in small communities and how do they value the silence and privacy.
Indeed, the new part of the town doesn’t miss anything, and people can find
everything they need together with a rather cozy environment. Tourists can find
hotels where to stay if they want to have a taste of the real, traditional Finnish
lifestyle (not just the one proposed by the tourist agencies).
I bet during the summer, when you can have a nice walk on
the beach, the town looks very attractive, for the winter season the harbor is
the only thing that works on the seaside.
In the main square I came across a strange statue, and
people might wonder about who that musketeer might be (LOL!!).
In the main square I came across a strange statue, and
people might wonder about who that musketeer might be (LOL).
This gentleman, (who looks like D'Artagnan), is the founder
of the city the count Per Brahe the Younger, who was a Swedish statesman,
soldier and author.
People, however call the statue with the friendly name of
Pekka statue, as they feel it more comfortable to give a nickname to feel that
figure more familiar and close to their everyday lives.
The main square, where the statue is located is somewhat the
main heart of the old town, a place who is romantically decadent in the eyes of
the beholder.
However, the lack of maintenance in the outside part of the buildings comes with very strict requirements on how to renew the facades of historical sites, and perhaps people do not care about the outside when the inside is comfortable enough.
The original outer border is delimited by the old church, another little jewel that I consider visit again in Spring and Summer.
That is the "Holy Trinity Church" designed by Josef Stenbäck, it is way younger than the rest of the original town, but it is considered anyway part of the heritage architecture.
I have personally very mixed feelings about this town. From one side, I love the sense of peace and the calm it inspires me with its decadent look. It is a great source of inspiration as it forces me to go deeper into thoughts that generally are just passing by through my mind, and almost pass by undetected. In this town they are the only ones I have and make me think about my life, my destinations and my goals. It is a way to think about what is really important in life.
On the other side, I miss home and the fact of having the comfort of people surrounding me. The feeling that I haven't been left alone in this world.
Love you all!
Stay tuned until next week, when we will go in the deepest of the nothingness!!
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