LJeight3

After an exciting sauna party and a late night out in Tampere it was well worth sleeping in this morning. Liz and I did make it up in time to grab the hotel breakfast though. The highlight of this was her agreeing that their scrambled eggs are definitely not good. She'd been trying to defend them everytime I described them to her, but now she agrees they are an abomination of what we call eggs. It's nice to be right on occasion ;) Breakfast over, the friendly (and quite attractive) staff of the hotel restaurant gave us walking directions to Näsijärvi; this is the frozen lake I've walked and talked about earlier. It was chilly, but a beautiful day out and I figured Liz deserved the experience of seeing hundreds of people treating a frozen lake ... read more

So... Another pretty lame day. I came straight home from work and went to work on the taxes again. In an effort to stay productive I opted for takeaway instead of saddling up to the bar like I did last night. This plan worked somewhat. I did end up staying and working longer than I did last night, but I pretty much gave up after I got my food. I just went for "New Chinese" which is pretty much like any chinese takeout joint in the US. For entertainment over dinner I chose some curiously Finnish science fiction by the name of Star Wreck. It's a crudely animated, crudely translated and immeasurably bizarre parody of Star Trek. I recommend it. After all, it is another bit of Finnish culture per se.... read more

Since arriving in Tampere I have been advised that there are three notable wing joints in town. I'm talking hotwings, in the Tampere vernacular it's 'hornets'. So far I've tried two of the three which were Captain Hooks and Speak Easy. Dave and I opted to head straight to the last of the three after work today. It's name is so simple for the English tongue: Siipiweikot. The closest translation I can come up with is, "Wing Buddies." It has my vote for the best hot wings to touch my numb lips in all of Finland. To tell you the truth, it was almost like being back in the U.S. If you've been in Finland for a few months and are craving some typical American bar food then Siipiweikot will not do you wrong. Plus they ... read more

Surprisingly, I awoke to minimal hangover symptoms, ready for another day of exploring Helsinki. The plan of attack for today was a good breakfast and then as many museums as I could handle. Now, if one wants a great breakfast in Helsinki the obvious choice is Cafe Ekberg. I believe this is Helsinki's oldest cafe, possibly the oldest in all of Finland. Starting out as a bakery, opened by F. E. Ekberg in 1852, it survived through the years as a coffee shop, a spirits factory, an alcohol shop, a tabacconist and a traditional cafe. The brunch buffet is great and the coffee is strong. Satiated, I pulled out my overtly touristy map on which I'd highlighted some museums that piqued my interest and aimed myself at the nearest of the bunch. This happened to be ... read more

After work I dropped Dave off in Tampere and pressed on to Helsinki. I rolled into the Crowne Plaza approximately 18:00, got checked in and dumped my bags at the foot of the bed. The hotel presents itself as brand new (maybe it is) and was very nicely appointed in modern decor. I was quite happy with the heated tile floor in the bathroom, ample closet space and aesthetically pleasing, but still useful lighting. This place is definitely recommended if you're staying in Helsinki. It's especially fitting for business travel, IMHO. After some discussion with the concierge regarding a place to dine, I settled on Ravintola Saaga. The concierge made a reservation for 20:15, which gave me plenty of time to walk there. The walk was pleasant and took just over 20 minutes. I passed most ... read more