Tule mukaani! Vem comigo!

From there we entered the bus to Helsinki center and started thinking about the differences and similarities between Portugal and Finland. Well, first not much: the traffic signals and different background colours, there are lots of people on the street and in the highways at 6h15, simple things. Then, some nice things: every house and building simply and beautifully designed, with a very clean and organized aspect; large streets and parking lots; trees everywhere; people on highways going to work, not crossing neighbourhoods or cities, but forest.

Once in Helsinki I started questioning all my prejudices, and what everyone told me... Of course, the city was beautiful, calm, secure, organized, but... the people crossed the street with the red light on, there was trash on the floor (a lot of trash in some places), there were shopping centers everywhere, there were people begging on the streets (all foreigners). Still, many good things were visible: art and bicycles everywhere, large streets, polite people, a beautiful city.

And then, there was the trip through some of the cities main, and some not really main, attractions.

Ok, pessoal, a pedido de várias pessoas, e já com os olhos postos no futuro, passarei a escrever este blog em inglês. Espero que não se importem! ;) Vá, vá, sempre treinam o vosso inglês!  

So, the big day had arrived! With the luggages prepared, and having spent the afternoon with my parents (who didn't cried when I departed, but smiled -_-!) there I went to Lisbon!

With my camera prepared I photographed everything! Well, almost... The flight departed at 22h20, but I had to be there 2 hours before... Here, you can see my panic face just before entering the airport... the ultimate panic!
After 2 hours of waiting, receiving phone call and messages (thanks!! ;) ), and a great amount of anxiety, the time to enter the plane arrived.

So, there I was, going to the other corner of Europe... The trip went fine, but I couldn't sleep nor rest. It lasted for 4h40 and as I was close to the window I could see the lights of cities of Spain, France, Denmark, Sweden and Finland, as the sunrise coming from the horizon. We arrived at 5h (local hour, GMT+2) at Helsinki. The plane finally stopped and through the window I saw the giant light characters saying "HELSINKI-VANTAA", and then it hit me that sensation of "WOW, I'm in Helsinki!! Awesome!!!".

The Helsinki airport was nice, as you can see in the pictures, even though the employees were not that smart, since we only were able to find our luggage after about 30 minutes of searching and asking for the place were we should pick it. And I just thought "And we think bad of Portugal...". My image of perfection of the nordic countries was starting to fall apart.

A viagem é já amanhã...
Saio ao meio da tarde do Porto, e faço 3h de carro até Lisboa. Depois o avião parte às 22h20 e chega a Helsínquia às 5h locais...

O entusiasmo é muito, mas o nervosismo é cada vez maior... De repente, já com as malas feitas, sinto que vou à deriva para longe... Sinto-me Lost in Translation. LOL

Quinta-feira será para visitar Helsínquia, e sexta para ir para Tampere conhecer o meu quarto e apartamento novo, e dar uma voltinha se tal for possível. Digo se tal for possível porque tenho de comprar tudo o que é essencial e que não pude levar na mala. A minha sorte é que tenho LIDL a 600m de casa, por lá =P
Sim, porque na Finlândia, ou é LIDL ou se paga um balúrdio...

Bem, isto é a minha ideia, nos próximos dias saberei melhor se é mesmo verdade...

O fim-de-semana será para passear por Tampere! =)

Em breve espero poder presentear-vos com fotos de duas belas cidades nórdicas!

Até já! ;)