Winter activities in Finland

Happy Chinese New Year! And Happy Valentine's Day!
Helsinki had it's own, although very small celebration of a Chinese New Year... Meanwhile we engaged ourselves in a winter sport activity named pulka, where sled called pulk is used to slide down the hill (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulk). It was good fun, despite the fact that now my tailbone feels somewhat sensitive :) Well... ice-skating should be next weekend's attempt! :)

 

  

 

Moving forward...

Started applying for jobs... Started proceeding with thesis... Restarted going to the gym... Restarted taking yoga classes... Those I take on Saturday mornings, they bring peace to my mind, and are great kick-off for the whole weekend! Got Bloomberg TV at home to be connected to the world business news... Reconnected with friends who returned from their journeys abroad...

But I feel something is missing... Maybe my traveler's spirit is waking up after two weeks "at home". Or maybe it is something else. Action and motion around? Maybe...  Someone called Europe "lazy cat" and Asia - "hungry tiger"... And to say the truth, Finland, and even its capital, Helsinki, is quite a sleepy hollow. They call Helsinki "provincial capital of Europe"... And there is much truth in it. It's actually quite a nice city, with many lovely corners, beautiful architecture, great sea views, stone-paved streets, small cozy cafes, designer shops, and in a way I like it here, but hey, I am a big city girl! :)

Now I have to finish something in order to start something new in my life. And it feels great and keeps me moving forward!

 

Helsinki seen from air balloon - summer 2009

 

Winter in Finland

On the weekend we drove to family ranch in Alavus, which is located 300 km to the North-West of Helsinki. It was so cold in the morning, over minus 20 C. But it was still very beautiful, those curvy roads and frozen trees, all covered with snow... I actually cannot recall to have experienced this kind of winter, when snow stays for such a long time, also in the city, since my childhood...

 

 

This is real winter