I normally do a lot of travel for my job, but that stopped in March 2020 due to Covid. With restrictions easing, I just made my first business trip in almost 20 months – to Helsinki. Since I was teaching there on a Friday, Doug flew in with me and we spent the weekend. It was fun and also kind of weird to be travelling again. There were tons of forms to fill in, and tests to take, and lots of new procedures involved in travelling in a Covid world, which we had to get our heads around, but it was great to get away.

Helsinki is lovely. Many of the buildings reminded us of Potsdam, where we lived for a decade shortly after reunification, but Helsinki is on the water, and the miles of harbour give it a unique feel. There are lots of boats, and fish, and marketplaces; sometimes all three in one:

There are boats sailing on the water:

There are interesting architectural shapes:

This bird has a prime spot:

This being Finland, there are knitting shops! This is Snurre:

This is me shopping in Snurre:

It is a fantastic shop, with two rooms packed full of gorgeous yarn and other knitting stuff:

A knitter, after visiting Snurre, might find herself with a small bag of goodies to take home:

A knitter, in fact, may find herself sitting by the water and knitting while enjoying the sights of the busy harbour:

The city seems to have negotiated Covid fairly well, and it felt safe. Even these guys were wearing masks:

It is a lovely place for tourists to wander while wearing dapper hand-knitted waistcoats:

Or for tourists to look relaxed and happy while wearing lovely hand-knitted tops:

It’s amazing what a short change of scene can do for your mental health!