hiustenleikkuu, maalausta, illallinen

I got my hair cut today, for the first time outside the US. My hairdresser was from Oulu, a town she found quite dull, although she did appreciate its traditional black-bread-and-potato soup. After shampooing my hair, she put her hands on my head and squeezed, without moving her hands. This had an astonishing effect: after a few seconds, I suddenly perceived an intense herbal smell. Presumably the shampoo had some plants in it, but its scent was unnoticeable before. Are there nerves in the scalp that are connected to the nose? Or is it simply that stimulating one sense (in this case, touch) makes another (smell) more receptive? The romantic in me wants to believe that the woman in Akseli Gallen-Kallela's In the Sauna (1888) is using the same technique, and that it is a Finnish tradition...

One of the advantages of living in Helsinki is that the Ateneum has the world's largest collection of works by Gallen-Kallela, my favorite artist. Paintings currently on display include Old Woman and Cat (1885), The Great Black Woodpecker (1894), Lemminkäinen's Mother (1897), Fratricide (1897), Head of Anna Slöör (1897), Kullervo Cursing (1899), Ilmarinen Plowing the Field of Vipers (1900), and Kullervo Rides to War (1901).

For dinner I had my first meal at a serious restaurant, Sundmans Krog. I chose the Menu Krog (36,50 €) which consisted of three dishes. Entrée (in the proper sense): Krogin silakkapöytä - Buffet of Baltic herring prepared in various ways: large grilled herring; a sort of baked herring loaf; herring in various cream and tomato sauces; herring with dill; and, best of all, tiny herring pickled with sweet red peppers. Plat: grillattua siikaa, muhenettua perunaa ja sitruunakastiketta - Grilled lavaret (whitefish) with a dark lemon sauce, on top of some buttery potatoes in cream sauce with finely julienned spring vegetables. Dessert: pieni appelsiini-crème brûlée ja lakkasorbettia - Cold orange crème brûlée with cloudberry sorbet; the orange goes well with the cloudberry.

All three of these were made from quality ingredients, carefully cooked, and attractively presented. I wouldn't call the meal exceptional, but it was certainly quite good and a good value.

To drink I had a glass of Alsace riesling (2004 Winzenberg grand cru from Hubert Beck).