Lost in Translation Suomi Opiskelija

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIGUELLITA!

Our friend we want to wish you a Happy Birthday and write you a few wishes and pictures of summer vacation from different parts of the world!
Here there are:

RAMONA ......ITALY



Happy Birthday from Italy!!!Here is the wonderful south where the sea is wonderfull and the sun always shines!
I hope that the sun will shine on this day!


ARTEMIS & RADEK...........GREECE & CZECK REPUBLIC



"Miguelita we wish you a happy happy birthday and an interesting long life full of success, happiness, challenges, adventures, amazing experiences and lot of love and new friends all over the world...Conquer your dreams with determination and dignity and never give up because you deserve nothing less than the best.
The picture is from the days that we had in Prague during the summer time, an amazingly beautiful city full of surprises and... red roofs, beer, great food and really lot of Spanish tourists...We hope to see you again and why not for the forthcoming summer to take some common pictures somewhere in the world... We love you very much and we send you many many kisses and hugs for your birthday...
Artemis and Radek."

MARCO........GERMANY



Happy Birthday our Cantabria friend full of temper. Miguel wish you celebrating a great and unforgettable birthday while rocking Poland and a lot power for future journeys! Marco

Invited by our friend Bàlazs an international meeting took place in hungary, Balaton region. An international meeting after finnish erasmus adventure. First days we spent close to the lake Balaton (touristic area in western hungary) full of german and austrian tourists. After experienced real hungarian life in a hungarian family (its a big difference than living abroad without real intensive national contact) last three days we visited capital Budapest. Beautiful city full of culture. Not possible getting to know the city in few days. Because we travelled beginning of august in Balaton area we experienced the wine party which took place 10 days. A lot wine, folk dance, and very good hungarian food. I became a bit fat. I have experienced an unforgettable hungarian week thanks a family full of hospitality. Imagine, a family welcomes six international guests for almost one week! Why travelling to Australia or Canada if here in Europe there is so much to experience?

NATHALIE.........GREECE



My best best wishes to you my Spanish friend! All the best for you and I am still waiting to send me a robot!
The picture is taken in the Greek island of Kos, where i spent a week with my friends!
Kisses from Greece.

Trip to Riga in March

Erasmus travelling by ferry & by bus

We organized a trip to riga at the begginig of March, from Helsinki and going through Tallin.



We left Helsinki on Sunday night taking the ferry, Viking Line, at 21:00 and arriving Tallin at 0:00. We bought a cruise ticket with Viking Line member card that gives you the possibility to sleep in the ferry until 07:30, leaving the ferry before 08:00.



In theory this cruise is thought to come back straight to Helsinki in the morning but you can leave the ferry as we did without any problem. This costs 10 euros and you are using just one way of the cruise, but it is cheaper to buy this return ticket than the one way :) Believe me, we have a lot of experience with Viking Line.



Second step, go to the bus station. How? Taking the tram number 2 which leaves close to the harbour. Because of we left the boat aroud 08:00 on Monday morning we took the tram and arrived at 08:30 to the bus station.



Then we went to Eurolines offices that are located inside the station. Euroline bus company goes to Riga almost everyday. Prices for groups between 4 to 12 is 8 euros return ticket.



The problem is that you can't book them in advance so you have to take some risks and go to the office not being 100% sure if there will be still places available.



So my travel tip is to try to go to Riga during weekdays because I am sure that on weekends there won't be so many places as from Monday to Thursday. Therefore we bought the tickets for 9 people, 8 euros per traveller return ticket :), and left Tallin by bus at 10:00.



The journey takes 5 hours and a half, so we arrived Riga bus station at 15:30. The bus was ok, two floors, bathroom..... two much for 4 euros way, Don't you think? There are several stops during these five hours and of course passport control in the border.



Arriving Riga we went to the hostel. The hostel was other of the great surprises we had during the trip. It cost 8 euros per night breakfast included.



The dormitories were big and comfortable, the toilet really all right and the breakfast quite good. There is also internet available in the hostel. This hostel is located in the city center close to the Opera and St.Peters Cathedral.It is called Hostel Profitcamp.




So at that point we had spent 10+8+16=34 euros for three nights and the journey. We were in Riga on Monday's afternoon, all Tuesday and Wednesday morning becuase we took the bus at 18:00 to come back to Tallin.



Riga's prices are more than ok. For instance half litter beer is less than 50 cents of euro. There are several expensive restaurants in the city center but if you move little bit far away you can find really latvian cuisine and of course prices.



Our great discovery was a small restaurant located in the art nouveau neighbourhood. The street is called Elizabetes iela, iela means street, and this part of the city is worth to visit due to the architecture of the buildings.



So finally we came back to Tallin leaving Riga at 18:00 on Wednesday and arriving the harbour at 23:00. You can go inside the ferry around 00:10 but first you have to book a cabin to sleep inside. This kind of ticket can't be booked by internet so you have to do it by phone, going to Viking line offices or in the check in inside the terminal.



With the Viking line card one C4 cabin costs 70 euros, so 17.5 per person. We went inside the boat at 01:00 finally, because the boat was delayed, and arrived Helsinki on Thursday morning at 11:15.

Total cost of the trip: 10+8+16+17.5=51.5 euros (four nights and 2 breakfasts)
Life, shops and meals: 40-70 euros more or less (night life a included)

About National Parks in Lapland

Some tips and advice

Why should you go to Lapland? Because you will have a unforgettable experience there, maybe some adventures and you will come back with lots of memories..........



Reason 1: you will se Reindeers or "Poro" in Finnish.



Reason 2: you can walk along the national parks and sleep for free in the cottages. They have all the tools needed to "survive".









