I was in Paris last weekend visiting a friend, I had just arrived when the attacks began. I don’t really have anything to say that hasn’t already been said. It left me a bit speechless and my mood is glum.
I didn’t take any pictures in Paris – these are from Helsinki, Finland about a month ago. This is actually a central area, though it may look a bit rural. It’s a popular spot for jogging.
Right now, Helsinki is already closer to winter mode with most of the colors gone.
For my local discoveries series
41 replies on “Local Discoveries 6”
Fortunately you are safe!
Amazing pics of finnish nature ❤
Ciao
Sid
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Thanks!
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Nice photos! I like the one of the shoreline where people are walking at the other end. That gives me a scale to see how big this area is. Also love the leaves. We still have a fair amount around here.
I am sorry about your trip to Paris, but glad to know you weren’t hurt.
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Thanks for the comment, Sabine! It was a stressful weekend, so horrible. Though I’m fine. Interesting to know that’s the photo you liked, since I wasn’t sure if I was going to post that. I tend to like photos without people but it’s true that they give scale – and I liked the silhouettes.
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Same here! I generally prefer to not have people in photos, but sometimes they add something important. The silhouettes are perfect here, especially in the distance. I will have to check out a book on Finnland, I am definitely intrigued! Take good care of yourself.
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You too! 🙂
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Beautiful photos from Helsinki. So glad you and your friend were safe in Paris. You must both have been very shaken up by the dreadful happenings there.
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Thanks so much. It was my first time being so close to something like that. Have a great week 🙂
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So glad you are safe! Beautiful pictures!
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Thanks, Lynn!
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Have to repeat it, Glad to hear you are safe! It is indeed a sad time. I hope your mood lifts. I enjoyed this pictures. Stay safe!
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Thanks, Leanne! You too! 🙂
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What a fantastic collection! It surely must lift our glum a little just to view it. Which is why you must have made it. Beautiful!
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Thanks, MM! Happy if it lifted your mood
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Good to know you are safe back home!
Fall is my favorite season. Love all reds, crimsons, yellows in your pics!
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Thanks so much! I like fall too, if only winter didn’t follow right after…
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Gorgeous autumn images. Very happy to know you made it home okay.
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Thanks. Are you currently in France?
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No. I currently live in Prague.
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Glad you are safe.
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Thanks – I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like for those who weren’t
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You were unlucky with your timing in Paris, but lucky to be safe! Happy that you are home Snow! I recognise many of the places in you pictures and lovely autumn/winter colours! x
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Thanks, Aleasha!
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I’m very glad you returned home safely from Paris. These photographs you posted are beautiful. It’s nice to see that some of autumn’s colours are still hanging on there.
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Thank you so much for the comment
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Rememberd you wrote me you were going to Paris…. Good to hear you are safe! And lovely autumn pictures.
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Thanks for checking in! 🙂 The trip didn’t quite go as planned…
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Glad to hear you weren’t in Paris when the attacks started! I guess speechless is the word for me as well. Just trying to understand – but suspect I probably will never understand.
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I was in Paris when the attacks started – but I was in a different part of town. Thanks for the kind comment, Inger 🙂
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I am now so looking forward to seeing Helsinki next year when I go. Is this a walking path around the lake?
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Thanks for visiting + following my blog and hopefully you’ll enjoy your visit to Helsinki! In which month is your visit? The weather here can be very different depending on the time of year. The photos in this post are from an area called “Hietaniemi” (you can probably find it if you google), it’s a long path that follows the seashore, circling a cemetary and passing a beach that’s popular in the summer. A couple of other Helsinki posts of mine, if you want to have a look: https://thesnowmeltssomewhere.wordpress.com/2015/06/20/helsinki/ and https://thesnowmeltssomewhere.wordpress.com/2015/07/10/helsinki-summer/
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I will be there in late May! Thinking of taking a cruise up to Porvoo? Thanks for the other links I will definitely check them out.
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Porvoo is a good idea, it’s a pretty little town 🙂 May is spring and it can be warm or cold, but probably it’ll be windy anyway, so bring some warm clothes just in case! 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
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Windy? Oh Ok! Thanks for the tip. I was expecting cool, but not windy! Spring wind, I guess? Is there anywhere else you would recommend? Apart from the standard city type tour? A good cafe/baker/somewhere to try Finnish cuisine?
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Cafe Esplanad on the street called Pohjois-Esplanadi – they have the best price/quality for Finnish pastries, freshly baked at the cafe (they’re huge actually). It’s right in the center of town and pretty busy all day long but I really recommend it! Next to it is the department store Stockmann which is pretty much what we locals think of as the very center of town. Stockmann also has a couple of bakery spots. An area you should visit, in my opinion, is our main park called Kaivopuisto. It’s also pretty central, good for a little walk if the weather’s nice. It’s by the sea and there are some popular cafes there, too – selling traditional pastries and smorrebrod type sandwiches. And there’s the Suomenlinna fortress island which is a Unesco World Heritage site. For dinner… hmm that’s difficult. Helsinki has lots of foreign cuisine restaurants (Japanese, Korean, even Hawaiian) but all the “Finnish” ones are really aimed at tourists so I haven’t been to them.
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Thank you so much for the detailed response. That gives me a variety of ideas/places to go. I will try to post about it next year when I travel there.
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Looking forward to reading about it! 🙂
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OOhhhh, you were in Paris at the time? Of all places and times. I’ve got a friend who survived the attack in Burkina Faso (by hiding under a desk for three hours, her passport has bullet holes): The only one I know in the entire Africa, and she is stationed in Ethiopia normally. All this makes the vastness of the world even more relative.
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How horrible, hope she gets over it!! I was lucky to be safe. I wonder how you can forget it, if you were held hostage or had to hide. Is she still in Africa?
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She lives there. She was in the cafe opposite that hotel which got attacked with a friend, friend’s pregnant daughter and her husband. Her friend was missing for a long time after, because she pretended she was dead, lying under a dead man for 10+ hours. The daughter just gave birth. Life goes on. ❤
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Wow…..
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