Lemmy, Ede, The Netherlands

magicwoman Posted May 3, 2008, 4:20 pm	I'm Lemmy,and i'm a lovely fox.I really love the lady foxes so I want to get out and meet some more lady foxes.Or perhaps have some great adventures in your country. Here in Holland I'm spending my time at magicwomans house.But when mostly i am in the woods that is were I really want to live
magicwoman Posted May 4, 2008, 1:13 pm	My travellist 1.Swit-Portugal 2.AbbyB-Canada 3.ooduslaps-Estonia 4.rasputinsloved1-USA 5.Delenna Finlad
Swit Posted May 16, 2008, 1:35 pm	Hello! Guess who has arrived in Lisbon today!  Unfortunately today it's raining!  But on the weekend I hope to show you my first photos here! Yours, Lemmy
Swit Posted May 17, 2008, 10:21 am	Good moorning! When I wake up I left my bubbled house! WOW! Who's that cute fox?  She said her name is Foxie. Hi Foxie! I'm Lemmy! I came from The Netherlands! And I think I'm falling in l*o*v*e! Let's talk a bit, to know each other better!
Swit Posted May 20, 2008, 9:27 pm	Today is the final game for the Portuguese Cup! I went to Alvalade XXI, the stadium of the team Sporting Clube de Portugal to see the game on the giant screens and to celebrate if it wins the Cup, playing against the winner of the Premier League. Sporting won the Cup!!! Unfortunately I didn't take more photos cause it started to rain!
Swit Posted May 21, 2008, 10:13 pm	I had such a lazy day today... when I woke up I heard a bird outside. WOW! A nest with baby birds! Hummm... where is the mother? Doesn't she now I'm a fox? You should never leave a nest when I'm around! The mother bird appeared and send me away...  Birds are amazing, the way they fly... I tried myself but I had to use a plain, I realized I don't have wings... So much activity made me hungry. Foxie helped me to do a quick visit to the fridge! Then we just played a bit with 4 Foxie's friends. A sheep from Serra da Estrela, the highest mountain of Portugal's inland: And the 3 african monkeys: We are going to sleep now... on the "net"!
Swit Posted May 23, 2008, 10:56 pm	Another trip in the city. I'm in the Restauradores square. There's Eden, it used to be a theatre but now it's an hotel. And the Hotel Avenida Palace: I found a traditional restaurant! A theatre! Hummm, that play sounds familiar, I'm sure I've heard something about it... A tunel with tiles dedicated to Camões! Camões is a very famous poet here, his masterpiece is called "Os Lusíadas" and it's the story of the portuguese people.
Swit Posted May 25, 2008, 10:09 pm	This weekend we have been to the beach! We've seen the Aqueduto das Águas Livres before entering on the "25 de Abril" bridge. When we got there we saw some street sellers. WOW, the sea! Brrrr.... the water was so cold! Only surfers or seaguls were on the water! Wait! We also saw a dog there!  Unfortunately we arrived too late. Some hours before and we'd see the boats arrive from fishery. See how small the boats are! People go to the sea on them?!  Hummm... some dead fish on the beach. They must have fall off the fishermen's nests! The seaguls had a great meal today! Poor crab!  This image really made us feel bad... we decided just to watch the sea instead! 2 planes from Sintra Air Show! Unfortunately the weather changed very quickly and it started to rain! We had to go back to the car... Where are we going next?
Swit Posted May 28, 2008, 1:10 am	Today we tried to go out but it was raining! We just took a look at the window. Foxie was mad at me cause I never buy her presents! I had to show her my love! Then I bought her a "Pirilampo Mágico", a small toy to help an organisation that helds children with mental problems. Just € 2,00 and Foxie was so happy!  We reminisce our photos on the computer... It's getting dark here, time to go to bed!
Swit Posted May 30, 2008, 7:51 pm	Today I've seen a lot of Tramways! This one is Elevador do Lavra. It's an elevator to clim the hill. There's still a lot to climb!
Swit Posted May 30, 2008, 10:01 pm	I kept walking... I'm in Chiado now. A bookstore with a cool name "Bertrand"!  And more tramways!
Swit Posted May 31, 2008, 10:32 pm	Today I've been on the garden Braancamp Freire that everyone knows it as "Campo de Santana" I've seen a lot of birds there.  Some ducks, pigeons and some small chicken that looked really tasty!  ... and a couple of peacocks! The male: The female (less coloured but very Royal!): All this activity made me thirsty, I drunk some water on the public fountain!
Swit Posted Jun 1, 2008, 9:52 pm	Today was Children's Day!  To celebrate it I went to a kids park! I decided to go to the Book Fair of Lisbon, on Parque Eduardo VII. Wow! The Quidam show! Haven't I seen this before, in my loved country?  Ahahahahahaha! What a funny commercial! The Square Marquês de Pombal, a central place in Lisbon:
Swit Posted Jun 4, 2008, 10:32 pm	Today I heard about an exhibition in Praça do Comércio, in Lisbon. It is called the Tree Parade'08. The idea is to call the attention to forests and their importance on our lives. The trees were decorated by kids from Lisbon's schools and kindergartens. I saw the trees the moment I entered the square! So many trees! Ahahhaahah!! Some people thought they were real trees! This one was not painted but it's very cool too, with the pictures of the kids! So cute! I found a fox made by kindergarten children!  They like me! What do I see over there? A world map? And what is that animal over the Iberian Peninsula?!  It's... it's me!  Bye-bye city trees! I loved to know portuguese kids are learning to respect the environment! If only grown ups do the same my cousins on wild would have much better lives...
Swit Posted Jun 5, 2008, 10:55 pm	Today is World Environment Day! I spent all day celebrating it with nature! Oops! I was trying to show you the lemon tree but I hide it!  Too bad these grapes are too green, even for this "green" day!  OUCH! This piri-piri looks hot! There are so many flowers! So colored! Foxie was wondering where was I and came to the garden too! I think she was jealous, there are some cute kittens here! Foxie, love, for the 3rd time, I was not looking at this cat! She's after me but I swear, I'm not interested on her! I was playing with the dog till you got here, male bounding! See our innocent faces? If you don't believe us, ask the gnome! He was here too! You don't believe me... OK, let's just walk around... WOW! A lamb! Go, lamb, go! "Boys! Behave, Lemmy, its mother is here too!" Foxie really knows how to spoil my fun sometimes! OK, sorry Miss Sheep, I didn't want to hurt your baby! Yes, I know he's not a horse! The ducks were more friendly! THANK YOU nature for another fun day!
