We're into the home stretch on 2009, with only three months left to enjoy. Then, the calendar page flips over, and we take on 2010. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways left to make the rest of this year memorable. In Finland, home to some of the strangest celebrations on ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Finland
Ten Finnish festivals to finish the year
We're into the home stretch on 2009, with only three months left to enjoy. Then, the calendar page flips over, and we take on 2010. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways left to make the rest of this year memorable. In Finland, home to some of the strangest celebrations on ...Seven vintage fashion stores at the Helsinki Vintage Fair
The Helsinki Vintage Fair happens twice a year in Finland, and the next one is right around the corner. On September 27, 2009, nearly 50 vintage and second-hand clothing and décor stores will get together at Kaapelitehdas to sell there goods, and visitors will get to ...Ten amazing "green" adventures
Eco-adventures are all the rage these days with environmentally conscious travelers choosing to visit far flung places, all the while fully aware of the size of their carbon footprint. They want an amazing travel experience, and are willing to go to great lengths to get it, ...For Helsinki, Design Week 50% longer
Seven days just won't work for those crazy Finns. These design-savvy northern Europeans thus had to stretch its design celebration to 10 days. From September 4, 2009 to September 13, 2009, Helsinki will host the Fifth Helsinki Design Week: Do Touch! With workshops, seminars ...Finnish trash cans talk back
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/odd_stuff/Finnish_Trash_Cans_Thank_You_in_6_Languages_For_Using_Them'; This summer, the garbage cans of Helsinki will have something to say ... to you ... in six languages. The strange people who brought you wife-carrying contests and team ...Sit on an ant hill in Finland, win a prize
What can't you do in Finland? If traditional activities don't scratch your bizarre itch, try to endure sweltering heat or hurling electronic devices. This country is home to the strangest "sporting events" you can imagine ... and it's enough to make me consider going back. ...Sauna, rinse, repeat in a Finnish mokki
Finland isn't as cold as you'd expect, according to Trevor Corson in The Atlantic Monthly. It's far enough north that, on this side of the ocean, you'd freeze your ass off on the best of days. But, thanks to the magic of the European climate, it feels a lot like Maine. It's ...Play chicken in Helsinki traffic
I was pretty impressed by Helsinki's public transportation, which was more than ample with trolleys, subways and buses. There were few SUVs, and the bike lane was rarely empty. While the Finns got the ingredients right, the mixing was ... well ... suboptimal. The least ...The most amazing bed-time view in Finland
The Hotel Kakslauttanen is in Saariselka, Finland, a small town in the far north of this already northern country. From your guestroom, you can turn off the lights and take in the aurora borealis from your bed. This, quite simply, is an experience you won't find anything ...NYT Celebrates Finnish Food Revival
Finland is famous for it's substandard cuisine, having been ridiculed by leaders from across Europe. And, let's face it, it's not all that hard to poke fun at an upscale restaurant named "Grotesk." The country is trying to repair its culinary image, though, which is no easy ...Stay in a glass igloo above the Arctic Circle
While I was poking around for a photo to use in the post about the mosaic workshop in Italy, I found out about the glass igloos at the Hotel & Igloo Village Kakslauttanen in Finland. Both the mosaic workshop and the igloos were subjects of recent posts at Materialicious, ...No need to Finnish yet-- we're on vacation!
A member of Finland's Parliament has proposed a novel idea for keeping his country's couples together: grant all employees a 7-day "love vacation," during which they can re-connect with their spouses or significant others.
The proposal is the brainchild of Tommy Tabermann, ...You want to return what? Finnish library book checked out over 100 years
If you have a tendency to rack up late fees at your local library, you might want to consider moving to Finland. In the southern town of Vaanta, a library-goer recently returned a book that had been checked out for over 100 years. The person who returned it chose to remain ...Feeling thirsty? Go to Finland
Tap water in Finland is much purer than many brands of bottled water. A report by the Finnish National Public Health Institute claims that bottled water (13 Finnish brands and 5 foreign brands) contained as much as 100 times more germs than regular tap water. The explanation ...Straight-up Scandinavia: Learning the language of IKEA
I find that either you love IKEA or you hate it; you can probably ascertain my own leanings by the fact that I am writing this article. Coming from a Scandinavian family, we have friends who used to have stuff shipped from Sweden to the US before the store made its American ...Straight-up Scandinavia: Reindeer and a national holiday up north
In the far north of Sweden lies Lapland, a place known for snow, the summer midnight sun, and lots reindeer. This is the land of the Sami people and today, February 6th, marks the yearly, festive celebration of their national holiday. An indigenous group of northern Europe, ...Why the Finnish are such smarty-pants
Why is it that some relatively minor country always wins out over Japan or Germany or the UK (the US doesn't have a chance) for having the brightest kids in the world? This year, it's Finland. Hong Kong came in second. Both economies barely make a dent when it comes to ...One for the Road: The Palace of the Snow Queen
I've had a copy of this book for awhile, but unfortunately have not had a chance to read it yet. However, I want to let you know about Barbara Sjoholm's new book now, because she's got an event coming up this week. The Palace of the Snow Queen is a travel narrative that ...The World's Best Places to Live
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Finland was recently named the best place in the world to live, thanks largely to great air and water quality, low rates of infant diseases, and protection from water pollution and natural disasters. What else is great about Finland? Well, for starters, Finland ...
...Finland Named Best Place to Live
Mexico may be the best place to retire, but a Reader's Digest study claims that Finland is the best place to live. So, what makes Finland so special? Among other things, the Scandinavian country boasts great air and water quality, low rates of infant diseases, and ...
