Chania, Crete, Greece (days 0 & 1)

Greetings from the lovely town of Chania!
Chania is in Crete, the biggest of the Greek islands. I've walked around a little last night when I arrived (Day 0) and today (Day 1) after my tango lesson. I haven't had that much time to really see Chania, so I'll start with telling you about my trip.

I started my trip from Turku early in the morning. The city busses weren't running that early so I took a taxi to the bus station. Expressbus is the "national" bus company.

**You can find the bus Expresbus site here, but if you need to get to all of the bus operators (f.e. when traveling to small towns), you need to search in Matkahuolto (see link). Through Matkahuolto you can also send packages and such. **


I was quite tired (because I couldn't stay away from a dance thing the night before:) so I guess I snored on the bus to Helsinki-Vantaa airport :/ ....zzzz... In Helsinki I met a friend of mine and we had coffee.

My first leg of the trip was from Helsinki to Stockholm, where I spent about four hours or so... Arlanda airport is not so comfortable: not enough nice seats, no place to plug in your computer. Luckily they had Finnish coffee at Robert's Coffee ;)

**Finns and Swedes the most coffee per capita and there's a classic dispute about who's coffee is better.... I prefer ours to the Swedish Löfbergs Lila:)**


So from Arlanda airport I was transported (by the very punctual and efficient Norwegian!) to Chania in about 3,5 hours. From the airport I took the public bus to Chania city center, which cost me 2,30€ (about 15km).

I'm staying at Hotel Arkadi, quite ok but not as nice as the photos... The location is good and also the view from the balcony. I booked through www.booking.com. I'm paying about 42€/night, including breakfast and Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi wasn't working yesterday or this morning, but now it's better.

My first night I went over the street to get something to eat, so I ended up at Goody's. Nice food and nice service! Then I pretty much hit the sack and got some much needed sleep.

Today (Sunday, Day 1) a friend of Dimitris and Frini picked me up for a tango lesson in Tabakaria. The studio "Studio ON" is in a very lovely place by the sea, the floor is very good for dancing! We were about ten people and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. What a great opportunity to really focus on small things that make the whole tango thing work... Hopefully I will go home a better dancer!:)

After the lesson the gang went to have dinner together and I was also invited to join. The food was good, I ordered a traditional Greek pita gyros with chicken and tzatziki. Afriend gave me some of his barbecued lamb and it was really good! But it seemed weird to have that because it was prepared over charcoal, which I strongly associate with summer - but it's only Easter! And there's snow in Finland! During the meal I tried to listen and learn a little Greek.

My vocab consists now of:
parakalo (please), kalimera (good morning), kalispera (good evening), Ne (yes), ohi (no),  edo (here, pronounced [eˈðo]), entaksi (okay), afto (this). Also numbers 1-5 and the useful phrase "I don't speak Greek" --> [Then me loo ellenikaa]. Yay! Continuing my learning (both tango and Greek) tomorrow!:) Kali nichta = Good night!

Frostbite 2012

February 23rd-26th it was my first visit to Frostbite Tango Festival in Helsinki. It was one of the most amazing weekends I've ever experienced! Because I thought that I'd be traveling (it was my winter holiday that week) I wasn't quick enough to book any lessons, so I only attended the milongas (=tango vocab meaning a dance evening/event), but that was quite enough, that too! 

I did a day trip to Porvoo/Borgå on Saturday, but that's in a separate post! This is strictly tango:)

FYI: Frostbite Tango Festival 2013 has already been given the dates: it will take place 21st-24th February. Book your calendar now, you do not want to miss this event!

Amazing dancers, magnificent dj's and music, great atmosphere! 

I fell momentarily in love with some of the leaders... ;) <3 

Oh, please come back next year!

Here are some of my photos. Please leave a comment, and I don't mind if you share the link with friends on Facebook:) You could also help me name people! 

(And of course, please let me know if you don't want your picture published!) 

Day milonga, Friday. Heidi dancing.

Slogans:)

Flash mob at Railway station square.
(This is when I wish I had a better camera..
when it gets too dark, it just doesn't work the way I want it to)

Pekka and Tiina on the left.

People at the square.

It doesn't look like much, but it was a good flash mob!

Helsinki by night. Stockmann celebrating 150 years.

Adding green ribbons to make my dress fit the theme for Friday evening milonga:
"Aurora Borealis aka northern lights"

Let's T.A.N.G.O.