Swit Posted Jun 7, 2008, 10:39 pm	Today I saw the beginning of Euro 2008! Foxie made me support Portugal. We watched the game Portugal vs Turkey. Such a nice game! Portugal won 2-0 and everyone went crazy!  Congratulations to the coach!
Swit Posted Jun 10, 2008, 12:11 am	CONGRATULATIONS DUTCH TEAM! GREAT GAME!  I almost forgot to show what I saw yesterday!  A stone fountain in the middle of the city. A public school made on 1875. The theatre of S. Carlos where usually are played operas. From there I went to the train station of Restauradores. I see Rossio square from here! I saw an old books bookstore! On Rua Augusta there was a promotion of Celorico da Beira, a small town on the interior of the country. They were selling some traditional chorizos. And cheese! I tried to taste it but the lady didn't let me... I think she thought I was a mouse or something!  I even found a lion there!  Wow! Such big teeth! I found an interesting way to draw the attention off a construction work: WOW! Did I walk so much I ended in Rome?!  I'm still in Lisbon, I see the ABEP kiosk behind me!  It's a ticket selling point for concerts, theatre and other cultural activities. The Roman soldier is just the advertising for a restaurant!
Swit Posted Jun 11, 2008, 11:23 pm	Portugal's National Day!  To celebrate I visited the Park of Nations where the Expo 98 took place 10 years ago. First I saw the Vasco da Gama Tower! We parked the car in front of Peter's café. The white whale looks friendly, I like whales a lot! The Tagus river! On the other side is Almada, it's a bit more clowdy than on this side. I saw the Lisbon Oceanarium which is celebrating its 10th birthday: There's someone drowning! It's just Vasco, the Oceanarium mascot! Bye! Foxie wants to show me the rest of the place!  There's the Atlantic Pavilion, where concerts and other shows take place: She keeps telling me to moove but I feel so good here! Hummm... what do I see here?! A cute litle Dutch bunny!!! Foxie?! Where did you go? Don't be jealous, she's just a old friend! She left me here...  She doesn't remember she met Miffy too, some days ago... Well, I'll continue alone. I'll not get lost! What is that? A tornado? It's in this nice garden: And on the other end there's a waterfall! First a tornado, now a volcano?! The Lisbon Casino is here too! I'm going to the car and I decided to enter in another garden. Cool hibiscus! I'm afraid I must be lost! I don't know where I am and now I'm in a cage! What a relief! I'm out of that jungle! I see people again! And I see some nenuphars too! Although ashamed, I have to ask these policemen to help me find the car... I'll never make foxie mad again! And I admit: WOMEN HAVE BETTER ORIENTATION SKILLS THAN MEN!
Swit Posted Jun 12, 2008, 10:31 pm	Today I found the ruins of an old convent, the Convento do Carmo. It burnt down in the big Earthquake of 1755, which destroyed a big part of the city and provoked a tsunami that made damages even worse. On the beginning of the square I saw this "large" building!  Next to the old Convent there is the headquarters of one of the portuguese police forces: GNR In front of it there's a strange fountain and trees with cool flowers! And a traditional kiosk! I'm going to see the outside of the convent now. In the inside there's the Archeological Museum of Chiado. Unfortunately it was already closed... It must have been a cool building! I reached a plataform belonging to the Elevator of Santa Justa. What a view from here! The elevator looks safe! And the elevator shaft! The doors... And the stairs to the upper levels! I think I'm going up!  GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! I see the street from here! I finaly got to the top! I can see the river from here. The Convent... ... and the castle! On the top there's a café, these oranges for juice look tasty! Time to go down! WOW!!! Now the stairs are making me dizzy! I must have fear of hights! And I'm still so high! I can still see the Praça D. Pedro from here! When I got to the ground level I could see some information about the elevator. It's a National Monument and it was inaugurated on 10 July 1902.
Swit Posted Jun 13, 2008, 3:35 pm	I'm so inlove with Foxie, she's not mad at me anymore...  Today I got home with a present for her. Come and see it, Foxie! Open it!  Oh, Lemmy!!! Foxie, will you marry me? I have an idea! Today is the weddings of the Bridals ofSaint Anthony Day, the Patron Saint of Lisbon. Tomorrow, the 13th June is holiday here, to celebrate the Saint's Day. We can celebrate our wedding today! Let's get changed!
Swit Posted Jun 13, 2008, 4:13 pm	There's the Church of Saint Anthony! Hummm... I'm the first to arrive, that's bad luck... Saint Anthony, will you bless our marriage? ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Oh, here's the Saint Foxie was talking about! She must be at the church already... poor girl, I don't know how to tell her... There she is, waiting on the church's stairs... She looks so pretty, as usually. Foxie... I have something to tell you... you know I'm a wild fox and I have missions for my life. I can't stay here with you, I still have to walk on the woods, go on hunting, see Wales and party in the USA. Let's just ask Saint Anthony to give me good luck in my journeys and when I get home safe you'll join me in Netherlands, OK? You'll like my country a lot, it has so many flowers, water and cool windmills!  Yes, Lemmy, I understand... let's go home to enjoy our last moments together.
Swit Posted Jun 16, 2008, 11:01 pm	Today when I woke up Lemmy was already busy, writing... he was writing the address of his next host, in Canada. I can't believe you will really go away, I said. I couldn't watch him pack... And there he went... inside his transportation. I'll be back! He waved at me and went inside.  I sealed the envelope. And I sit and cried... BYE Lemmy, I'll miss you! Yours, Foxie
AbbyB Posted Jun 25, 2008, 9:22 pm	I arrived in Canada today! I was greeted by Yum Yum and Dolly.  I'm glad to have made new friends, but I wish Foxie was here to share it all with me...
AbbyB Posted Jun 28, 2008, 7:34 am	I rode the train today.
AbbyB Posted Jun 28, 2008, 7:37 am	I saw a tiny bit of Maple Ridge today. This is the infamous Maple Ridge clock.  There's a legend that goes with the clock and the horse.  The horse represents a beast that fought for Mother Nature against those who were hurting the environment, but was gravely hurt in the process.  Mother Nature set up the clock as a reminder to not hurt the environment. This is the ACT Theatre.  It's relatively new and is apparently very nice (Abby said she has both performed there and been in the audience) Across from the theatre, an art show is being set up in the park. Look at those mountains
AbbyB Posted Jun 28, 2008, 7:40 am	Abby is learning how to drive (finally, she says), and I thought I would try too. Hmm, I can't quite reach the steering wheel... That's better, but now I can't reach the pedals! Oh well, I guess driving is not for me.
