Fall flowers

Flowers for sale outside a flower shop in Helsinki.

A bank advert found on the pedestrian-only part of Mikonkatu.

What was that again?

The restaurant car on the train from Helsinki to St. Petersburg, Russia. I was surprised by how new and shiny the cars in this train were. I've seen this train arriving/departing many times and it's always been old and worn out cars.

Red Nose Day?

The Three Smiths were the only ones wearing red noses. I wonder if they felt conspicuous?

Lamer

An ad on the side of Stockmann, Finland's largest department store. I know it's supposed to be La Mer, but that's not what it looked like at the time.

Carnival in Kamppi

A carnival at Kamppi in Helsinki.

Why is that tree growing so close to the road?

I was driving through Vantaa today and saw the first sign of winter. The Department of Roads and Construction plant these trees at the edge of the roads in mid-October so the snowplow drivers know where to plow. We haven't had that kind of snow in a few years, though. Every time I see these for the first time, I'm hopeful that we'll have a lot of snow. Here's hoping!

Road work part 2

Aleksanterinkatu is virtually deserted on this Sunday afternoon. The only sounds were from the construction.

Road work

Some of the tram lines in Helsinki are having some repair work done.

Early autumn in Pitäjänmäki

I took a short path through the woods on my way to the bus stop from my friend's house and was rewarded with this view. The leaves in my area are starting to change colors, but this area still looks mostly green.

Geese!

We spotted these geese along the shore of Kaivopuisto. It's been cool here and I think they were talking about heading south. The yellow building is the boathouse of Suomenlinna.

Pasila Tunnel art (part 1)

At the end of the school year in May, an artist had started working in the tunnel that leads from Pasila station to Ratapihankatu and Ilmala. She had used pencil to outline all of the details on wood panels and then started painting. I was away all summer and when I returned in August, she had finished all of them. I have pictures of a few. This one is called "Ending."

My favorite view

When I first moved to Finland, I lived in Lauttasaari. This is the west side of the island, near the Espoo border. This has always been my favorite view. There are many small islands in the distance and it's not uncommon to see several sailboats sailing through the area.

Friday evening traffic

Driving east across Lauttasaari to downtown Helsinki on a Friday evening.

Swans

This little family was spotted near Lauttasaari, an island in Helsinki.

A hole in the ground

When I moved to Finland in June 1997, this was literally a hole in the ground. The area is called Ruoholahti and it contains the Nokia Research Center, a multi-level shopping center, and many other businesses.

Suomenlinna bridge

While crossing a bridge between the islands of Suomenlinna, a young visitor pauses to have a look around.

Arriving at Suomenlinna

Arriving at Suomenlinna, the island fortress off the coast of Helsinki. This ferry is part of the public transport system in the Helsinki area. It travels between Helsinki's Kauppatori, market square, and the fortress. Suomenlinna consists of five islands linked by bridges.

Move your body

Korean tourism ad on the side of the bus from the center of Helsinki to the airport.

Lynx

It was a hot day and most of the cats were in the shade, but this "ferocious" creature came right up to the window and posed for us.

Eteläsatama as seen from the zoo

The view of Helsinki's south harbor (eteläsatama) from the zoo.

The view from the zoo

One view from the observation tower on Korkeasaari. This is one of several harbors around Helsinki.

A view from above

Observation tower at the top of a hill on Korkeasaari, Helsinki's zoo island.

Theme Day: Metal

It's theme day again. This month's theme is metal, be it an alloy or a genre of music.

Here's Finland's 2008 EuroVision Song Contest entry, heavy metal band Teräsbetoni(Finnish for "steel reinforced concrete"). I never used to be a fan of any kind of music, least of all heavy metal. But since moving to Finland, it seems you can't escape the nation's love for heavy metal. Their 2006 EuroVision Contest entry was another heavy metal band Lordi which won the competition that year.

I took this on 19.3.08 at Tavastia, a concert hall in Helsinki.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Pacius 5

A huge Mac sign for eat-in and drive thru.

Pacius 4

The housing in that area. It is a quiet neighbourbood.

Pacius 3

Kids at play. It is a huge park with about 3-4 different sections of playgrounds and there is also a football field.

Pacius 2

Located beside a river. Very peaceful.

Pacius 1

Some scenes from Pikku Huopalahti. To cool off from the hot weather, showers are available. This is a nice scenic park located in Pacius.

A presidential tour (part 2)

A statue inside the ballroom at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki.

A presidential tour (part 1)

I had the rare opportunity to be part of a tour group at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki. Although there were many beautiful rooms and furnishings, we were only allowed to take pictures in the ballroom.

From the previous path ...

to an island opposite it. The cycling and walking path from the previous post was taken near Uunisaari. Uunisaari is a small island near Ullanlinna. One is able to get there by ferry. There is a cafe and a beach there. During summer, it is a popular place for people to get some sun.

Note: Filling in for krs the past couple of days. She'll be back soon.

Walking and Cycling

Different paths for pedestrains and cyclists. Helsinki is very cycle friendly. Something like this is not found in my own home country.

Vintage magazines

My son has chicken pox and I wasn't able to get out and take a new picture today. I have a couple of photos from the kiosk museum and I'll share one more. This is more of the selection offered at the kiosk. I love the colors and style. I would love to have a look through these magazines.

Rautatiekirjakauppa

These old magazines were hanging in the window of a railroad magazine kiosk museum. Rautatiekirjakauppa means railroad book store.

Lunch on the patio

This is the outdoor cafeteria seating area at the offices of a business. It's such a nice place that it's really a shame it can't be used for more months.

Entering Vantaa

I've seen this sign almost every day for the past 9 years. This area of Vantaa is full of forests. Notice the bike path and biker between the street and forest. Inside that forest are lots of blueberries and loganberries. Soon there will be mushroooms to pick, too.

And summer flowers

Took a detour into the forest on my walk this evening and found these. I don't know what they are, but their light purple looked so nice against the deep green behind them.

Summer fruit

My favorite thing about Finnish summer is the berries. These were growing near the Espoo-Vantaa border and I had to take a picture. They were still a little tart for my taste, but the birds had been there and they didn't seem to mind at all.

Bike course?

I saw this a couple of days ago when I was visiting a friend in Vantaa. I went back today to take pictures. There was a series of small, steep hills and then a wooden ramp at the end.

Wheel Free in Helsinki

Wheel Free in Helsinki happens every summer. One can get a Citybike from one of the 26 Citybike stands around the city centre. The deposit for a Citybike is 2 euros. When you return the bike to a stand you will have your 2 euro deposit back.

Ten Rules for riding a Citybike

Biking anyone?

What's so special about this bicycle? Find out tomorrow.

The Three Smiths

The three smiths statue is a sculpture by Felix Nylund, situated in Helsinki in the three smiths square at the crossing point of Aleksanterinkatu and Mannerheimintie. This realistic statue, unveiled in 1932, depicts three smiths hammering on an anvil. More info in wiki...

Found

Yeap, the man found it.

Blue flowers

Could u find where they r?

Traffic Lights

Hey, watch out the lights, u should slow down now.

Road Work

Summer Sale 2

Wanna a bus? : )

Summer Sale 1

Are u ready for the crazy shopping?!

Hard to choose

To the left, or to the right, that is a question !