Little balls were falling from the sky

It was called first snow. There'll perhaps be better pictures of it, once I venture out...

We are trees

Russian tanks in Helsinki

Well, only the one, actually, and that one only driven here by the Hungarian Cultural Centre to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the uprising against the Communist regime.

Too dark! Too grey! Too drab!

Right now, it seems, taking a photo a day in Helsinki is quite a lot to ask. Some may manage it, but I never seem to see anything for the rain and general greyness. However, if you remember my recent Bigfoot shot - clicking on the picture itself will take you to my flickr site. Once there, if you click on comments, you will find someone else's fantastic shot of the very same Bigfoot tribe member - at night!

Indoor tsunami

"The Big Time", by Jiri Geller, at the Korjaamo Gallery in Töölö.

A memorial service for Anna Politkovskaya

A panahida, or Russian Orthodox memorial service, was held for Anna Politkovskaya at the Ouspensky Cathedral in Helsinki today. The light conditions made it nearly impossible for me to get a decent photo of it, but I want to publish this picture of people filing out from the church regardless. I am neither Russian Orthodox nor religious, but I wanted to attend to pay my final respect. The picture below is a little better lightingwise, but somehow in my view lacks both in human interest and composition. Ah well, I am not a photographer after all.

The artist Liina Lång had parked her tin cow nonchalantly outside the gallery

There must be a tribe of them...

I don't mean to only document Helsinki graffiti, but this Bigfoot tribe lurking around Annankatu appeal to me. Here is the first furry fellow I saw...

The weird man of Kamppi

He lives in a glass showcase with his relatives. I find his gaze unnerving.

Lightening up: I caught the Bigfoot on camera!

Right, gentle readers, the world is a nasty place but I can't remain depressed continuously. So herewith the good news: I have taken photos of the mythical Bigfoot. Above, he is featured close up, below, in his natural environment, i.e. Annankatu in Helsinki. (I have my own street, you know...)

A candle vigil for Anna Politkovskaja

Outside the Russian Embassy in Helsinki today, a candle vigil was held in honour and memory of Anna Politkovskaja, the Russian reporter murdered on her doorstep on Saturday. She was an outspoken critic of the Putin government, particularly of its handling of the war in Chechnya. Note the Chechen flag left leaning against the Embassy fence in the picture. I don't normally post the same picture on my two sites, but this is an exceptional circumstance.

A dog park by moonlight

The one man band played on

An American one man band guy was playing downtown. He told us his listeners he would do an old Finnish schlager as his last piece, which he sang in perfectly passable although heavily accented Finnish. The heavens opened, but members of the public rushed out with their umbrellas, to save his amp...



...things got really hot when out of the rain-soaked crowd, a guy in a leotard emerged and did a dance with his perfectly ordinary-looking (male) friend.

Too weird

A shop window at Stockmann's, the main department store downtown. All the dummies have false moustaches, the horse looks terrified, and the sign says, "No streethorsing outside shop window". At four in the morning, it was a stunning sight.

I found my camera has a night-time function

Last night, having just missed the tram, I fiddled around with the camera I have, um, adopted from my younger son. Lo! It has a night-time function on it! I didn't have the time for picture hunting, so just shot a couple where I was: top photo, the reasonably new National Opera House, bottom photo, the tramstop...

A florist's shop, from both sides

They're leaving us

I can't say I blame them - the weather has been filthy. I am not going to say it - no, not even think it - but I could've been in the tropics...