Bitter Sweet Home Suomi

As promised... Some Suomi report now.
Right at the beginning... I have hardly taken any photos. Tuhannesti anteeksi. But whenever I had my camera with me, I didn't really feel like taking any. Just imagine Finland a couple of months ago... Nothing has changed.

So so.
About the first night there is nothing more to say. Guess you got the proper atmosphere.
So, the second day.
I spent this one by not doing a lot.
* Breakfast in Juvenes. No minced meat. No rice. No milk.
* Visited DUO formerly known as Taps.
* Mikontalo tour. A big mess. A big construction site. And building C is not orange anymore but violet now. I managed to get a photo for you. Even worse than the violet stuff: Nobody seems to live in C 169 anymore. Who's taking care of the Winnie Pooh carpet now? The leftover Riga beer we left there for the next ones?

Miko with... ehm... balconies???

* Tampere city tour. Walked through every possible street. Hämeenkatu up and down. Vapriikki area, Tammerkoski area, everywhere.
* Cafe Europa. Drinking wine and tea and eating one candy. Haven't borrowed anything. Really!

And now I have to tell you: Without you it was nothing. Walking through the city where everyday life hasn't stopped when I left really hurt when I became aware there was no one to call and ask for having a coffee with me. Nobody who took the walk to the Hervanta lake (I will probably never remember its name) with me. Yeah, I missed you a lot then.
Without you this place is not the place it used to be! Still, fortunately Jani was there who did Europa with me. Nice!

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Thursday: Enough of Tampere. Headed off for Turku and Daniel who had started his Erasmus a couple of days earlier. Wohooo! Had a great time there, another Kiitos for this. A couple of days in a nice city, even spoke a lot of Finnish although Swedish would have been useful as well - Daniel is studying at the Swedish university of Finland, Åbo Akademi.
One of the best things about this Turku trip was for sure meeting some great people, big Danke to Miri and Tina for the hours-lasting "breakfast" (German breakfast, heh) and the "five minutes" of farewell talk. Even if it has to be in Siegen, I'll even come there for meeting you again!

Yeah... Last year's photo. But of the same place we've been this year!

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Monday: Back to Tampere. Was good to have the Turku break before because this day was great. Spent it with Jani in some Kirpputalos, on the rock in Pyynikki, on the observation tower - the first time I was there I had a view onto a city I hardly knew yet, the second time onto a city that was covered with nice memories - and in Juvenes of course. Met another nice Miriam in my hostel and fell into bed completely wasted. Great!

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Tuesday: HEL! How could I spend some days in Finland without visiting Kiasma. Some people say I'd only go there for Kiasma store.... Nonsense of course! So, the new exhibition - Time of the storytellers - is absolutely worth seeing. Spent one hour there and another one in Kiasmakauppa.... :] Didn't do the Landscape exhibition once again. Three times is enough.

After walking around in the city - without a map but with a perfect orientation, just as you know me! - and paying a horrible amount of money for the Wiidakko album (I hope all of you remember the Yo-Talo concert with the singer in pink shoes!) - the best part of the day started. I met Henrik, one of the cool Finns we met at Immergut, and his girlfriend for having some coffee, beer and Karhu glasses. Great evening and great to meet you again!
So, we'll meet altogether next year at Immergut. Nice. :]

So, this last day ended with Ruisleipä and Tervasnapsi. Most of it on my pullover. Yummie.

And now? Missing Suomi again. Of course.
Suomi I love you but you're bringing me down!

And there will be no excuses for this plan: We'll all meet again. Right there. Midsummer next year. Yippie!