City Streets I: Oh, tell me where your freedom lies, the streets are fields that never die...

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(this is where I mention the theraputic value of cobblestone for knee injuries)
When we first arrived in Finland we took a six-day bus tour up the eastern side to the Arctic Circle and then back down the western side and stopped in several cities along the way. It was all beautiful! As we lost count of the trees and lakes on the way up we also witnessed the changing of the seasons from summer into fall. On the way back down we enjoyed the addition of beautiful farmland to the scenic drive. From small town to big city, each locale was distinct and not without its own charms. Each hotel we stayed in was unique and interesting. It is difficult to capture the impact of the experience in word or digital picture, but I tried. The following is just a sample...

The home of Jean Sibelius



The castle in Savonlinna




if a man's home is his castle...more castles I guess...



The oldest wood church in Finland




The interior of the hotel in Joensuu (please pass the salt and pepper)
The interior of the hotel in Kuhmo

The exterior of the lakeside hotel in Kuhmo (where I got in touch with my inner Viking princess)








George Jetson's gas station
K "market"--depending on how a large a version of the chain it was, there were more Ks--KK, KKK, KKKK...


The streets of Jyvaskyla


Sometimes you meet the nicest people...Shane, JoAnn, Vic and Anne
The chapel in Kokkola



If you ever find yourself in Helsinki, might I suggest a day trip to the island fortress of Suomenlinna?



We hiked all over the above fortress in search of this--the King's Gate--without a clue what we were looking for, but it was a great adventure!

The bay by the market in Helsinki--coming up next...

Comments

Millie said…
I dibs the castle. I love the funky architecture on the more modern buildings... these pictures make Finland look a lot like the Pacific Northwest. Lotsa rain.
16/10/06 8:27 AM
Lyle said…
I love the picture with the blue bottles in the window w/the flowers. Truly beautiful.

Surprisingly, Lubbock has a few cobblestone roads in the "old" downtown. Not as pretty as these roads in Finland or any other European country.
16/10/06 12:50 PM
b. said…
I know who the hel wants to go to sinki now!!
Thanks for sharing your wonderful trip and beautiful pictures.
16/10/06 11:22 PM
dalene said…
b.--you're great! I loved your quote the first time, even better the second. Glad you enjoyed the photos.
17/10/06 6:45 AM
LuckyRedHen said…
LOVELOVELOVE the pics!
17/10/06 11:38 PM
Geo said…
I'd like a reservation for two at the lakeside hotel, please. WOW.
18/10/06 12:09 AM
Melody said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
25/10/06 7:00 AM
Melody said…
Dalene! I lied. I hadn't seen these. I saw the first few you sent a while back. I'm weeping...they take my breath away. I am so glad you made this trip. Thank you for sharing it. I don't know what to say...beautiful...a world away...and we get to visit through you! Thank you.
25/10/06 7:02 AM
LuckyRedHen said…
Hey! My mom LOVES the blue bottles in the window picture. She wants to watercolor it.
1/11/06 10:48 PM
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