Architecture

Compromise.

Blogroll, Traveling

Travelling, inevitably (in my case) involves the willingness to make compromises. There are too many inner and outer factors which may not make the journey as you planned. Weather, availability of resources (money and time). The trick is to enjoy what you have and make the most of it, and not to mourn what you could not do. Actually if everything went as you planned and with no surprises when travelling, you probably did something wrong.

And these pictures document the result of our Italian holiday. A bit of Toscana, and a bit of Rome.

Let’s begin with some general landscape pictures. Happy scrolling!:)

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And my personal favourite:

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Now some a few Toscan details:

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… and more pictures from our Toscan adventures.

Montefioralle – a lovely village in the heart of Chianti.MIU_6993

Roccatederighi.MIU_7459MIU_7448MIU_7428MIU_7412MIU_7473MIU_7421

Montalcino. Of course.MIU_7485MIU_7479

Bagni di Petriolo.MIU_7545

Pisa maybe. Whoever came up with those idiotic leaning/supporting pictures…MIU_7388

San Gimignano. Because cats, ice-cream and Unesco.MIU_7097MIU_7085MIU_7139MIU_7146

A day trip to La Spezia and Riomaggiore.MIU_7160MIU_7164MIU_7166MIU_7171MIU_7200MIU_7204MIU_7260MIU_7265MIU_7267MIU_7289MIU_7305

… via Carrara, of course.MIU_7320MIU_7339MIU_7359

We also travelled to and around Pienza.MIU_7621MIU_7610MIU_7607MIU_7594

Oh and not to forget Pistoia (amazing Renaissance architecture)and Montecatini (an old and ultracool funicular to the top of the hill – the views, ah the views)!MIU_7663MIU_7656MIU_7690MIU_7716

And then we visited Rome. For the first time in our lives (the shame). There were the tourist bits…MIU_7835MIU_7923MIU_7927MIU_8011MIU_8023

… and not that touristy bits… MIU_7880MIU_7891MIU_7899MIU_8026MIU_8031

… and then there was EUR, aka the Mussolini bits. MIU_7962MIU_7963MIU_7943MIU_7968MIU_7973MIU_7978MIU_7999MIU_7998MIU_7982

It was good. I did not see all I wanted but I saw things I thought I would not see, and I tasted the best pasta in the history of humanity and bought a Carrara marble mortel. I vote yes.

Aalto fans. Sunday in Paimio and around.

Architecture, Blogroll, Finland, Picture a day, Traveling, Turku

Paimio is an insignificant village close to Salo (near Turku), but it is where you find another architecture pearl by Alvar Aalto: the former tuberculosis sanatorium. Apparently before the ATBs were used in fighting tuberculosis in the 1950s, people had been often sent to these, errr, sanatoriums where they were treated with fresh air, high hygiene standards, fresh colours and proper food. Every third patient did not quite make it, but hey, it was a way to stop the disease from spreading at least.

Nevertheless, the sanatorium made Aalto famous abroad – functionalism at its best, practical AND pretty. Oh and the atmosphere is stunning.  I could not stop thinking that there is TB bacteria hiding somewhere.

But in fact after the scientist found more efficient ways to defeat TB, the sanatorium was used as a “normal” hospital for 40 years since the 1970s. The hospital closed a few year ago and parts of it have been rented by MLL afterwards. Some activities take place in some parts of the sanatorium during the weekedays, which means that the hospital at the weekend – when the guided tours take place – feels superempty and exciting.

Well, havea look for yourself.

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Fresh pine-scented air and sun – sounds legit.MIU_6146MIU_6143

Aalto waves, fresh, bright colours, absence of corners for hygiene reasons.MIU_6138MIU_6122MIU_6118MIU_6092

The 1970s meet Aalto.MIU_6131

Aaltos none functioning tile stove – a slight design fail 😉 the smoke does not really sink down, does it…MIU_6100

Hygienic lights. Chapel and social room in one.MIU_6112

FreE toilet boot and a smart door handle which won’t catch your sleeve.MIU_6114

Sophisticated ventilation.MIU_6129

Spitter and “silent” hand sinks.MIU_6155MIU_6140

Young scared birdy in the garden… we let her be.MIU_6165

7 minutes.

