Robert and I just got back from a weekend trip to Tampere, one of the most beautiful cities (if not the most) that I've ever seen.
Considering my last post, I will make this one pretty concise.. .
The city has wide, open streets and there are trees between all of the buildings; it's so nice to have the advantages of a city while being able to admire the beauty of the regional plants.
Unlike Jyväskylä, there are no Fir trees. All of the trees are bare with long pointy limbs, and they are completely frozen! It's unlike anything I've ever seen.. and incredibly beautiful. I kept wishing that I could take a photograph that would convey how breathtaking it is.
There is a lot of traditional Finnish architecture with little splashes of Russian and Swedish influence.
Using couchsurfing, we made three wonderful new friends.. Heikki, Jonna and Mario. Heikki gave us a place to sleep for two nights and invited us to meet his friends, eat his delicious food and explore his home city. We spent a long first night talking and eating his homemade Finnish cake. We helped his girlfriend, Jonna, move into a new place, ate (and drank) at their favorite brewery and spent an entire day thrifting at the dozens of second-hand stores throughout the city.. it was the most at home we've been since arriving in Finland.
We both got iceskates!
We went to the Lenin Museum! It was extremely informative and very interesting. We will talk about that later..
and no, we have not become socialists (or communists)!
If anyone was to visit us here in Finland,
we would take the to Tampere.
We will leave you with a few pictures, Comrades.
-Kate and Robert
p.s while thrifting we found a Children's Illustrated version of 'Mein Kampf'.. uh huh?
ice trees!
our growing collection of postcards/posters on the kitchen wall
sleepy-head on the train ride home
our temporary home for two nights
Heikki and Jonna
beautiful architecture
ice trees, part 2
a man feeding the birds in their small iceless sanctuary
i was more excited than i seemed!
a canal that runs between the factories
ice-tree path!
Mom, I took this for you.. they had the most amazing library!
Lenin's desk and chair
pretty self explanatory
notice that his beard isn't frozen! we had 25 degree weather this weekend!
church-y, snow-y stuff
the first day was extremely foggy!
3 comments:
Above 21 degrees in Minneapolis today too. Must be global warming.
I love the trees! So much! I'm glad Couch Surfing was a positive experience this time..and hopefully more of them to come.
I wish I could be there with you!
Stay warm my loved ones.
(p.s. I received your letter and have written you back, but I'm trying to figure out how much postage would be...)
<3
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