Serín Uimaranta

In between meals we had time to go to one of my favourite beaches close to Xixón, Serín's beach
Entre fartures siempre hai tiempu pa disfrutar de les playes cerca de Xixón. Esti día fue Serín

You see few people because is a nudist beach. Usually the nicest ones
Nun vos faceis la idea de lo qu'echo de menos les olones del Cantábricu

See you soon!
Hasta lluéu!

Love & Anarchy

The Film festival of Helsinki starts tomorrow. Let me know if someone is interested in attending to some of the films. I guess it's too late to get tickets for some movies but who knows. I'll try to see some of the Spanish ones
El festival de Cine de Helsinki empieza mañana. Equí ta la llista de películes, si teneis dalguna recomendación decímelo qu'ando un poco perdíu

Llavandera

Not happy with feeding us at her place, Sonia took us eating to the cider brewery of Trabanco in Llavandera
Nun contenta con danos de xintar na so casa, Sonia llevonos al llagar de Trabanco en Llavandera. Too mui rico

Always ready for some action Susana and Balen joined to sample some food. Before eating we went to the peak Sol, where you have an excellent view of Xixón
Siempre preparaos pa l'aición Susana y Balen xuntáronse pala fartura. Antes de comer subimos al Picu'l Sol pa ver Xixonín dende enrriba

In Llavandera there are gorgeous oaks. To have an idea of the size look at Anne standing by the tree
Delantre'l llagar hai un Carbayu guapísimu. Anne tuvo de tener por él nun fuera a caese (el carbayu)

Cemeteries in Spain are quite different to Finland. Here, many of the people which has gone is in these "apartments"
A Anne lláman-y muncho l'atención los cementerios d'equí, especialmente los nichos. En Finlandia los que marcharon nun tan "n'apartamentos"

Ystaviä, äyriäisiä ja korista

Continuing with the last vacations in Asturies... After Uvieo we headed to Xixón and stayed in Sonia's place. She took extremely good care of us as usual. I was received with the TV on to watch the Spain vs. USA in Basket Olympics with some velvet crabs and Rioja wine as aperitif. Who can ask for more? not me. Thanks Sonia!!
Siguiendo coles últimes vacaciones n'Asturies... Dempués d'Uvieo tiramos pa Xixón y quedamos en casa Sonia. Como ye vezu cuidonos de maravilla. Recibiome cola tele puesta pa ver el baloncestu (España vs. USA), Rioja y unes andariques pa picar. Quién puede pedir más? Nun seré yo. Gracies Sonia!!

To the crabs followed some delicious squid cooked in its own ink. Sluuurp!
Pa seguir Sonia preparonos unos calamares na so tinta que taben de muerte

Good food and better company. All what is needed to be happy. Sonia (left), Maria and Javi (Right)
Buen xintar y meyor compañía ye tolo que se necesita pa ser feliz. Sonia (Izda), Maria y Javi (derecha)

Anne & Sonia

Sarjakuvafestivaalit II

Thoma took this photo of us (left to right: Anne, Cano ja Marja). In my hands holding
Capitaine Mursu's treasure : ) More photos in Thoma's Flickr Gallery
Thoma saconos una foto desde'l su stand. Na foto: Anne, Cano y Marja. Nes mis manes el valiosu 'incunable' del Capitaine Mursu. Más fotos del festival na galería Flickr de Thoma

Syyskuu

Autumn is striking hard, the climbing plant on our home turned completely red and we have 8 degrees Celsius. The shining window is our kitchen
La seronda llego con fuerza, la enredadera de casa yá ta toa colorada y fuera hai 8 graos. La ventana que brilla ye la nuestra cocina

Sarjakuvafestivaalit & Capitaine Mursu

This saturday the Helsinki comic's festival started and I paid a visit.
Esti sábadu empezó'l festival del comic en Helsinki y paseme perellí.

My friend Thoma (proudly holding his work) was there presenting the guide to his (and Axel Maja's) comic Capitaine Mursu. It is lots of fun. Surely they will find a publisher soon.
El mi colega Thoma taba presentando'l (con orguyu na foto) su trabayu, xunto a Axel Maja, nomáu Capitaine Mursu. De momento sacaron una guía sobre'l comic a ver si encuentren editor pronto. Suerte!

I showed up around 12:00 and it was not too crowded yet.
Aparecí a eso de les 12:00 y tovía nun taba mui petáu.

My shopping, I recommend them all!
Les mis compres, recomiéndolo too!

Hiding the Railways

A bit more about Uvieo's architecture. To cover the railways the city built these colourful houses. I find that the conservative government realised at last that we are in the XXI century.
Un poquitín más sobre la arquitectura en 'Carbayonia'. Na mi opinión los edificios que punxeron al soterrar les víes son mui prestosos.

Although the old city (from IX-X century) is very nice, the urban furniture has been, so far, dull and pretentious. This new direction is very refreshing.
El cascu vieyu mola pero col mobiliariu decimonónicu, y el pesebre d'estatues, fiede demasiáu a "rancio abolengo". Lo de Calatrava y estes casines parecenme un pasu refrescante a la contemporaneidá.

