Martin's Virtual Nothingness

Big “bird” at Helsinki-Vantaa

virtualnothingness — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:01:28 +0000

I couldn’t resist going to have a look at the Lufthansa Airbus A380 visiting Helsinki-Vantaa. An impressive sight, never seen one start before. Took a few pics of other planes at the same time.

Derelict Keimola Motor Stadium

virtualnothingness — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 20:37:18 +0000

Located about 20 kilometers north of Helsinki, surrounded by thirty years growth of trees and bushes, is a motor stadium that saw its glory days in the end of the sixties and beginning of seventies. It hosted many Formula two races, with legends like Graham Hill, Jack Brabham and Jochen Rindt.

The stadium was abandoned in 1978, and no new development has taken place in the area. The track profile can still clearly be seen in satellite pictures: Google Maps satellite view of Keimola.

Visiting the place gives a cheap World without experience. No amount of asphalt and concrete is enough to keep nature from reconquering the area.

Tram at the end of the road

virtualnothingness — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 20:14:07 +0000

When cycling around in Helsinki, this tram, that seems to be stripped for spare parts, caught my attention.

The nice thing about the Internet is the ease to find additional information about nearly anything. This tram was built in 1956 and has the previous few years been used for charter rides. It was pulled from service in October last year. Now looking at the empty seats and the signs from twenty years ago telling about the FIM 110 penalty fare for riding without a ticket (the fare for that this day is 80 euros, equaling nearly FIM 500) makes you think how time flies by.

There are still a few of these fifties trams in museum and charter traffic, hope this gives some good spares for them. It has done a long service, probably I rode it as a kid too.

There is a picture of the tram in happier days at http://www.raitio.org/ratikat/helsinki/hkimuseo/muskuvat/hkl332_505.jpg

I took the pics with my Nokia E75 mobile phone. I think the quality is ok for being mobile pics.

Winter in Helsinki and Imatra

virtualnothingness — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:52:47 +0000

So this year we got a Real winter here in Finland. The temperatures have been between -10 and -20 c for most of the last month. That has given nice white landscapes, but on the other hand a bit limited the outdoor activities.

Last weekend we however got ourselves on the train to Imatra, that is situated a few kilometers from the border to Russia and enjoyed a weekend at the classical Valtionhotelli and it’s new neigbouring spa. Below a few pictures from winter in Helsinki and Imatra.

Faith No More in Helsinki

virtualnothingness — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:37:40 +0000

A wonderful warm summer night with sunshine and one of my favourite bands performing.

Very difficult conditions to get any good pictures, especially since I didn’t dare to take the big camera. Enjoyed it a lot, Mike Patton rules.

8 years and 40085 km

virtualnothingness — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:39:28 +0000

In 2001 I started to keep track of my cycling kilometers in Excel, and today marked the first lap around the globe (the equatorial circumference is 40075 km).

It took 1464 days with cycling, averaging 27.4 km a day, to finish the first lap. The yearly average is around 5000, which is all I can do with work and social life taking it’s share and the Finnish winter months keeping me off the bike a few months every year.

If every kilometer on the bike burns 20 calories, it has been about 150 kg of chocolate burned away.

Hope next lap is faster.

Active Helsinki weekend

virtualnothingness — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 18:49:11 +0000

This weekend was a good example of how much fun it is possible to have in only 2.5 days time.

On Friday we had a great Indian dinner at Asna’s place, on Saturday the Zoological Museum with my father and Jarkko’s birthday dinner at Raku Ya. Sunday crowned it all with smoke sauna and ice swimming in Kuusijärvi with CS friends. Here’s some photographic evidence.

Out and around Oslo

virtualnothingness — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:26:42 +0000

We did other things than partying during this visit to Oslo too. A nice winter walk from Frognerseteren via Ullevålseter to Sognsvann was one of the highlights. Pics, pics and more pics.

CouchSurfing New Year in Oslo

virtualnothingness — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:04:49 +0000

So, for the second year in a row it was time for a CouchSurfing new year at Aarvoll in Oslo. The party was, if possible, even better than the previous year, much thanks to the fantastic arrangements. Here’s the best captures from my camera.

Nuuksio and winter landscapes

virtualnothingness — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:21:25 +0000

Before Christmas we went for a walk in Nuuksio with Mikie, Ria and the dogs. It is one of the best times to see the national park with quite a few people out walking and the wonders of the arriving winter.