Architecture, Blogroll, Doors of Helsinki, Finland, Helsinki, Likes, Picture a day

Sometimes I like to play invisible. Unnoticed. One of the crowd.

It only takes to go out of the flat and shop for milk. Return a book to the library and have a smalltalk with the librarian. Or even to put on clothes (the basic bitch kind, nothing showing too much personality) and a kånken and get out of the flat. Just do anything as long as I feel like I’m surrounded by the anonymous crowd – and as long as people might think I’m one of them. Act. Get some life context. Pretend. 

That I have a decent (read: 9-5) job. That I’m healthy. That I’m tired like everyone else and looking forward to go home. Or to meet my imaginary friends. Or to go to a yoga course and then watch tv.

The reason why I’m trying so bad to blend in and be accepted and seen as a part of the grey crowd is the current mental state – I feel like I’m just way too odd, that everybody else is having a balanced, content life and I’m just flying by the seat of one’s pants. Having arty aspiration, working from home or profoundly alone, doing research, meeting people on my own, thinking and analysing on my own, far away from my uni, being a foreigner, currently not feeling well (spring depression anyone?) – you see, for a few minutes I was just the girl in the flower leggings sitting on the tram, stripped of my abilities, worries and fears.

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And two little Töölö details – I swear I did not have to photoshop these, or even use the polarizing filter: the sky really was this blue (but it was pretty chilly otherwise).

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Töölö doors. Töölö gate bars. Töölö atmosphere from when Finland was a newborn…

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(The heading of this post inspired by Michal.)

I had this thought

Architecture, Blogroll, Doors of Helsinki, Helsinki, Likes

to share, but it is quite late and I cannot for the love of cats remember a letter of it. I just know it was pretty witty and deep at the same time. It was about recycling and why buying second hand makes sense, and that it is not a money matter but a concrete act of (e)conscience and fight against sweat-shop based economy. I know you are dying to know all about it, so let’s skip to the visual, shall we.

First, a few silent moments from Malminkartanonhuippu:

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And now a leap to Eira. Some details to begin with: “always aiming high, always ready”…

… a few uninteresting details and the mysterious shabby house on Rehbindirentie 13…

… and the last, pretty trivial, set: Doors of Helsinki again – this time from Eira…

Of course this cannot be it. Guess what I found among these lovely houses, one of best Helsinki addresses?

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That’s right. Russian embassy. Growl.

Winter joke.

Architecture, Blogroll, Helsinki

Everyone has heard one of those “aha-ha-ha” long jokes about how tolerant Finns are toward low temperature. Well. I’m now one of them. The day the mean daily temperature jumped up from -18°C to mere -2°C felt like summer…

… sadly, now the temperature has been just above zero for over a week, and the lack of not only sun but any kind of “real” weather is draining our energy. Slush, rain, wind and grey emptiness is what Finland has to offer these days.

Still life on a random building site.

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Today, however, while having been to Matosaari, the sky opened and I laughed stupidly at about 5 minutes of sunshine. It was heavenly, it was needed and deserved I dare to say…

… and some more impressions from the trip to Matosaari:

I was quite active today and made it to the Kansallisarkisto (National Archives) in Helsinki centre. I had been wanting to visit the spot for months, and finally I collected the courage.

It was not information I was after but first, a little statue of the Wisdom Mouse which was supposed to be located somewhere around the Archives’ main building. Found it.

Extra points to those who recognise the building at which the mouse is looking.

The second reason was to find and awe at the old research hall in the main building. It was better than in the photographs. Any photographs.

I have to say that the guy who questioned my stay in the hall was really friendly, understanding and shared my passion for quirky buildings. Thank you, Mr Unknown, for letting me stay, climb around and take all those pictures.