PMN Log

Just arrived in Russia on the ferry from Helsinki. Great sight to begin the visit to the city.

I was searching for a flight home yesterday and was surprised when hipmunk found a direct flight between Helsinki and Dublin. When I saw it was offered by Norwegian Airlines, I headed to kayak.com as they offer a tool for looking up direct flights from any airport. In addition to the usual Aer Lingus schedule (Saturday and Tuesday), I saw that Norwegian offer direct flights on Friday and Monday which is much more sensible for a weekend break. I personally prefer this schedule and have already booked an extra trip with Norwegian. I wonder why the schedule planning team in Aer Lingus couldn’t have offered what the city break consumer wanted on the Dublin- Helsinki route?

Santa’s Helsinki office counting the nights….

Being a regular cyclist every day that doesn’t heavily rain or snow, I’m shocked when I see fellow cyclists ride around wearing earphones in both ears. It was nice to read this article in Slate about why it’s stupid to do so, especially missing the cues about vehicles that are not in your line of sight that only come from hearing.

But even a burbling sonata can prevent you from picking up on subtler cues, and cyclists need all the cues they can get. Cars have air bags and crumple zones. Bikes do not. Cars have side and rearview mirrors. Most bikes don’t. Cyclists must crane their necks and look backward constantly. If your head and your front reflector aren’t pointing in the same direction, then auditory signals are essential to staying upright.

Some photos I took in the city of Helsinki, Finland in September 2012. Lots of evidence of the transition from summer to the autumn. This is most clear in the photos of the terraces at Latsipalatsi which were mostly deserted. The most beautiful moment was the impromptu classical concert outside Cafe Java on an evening in which I was on my way to see some friends.

Depeche Mode in Prague 1993

Can’t believe I found this. I was at this concert in Prague in 1993. Wow, that’s almost 20 years ago!

Cool slingshot animations of San Francisco. This is only one of them.

Check out Colossal for more.

The New York Times Frugal Traveler feature has visited Helsinki. There are some nice tips here although I’m not much of a berry or porridge fan.

The most inviting bar on the block was Molotow, which had a cheap Finnish beer starting at 3.80 euros for a half-liter, and lots of other choices as well, but the best spot of the evening was a bit of a hike, several blocks farther north, the irresistibly friendly and funky confines of Magneetti bar, to which Kati Kallioniemi had given the irresistible description: “It seems like a normal bar, but all my friends met their boyfriends there.” With social booths cramped together in one room, and a darker space of candlelit tables in the other, I could certainly see how that had happened.

36 Hours in Helsinki, Finland – NYTimes.com Some ideas for new places to check out this weekend….

This sounds interesting!

10 p.m.
9. CULTURE FACTORY

Head to the Korjaamo Culture Factory (Toolonkatu 51a-b; 358-20-741-7000), a former depot that’s traded trams for bands and token-takers for joke-makers. This cultural hub now hosts performances from stand-up comedians, klezmer ensembles, R&B groups, local D.J.’s and swing-style big bands. The sprawling complex also houses a modest art gallery and a cool pub that’s open until 2 a.m. on weekends. Beforehand, tune up for the night by paying tribute to Finland’s most famous composer at the nearby Sibelius monument, which resembles a fusion of birch trees and organ pipes.