Finland

I have been to Finland probably 10 or 12 times in my life. All for work though. I used to fly into Helsinki, and then get on a second flight to fly to a place called Oulu in the northern part of Finland. I really enjoy the Nordic countries as it reminds me of my home state of Maine. Many of the same type of trees are present and the rocky terrain looks very similar.

I have to be careful what I call these countries as they can take exception to them. Finland is actually a Nordic country, but it is not a Scandinavian country. The Scandinavian countries include Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. But the Nordic countries are more inclusive to include Finland and Iceland, and also parts of Greenland. I never researched why there is a difference, but I just know that there is and they can take exception if you don't know it.

I regret I never took any pictures during my work visits to Finland. I guess I thought if I'm not a tourist so why would I take pictures, but that was kind of silly. Now I wish I had some pictures of the beautiful city of Oulu. Although the winters there were quite brutal, and it seems like I always found myself there in the winters. I did occasionally make it there in the spring time, where it's absolutely beautiful. The flowers and the landscape of the city are quite remarkable. It seems that the colder climates have more fertile soil and the plants are more vibrant. I expect it is because of the dormant winters and the nutrients in the soil are just not consumed as much as is in the warmer climates.

But I did recently fly into Helsinki and did a flight transfer. I can show you some aerial views of Helsinki as I flew in. Not all that remarkable, but it's all I have.

Not the best pictures, it really does not give a good flavor of the beautiful country.

I actually enjoy the Finnish people. They are very down to earth and practical. However, they come across as being unfriendly, even though it's not true. They are not much on saying hello to a stranger, or even engaging with a stranger in any way, at least in my experience. But that doesn't mean they're unfriendly. It just means they're more reserved.

During my times working there, I found them to be great hosts. They always made sure that I was well taken care of, and often accompanied me to dinners in the evening. Although they were not much on smiling, it's the sincere acts that matter most anyway. And I found them to be much accommodating in that arena.

I really need to plan a trip back there for exploring and adventures. This really is a great country to explore even though it's not one that you hear a lot about. However, these European countries seldom make my list because they are much more expensive to visit than the ones I normally frequent. Also, I saw so much of Europe already in my working years, time for some diversity.

Finland borders Russia and it is probably as close to Russia as I will ever get in my lifetime.