Hi friends and family
I arrived in Finland only two minutes after the scheduled time ( 3.15 p.m.) yesterday. It took one hour to pass through customs since a flight full of visitors from the People’s Republic of China was before us and the passport control was taking a very long time with every passenger. I met a Newfoundlander on the flight from London Heathrow to Helsinki. It was his first time in Finland and I told him a bit about the city and what to do. We rode together from the airport to the downtown train station. I am staying with my friend Arto and right now I am at his work, a translation firm. Today I am on a bicycle hunt. Then I go to the main bus terminal and arrange my tickets to the extreme Finnish and Norwegian northern towns of Nuorgam (Finn) and Vardø and Vadsø (Nor). I will be bringing my bicycle with me. The Helsinki temperature is mild (for January): +1°C. Two weeks ago it was -20°C. I have a pocketful of euros and I don’t know what to do with them; the money seems too fake to be real. I will then go to my favourite place, the post office, and look for stamps and postcards.
Let me know how the Scrabble Club went yesterday (you know who you are!) and send me the results ASAP.
More to come
I love this city