I started reading the guidebook eagerly. However, doubts soon set in. It seemed that the guidebook I had bought had the right cover, but the inside was describing a completely different city.
The thing is, I started travelling regularly to Helsinki in late October 2005. For months and months, what I saw of Helsinki looked like this:
Yes, it does say -20c (-4F) on that buidling! |
Page after page of pictures of people, dressed in light clothes, enjoying the sun in parks, outdoor bars and other places:
Not a single picture like this:
Helsinki, viewed from the frozen sea |
Then, June arrived, and so did the sun. And suddenly, Helsinki started looking like this:
Park near Helsinki's parliament |
The beach in Mustikkamaa |
Samba festival in Helsinki |
Samba Festival in Helsinki |
Still, those 2-3 months of summer can be truly fabulous, so I will try to forgive the guidebook. For now.
That makes me think that if some day I get the necessary connections, capacities and opportunity, I should write a tourist guide "Helsinki in winter". Could be very interesting too.
ReplyDeleteIt would indeed be very useful. No kidding the guide said nothing about what to do in Helsinki in winter!
ReplyDeleteA samba festival? That's awesome. I was the opposite way around - I knew loads about Kuusamo in the winter but wasn't at all prepared for the summer months.
ReplyDelete