Reason 3: everyday you will be breath pure air, having a strong feeling of freedom, being part of the nature.





Reason 4: yo can be relaxed walking to nowhere.........



Reason 5: there are many reasons that you have t discover by yourself, just go there, choose a national park (there are many), choose a route, take your backpack, appropriate clothes and be brave!! Then you will discover yourself, your limits, your friends, and enjoy..........

Durito Night

Or Erasmus playing drinking games in May....

Thanks David for the pics.............

Durito: is THE GAME. Some Erasmus around a table with a small glass for shots and some coins. Each one has to throw a coin, by turns, trying to get it into the glass. Then teh crazy rules appeare and everybody starts to drink ............... and with time most of them are drunk ;)


The players


Balbina won??

If you want to know more about "Durito" ask ......... Lucia, Sorsa, and of course Xavi :)

My Farewell

Great party & surprise, on Sunday 30th of April, 2 days before leaving

This has been the greatest thing that anybody has done for me in my life, amazing............... I'm really grateful to friends ..... incredible!!!




I'd like to have more pics but they are kidnapped somewhere in Kannelmäki or Otaniemi ......... please send them to me!!!

Memories of January 2006 - 1

Snow, coldness, friends and parties

Pictures about some events that happened in January:

Balbina's arrival to her flat ............ surprise with balloons :)



Kannelmäki's lake frozen and the park completely snow-covered



Ice sculpture competition in the Zoo at -20 ªC.



Party in Girl's flat: Polish and Spanish food I guess. Sorsa's mother was with us!!



Radek, Selcuk and me in the party:



The flatmates:

Lapland in May

Balbina, Marta and Radek's trip to Lapland

Jus some pictures of their trip, I look forward to receiving some text from Radek or Balbina. Then I'll add it :)


Radek&Balbina


Balbina&Marta rowing??


Polish-Czech-Polish friendship


Babina in Lapland


In Santa's post office


The Artic Circle


Cold & hard Lapland

Trip to St.Petersburg day 1

Spanish Erasmus in the way to "The Venice of the North" Last Days of April

We started our journey taking the ferry at 12.30 from Helsinki to Tallin. The plan was clear, we had bus tickets from Tallin to St.Petersburg on Wednesday night, 23:40. So we arrived to Tallin at 15:30 and we had time to enjoy the city and visit new places out of the "old town".


The ferry

We were supposed to leave from the bus station with Eurolines. We took a great offer: return tickets to St.Petersburg, VISAS to Russia, maps and guides for 81 € per person ;). Because we paid 20 euros for the ferry, 10 to go and 10 to come back, the whole journey cost 101 €.


The crew

We went to the bus station, left the luggage and then we went to visit the Tsar's summer palace which is located in a big park close to the beach in the way to Pirita.


Summer palace


In the summer palace

Later we took a bus to pirita to visit the olympic harbour (Moscow 80 Olympic Games) and the monastery in ruins.


Russian monuments


In the beach


In the beach II


The monastery

After this we bought some beers, cold beers cost 1 € in Tallin in R-Kioski ;) and we sat down close to the harbour thinking and talking about our expectations of this trip Russia. Finally we had dinner in the old town, so cheap 3.5 €, we watched the match "Barca vs Milan" and we took the bus around midnight .....................Way to russia


Relax & beers

The Sun, the Sky, the Sea and the Snow

These are four of the most important words in Finland, as well as Suomi

One of the things I like more in Finland are the Sun, the Sky and sometimes the Snow.

These are some pics taken with my cellular's camera:


Sun&Sky&Snow in Suomenlinna (February 2006)


Sorsa&Lu&Xavi over the frozen sea, Suomenlinna


Sun&Sky&Snow&Frozen Sea in Suomenlinna (February 2006)


Balbina on the snow-covered roof, Kannelmäki


Sun & the snow-covered roof, Kannelmäki


Pink sky


Sea&Sky&Sun, Suomenlinna (September 05)


Sea&Sky&Sun&Ship, Suomenlinna (September 05)


Sea&Sun from the Ferry (April 06)


Sea&Sun2 from the Ferry (April 06)


Sea&Sun3 from the Ferry (April 06)

NEW LIFE

News from Spain

Moikka!!

I'm not going to say that I'm sorry because I couldn't update this blog since long time ago. I've been really busy and it was just impossible to put attention on it :(

During these two months I have finished my Master's Thesis: "Voice Communication for Home Robotics". At present I'm doing some English corrections about the style but the documents are finished ;) Moreover the second of May I came back to Spain.

Yes, I left Finland 18 days ago. Now I have a good job in Spain and I'm attempting to come back to the real life. It's tough because every single moment I missed my life & friends in Finland. Special Balbina and my flatmates Mari and Xavi, as well as all the great people that I met there ............... sorry I cannot write the names of everybody but you know who you are ;)


But I have lots of things to tell and lots of pictures to show so I guess I'll continue talking about Erasmus in finland for a long time.

I only wanted to show that weather has recently changed in Finland. Now people wear t-shirts and shorts. I talked almost everyday with people in Helsinki and they sent me these pictures about their excursion to Nuuksio, the National Park of Espoo:


From left to right: Ruth, Lucia, Vincent, Caracol, Suso, Katja, Mari, Balbina a her friends: Veronika and Marcin.


Balbina, Marcin, Veronika, Suso, Mari, Xavi, David, Ruth, Lucia, Katja and Vincent.

It's obvious that the green colour is now everywhere in Finland, it's a pity that when I left the country everything was gloomy :(

Enjoy the incoming summer!!!

Miguel