AbbyB Posted Jul 1, 2008, 6:32 am	Abby's driving took us out to Stave Lake and Hayward Lake this evening. This is in Stave Lake Park.  The lake is behind me. A little further to the left of this picture and back a bit (no good vantage point, sorry), is the Stave Lake dam. Then we drove to Hayward Lake and its dam, which is part of the Stave Lake dam. This is the crane they used to lift the flood gates of the dam before there were electric motors to do so. The top pf the dam we drove across.  In the wooded area behine me we saw a deer, but there was no safe place to pull over and take a picture of it. Hayward Lake and the mountains behind it.
AbbyB Posted Jul 2, 2008, 2:41 am	Today is Canada Day, Canada's 141st birthday. In celebration, Abby gave each one of us a little Canadian flag pin to wear for the day. We all settled down to watch the Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa, the capital. The Prime Minister being interviewed The Governor General arriving with her Mountie Escort The Royal Salute Singing of the national anthem The Snowbirds, which are part of the airforce and perform all over North America in air shows. Blue Rodeo played a few songs. Abby tried to take a patriotic shot of me with the flags in her front yard, but it wasn't windy enough. Then we went to the local celebrations.  There was food, face painting, entertainment and many people promoting local business and events. There was also a farmers' market, with a special sign just for today. After that it was time to cool down with a smoothie. Happy Canada Day!
AbbyB Posted Jul 8, 2008, 6:51 am	Today I checked out the local community gardens.  Community gardens are a plot of land, where anyone may sign up to grow things on. This centre also educates the public about things like composting. Afterwards, we decided to go on a bit of a heritage walk. We walked along part of the Trans-Canada Trail, a trail that stretches thousands of kilometres across the country. I decided to climb an apple tree. The sign reads: In 1876 Thomas and Ann Haney came West to Maple Ridge from Ontario.  Thomas Haney had trained as a brick-maker, so he sought out land with clay suitable for brick-making.  In 1876-77 Thomas and Ann Haney purchased 160 acres of land for $1000.  Here the Haneys built their home and raised their family on land that stretched from the river to Dewdney Trunk Road and from 222nd to 225th Street. Thomas Haney opened the first brickyard in Maple Ridge, running it for eleven years, after which he began a livery stable.  He became a municipal councillor and a land assessor in 1877.  Thomas Haney also drew up the first town plan and soon the townsite came to be known as 'Port Haney'. The Haneys were a generous family, often helping newcomers to find land and settle in Maple Ridge.  Visiting priests were invites to hold mass in their home every Sunday.  The Haneys served breakfast to all those present.  In 1881, when the congregation grew too large, Thomas Haney built the first St Patrick's Catholic Church on his property, donating both land and money.  Descendants of the Haney family lived in the home until 1979.  It was donated to the municipality, along with the acre of land it stands on, as a heritage site for the enjoyment of future generations. This is just outside the fence.  It reads: Port Haney was one of many communities whose life depended on the river.  Take a walk to the Fraser River and the wharf.  Just follow the trail through the highway underpass and across the tracks to the Fraser's banks.  For many years the centre of the town was by the railroad tracks and the river. Log Sorts, the Haney Brick and Tile Company, and other industrial activities took place on the banks of the Fraser and Pitt Rivers and Kanaka Creek.  Riverboats stopped at the wharf unloading passengers and freight.  Prior to construction of the Lougheed Highway, this was one of the main loading areas for livestock and raw materials, such as wood, to be taken into New Westminster and eventually, to Vancouver via the CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway). In order to get to the wharf, I had to walk through this tunnel... And cross the train tracks There was information here about the Japanese population before World War II: Japanese settlement in Maple Ridge began by 1896.  These early settlers worked in labour positions and farmed.  By 1911 over 75 families and 300 people of Japanese descent were living in the District.  By the 1920s the Japanese community had built their own Buddhist temple, school, community hall and the Berry Growers Co-op.  They were involved in all aspects of the Maple Ridge community, including local politics, sports, festivals and fairs. From Maple Ridge to Manitoba - During the early years of World War II the Japanese Community of Maple Ridge took part in community relief projects and fundraised for Victory Bonds to support Canadian soldiers overseas. On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbour, bringing themselves and the US into WWII. This action brought out divisions in the community, turning neighbours into enemies.  In January of 1942 Prime Minister Mackenzie King authorized the RCMP to register all Japanese people, including those born in Canada and Britain.  The local Japanese community was shocked.  Some received the news after spending an evening volunteering for the Canadian war effort. The Japanese were soon ordered to leave for interment away from the BC Coast.  On April 24, 1942, the Maple Ridge Gazette reported that the last of 118 Japanese families had left the area, most heading to work the sugar beet farms of Manitoba.  All their property and many of their belongings had been sold with proceeds to Federal coffers.  In 1949 the District of Maple Ridge voted to disallow their return. The view upriver Abby would have taken a few more pictures, but we were sidetracked by an old, drunk Finnish man on the wharf who decided to tell us his story. After our walk it was time for some gelato.
AbbyB Posted Jul 11, 2008, 4:47 am	Today we said goodbye to Dolly.
AbbyB Posted Jul 11, 2008, 4:49 am	We played frisbee in the park with Abby and her sister. It was fun, but tiring, so after a while and I sat in the shade and watched the humans make fools of themselves.
AbbyB Posted Jul 12, 2008, 2:23 am	Abby needed to buy some things at her new school, so she took us along. Simon Fraser University is a fairly new school, only 43 years old.  It was designed by Arthur Erickson, one of Vancouver's most famous architects.  It's on top of Burnaby Mountain, and so it's often quite foggy, and in the winter if it's particularly snowy, then there is no bus service. Abby didn't stay long enough to give me a grand tour, but I saw some of the more interesting sights. This is the convocation mall.  Graduation ceremonies are held here, as well as many student gatherings. Behind me, you can see the academic quadrangle. And here is inside of it On the roofs you can see some of the mountains to the north of Vancouver.  It it hadn't been so smoggy, Abby would have tried to take a picture of Vancouver on the other side of campus.
AbbyB Posted Jul 16, 2008, 3:02 am	I helped Abby wash the family van. I got the hose ready... The soapy water... And the scrub brush... Wait a minute?  There's a chance that I might get wet?  Um, I think I'll just supervise with Yum Yum.
