Architecture in Helsinki

The plan to stay up till we had to leave didn't exactly go very well. We tried to get a bit of sleep but overslept, so we ended up running late.

When we got to Tegel airport the flight wasn't even checking in yet, so I decided to pick up an English-language paper to read on the plane. Unfortunately, they had the exact same paper for free before boarding the plane. The plane trip was alright. I watched a nice little program about business innovation, a topic that interests me. I also managed to get a small amount of sleep, and woke up confused just after the plane landed.

Germany overview

Days spent: (Not enough!) 6 nights (2 in Munich, 2 in Hamburg, 2 in Berlin)
Films watched at Berlinale: 2
Litres of beer consumed: Quite a bit
Times carded at pub/club: 2

Helsinki syndrome

We arrived in Helsinki-Vantaa airport on time, got through the gates without even going through a customs check, and were promptly greeted by Päivi (another of Dave's distant cousins) and her digital camera. We headed over to Päivi's place for a hearty meal then had a look at some sights in the centre of Helsinki and saw He-Man at a museum. We were feeling quite tired afterwards, so we headed back to Päivi's to crash but had enough time to consume as sizable amount of food beforehand.

Yesterday, I woke up a bit late after catching up on some sleep. I think I managed 12 hours. We had a look at some architecture and frozen lakes (walking on water was cool), stopped over at Hesburger, a fast-food chain, and went shopping (though bought nothing aside from souvenirs). In the evening we caught a train north and west to visit the Sundqvist family home in Pietarsaari (a.k.a. Jakobstad - its Swedish name). I filled up on a late dinner then headed to bed at about midnight.

Today, we went for a bit of ice skating early in the afternoon, had some reindeer meat (amongst other things) for lunch, then went on a bit of a road trip. We visited Dave's old ancestral house, the graveyard where some of Dave's relatives were, and also visited some of his living relatives. The coolest part of the day was perhaps the ride on a ski-doo. Unfortunately, it was probably only going at half speed (around 70-80 km/h).

Anyway, we're back at the Sundqvist home now and about to go on a hot sauna then roll around in the snow. Should be interesting since I've done neither before.