“The thing that impressed me the most was the overall atmosphere of the city itself. The combination of colorful and magical architecture in raw nature attracts me a lot as an image-maker. The most surprising to me was all the design you see in the city. Everything looked stylish and well- designed. I entered several places like a hair salon or garden center by mistake because I thought it was a design shop.

I chose to illustrate several elements of Helsinki I encountered. For example the small islands I came across on my way to Suomenlinna. A statue I've seen in the Kallio neighborhood, and the typical Finnish houses in pink, yellow or orange, which I saw a lot of.”

Travel diary

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Yes! my bags are packed and I’m ready to fly to Finland tomorrow morning

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Yeah I arrived in Finland! After a two hour flight we landed in foggy Helsinki. I was surprised the landscape was still covered in snow. I took the bus from the airport to the railway station in the city centre where my hotel is. Dropped my bags and started exploring the city. I asked for a map in the hotel but I decided not to use it and get myself lost on purpose. Whenever a traffic light was red I walked into the street with the green light and when I saw something that caught my eye, I went in that direction. After a while I looked at my map to see where I was, but because the Finnish language is so different and words are twice as long as in the Netherlands. I had a real hard time finding the names I saw on the street signs on my map. I wandered on for a while and knew if I reached water, it would be easier to locate where I was. So when I got to the harbor I noticed that I still was not that far from the place I started. But still, I think the best way to discover a place is to react to your feelings and eyes instead of looking to a map with 30 advertisings for cheap pizza on it (nothing wrong with pizza). 

Thursday, April 18, 2013

After I had some really nice dinner the weather became way better. So I went for an after dinner walk around this frozen lake, I spend some time drawing on a bench in the last sun rays of the day. Now kick back in the hotel with pencil and paper, some nachos, salsa and a beer .

Friday, April 19, 2013

Today I started with the famous Kallio area, the more bohemian part of the city with lots of cool bars, shops and restaurants. I thought I already went there yesterday but that turned out to be the Helsinki Design District. Kallio was really nice, indeed a lot of cool places to visit like some vintage / second hand stores (where I saw the two dogs on the photo). At the edge of Kallio is a small hill with an amusement park on top. Unfortunately this was closed but I spend an hour or so drawing on the rocks with an overview at the city centre (the photo that I posted earlier today). I didn’t see it was junky area until I left, needles everywhere! I’ve spend the afternoon in a giant bookstore, the design museum (which was a bit disappointing…) and did some sight seeing. Helsinki is really beautiful, there is so much to see and it is not touristic at all at the moment. Like on the last photo, at Senate Square, one of the city’s highlights, there is no one there! This makes everything on this trip even more magical!

Helsinki is great but it is still weird to be here alone. I’ve never traveled by myself before. I think it is better for the project to step out of my comfort zone but it can be a bit lonely sometimes 

Saturday, April 20, 2013

This morning I took the ferry to Suomenlinna, a group of small connected islands a few km from Helsinki. (You can see Suomenlinna in the background of the first photo).

On the island there is an old maritime fortress and a lot of other beautiful old buildings and nature. It was really cold and windy but that made it even more spectacular because of the wild sea. One of the most amazing locations I’ve come across on this trip so far. Now I am recharging my camera and go for an afternoon walk in the park. This park / forrest is more than 10 km long and there suppose to live all kinds of animals like foxes, baggers and even elks! 

In the afternoon I went to the park, a huge area that starts in the middle of the city as a park and turns into a forrest the further you go north. I didn’t see that much animals (except for birds) but the forrest itself was pretty amazing. With all the rocks, snow and trees it is hard to believe you are still in Helsinki. After a relaxing 4 hour walk I returned in Kallio where I had a super nice duck noodle soup at Lemon Grass, a highly recommended Thai restaurant.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

When I woke up this morning, the sky was clear blue! Finally! I went by some shops I still wanted to visit and walked all around the coast of Helsinki. Now, on day 4 I recognize all the places I have been on the first day when I got lost, so it makes sense after all. With this weather I also came to the conclusion that Helsinki is the #1 most beautiful city I have ever been to. The architecture, sea, nature, roughness and beauty combined in one. It has been a great great trip! I am now at the Heineken bar at the airport, going over my drawings I’ve made during my stay.