AbbyB Posted Jul 16, 2008, 6:03 pm	Today I woke up to find that Abby had moved Yum Yum and I from our cushy place in one of her bags, to the kitchen table with a darning needle in front of us.  Turns out that the needle had nothing to do with either of us (phew!) and Abby was just returning it to her sister.  It also turns out that Erin was taking us to an unknown place for a bike ride while Abby was off earning money to pay for her toyvoyagers habit. Maple Ridge and the next town, Pitt Meadows, have a lot of farm land; in fact Maple Ridge is fairly well-known for its horse breeding and berry crops.  Pitt Meadows is rather flat, and so there are dikes around all the rivers to prevent flooding.  They are very scenic and we visited a couple today. This is one of the dikes modeled by Yum Yum.  Erin forgot to take a picture of me here, but we'll forgive her for being fairly new to this. This is one of the farms in the area Also, some of the horses Erin also showed me the South Alouette River. Here is another dike we biked on.  Not all of the dikes are this well maintained; some are very overgrown and a little difficult to walk or bike on. It gave us a nice view of the river again. Thanks Erin, for taking me on a bike ride
AbbyB Posted Jul 17, 2008, 8:32 am	Abby's sister found a Travelbug, and decided to leave it on Burnaby Mountain, where Abby and Erin's university is. Abby forgot to take pictures of me at the university itself this time, or eating lunch (you missed the dropping a piece of sushi into soya sauce, which then splattered and ran all down Abby's legs fiasco, sorry), but I was in on the geocaching experience. We had to walk down a trail to get to the one that we were looking for.  I was particularly excited because I was accomplishing a life mission by going for a walk in a forest! Eventually the trail led us to this field. And we found the cache!  We left the Travelbug inside A little further on, there was this large park, right on the side of the mountain.  Apparently it's very popular for tobogganers in the winter.  The trees are fairly high now, but behind them there is a view of Vancouver. Here it is closer up. I found a fire pit. Erin was looking for another cache, so Abby picked salmonberries for us to try.  Because there are nasty bugs in the first, neitherof us felt like leaving her bag. On the other side of the park, we discovered what looked like partially constructed totem poles. Above them were three stones explaining the art.  The first one said: Kamui Mintara - Playground of the Gods This Burnaby Mountain setting inspired the carvings entitled, 'Plarground of the Gods'.  It is the story of Japan native peoples, the Ainu, and of the gods who came down to the earth to give birth to them. In the large foreground sculpture of bound poles, those with animals on top represent the Ainu gods, while the smaller poles represent the people.  On Earth the gods assume the shape and spirits of animals, such as the bear, the owl and the orca. The second one said: These sculptures were dedicated to the citizens of Burnaby in 1990 to commemorate twenty-five years of goodwill between the Sister Cities of Kushiro, Japan and the District of Burnaby, Canada. The exhibition was created by Noburi Toko, a renowned modern sculptor of the Ainu, and his sone, Shusei Toko.  The Ainu are the aboriginal people of Japan who inhibit the northern island of Hakkaida. The third one said: Ainu Mythology tells us of a culture closely connected to the water.  The sculpture to the lower left with the four supposrts symbolizes the ocean.  To the right of this three pairs of poles and a single pole represent the orca god of the sea. The sculpture on the far left points ot the west symbolizing a bridge of friendship that connects the sister cities of Kushiro and Burnaby. After a long day of hiking, it was time to go home.  I was so tired that I went straight to sleep.
AbbyB Posted Jul 21, 2008, 6:45 am	We went to the Maple Ridge Fair today.  Abby's family is not really into the country thing, but they entered some things into the fair for the heck of it, to see if they'd win anything. The fairgrounds We made a beeline for the showroom... Look!  Abby's crocheted birthday cupcake won first prize! And the scarf that Erin made for their mom won first prize and a best in show rosette! And their rhubarb won first prize and a best in show rosette for nits, fruits and vegetables! In addition, they won two more firsts and three seconds for various herbs, and a first for a felt mask in the toy category.  Yay, Abby's family! After that, we wandered the showroom to see what other categories there were that people had entered.  Our happiness was soured somewhat by a man who was very rude to Abby after she accidentally brushed past him, but not for long! This year the province is celebrating its 150th birthday, and so all the theme categories had a birthday theme. After the showroom, we watched some of the cow judging. Then, we went to go see some of the animals. The pigs The goats The sheep The cows We paused for a minute, because it was very hot out, on some hay in the cow barn. Here are some more sheep. We watched a sheep shearing demonstration.  The sheep didn't seem very happy. Look at the size of this ox! 2200 pounds!?! See this fuzzy thing?  It's actually a rabbit. Then, we went to the room that was all about yarn and weaving, and spinning wool. After that, there wasn't much else to see, except for the quilters' room, which cost $2 that Abby didn't have.  We went home.
AbbyB Posted Jul 21, 2008, 6:54 am	I saw a Shakespearean play today, Titus Andronicus, at Bard on the Beach in Vanier Park.  There's Vancouver's planetarium. Abby's family had ordered lunch in advance to eat before the play. Abby took pictures of me while she was guarding the food and waiting for her family to get back from picking up tickets. She couldn't go very far, so you can't see the ocean from here, but it was very picturesque.  Lots of sailboats out today. Finally, we were able to eat lunch.  Whole wheat pasta with artichokes and sundried tomatos, balsamic roasted vegetables, vegetarian samosa balls with raisin chutney and a small apple pie. When we went inside the tents, we found out that there was a Starbucks coffee tasting.  We found seats and hurried over.  There were three types of coffee to choose from, with a corresponding snack sample, and a coupon for a tall oder of the same coffee.  How thoughtful of them to make the cups toyvoyager sized! Recording devices are not allowed in the tents, so there are no pictures of me enjoying the play.  It was very gorey and I had to hide my eye a few times, but it was very well done. At intermission we ate ice cream.  Did you know that it is National (not sure which one) Ice Cream Day?
AbbyB Posted Jul 21, 2008, 9:32 pm	Lately, Abby has been crocheting non-stop.  Seriously, she comes home from work and crochets.  It's kind of annoying, because we could be sight-seeing and going for drives instead (fat chance, she says, of finding anything interesting to do in this town), but to make it up, she crocheted a flower and took a picture of me with it, so I could 'offer' it to anyone I wanted. So, I'd like to offer this flower to the two most important women in my world, magicwoman and dear Foxie:
AbbyB Posted Jul 26, 2008, 8:44 pm	Abby felt bad for not taking us out for a few days, so she showed us her garden. The lavender smells really nice We picked some blueberries to share. Abby's family has some interesting garden ornaments. Here, we were posing on the grass, and Little Lou decided to join us.
