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November 14, 2004
Arrival in Helsinki
Susanne and I arrived in Helsinki early afternoon on Saturday, after a long, sleepless flight to Amsterdam and a connection to Finland. The weather is chilly, but surprisingly sunny given the recent rains they have been having here.
Saturday itself was very mellow... Susanne napped for part of the afternoon while I met up with Suzanne Stein from Nokia for coffee at Cafe Ekberg, the oldest cafe in the city. We eventually rendezvoused with Susanne after her nap. (Yes, I know this is confusing with two Sus/z/annes, but bear with me. Just remember, Susanne with an S is my wife, Suzanne with a Z is my friend from Nokia.) ANYWAY, we strolled down to another cafe along the Esplanade, appropriately named Cafe Esplanade, where we whittled away the rest of the afternoon drinking lattes and watching the locals scarf down sandwiches and an array of salads.
Around 7pm, we crossed the esplanade south to a small, charming Russian restaurant, where Suzanne and I split a large assortment of blinis while Susanne feasted on a fine plate of smoke salmon. I got to taste my first glass of cloudberry wine - a strong kick with a smooth middle and a lingering aftertaste. By 9pm, I was beginning to yawn terribly, so Susanne and I returned to the hotel and crashed while watching an episode of Making of the Video on MTV, while Suzanne met friends to go dancing.
Today was a fun, busy day, but I will need more time to write it up... So stay tuned! -andy
Posted by acarvin at November 14, 2004 9:00 AM
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