Tag Archives: photography

Saint Petersburg

Most Finns wouldn’t like to remember their country is next to Russia given the checkered history between both countries. Between that and the obnoxious visa regime, a tiny number of them visit Russia especially compared to the amount of Russians visiting Finland. I have been before in both Saint Petersburg and Moscow, and we decided to meet some friends in the Venice of the North for a day now that there is no need for visa if you arrive by ferry and stay up to 72 hours in the city. It is therefore as easy as taking the boat from Helsinki to Stockholm or Tallinn, and the experience is not too dissimilar either. We will have to come back and stay longer later, but for the meantime some pics below and the rest in Flickr as usual.

You are here
Live map of the Gulf of Finland.
Baltic Sea dusk
Dusk over the Baltic sea.


Sax in the Baltic night


Brass band welcome in St. Petersburg

Saint Isaac's Cathedral
Saint Isaac’s Cathedral.
The Hermitage
The Hermitage. Beautifully restored facade compared to my previous visit in 2001.
Singer Café in Nevski Prospekt
Singer Café in Nevski Prospekt.
Happy
Happy graffitti.
Cathedral of the Spilled blood
Cathedral of the Spilled blood.
Catering to American tourists
Matrioshkas catering to American tourists.
Russian fortifications in the Baltic Sea
Kronstadt, Russian fort in the Baltic Sea and former base of the Soviet Baltic fleet.

Geneva

We visited friends in Geneva for a few days in July.  The photos, as usual, in the Flickr set.

Walking around Geneva
Walking around Geneva.
Geneva choo choo
Geneva choo choo for the little one.
Post Tenebras Lux
The motto of the city is “Post Tenebras Lux” meaning “After darkness, light”.
United Nations Geneva
The League of Nations was based in Geneva. After World War II, the United Nations took over those buildings and host the second largest UN office after New York.
Parc des Bastions
Parc des Bastions. John Calvin, one of the main characters in the Reformation was based here, and many French protestants were given refuge in the city.
Geneva Old Town
St. Pierre Cathedral, mixing Gothic and Neoclassical styles.
Geneva Old Town
Walking in the old town.
Lac Lemain
Geneva is situated at the southwest end of Lac Lemain, one of the largest lakes in Europe. The Jet d’Eau, which was supposed to be a temporary feature, is still one of the main sights over a 100 years after it was built.

The grand summer 2012 tour of Finland

For the first time in my life I took 4 straight weeks of holiday during the summer, and for most of that we stayed in Finland. We visited Porvoo, Nummi-Pusula, Parikkala and Nauvo, so one can say it was a grand tour of south, east and west of the country. The weather was mostly rainy, but it was still a great holiday. The pictures, as usual, in Flickr.

Southern Finland at midnight in the summer solstice
Southern Finland at midnight in the summer solstice
Solecito y humo del sauna
Sauna smoke and sunlight
Reno cambiando de ropa
Reindeer changing clothes 😉
Guajolote
Turkey
Taco de birria con consomé
Summer holidays are a perfect excuse for good food: Taco de birria con consomé
Storm with rainbow
Storm with rainbow
Chapel of Silence
Chapel of Silence in Helsinki
Tervajärvi
Finnish lake
Excursión a la playa del lago
Unbeknownst to me before I moved to Finland, lakes can also have beaches 😉
Nothing else to do in the train
In long train rides you will find plenty of lonely pensive males in the bar drinking beer and watching the landscape go by.
Patsaspuisto
Sculpture park
Russian border area
Russian border area
Russia starts in those woods
Russia starts in those woods
Heroes of Ladoga
Heroes of Ladoga landmark. Before World War II the northwestern shore of Lake Ladoga was Finnish territory.
Nauvon lautta
Nauvo ferry
Dramatic sunset
Dramatic sunset
Not sunny yet
A respite from the rain

Rally Mexico

Spent a little over a week in Mexico for work. Visited Mexico City for a few days and then drove all the way to León, Guanajuato for the Rally Guanajuato Mexico. A picture summary below, the rest of the photos here.

Flying over Greenland
Flying over Greenland
Hole in one
Mom's hole in one ball
Granja Trepsi
More farm animals for the toddlers
Press conference and party
Press conference with Ken Block and Chris Atkinson
Street Stage in Guanajuato
Available transportation in case rally cars are too fast for you
Cool t-shirt
Cool Cervantino t-shirt
Street Stage in Guanajuato
Rally fans give it all
Street Stage in Guanajuato
Street Stage in Guanajuato
Walking hangover
Walking hangover
SS22 Guanajuatito
SS22 Guanajuatito
SS22 Guanajuatito
SS22 Guanajuatito
Where my family lives
Mexico City suburbs

Mexico trip

We spent a great month in Mexico for our year-end holidays. A photo summary below but more pictures as usual in Flickr.

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Arrival in Mexico City equals traffic
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There's no escape of the Angry Birds
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Christmas lights in Zócalo, one of my childhood highlights (sorry for the pun).
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Parque de los Ciervos honouring its name
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Goat barbacoa
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Peña de Bernal, Querétaro
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Paying a visit to Our Lady of Guadalupe
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Hotel in Malinalco
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Ceremonial centre in Malinalco, Mexico State
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Granja Las Américas animal theme park
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Rosca de Reyes distroller
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There's no translation for the "Tortillería" section in the supermarket
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Blame NAFTA for these
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Enjoying the beach, they are.
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Welcome back to Finland.