AbbyB Posted Jul 28, 2008, 6:41 am	Today I saw a little bit of Vancouver.  It was obvious that we were gonig somewhere, but nobody would say where. We started off at the Architectural Institute, where we parked.  They have a small gallery. This looks like a normal bench, but it's made enturely of wood, even the cushions. This is Victory Square, Vancouver's war memorial. Across the street they were getting ready to film a movie in the alley next to Abby's mom's work.  The alley has been used in many movies (the only one that comes to Abby's mind is the chase scene in Air Bud), but is also the poster child for homelessness and drug use in Vancouver.  We were able to walk through the set twice (they weren't filming), but we didn't have time to stop and take a picture down the alley. Far off down the street you can see the beginning of Chinatown.  The orange structure is the Gate of Thousands' Happiness, which was built in 2000.  On the right, the building with the copper roof is the old Sun Building.  It was originally owned by the Vancouver Sun, the local newspaper.  When it was built it was the tallest building in Vancouver.  The offices were up top and the printing presses were down below.  There are nine statues of women around the building, symbolizing the nine Muses of Greek mythology, and the roof is made of copper.  It has been climbed by Harry the Human Fly and Houdini escaped from a straightjacket suspended from the roof. This is Vancouver's main sorting station for Canada Post.  All the mail for BC goes through here.  The last time I was here I was in an envelope.  A little known fact about this distribution centre, is that there is a tunnel leading from here to the waterfront.  Back when the mail arrived on trains it was the easiest way to get the mail to the building. This is the main branch of the Vancouver Public Library.  The architecturue was influenced by the Roman Colliseum. Finally we reached our destination... SPAMALOT! Obviously there wwas no picture taking allowed, but I can assure you that it was very funny. During the intermission, Abby bought a new toy. Eek! Will it ever become a ToyVoyager?  Abby says no, because she wouldn't want to lose it.  Shame. After the show, we went for dinner, and who did we see there?  Esther Stilwell, the Lady of the Lake in Spamalot.  She agreed to have her picture taken with us.
AbbyB Posted Aug 6, 2008, 2:54 am	I'm on my way to Victoria, British Columbia's capital. Abby and her sister did not go with their parents because both had to work, so we took public transportation.  Victoria is on Vancouver Island.  It took us four buses just to get to the ferry terminal! Here's the receipt of our tickets.  They took the tickets away before Abby could take a picture. To pass the time, we played cribbage without a board. And of course, we went outside. After we got off the ferry, I was disappointed to hear that we were nowhere near Victoria.  What, another bus?  At least this one was a double decker, and we had the good fortune to be sitting on the top, right at the very front. Passing through Sidney-By-The-Sea. There are lots of farms on Vancouver Island. What you can't see here is that the field is being shared by cows and Canada geese. Ugh, when will we make it to Victoria?
AbbyB Posted Aug 6, 2008, 5:22 am	We made it to Victoria just in time for dinner. On the menu there were interesting facts about the building we were in. Across the street was this native longhouse. I noticed some information on James Douglas, the first governor of both the British Columbian and Vancouver Island colonies, before they joined Canada. Next, we came upon an old schoolhouse. And then Helmcken House, the oldest standing house in Victoria.  John Helmcken was a doctor. Next is the Royal Museum of British Columbia.  We are going there tomorrow. This is the bell that stands outside of the museum.  As you can see, it was a gift from The Netherlands. Also outside the museum was this area where you could pose with famous British Columbians.  It's part of BC's 150th birthday celebrations.  Can you see me?
AbbyB Posted Aug 8, 2008, 7:32 am	Next, it was off to the Legislative Buildings. First, we visited the local war memorial. And then to the buildings themselves. In front of the buildings was a statue of Queen Victoria, who was Britain's monarch when BC joined Canada. We wandered around to the back of the buildings.  There was a garden in the back, with an old sundial. This is the library. On it are many carved figures.  This tells us who; various explorers and founders of British Columbia.  There are also heads carved in relief of famous philosophers and writers. Next, we went on a tour inside the legislative buildings. Here, out tour guide is explaining the coat of arms.  The shield in the centre is a smaller version of the flag.  the two animals represent the colonies of Vancouver Island (left) and mainland BC (right).  The crown at the top symbolizes alliegence to the British crown.  The motto is below, with dogwoods below that, the provincial flower. The motto, Splendor Sine Occasu, means Splendor Without Deminishment. This is where the Premier and the Members of the Legislative Assemby meet to debate. This window was made to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's golden jubilee in 2002.  She visited here to unveil it. This window is to commemorate the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria.  The tour ended and we wandered down to the waterfront. If you look on this map, I am standing at the bottom right corner of the harbour. There are a lot of buskers around.  This man was playing the bagpipes. On the sea wall there was a statue of Captain James Cook, one of teh men who explored the West Coast. Along the sea wall there are many small vendors selling things they have made and art they have created. Across the water you can see the Empress Hotel, the grandest hotel in Victoria. There are many organizations trying to take advantage of the crowds attending the BC 150 celebrations.  This display was put on by BC Hydro, the main power supplier to BC. I showed off my power-saving smarts and won Abby a lanyard. On the way back to the car, I noticed this mural on the side of a building of Vancouver Island.  Victoria is right at the bottom.  At the top right where the skyscrapers are painted, that is Vancouver.  The lower part of Vancouver Island, where we are, is the only part of Western Canada that is below the 49th parallel. On the street, this man was creating famous masterpieces with chalk.  Abby said that he was here the last time she was here a year ago, in the exact same spot. Finally, we stopped at Rogers Chocolates.  I tried their ice cream at Bard on the Beach. Everyone bought a Victoria cream.  Mine was wild cherry flavoured.
AbbyB Posted Aug 10, 2008, 4:08 am	This is the view from the motel room: Now, before you think that Abby's family were being cheap, they chose this motel for a reason.  The singer Nelly Furtado used to work here. Today we are back at the Royal BC Museum to see the BC 150 special exhibit. These 'postcards' were on the walls all over the exhibit. This is an old aboriginal whale bone mask. There were a couple people in costume who were telling stories and singing songs of miners and people searching for gold.  This man was telling us about a man who owned a mine who carried his employees through the Depression. An aboriginal canoe This teddy bear is over 100 years old!  Probably a little to delicate to become a toyvoyager. Some examples of aboriginal clothing The piece of gold in this case is worth $50000! This is some information on the man who designed the Legistlative Buildings that I visited yesterday. This button is from BC's 100 year celebration in 1958. There was a little bit of information about Emily Carr. This is what the chief of police used to wear.  Things have sure changed. There was a display similar to the one outside the museum, only it was circular, of famous British Columbians.  How many can you recognize? This is a Kermode bear, BC's official animal.  It is only found in a small part of BC and is endangered. These things belonged to people who were famous in early BC.  The jacket belongs to Colonel Moody, who was an engineer and founded the city where the original end of the Canadian Pacific Railway was, before it was extended to Vancouver.  The picture towards the left and the wig are and belonged to Judge Begbie, BC's first judge. This is the document proclaming British Columbia as a colony. After the exhibit, we checked out what else was on that floor.  There was a small, but very informative exhibit on climate change in the area.  Then it turned into the ice age. After that there were displays on local wildlife. There was a lot more museum to check out, but we had already spend three hours there and it was time to leave.
