Sunday picture

A photography walk in the crisp, frosty, sunny -17 C followed by 40 minutes of water running and Turkish steam sauna = VERY good feeling!

Here is a set of winter wonderland pictures: LINK. 

Then - Now

A FEW DAYS AGO:

Can you imagine the heat and brightness of the summer sun?

Can you imagine the light sparkling on the waves?

Can you imagine the warm sand under the toes?

Can you imagine the happy screams of children as they run into the waves?

Can you imagine sitting on the beach after a swim, letting the sun dry you up - without it getting cold?

Can you imagine the ice creams and hot dogs bought at the beach kiosk?

Can you imagine it?

TODAY:

Everything is truly and properly frozen. -12 C, -17 C with wind chill. But actually I prefer it that way: winter is unavoidable, so better it be a proper winter like today than either freezing, snowless and dark or just barely above zero degrees, wet, snowless and dark. Those are the other two options for winter in Finland.

And when it got cold, the skies cleared. What a beautiful day. Cold and crisp but I didn't mind the cold at all. I was properly dressed!

November Asleep

Back to Helsinki, Finland for a little while. This was a couple of days ago. The snow and the blanket of clouds made everything appear almost monochrome. A desolate feeling but oddly beautiful at the same time. On days like this, you truly see the weariness of November. The sun might, just might, come out one of these days - but only if the temperature falls below -10 C I think. Under seven hours of daylight now: the sun rises at 8.40 and sets at 3.30 pm - and a month to go until winter solstice still.

Today I've spent indoors, nursing a mild cold - but I don't mind: nasty wind and snowdrift outside. I wonder if this winter will be the same as last year? I think there was still some snow left from last year at the city snow dumps when new snow started to fall this past week. This year, for once, I managed to get moderately priced flights for the Christmas visit to my parents. Mainly it's so I don't have to sit in the train for hours, but who knows, maybe it'll turn out to be wise otherwise: last year, what with the snow and cold, the state railways had terrible trouble!

I might just end up back in the north otherwise than just for Christmas, too: my old university is looking for applicants for a three-year research post in a field that fits my research like a glove, the study of cultural interaction. I have slightly mixed feelings about it because I love Helsinki so much, but I will definitely apply because I like my old university and more importantly it would be a tremendous opportunity, not to mention a merit for the CV. The money would allow me to get back to Helsinki on weekends and holidays, too. So fingers crossed.

The sun came out briefly...

It's quite amazing how light changes the appearance of things. In a certain light the stern forms of the big concrete blocks acquire a sort of impressive heftiness. The building on the left here has an almost sculpture-like quality.