by Sunli Kim
Center Editor 
     Paris is the most frequently dreamed of travel destination; a center of fashion, a Mecca of enthusiastic epicureans, and a pinnacle of wine, our expectations of the city’s treasures are never disappointed. But one has not truly experienced European culture in its entirety without visiting the lovely city of Helsinki, Finland. With its ancient paved roads and cathedrals, bustling market harbors, quaint café settings, and lively night scene, the city is the epitome of the foreign experience.

    The Helsinki port lies on the edge of a picturesque bay often filled with small, brightly colored fishing boats. The daily outside market ends literally a few steps from the water and sells such a variety of unique items and food that when I went two summers ago, I discovered something new each time I rambled among the vendors. The organic produce and fish stands positively glowed with freshness; the strawberries, although tiny, were basically juicy spoonfuls of sugar, and the snap peas were so sweet and fresh that we all bought a bag each to nibble on throughout the day. My friends and I spent thirty minutes at a jam stand sampling all of the different flavors available, some made from strange berries I had never heard of, like the cloudberry, rowan berry, and bilberry. The food from both the cafés in the city and the small harbor are delicious; fresh sashimi, a decorous salad, and piping hot reindeer meatballs and potatoes are a must.