Balloons in Budapest

We are back from hot Budapest with two new cameras and a lot of photos which I'm going to show you one by one in long winter days. The blue thing is on again so no more text today. I just hope that my hand will feel better one day.

And a little rain never hurt no one

So my holiday finally started and so started the raining. But I have my books and I have my records, and in a week we are off to, if not to the mountains, but to at least to mount Gellért in Budapest.



It's been seven years since my last visit to Budapest, I have forgotten a lot. It will be nice to visit the same places which bring back the memories and to find some new ones to remember too. I haven't planned anything special, but I know our program will include eating, resting, walking, culture, more eating and then some walking and maybe some shopping. We will miss the WAMP design market, but I found this article from The New York Times. It has many great tips in it.



The photos in this post are few years old. Only the first image is taken with a digital camera, and the last one was taken with a Pingo. (I still prefer film.) I have some new pictures to show as well, but I was too lazy to scan the negatives or search for some recently taken digital photos. And the headline is from a Tom Waits song. (I still adore him.)

5? No way! 7? A challenge, but maybe...

I promised to Elsa to introduce five of my favourite places in my hometown, Helsinki. They could be bars, cafés, restaurants, shops, anything. I started to think the places and this challenge yesterday, and it was extremely hard because there's so many alternatives! Then I decided to narrow my search and to think only about my own neighborhood, Kallio (and neighbouring areas such as Harju). It was still extremely difficult to choose only five locations, so I added two more because writing a blog should be easy and relaxing. Especially writing an entry about your favourite places. So, here goes: my seven loved ones in Helsinki.

1. Taverna Zorbas

A cosy Greek restaurant. The prices are reasonable, lunchtime offers, the food always tastes great, atmosphere is warm and welcoming.


Tokoinranta, Kallio. Im hiding in this picture

2. Keräilyliike Kulkukatin poika

Comic books. What more there is to say? Friendly service and room full of Disney comics. (At the age of 26, I still need my daily dose of Donald Duck.)


Some old picture from Helsinki

3. Hakaniemen halli and Hakaniemi market place

A classic for the groceries, fresh vegetables and special goods.

4. Wanha Kaarle

Finnish design from 50's, 60's and 70's. Enamel plates and mugs, porcelain dishes, old toys, ets. I pass this store almost every day, and the shopkeeper is often out building the display for the store and he is always so nice!

5. Flea market Valtteri

Another classic. Sometimes it's full of pirate crap, plastic shoes and old dirty clothes, but there are days when it's full of treasures.


Old wooden duck from USSR, found from Valtteri and a tiny piece of our record collection

6. Lepakkomies

Small, hot and sweaty bar near Kurvi. A place for live music. I've seen many great gigs there, Jolly Jumpers, Murmansk, and for those late nights out, Vegemesta is never far...

7. Avikainen bakery

Best bread in Helsinki!

+ a bonus: Café Sinisen huvilan kahvila in Linnunlaulu. The view is beautiful. And Rytmi! And Sävel! And Lemon Grass! And and and....

Outfit of the day

jeans: Uniqlo
top: 2or+ by YAT (underneath I wore a Filippa K top)
bracelet: 2or + by YAT
another "bracelet": Tamla for Terveystalo health care (this stays on my wrist for a week)

Night at home

My phone tells me that I've seen a lot of water this summer. Maybe I'll see some mountains too when it's time for my summer holiday in August.

Today I'm staying home. Almost everyone is in Ilosaarirock, I've turned my cellphone off and soon I'll be away from computer. Nothing can come between me and my books. I have ice cream, Bat For Lashes, I have Leonard Cohen and maybe a good movie, just maybe. And when it's time to go to sleep, I can listen to Tom Waits as long as I want. (Listening to Tom Waits before falling asleep is like a blanket, a pillow, something to cover me, soft and warm.)

Quick visit to Tampere or I ♥ Helsinki

Laura from Murmansk behind a pint of beer

My meds worked their magic, migraine is gone, so we paid a quick visit to Tampere with two great bands, Murmansk and Mesmer. It's sometimes good to see other, unfamiliar, towns in Finland to realise how much I love my own, after all. It's small, sometimes boring, grey, but it's my hometown.

I can't think right now

I'm (barely) alive. I've been suffering from migraine headaches for almost a week now and today I gave up and went to see a doctor. As I presumed, more different kinds of prescription drugs. Let's hope they'll help this time, lying in bed or in the bathroom floor like yesterday is not my idea of a perfect summer vacation.

While waiting for my meds to do their thing, I'll try to focus on good things, so here's a list of them:

-Pitkä Kuuma Kesä-festival (I saw the Flaming Lips! And Melvins!)
-new glasses with white frames (pictures later)
-Goji-berry&Green Tea drink
-strawberries
-my friend came back from Japan and I'm feeling a bit better today so I'm meeting her soon

And while I'm spending my days tring to get out of bed, here's links to some of my favourite blogs.