In just about a week, most Finns who have the opportunity will disappear to a summer cottage. According to the statistics, over 3 million Finns visit a summer cottage at least once each summer. For all those wondering what it is all about, here is the ABC of Finnish summer cottage culture and a few […]
Practical advice
Helsinki seaside restaurants and cafés
Many of the seaside restaurants and cafés in Helsinki require knowing where to look for them so here is a list to help you find your new favourite spots. I’ve listed all the Helsinki seaside restaurants and cafés I can think of (and a few in Espoo), but if you feel an important spot is […]
Swimming in Helsinki: Pools, beaches & Aqua parks
As the sun becomes more generous in this corner of the world, it is time to make the most of it. Here are a few suggestions of pools, beaches, ponds, river banks, and aqua parks in the Helsinki region. The journey planner helps you to find your way to all of these locations, either by […]
How to buy tickets for cultural events in Finland
The opera, most theatres and orchestras have their own box office. In addition to that there are two main ticket selling services in Finland: www.ticketmaster.fi (formerly called lippupalvelu) and www.lippu.fi . For most cultural or sports events you can buy a ticket from one or the other depending on who the organiser has made a […]
Finnish vocabulary for grocery shopping
Trying out food products in a new country can be fun, but also frustrating when you have no idea what the different options mean. If you want to take a short cut, here are some basics that come handy in the supermarket. You can also consider this your first Finnish lesson. The suffix -ton […]
Warm clothes & winter gear available for very low prices during March
The Salvation army flea market at Koulutanhua 6 in Laajasalo is having a final sale with -75 % on everything. This will continue at least through March. In case you need a warm winter jacket, they have plenty of fur coats / sheepskin coats and ”ordinary” winter coats as well as a selection of skis […]
In case you are cold…
It is difficult to enjoy the winter if you are cold. Wool will keep you warm up to about -5 degrees Centigrade but after that it is difficult to be comfortable without borrowing something else from our animal friends. My recommendation is a Joutsen down jacket. They are very good quality, made for this climate […]