In the middle of April, I attended a meeting about UV radiation in the Arctic. It was held in the small village of Saariselkä, which is located in the very northern part of Finland, also known as Lapland. I had some layover in Helsinki on the way in and therefore had time to visit the beautiful northern capital. Fins are known for their love of cell phone, and indeed, on my stroll through the city, every third person was talking into a phone.
Below is a picture of the Uspenski Cathedral, Western Europe’s largest Orthodox church. It is a reminder of the Russian influence on Finland during long periods of its history. It is still an impressive building.
The next picture shows the landmark of Helsinki, the Senate Place with the Dom in the background. The university is just around the corner and many students enjoyed the sunny weather.
Sunset in Saariselkä. There was still one meter of snow on the ground.
Because of the high latitude, the sun sets late in the evening and the hours of twilight create a magical light. Everything appears so peaceful. The landscape consists of gentle hills, covered sparsely with pine trees, as far as the eye can see. The few scars left by human civilization appear miniscule compared to the vast extent of the Arctic taiga.
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Photo by Jay Herman, NASA
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Finish words are long, and the language with its 18 cases is a complete mystery to me. I tried to find the correct translation for the words below, but I failed.
After the meeting was over, I briefly visited my family and friends in Germany. Below is the sunset view from my cousin's house toward the "Ammersee", a lovely lake in the alpine upland south of Munich. It is quite common that farm houses have a small chapel, which adds a unique flavor to the Bavarian landscape.
Another view toward the Ammersee...
I flew back via Amsterdam. There was again some delay at the airport. I therefore took a train to the city and visited the Stedelijk museum of contemporary art (which in fact was a bit too contemporary for my taste), and the Rijksmuseum. It was my second visit to the museum within one year; see the Updater from August 2001. The most impressive painting of the museum is the Nightwatch by Rembrandt. I took a photo of the painting, which turned out surprisingly well. The picture can also be found in high resolution on the official website of the Rijksmuseum. Click here (That's really a high-quality link - don't miss it)!
The next Updater will feature impressions from a offroad and hiking trip to Utah.