New Header - Nueva Cabecera

I thought someone may like to have the header's updated picture in a decent resolution. If so, just click on the photo to open the full-resolution version and save it
Pensé qu'igual vos prestaba tener la nueva cabecera nun tamañu afayaizu. Si ye'l casu, calcái na foto p'abrir la versión grande y baxáila

Güertes na ciudá - Cultivating in the city

Yet another wonderful thing about Helsinki is that one can rent a small plot of land within the city and grow potatoes, berries... and they look great too!
Otra cosa prestosa en Helsinki ye que la ciudá alquila parceluques a la xente pa que plante hortolices, frutes... tiénenles mui cuidaes y nestos díes de branu da gloria véles

Rudus Cement

Close to our place is this cement factory. I find the building pretty cool. See more
Cerca de casa tenemos esta cementera. Mólame l'edificiu. Ver más

Hilloa & Mehua - Mermelada, zumu y dulce de bayes

Anne came back from Ypäja with 50 litres of berries. We spent Sunday making marmalade and juice. You can see all the process and end products here
Anne fue'l vienres al campu a la casa que tien la su familia n'Ypäjä y volvió con 50 llitros de bayes. Pasamos el domingu faciendo zumu (con unes potes mui curioses), mermelades y dulce. Podeis ver el procesu equí

Visit to Dragsfjärd

Last weekend we visited the Holm & Koivisto family at Drasfjärd on the Kemiö Island, Southern Finland. We also visited the summer house of the Finnish businessman Amos Andersson (and enjoyed the nice landscapes (apple trees, rye fields...). On the way back we stopped in Angelniemi to see its nice wooden church. Photos here
Esti domingu visitamos los nuestros amigos Piia & Tommi en Drasfjärd, na islla de Kemiö nel suroeste de Finlandia. Ellí cerca ta la casona de branu d'un potentáu finés (Amos andersson) con playa nun llagu, pumaraes... la bomba. A la vuelta ficimos más turismu per Angelniemi pa ver una iglesiuca de maera. Ver les fotos equí

Celebrating Xixón's Promotion

This is taken from Juan Llaneza's blog. Xixón's football team (Sporting) is back in the top Spanish league. I celebrated having dinner with a couple of friends, Manolín and Xuanín. Both from Uvieo, Xixon's eternal rival. We went to the restaurant Tori, where this photo was taken. The world is so small that some other Asturians from Xixón and Uvieo in a business-trip showed up in the same restaurant in Helsinki. The reactions when they saw me wearing the Sporting's shirt were contrasted but all shocked. The guy from Uvieo felt like not even going to Finland he could escape Xixón's celebrations. As the French say in these occasions: désolé :)

Vadelmat/Frambueses

Raspberries, they are everywhere and are delicious
Frambueses, hailes per tolos llaos y tán que te mueres

From Finland through Canada to the Spanish Civil War

Interesting article in El País about one book dealing with the Canadian Brigades fighting on the republican side during the Spanish Civil War. Coincidentally, the article focus on the figure of Jules Päiviö a Finnish-Canadian that enrolled at the Mackenzie-Papineau battalion. An article on the website Vapaa Sana states:

Around 1500 Canadians went to Spain in spite of Canadian laws against volunteering. Of those Canadians a disproportionately large number were of Finnish origin. According to Finnish author Jyrki Juusela 225 Finns in total fought in the war and of these over 70 were Finnish-Canadians

Interesante artículu n'El País d'un llibru sobre los brigadistas Canadienses que llucharon cola República na guerra civil. Menciónase a Jules Päiviö, un Finés-Canadiense que formó parte del batallón Mackenzie-Papineau. De los 1500 Canadienses que fueron a lluchar a España (contra la llei canadiense) 225 yeren d'orixen finés. Qué coses...

Zola

Nice evening at the sun in Kallahdenniemi, nice peninsula in Helsinki.
Una tarde mui prestosa asoleyando en Kallahdenniemi, una de les muches penínsules guapes en Helsinki

Koris Ilta/Basket evening

Every thursday basket next to the sea. Some times is too hot : ) photos

Cycling Home/Polkemassa Kotiin

La mi ruta en bici desde'l curro. Photos

Loved/Rakas Kallio

Kallio, Helsinki by blafond
We lived a couple of years in Kallio, one of my favourite neighbourhoods in Helsinki. See photos to understand why
Vivimos un par d'años nel barriu de Kallio. Ye uno los mi favoritos. Mirái les fotos pa ver por qué

KIITOS/GRACIES!

My parents left. In addition to love they left this behind :)

Wonderful smell

Anne & Elena baked delicious raparperikakku (rhubarb pie) and korvapuusteja (cinnamon cakes) Slurp! Turn the pages with the mouse's pointer or just click here to see the photos

Fanatics of the Tour de France

Three hours of wonderful landscapes in the Alps. We managed to wake up to watch the last 15 Kms

Tuusulan rantatie

We went with my parents to the shore of Lake Tuusula.We visited Ainola, the house of the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius and the impressive house-studio in Halosenniemi of the Finnish painter Pekka Halonen. After the cultural trip we had lunch at Pyysaari restaurant
Colos mios pás visitamos la costa del llagu Tuusula. Visitamos Ainola, la casa del compositor Finés Jean Sibelius y la ablucante casa-estudio en Halosenniemi del pintor Pekka Halonen. En finando colo cultural fiumos a fartar nel restaurante de Pyysaari

Hakaniemestä

Having visitors is always a good excuse to shop fresh products at Hakaniemi market square. Delicious new potatoes (boiled with dill), fresh peas (with some reindeer here), tortilla and wonderful chanterelle mushrooms. The last strawberries of the season as a dessert never fail. Look here at the happy customer

Killer squirrels

By the way. In Seurasaari the squirrels seem to be out of control. They follow you around literally demanding food.