AbbyB Posted Aug 11, 2008, 8:19 am	Abby's parents had gone on an architectural church tour the day before, so they decided to show those of us who hadn't been able to go some of the churches. This is Christ Church Cathedral, the only Cathedral in the province.  An interesting fact about it is that the roof is made entirely of brick.  It is also the tallest church in Victoria. As you can see, Winston Churchill laid one of the stones as the church was being built. This church is no longer a church, but in fact a conservatory of music.  We slipped inside for a moment and four violinists were practicing onstage. This church has burned down twice before and all that was saved from both were three small windows, the baptisimal fountain and their cross. Don't be fooled by the rose window on this church, it's actually a synagogue, and the oldest standing place of worship in the city. After the church tour, Abby persuaded her family to take us to see the more touristy parts of Victoria.  This street here is permanently closed to traffic and people set up tables and sell art. This is Market Square, which has many interesting shops.  Unfortunately, we were only passing through and we didn't visit any of them. This fountain stands just inside the gates.  It's a water fountain for humans now, but used to be a place for horses to drink. We paused for a moment to watch a belly dancer. Here I am at Fan Tan Alley, the narrowest street in North America.  At its narrowest it is only three feet wide. This is the gate to Chinatown. In Chinese culture, lions symbolize luck. In the evening we went to a free concert in the harbour.  Victoria's symphony was playing on a stage floating on the water.  As you can tell, it was very popular and therefore hard to see. A lot of people came to the concert. People were talking through the concert, so we left after the first half.  Anyway, Abby's family had a few more places to show me. This school is famous just because of it's name. Then, we visited the birthplace of artist Emily Carr.
AbbyB Posted Aug 11, 2008, 8:40 am	Today we visited Craigdarroch Castle, home to The Dunsmuirs, the richest family in Victoria around the turn of the century.  Apparently it's haunted.  It is now a bit of a museum and there are tours through it, but we didn't stay for one. This lion was sitting near the back door.  As I learned yesterday, lions are supposed to be good luck.  Apparently not for this family; Dunsmuir Senior died before the manor was finished and his children quarreled amongst themselves and parted ways. Next, it was off to Hatley Castle, built and owned by the son of the Dunsmuir who built Craigdarroch Castle.  Apparently it is haunted too. This is the view from the balcony.  What a pretty place. The main entrance of the castle.  The castle now belongs to  and is on the grounds of Royal Roads University, a military college. In the basement there is a small museum.  Here is a model of the castle.  A little too small for toyvoyagers, unfortunately. Next, it was off to Government House, the residence of the Leftenant Governor of BC.  When the Queen visits BC she stays here.  Because it was BC day, part of the house was open to the public.  It has burned down twice before, roughly every fifty years.  It has been 49 years since the last fire, so everybody keep your fingers crossed. And what a pretty view from here too.  I guess you have to be rich or famous to get these kinds of views.  The mountains you can see in the distance are part of Washington State. This is the main dining hall. Lastly, we visited the bathrooms downstairs meant for guest use when there are balls and state dinners.  I was nearly blinded by the chintz in the ladies' powder room.
AbbyB Posted Aug 11, 2008, 8:45 am	The ferry back to the mainland was uneventful, and Abby didn't take any pictures because the trip was exactly the same as the last one.  However, we took the long route home and ended up taking another ferry.  Two ferries in one day!  This trip was much shorter, only fifteen minutes, across the Fraser River.
AbbyB Posted Aug 12, 2008, 10:33 pm	Lemmy wrote in his notebook... Said goodbye to Yum Yum... And crawled into his envelope to go to Finland. Goodbye, Lemmy!
Delenna Posted Aug 21, 2008, 6:39 pm	I'm here! I arrived just in time to help my host eat--- make her birthday cake  The cake is a self-portrait of my host  I was promised sightseeing very soon
Delenna Posted Aug 27, 2008, 7:08 pm	Here I am with my new friends. There's Roo (the kangaroo), Ninni (the bunny) and Alfie Langer (the bear). They have been with this family for quite a while already so I took the advantage and asked all sorts of questions about the family, city and country. Their replies made me feel comfortable, I'm sure I'll like it here! Ninni showed me around the house in her backbag. She told me she had to pack as she was leaving to Germany very soon to start her own voyage!
Delenna Posted Aug 27, 2008, 7:17 pm	This is where I'll be staying for a while: by the Baltic Sea! This is the Baltic Sea, it's just not a open sea view as Finland has so much archipelago. Could you believe that the creator of the Moomin spent her summers in this part of the archipelago! No wonder Moominpappa loves the sea!  I also tried the lifesaver but it seems a bit big for me - my host said I could save all the small ones!  I love her already
Delenna Posted Aug 28, 2008, 2:34 pm	In the evening my host showed me some more boats  Here I am getting to the Porvoo River. That red building of bricks is called "Art Factory". They keep all sorts of artsy events there; exhibitions, market place - and most wellknown is the classical music concert called "Avanti!". The big sailboat is m/aux Marita which was built in 1947. She sails only on request anymore. A 4h cruise costs 1850 euros. Just to give an example. It would be so cool to sail on this beauty! My allowance just doesn't cover the ticket... We took the other photos on/under/by the newest bridge. It took about 30 years to get this bridge here! Some people kept complaining as they didn't want it and the majority who did want it didn't make as much noise. There was also all sorts of fuss about what kind of bridge it should be etc. But here it finally is and it looks quite pretty actually. I was told that the person who designed it got inspired by the wings of airplanes.
Delenna Posted Aug 29, 2008, 3:07 pm	Toyvoyagares are not allowed to just hang around here  My host took me with her to work! She works with mentally disabled who do all sorts of handicrafts. With the knitter they do for example triangle scarfs - and snakes, which are then felted and made into different things. Felting is one of the favorite crafts. The last work (the one with sunset and dolphins) is made by my host. The houses are not yet finished, they'll put mirrors to the windows! Everything the people make are meant to be sold. That is not hard, even my host wants to buy half of the things they make! And I don't blame her
Delenna Posted Sep 4, 2008, 9:10 am	We went for a walk and found this mailbox. It's not a private regular mailbox but one for keep-fit enthusiasts. There was this notebook where people couls write teir name, town/suburb and how many kilometers they had ran/bicycled. They keep track that way and sometimes those who have ran the most get a price or something. And sometimes there is a competition between Porvoo and its friendship towns: which town has the most kilometers run/bicycled etc.
