Meandering home

August 11. Sunny Helsinki. Bookstore.

Helsinki is sunny. That's what it is. I spend a beautiful day walking around the city. My friendly host Hanna has given me a map and indicated some interesting places. This is my second time in Helsinki. I don't feel like a tourist but I see the city museum. Only a few centuries ago, Helsinki ...

30 August, 2009

bookstore, daisy, Helsinki, Turku

Travel

August 9. A short night later.

A short night later, Olga and I say goodbye and I drag my backpack once again through the metro system of Saint Petersburg, this time to hotel Oktobrskaya where the minibuses to Helsinki leave. Olga has even made a reservation for me and a very Russian looking man in a jean jacket approached me and ...

30 August, 2009

busride, Finland, Helsinki

Travel

Helsinki #8. Writing at the kitchen table.

The title of this post contains pretty much all there is to say about this day. It was rainy outside so I decided not to leave to Lapland yet. Anna-Sofia left me with all conveniences, which I really appreciated. Fortunately I was able to express my gratitude by going to the supermarket, where I found ...

31 October, 2008

guitar, Helsinki, tuning

Travel, Writing

Helsinki #7. Common Ground.

The next day I met with Lyndsey again at the train station, and we went for a walk in the rain, which was no big deal since we both come from proverbially rainy countries. She suggested to go to the botanical gardens, which I found a good idea. It took us a little while to ...

31 October, 2008

botanical, Helsinki, Kallio, Kaurismaki, Sibelius

Travel

Helsinki #6. A beer in the Belly.

Got up late. Apart from writing, done not much.

At night, we went to a well-known Helsinki pub called Belly. So we had a beer and played a game of table soccer. Two DJ's played some modern jazz which became pretty danceable after not too much alcohol. I ran into two Dutch guys who ...

27 October, 2008

bar, Belly, Helsinki

Travel, Writing

Helsinki #5. Writing.

Friday, October 24th. Wrote a few pages and I was quite content because I could feel my fingers.
In the evening an other group came at Ilpo's place, and we chatted until one. They were nice exchange students who studied in Finland from France, Spain, and Germany. I got to speak German again which felt ...

25 October, 2008

day off, Helsinki

Travel, Writing

Helsinki #4. Suomenlinna.

The rhythm of 11 o'clock awakening seemed to have been established. It rained that day, but cleared up enough for me to decide to visit the famous island with the castle on it, Suomenlinna.

On the ferry, that was included in Helsinki's regular transportation system, I met a British girl called Lyndsey, and ...

24 October, 2008

bar, Helsinki, Island, Suomenlinna

Travel

Helsinki #3. Dry feet.

Another day started with a lazy morning and a tasty breakfast. I joined Ilpo to his office and decided to go to the Art Museum "Atheneum". Before that I walked in another shoemaker's shop and asked him if you could repair the crack in my sole. He said "yes, I can", and started working immediately. ...

24 October, 2008

beer, gender, Helsinki, lunch, museum, shoemaker

Travel

Helsinki #2. Wet feet.

My night on the couch at Inko's place was very comfortable, and I woke up around 11. A quick breakfast with cereals and pesto-toast replenished my energy, and I walked into a mild Helsinki day. I spent this day writing and blogging, but I was concerned about my shoes, because the left one had a ...

22 October, 2008

Helsinki, laugh, sole

Travel