Helsinki, Finland

Arrived in snow covered Tempere, Finland this morning...haven't seen snow since I left Canada! The two hour bus ride into Helsinki passed relatively quickly...eating a delicious lunch made by my cousin Ana packed for me (thanks!) while trying to figure our why all the houses had ladders to the rooftops (which I later learned from Aurelia's friend Anti was so people could shovel snow off the roof).

Aurelia sweetly met me at the bus stop when I arrived...no snow left in the city though...so sad! I was looking forward to having a few snowball fights and testing out my running shoes in the snow (for Russia!).

Us being away from each other for over a week meant a full day of playing catch-up...new stories to tell one another! It doesn't happen often, as we are usually together all the time!

We wandered around the city, checked out a market by the water, a photo exhibition about street-style, wandered the pedestrian shopping streets and warmed ourselves up in cute cafes.

I also indulged in my black licorice addiction, for possibly the last time until I return home (as Scandinavia and Finland are just as crazy for the stuff as I am...like entire sections for it in the grocery store kinda crazy!) Panda Licorice - I love you! You will be missed!

Thanks Anti for letting us stay with you and for making us a fantastically authentic Finnish dinner - fish soup, black bread and carelian pies. Mmmm!