Delenna Posted Sep 4, 2008, 9:13 am	Here I am at the nearby forest! I got to smell fresh air, taste redberries - and wonder about the "private area" sign in the middle of the forest... I loved running around here! I tried to look for wild foxes but couldn't see or smell one. The first picture shows me with rowanberries. There is a folk tale that a fox once wanted to taste the berries but they were too high for him to reach. He then said "They're bitter anyway!". Nowadays when someone claims he doesn't want something he can't get/reach people say "Bitter, said the fox of the rowanberries". I also saw these huge mushrooms! The red one is poison - no wonder it's called "death cap". Although it's "kärpässieni" in Finnish (doesn't translate into anything poisonous).
Delenna Posted Sep 8, 2008, 8:02 am	This is the Castle Hill which is my host's favorite place in this town. There was a castle hundreds of years ago but now you can only see the hill and the castle moats. It's a good place to play Robin Hood I've heard  You can read some history of Porvoo here. The second last picture is a view my host has photographed and made into postcards. There you can see all the 4-5 bridges crossing the river - and the old town with the famous shorehouses. She can't believe how little this site is used in tourism. Only some groups of kids are offered a role play game there during the summer. Maybe it's because there are some plants that need to be protected.
Delenna Posted Sep 8, 2008, 8:10 am	After the Castle Hill sightseeing we drove to a car sales place. They had this event for families and my host had decided to take the kids there. Alfie, Roo and I got to draw with chalks, try the bouncy castle, eat risotto, meet Panda bear who gave us candy... That board with round thingies in different colors is there to show in which colors you can get your car. There's a foxy red in the right, second from bottom - that would be my choise! There was also this guy who made tricks - with balloons too! He made those animals in the last picture. The balloon animals... The blue one is a cat, yellow is a dog and red one is a bear. We spent 3 hours at the event but my host forgot to take pics of me with any cars...
Delenna Posted Sep 8, 2008, 8:18 am	This is Porvoo Cathedral which is dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus. It gained its present from at the end of the 15th century. It is still partially closed for renovations as the roof was totally burnt by arson a few years back. It takes quite a while to restore a building like this. The red, smaller building right next to it is the Small Church, dedicated in 1740. The pulpit dates back to the 1800s, and the organ was built by B.A. Thulé in 1887. The other photographed old houses are around the church. Most of them are living quarters but there are shops and museums as well.
Delenna Posted Sep 8, 2008, 8:23 am	As a final stop on this long day my host showed me the riverbank on the Old Town. I'm standing on the oldest bridge of Porvoo, looking at the Old Town. The red shorehouses are the most wellknown attraction of Porvoo. More about the Old Town here. The numbers on the grass are made with flowers. They plant new ones each year so that the present year in shown on the right. Between the numbers is the coat of arms of Porvoo: a big C.
Delenna Posted Sep 9, 2008, 7:57 pm	Finland is a modern western country but they still have dinosaur eggs!? See, those white huge things! We were visisting a stable where one of the girls got to ride a horse. I was too small they told me, no helmet suitable for me they told me. Ah well, I did like to chat with the horses and ponies
Delenna Posted Sep 13, 2008, 4:34 pm	It was a sunny day and we had the card so we went to a playground with the kids. I tried all the "rides" too! And drove a sand truck! And played sinking the ship  And that other thing we weren't quite sure what it was but I liked peeking in the holes and suprising the girls
Delenna Posted Sep 13, 2008, 4:39 pm	Autums colors are here!
Delenna Posted Sep 13, 2008, 4:45 pm	Today we went to an event organized by the local electricity company. I saw the Moomin! Ok, I saw Moominmamma and Moominpappa and the brown creature that looks like a mixture of a kangaroo and mouse  My host complained that they hadn't learned anything (the organizers): adults were still blocking the view from most ofthe kids! Well, we also saw different domestic animals - they let kids ride the donkey!?! And there was one older firetruck, free food a mini pig that was HUGE... and lots of people. Oh, and balloons!
Delenna Posted Sep 13, 2008, 4:51 pm	After the event we took an "Architecture Sightseeing"  The two first pics show the main library on both sides (brown side and red side) The rest of the views are "just" houses in different use. Mainly living quarters though.
Delenna Posted Sep 19, 2008, 8:16 pm	Today was a new sightseeing peek at the edge of the Old Town! That stone thingie is a fountain but the water doesn't run anymore as it's autumn. Can you see the colorful leaves? The Old Porvoo has been burnt a few times. mostly during wars but there is a story that one fire started from boiling fish soup! But that was in the 1760, nowadays they are more carefull in cooking
Delenna Posted Sep 19, 2008, 8:21 pm	Today I also got to see this town from high up! They have a sightseeing tower near the river and red shorehouses. The view was great! We continued to walk in the forest so that I got a new perspective to a few places that I've seen already. It was way cool! In the last photo I'm blocking the Castle Hill which I visited a week ago
Delenna Posted Sep 22, 2008, 8:51 pm	Well well... Here I am in the the capitol of Finland: Helsinki. It was a rainy'ish day but we were heading to a postcrossing meeting so there was some fun to be expected  My host had arrived early on purpose so that she could show me around a bit! In the first photo is the main post office, a very important place for a stamp collector and postcrosser  That statue of a man riding a horse show on eof the presidents, Mr. Mannerheim. They're planning a movie about him too! The building with big piles in front is the Parliament house.  All pics are taken on the main street. Oh yes, that white bench. It's not broken. It's a work of art in front of the museum of contemporary art Kiasma. (links will be added later)
Delenna Posted Sep 22, 2008, 9:11 pm	Oooooh! So this is the famous postcrossing meeting! People get together in a cafe and chat and write tons of postcards. Well, this time "tons" meant 192 postcards + some private ones. There were about 30 people and each one signed all the 192 cards! My host was the only one using nickname-stickers  We (Alfie, Roo and I) had some chocolate and hot chocolate - and we're not afraid to advertise the cafe  One couple got presents! I can tell that postcrossers are a nice bunch, they treated us toyvoyagers with care too! The cafe was in a big glass building. Indoors they alos had this huge clock - it say Helsingin Sanomat Office, which means the office of the biggest newspaper in the country. Hey, no-one came to take our picture! There was also lots of photos on display. They looked like some sort of ads and newspaper photos... Some of them were creepy, we took a pic of the less creepy ones.