Les silles d'Eero Aarnio

Continuing with Calatrava's building in Uvieo... Despite the dull interior it was fun to see that in front of every hall in the shopping mall there were chairs of known designers. At least, we noticed a couple of models of the Finnish designer Eero Aarnio. The famous ball-chairs are already full of graffities. See all here
Siguiendo col tema del edificiu de Calatrava. Aunque l'interior dexa que desear, sorprendionos que punxieran silles de diseñadores famosos ente les tiendes. Llamáronnos la atención dos modelos del diseñador Finés Eero Aarnio. Les sus famoses silles bola yá tan llenes de pintaes. Más fotos equí

The most hated building in Uvieo

In arriving to Asturies we spent the first night at my mother's place. Walking around Uvieo we were struck by this building appearing in between the streets. This is a work of the architect Santiago Calatrava. Most people I met say the building is horrible and that the location is too tight for the size of the construction. In my opinion the size is a success. When approaching from some street you can perceive bits of the impressive, sleek structures. The interior was a disappointment, a regular shopping mall. More photos
La primera nueche n'Asturies pasámosla n'Uvieo en casa mio madre. En paseando pela ciudá sorprendionos una gran estructura blanca onde taba'l vieyu Tartiere. Yera'l tan denostáu edificiu de Calatrava. A nós gustonos mucho. Nun me pareció encaxonáu, al contrariu, mola que te sorprenda y que nun se revele enteru hasta que nun tas xusto delantre. Por dientro decepcionome, ye otru centru comercial, plagáu de tiendes y escuru. Dicen también que tien forma centollu, pamidea parezse más a una ñocla. Animal mui guapu dígase de pasu. Más fotos

Takaisin

Back in Finland after three weeks visiting family, friends, nature and eating/drinking non-stop. I'll be posting some of the photos here. To start with, some photos of my new nephew Marcos. We knew him the first day in Valdemoro close to Madrid. He's all fun and laughs. All the photos
Yá tamos de vuelta, tres semanes mui prestoses ente Madrí y Asturies. Fartar y disfrutar de la familia y amistaes. Yá vos echamos de menos! Diremos subiendo equí les fotos del viaxe pa que les tengáis y les veáis. Empezamos col primer día, nel que visitamos a la mi hermana y conocimos al mi sobrín nuevu: Marquinos :) Toles fotos equí

Art goes kapakka

Art goes kapakka (art goes to the bars) started today. Singing choirs tour the bars around the city. Top chefs look for the best Finnish ingredient, offering traditional delicacies and presenting local producers. Restaurants also offer their so called 'legendary dishes'. Really interesting is the activity science is art, which consists in giving talks at Vanha about health, happiness, environmental issues... Plus plenty of art exhibitions in bars. Needless to say that, during the events, the participating bars provide the usual goods to keep clients happy.

Hoi empezó'l Art goes kapakka (arte nos chigres) en Helsinki. Dellos bares y restaurantes participen abellugando actividaes culturales. Esta nueche coros van cantando pelos chigres. Cocineros de postín busquen el meyor ingrediente Finés ufiertando productos tradicionales y presentando a los productores. Los restaurantes también ufierten los sos nomaos 'platos llexendarios'. Molen les charles "la ciencia ye arte" nes que se falen de temes sociales, ambientales y de salú nel reaturante Vanha. Amás hai muches esposiciones pelos chigres. Nin que decir tien que los chigres siguen dando de beber y xintar mientres duren les actividaes.

Berliini Huhtikuu 2005

Now that our summer vacation is approaching :) I thought about showing the photos from a short trip we made to Berlin in April 2005. I really liked the architecture, specially the modern bits. The natural history museum wasn't bad at all either. See the complete photo set.
Agora que nuestres vacaciones de veranu tán al caer, pensé en enseñavos les fotos d'un viaxe curtiu que ficimos a Berlín en Abril de 2005. Gustóme mucho la arquitectura, especialmente les partes modernes. El muséu d'historia natural tampoco defraudó. Ver toles fotos.

Cuerpos na ciudá

Hooked on the Olympics I've missed the URB-festival (urban culture and art) in Helsinki. Luckily, there is plenty of info in the web. I've found very interesting the activity Bodies in Urban Spaces from which Däni von Hickersby has a thorough coverage in Flickr.
Engancháu nes Olimpiaes perdime'l festival URB en Helsinki. Pa consolase hai bastante material na rede. Pareciome mui prestosa la actividá Cuerpos n'Espacios Urbanos de la que Däni von Hickersby tien fotos abondo en Flickr.

Helsingin sarjakuvafestivaalit

Make room in your agenda this September! The Helsinki comic festival takes place from 12 to 14.9.2008. Invited guests are François Walthéry, Guy Delisle, Anders Nilsen, Martin tom Dieck, Marko Turunen and Quebéc-Finland project. This year the poster has been made by Mari Ahokoivu, check her nice work on her site (material in English)
Apuntái nes vuestres axendes pa setiembre! El festival de comic de Helsinki ye del 12 al 14.9.2008. Los invitaos son François Walthéry, Guy Delisle, Anders Nilsen, Martin tom Dieck, Marko Turunen y Quebéc-Finland project. Esti añu'l cartel dibuxolu Mari Ahokoivu, mirái el su blog que tien coses guapes (mucho n'Inglés). Equí teneis abellugu :)

Ei iskua Irakiin! - Nun ataquéis Irak!

Time flies. Three years ago we were protesting against the imminent invasion of Irak. A sunny day of March 2003 (but -15 celsius) . See photos here
El tiempu vuela. En marzu de 2003 (-15 graos) tabemos de manifestación contra la inminente invasión d'Irak. Ver les fotos equí

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)