 Finland (Map) |
 Sweden (Map) |
 Russia (Map) |
 Estonia (Map) |
 Latvia (Map) |
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Tallinn - The capital of Estonia The first trip after one month in Finland led us (a group of Erasmus exchange students) in the beginning of February to Estonia. We visited the capital Tallinn during a very cold and windy winter weekend. For me personally Tallinn looks like a "typical" historical Eastern European capital or bigger city with some influences of its seaside location as well. Especially the old town remembers me a little bit of Prague (Czech Republic). Get your own impression... picture book PS Even if the pictures look nice keep in mind that certainly Tallinn as the touristic capital is not representative for the country as a whole! |
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Riga - The capital of Latvia In the end of May nearly all things for the university and the term in Jyväskylä where finished. Me and my remaining Erasmus friends used the time to travel around in the north to see some other cities and even coutries. Also we looked for some green, for a little bit of spring feeling because in that point Finland was still sleeping. We had the great option to have a local guide. Our friend Iveta who was already back home in Riga from the Erasmus time in Finland guided us around and showed us a lot of nice places in beautiful Riga. Get your own impression... picture book |
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Moscow - The capital of Russia In the beginning of April I joined a group of around 50 Erasmus exchange students for a trip to Russia organised by the Jyväskylä University in coorperation with a travel agency. Our first way - 16 hours by train - led us to Moscow the fascinating and exciting capital. Get your own impression... picture book - part 1: Red Square, St. Basil, Subway,... picture book - part 2: Kremlin, Moscow Street Life,... |
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Russia - Saint Petersburg After 4 days we left Moscow with a night train to Saint Petersburg. In difference to the weather in Moscow the weather in Saint Petersburg was bad, very bad. It was grey and cloudy and most of the time raining. So it was the typical Saint Petersburg weather as I know it from the books of Dostojewski. It was a strange an unsafe feeling to walk at night alone through the streets with all my valuables. But nothing happens. Only the wind was blowing and a few cars and people where moving through the streets like me... picture book |
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Stockholm - The capital of Sweden The journey to Stockholm in the end of May was the last travel adventure abroad from Finland together with my remaining Erasmus friends before we all have to go home. In endless walks we discovered nearly all parts of the city. We found beautiful and interesting places to take a look at and to relax during the daytime. Also we discovered nice places to have cheap dinner and a beer (never cheap in Stockholm) in the evening. The best part of the day was returning to the youth hostel because ours was a boat - a red boat which you can see at one of the first pictures... picture book |
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Jyväskylä - My 2005-Erasmus-home in Finland At the moment I am thinking of Finland and Jyväskylä nearly every day. It is almost exactly one year ago when I was preparing the last things for my half a year of Erasmus in Jyväskylä. I am also thinking of all the crazy Erasmus students from all over Europe I met there and who became friends of mine. I want to dedicate especialy these following Jyväskylä picture books to those people. Jyväskylä was my hometown for half a year and I felt very well there! As my last picture books from my travel adventures in the year 2005 I assorted 58 impressions from deep wintertime to unbelievable spring or even summertime. Great memories for us Erasmus students and beautiful impressions from Finland for all other interested people... picture book - part 1: wintertime in white Jyväskylä picture book - part 2: spring and summertime in green Jyväskylä |
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Helsinki - The capital of Finland I spent my studying time in Finland in Jyväskylä 300 km to the north of Helsinki. During that time I visited the capital several times. Helsinki is one of the most popular entry and exit points of the country (mostly for ferries and airplains) but it is worth to visit not only as a stopover. Helsinki with its 500.000 people is not really comparable with a capital in Central Europe. Nearly everything is smaller but very beautiful! Its really worth to visit Helsinki cause of its architecture, cultural events, coast town location (habour and markets),... picture book - part 1: habour, architecture/buildings, rock-church,... picture book - part 2: architecture/buildings, culture (events), zoo,... |
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Finland - Tampere On a beautiful and cold winter weekend in March 2005 I visited Tampere... Tampere, like serveral Finnish cities, is located between (at least) two lakes. Also you can find there a lot of the typical red brick buildings from the former industry times. Nearly all of them are renovate and house nowadays business offices, shops, cinemas, cultural facilities,... Most of them are located in the city centre and that's where the city get their special flair from. On the same weekend there was also the "Tampere Film Festival" which is the biggest film festival in Northern Europe. There I got different impressions... picture book |
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Finland - Vaasa area In the end of March there were some days of Easter holiday and I decided to escape a little bit from Jyväskylä (where I was studying). My journey led me to the coast town Vaasa... Again I found some red brick architecture but also a lot more... For example the biggest bridge of Finland which connect the mainland with the island Replot across the frozen Gulf of Bothnia. It was great to look at the ice-fisher (who sit there for hours), to walk across the cracking ice and to relax by beautiful sunsets. Get your own impression... picture book |
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