Delenna Posted Sep 24, 2008, 11:46 am	After the postcrossing meeting we visited the Post Museum in the main post office. I saw tons of old and new postcards, stamps, an old mailtruck and an even older post horse! They showed mail&post and how they were delivered thru the time. They even had posters about postcrossing!
Delenna Posted Sep 24, 2008, 12:01 pm	After visiting the Post Museum my host walked with me around the city center. I just wanted to see what it was like there  In photos 2 and 3 is the main railway station. Further away they had painted one walk thru to look like Paris! Then there was people playing, old and new buildings, an add for a Moomin play in the Swedish theater... The green photos are taken in the boulevard  I just looked at everything with awe and interest, it's a big city for a small fox like me. There are 500 000 inhabitants in this city that was built at the mouth of the River Vantaa in 1550 at the command of Gustavus Wasa, the King of Sweden. Helsinki has been the capital since Finland got independent in 1917.
Delenna Posted Sep 24, 2008, 12:13 pm	Phew, it was good to get on the bus and head back to Porvoo after all the walking in Helsinki. here I am waiting for the bus from Porvoo center to the suburb where I stay. It's quite quiet on a Saturday evening.
Delenna Posted Sep 28, 2008, 7:00 pm	We were all invited to a party: their brother turns 50! In Kerava we stopped only to pick up my host's sister.
Delenna Posted Sep 28, 2008, 7:10 pm	Oh yes, before the party we went to a fair in Tampere. the fair was about elderly people and their services, recreation etc. My host studies the profession and her dad is just old enough to be interested  The first pic is taken at the gas station where we stopped on our way to get something to eat. The fair was quite interesting. I saw also old money from different countries (I don't know what that had to do with elderly people) and old sport shoes. The shoes were there apparently for good, nothing to do with the fair, the hall is used in sports too. The fair did also show different sports suitable for elderly. One was bellydancing! My host said that the best part in fairs is that you get stuff for free
Delenna Posted Sep 28, 2008, 7:16 pm	Finally we arrived to the place where the party was held. I did get a bit worried when I saw that the area was also used by psychiatric hospital. My host assured that none of the guests were currently patients. Wait?! Currently?!? Ok, well, the city we were in is Nokia. Yep, the same where the company was first built. The one that makes cellphones (they used to make rubber boots). The lake gave a very beautiful view. The house where the party was, was built before 1900! No wonder the decor was from that era too (or at least close). That's me with Roo and Alfie. We did have a ball with my host and her reletives! Happy Birthday My Host's Brother!
Delenna Posted Sep 28, 2008, 7:29 pm	After yesterday we still had energy to drive. This is where my host grew up. A small village east from Porvoo center. The so called centrum of Jakari has had a shop, post office and a gas station but now it's pretty much nothing. They do still have the school (grades 1-6) although it's also constantly under the threat of closing down. There's a sport field and that yellow building which you can rent for events. It's a nice and peacefull place to grow up.
Delenna Posted Oct 10, 2008, 5:19 pm	Well well, it has been a busy Thursday for me! I visited Helsinki again with my host. Here are some street views and buildings close to the city center. They even have Wall Street! No, wait, it was a hair salon...
Delenna Posted Oct 10, 2008, 5:24 pm	Here's one beautiful church: St. John's Church. It was built in 1893 in Neogothic style by the Swedish architect A. E. Molander. It is the biggest church in Helsinki and has excellent acoustics, making it a popular place for concerts of large choral works in particular. My host likes it because it's her favorite color red
Delenna Posted Oct 10, 2008, 5:34 pm	I got to visit a Mickey Mouse exhibition while in Helsinki! It was held in Päivälehti museum which shows the history of journalism and printing techniques. The temporary exhibition Mickey Mouse on the Case shows Mickey throughout the times. In Finland Donald Duck is a bigger name. My host's favorite character is "Taikaviitta" which is probably translated as Duck Avenger. He is Donald Duck's alter ego  We even got to make Wanted-posters of us! In the last pic I'm posing with mine. I got to choose my own reward! The bigger reward came from "forging the sleeping pillow of Gladstone Gander". My nicknames are Sandglas-Toyvoyager and Spotless Traveller
Delenna Posted Oct 10, 2008, 5:50 pm	This update is for the statues I saw. The first one is of Z. Topelius a writer and author. Next is poet Eino Leino. Third is a statue for the people of Finland. Before the last is Havis Amanda. Last is emperor Alexander II, former ruler of not-yet-independent Finland.
Delenna Posted Oct 10, 2008, 5:57 pm	Here I am at the harbour with its Market Square. The biggest boats further away sail to Stockholm (Sweden) and Tallinn (Estonia) several times a day. Third from the bottom is the Presidential Castle (the yellow big building). Last photo shows the Uspensky Orthodox Cathedral.
Delenna Posted Oct 10, 2008, 6:03 pm	This is me getting closer and closer the Cathedral. It's probably the most well-known sight in Helsinki. I clombed the 47 stairs up and even got to peek indoors. It looked very small inside, compared to the outside!
Delenna Posted Oct 11, 2008, 1:46 pm	We ran into this temporary fun fair when we walked to the busstation to get back home. We didn't get to try any of the rides or games It seemed too early for fun&games as the place was empty, only people walking thru there.
Delenna Posted Oct 11, 2008, 2:03 pm	When we arrived back to Porvoo we took a look at the market fair. It was spread to the market place and several streets with lots of stuff to buy. They come twice a year for two days. My host bought just some postcards. She wanted a lot but she said luckily it wasn't her pay day
Delenna Posted Oct 22, 2008, 8:36 am	I spent the evening playing Moomin Memory with Roo and Alfie. It was fun, although I didn't win... But I came in second! Moomin is such a famous set of characters here in Finland that I thought I should learn the names of the characters. There's Muumipappa (Moominpappa) with the big black hat, Muumimamma (moominmamma) with the apron, Muumipeikko (Moomin) wearing ahem nothing, Niiskuneiti (Snorkmaiden) with hair and wearing a golden ankle ring, Pikku Myy (Little My) wearing red and red hair, Nuuskamuikkunen (Snufkin) wearing green and smoking pipe (tsk tsk), Haisuli (Stinky) the black furry meanie, Vilijonkka (Fillyjonk) the tall mother of 3 dressed-alike kids wearing red, Nipsu (Sniff) the brown kangaroo-rat-like creature... More of the characters in here!
magicwoman Posted Nov 13, 2008, 6:22 pm	I'am home ,i'am safe and well.It was great to meet you all.I told Magicwoman all about my travells Bye bye Lemmy

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