Friday evening milonga at Valkoinen Sali (=white hall),
located in one of the oldest buildings in Helsinki.

Friday evening milonga.

Friday evening milonga.

Saturday evening milonga at Vanha Ylioppilastalo.

Saturday evening milonga at Vanha Ylioppilastalo.

Saturday evening milonga at Vanha Ylioppilastalo.
This would make a nice poster, or what do you think?!

Saturday evening milonga at Vanha Ylioppilastalo.
This is what the lighting really looked like.

Saturday evening milonga at Vanha Ylioppilastalo.
Shows are starting! Here I think it's Diego Riemer & Maria Belen Giachello?  

Saturday evening milonga at Vanha Ylioppilastalo.
Diego Riemer & Maria Belen Giachello? 

Sebastian Arce & Mariana Montes

Sebastian Arce & Mariana Montes

Sebastian Arce & Mariana Montes

Brunch at restaurant Fanny Sunday morning.

Yup. That's me and orange juice!

And here are some videos from Frostbite 2012!

"Positions of responsibility"

Since I don't seem to have the time to REALLY sit down and write about my trips to London and Stockholm, I'll tell you a little bit about me. For the past three years I've been in the board of a photo club called Pictura vid Åbo Akademi (our homepage is under construction). 


Pictura is a small, but intensely growing club and it's for the students and workers at the (Swedish University=) Åbo Akademi University in Turku (which is 'Åbo' in Swedish:). I've had the honor to be their Excursions Manager 2009-2011. The longer trips I've organized (for 8-20 persons) are:

- Utö lighthouse (in the Achipelago) 2009
- Copenhagen 2010
- Stockholm 2010
- Tallinn 2011
- Stockholm 2011
(also involved in the upcoming: Oslo 2012) 


I've found it extremely interesting to organize trips with Pictura! This last one to STHM had the largest amount of participants we've had so far: we were in total 19 photo enthusiasts going to STHM photo fair!

Pictura "Photo of the year 2010" exhibition
and my photo of my other passion, argentine tango :
Gotan Project@Pori Jazz 2010!

Now my time with Pictura has come to an end, it's time to give away my position to someone younger. THANK YOU PICTURA FOR EVERYTHING! <3

Note to self: Remember Alice!

I've been doing quite a lot of blogg surfing recently and I've found a lot of inspiring and beautiful blogs. I like reading diary-like entries, but I'm mostly fascinated by different photo blogs. Maybe I'll make a list of them once I've established which I really like - like for a longer period of time :)

So. Just now I found this wonderful photo blog, and I want to share it with you. This particular entry is about Jessica/Silversaga having an "Alice in wonderland" theme party (I love theme parties!). The best pert is that it's from HERRÄNG (Sweden) where they have these legendary dance camps (I love dancing!), mostly for lindy hop dancers, but maybe even other rock n' swing dancers go there? My friends from Turku have been there, and if this is the result (dancing AND photographic inspiration), then I MUST go there next summer! Take a look at this beautiful blog called "Once upon a time"!

World of Tango, Tampere (17-18/9/2011)

Quite awesome to have tango dancing friends!
A car full of tango dancers (aka 4 people:) took off to Tampere for the World of Tango Festival main weekend. We had a lot of fun!

I stayed with a friend, and what a good thing that led into: Riikka talked me into going to London with her and her friends! On Saturday we ate tasty burgers at restaurant New York, on Sunday we had coffee at café Runo.

As usual, here are a few photos!

Putting on some contact lenses and tango shoes and we were good to go!

Silla & Jere, Saturday day milonga at Telakka.

Charming lamp and ceiling at Runo.
Upstairs on the balcony more seats.

Runo café.

Rikkaa having coffee, chocolate treat and fashion :)

Me at Runo.

London calling!:)

Fantastic! I'm so happy!
Let me tell you all about it: I went to Tampere last weekend to take part in a tango event (World of Tango), which was very nice btw.

In Tampere I conveniently stayed with an old friend, who lives close by to the tango place, and when we were out eating I started whining about not having anything to do on my autumn break. She suggested that I join them on their trip to London. What a great idea! :)

So when I got home, I sent some e-mail, did some checking, a few days later booked som e-tickets, and so I'm almost on my way!:) :) First time in London, cool! :) :)