Helsinki, Finland

Work has given me another great opportunity to travel, and this time it's Helsinki for 4 of the next 8 months. I've been here 4 weeks so far, and enjoying the loooonng summer days (almost 19 hours when I arrived). The first challenge to face = sticker shock. Everything costs about 2x that of Austin in this socialist country, and the tax rate is 23%! Employment taxes are approx. 50%! Do we really want government provided healthcare? :)

Helsinki is north. I'm talking Anchorage, Alaska north. You can really feel the earth turning up here! The sunset has changed from 12 midnight to 9p in 4 weeks. With such cold, dark winters the summer months are full of activity. The parks are full of skateboarders, basketball games, and soccer practice and the city is full of outdoor concerts, food markets, and flea markets. Most Finns enjoy the long evenings with a picnic blanket and a bottle of wine. My apartment is just a few blocks from the southern coast, and I have a beautiful view of the water on my walk to work every day. This picture is taken from Kaivopuisto Park. I'm off to Tallinn, Estonia for a day trip on Saturday, so more pictures to come soon.

hei nyt, Chris