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.