Blogs from Uusimaa, Finland, Europe - page 38

I read that seeing Helsinki by bicycle is a good idea and I would have to agree. Friday I rented a bike and rode one of the many bicycle routes around the city. The whole town is really set up for bikes with their own lanes and traffic signals and all. I can't get over how much it reminds me of where I grew up in northern Wisconsin. I guess that is why there are so many Finns living there. Last night I checked out the night life with one of the locals. They say it is more active in the winter and right now it is a little thin because many people are on holiday. The arctic bar was not worth it. I was much smaller than I thought. It was the size of a ... read more

Rides: 1 plane, 1 bus, 1 ferry Country count: 33+2! Today I have been in three different countries. I started in England - a night on the floor of Stansted airport to prepare me for the trials and privations of budget travelling to come, and then a way-too-early flight to Tallinn, Estonia, where I caught the first ferry I could to Helsinki in Finland. Kate met me at the ferry terminal, and took me to the hostel, where I promptly collapsed from exhaustion. I think this travelling thing will take a few days to get used to! And so it's begun. Our mad plan to travel from Helsinki to Istanbul, hitch-hiking and camping our way through at least 11 countries in 6 weeks. Have a look at the planned route of travel on the map I've ... read more

A clear plan for my whole day was put together in my head during my morning walk (not for the workout... from nothing better to do at 5am). The plan: Take care of some paperwork, get cell phone, figure out the bus and train system (that I have not used yet since everything is within walking distance). Action: Walk around for six hours. Buy spoon from second hand store. Buy a CD. Buy another CD. Get coffee while unloading my camera into my brother's mailbox - sorry Alex. I'm going to lock myself in my room until Saturday, or go to Estonia... to buy some CDs! This is becoming a problem, as I've been here for three days and I've managed to buy four CDs. Every time I hear Candice's voice in my head asking "now, ... read more

We had come to Finland to visit our son, wife, granddaughter and family. Esse is a village near Jakobstad, which is about 300 miles north of the capital Helsinki opposite Sweden, across from Umea. First impressions were of vast areas of forest with cleared areas of farmland. I was to learn about the 188 thousand lakes and the interesting weather, it can be -30c. in winter and +30c in summer. What I was totally unprepared for, were the mosquitos by the million, when we went to the lakeside for a picnic, summers are spent outside as much as possible, I should have guessed with so much water. The picnic area was fully prepared with seating, a log pile and kindling. We completed the evening fishing in the lake with a makeshift rod to catch the cats ... read more

Helsinki is nice. No more, no less. A city on the water in the land of the thousand lakes. No spectacular sites, but clean, safe, and organized. The senator's square I find the most impressing, with the very tall stairs leading up to the big white building with the green roof. The university library is also cool. My buddy and local guide refers to it as an "Indiana Jones" library. This is a very illustrative description. The setting would be ideal for a shot of any Indy-movie, at least the research part. The problem starts when I get thirsty. Happens every now and then. The beverage of my preference is Diet Coke. To my amazement and shock I discover that practically everywhere the charge for a regular 50 cl bottle (20 ounce) is about €2 (approx. ... read more