And again

My parents are visiting again. As you see we're having and excellent weather. The photo was taken in Seurasaari

Makkaramies

I saw this animation at the movie theatre when I went to see the last Indiana Jones film. I laughed my arse off. Is for a campaign to prevent skin cancer. To my surprise, it turns out that I know some of the people involved. It was made by the graphic design company Cloud9 (loistavaa Jani!). If you live in Finland the ad is even funnier, grilling this kind of sausages (till they explode) goes together with sauna and summer (and beer of course)

Lontoo

;
At last we visited Luis and Poli in London. Walking around, shopping,
drinking British Ales, having fried breakfasts and visiting the Natural
History Museum. Anne took a few photos with her mobile phone.

Roihuvuoren vesitorni

As time goes by I fancy more the constructions made of concrete and steel. Close to our place is the water-tower of Roihuvuori, the painting on the tower was made by Heikki Kuula

In August 2007...

Javi and Ale visited. We went to a mökki (cabin) at the shore of Päijänne Lake. You can see the rest of the photos here. Theresa's mam let us the cabin. Paljon kiitoksia!

Visitors last May II

Visitors last May I

Hello! long time. I gathered some energy after two years break and decided to resurrect the blog. Here you see Anne, Zola (sitting) and our three visitors (standing from left to right, Aurora, Sonia and Vicente)

Äiti ja isä

In July, my parents came to visit and we decided to spend one day in Porkkalanniemi again. If you remember a previous post, this is a very interesting place.

As you see we took it easy (especially Anne)

We had a very nice day just walking about and having a laugh.

My father, a big fan of Sibelius, got a photo at the Sibelius monument in Helsinki

In our program for visitors we have the traditional trip to Tallin too

They enjoyed the old town and did a lot of shopping.
And the usual question... who's next? : )

Päijänne

Moi! by the end of last May we got visitors (Fiona & Xosé María) and this gave us the excuse to spend a long weekend in a mökki (cabin) by a lake in the Padasjoki area
















As you see the cabin was very well equiped
















The laituri (pier) was excellent for sun bathing after the compulsory dipping into the lake to refresh from the sauna
















Grilling is a must in these circumstances too






















Next day we took a taxi-boat and headed towards the largest island in the Päijänne national park.

















The place is really beautiful.
















Isn't it?
















Late May is also an excellent time to look at diving birds
















Zola enjoyed the excursion as well, although it was a little hesitant to swim
















We enjoyed some grilled sausages and a nap. So well my friends... who's next? : )

Euroviisut

Last Saturday was a day that will be remembered in Finland in years to come. Yes! Finland won Eurovision (for 1st time) and in which way. Spectacular performance of the band Lordi, and record score in the history of the competition. The participation of Lordi was opposed by conservative groups, and even some said that if Lordi would win they will move to Sweden. After the victory Lordi said that they were willing to help with the moving. The band was a blow of fresh air in the competition and lots of fun!!!!!!! I personally like the traditional Kitsch-Gay atmosphere of the festival but it was getting really boring too. As lordi said: "a victory for Finland, the rock and open-mindness. Hyvä Lordi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

















Some of us got together in our place and followed the contest with the right attitude.

















During Lordi's performance the TV was out loud and we rocked (and laughed) hard.

















Thanks to Cim we could celebrate the victory with sparkling wine






















A happy 'glamourous' but deeply satanic fellow : )

Hauskaa vappua!

Moi. Two days ago we celebrated May 1st (Vappu) in Helsinki. This set of photos belong to the traditional picnic in Kaivopuisto. There is plenty of sparkling wine and other alcoholic drinks. Many people (almost everyone) who have graduated from high school (lukio) wear their student cap. Events include the capping of the Havis amanda, a nude female statue in Helsinki, and the biannually alternating publications of ribald matter called Äpy and Julkku
Moi. Hai dos díes cellebramos el primeru de Mayu'n Helsinki (Vappu). Estes semeyes son de la romería que se fae nel parque de kaivopuisto. Casi tola xente que se graduó nel instituto lleven una gorra. El día anterior ponse una gorra a la estatua de Havis Amanda y la publicación bianual alterna de dos publicaciones satíriques Äpy y Julkku

Some people, arrange extremely lavish picnics with pavilions, white table cloths, silver candelabras, classical music and lavish food. The picnic usually starts early in the morning, and some hard-core party goers continue the celebrations of the previous evening without sleeping in between. Some student organizations have traditional areas where they camp every year
Dalgunos apañen tiendes de mucho postín, con pabellones, candellabros de plata, música clásica y delicatessen pa xintar. Polo xeneral la romería comienza temprano, y nun ye raru que muchos vayan de doblete. Dalgunes asociaciones d'estudiantes tienen reservaes zones del parque tolos años

As you see we had an excellent weather.
Tuvimos un tiempu mui guapu

Carrying the table...
Llevando la mesa...

Mari making the arrangements for our particular feast. I added some heterodox touch by bringing my wine skin bag (bota de vino), which is laying on the rigth
Mari preparando la nuestra fartura. Añadí un toque tipista llevando la bota vino, na sombra a la derecha

Porkkalanniemi

Terve! Two weeks ago we went to Porkkalaniemi a very nice peninsula located in Kirkkonummi. In the peace treaty after the Continuation War, in September 1944, Finland had to lease the Porkkala naval base to the Soviet Union and was recovered by Finland in 1955. Nowadays is an excellent area for hiking and birdwatching (especially now during the spring migration).


There were some bits of ice in the sea, but this didn't stop hundreds of eiders (Haahka) to be there.