|
|
|
|
Thursday, June 02, 2005 |
Blue Helsinki
It's so beautiful - made more beautiful by full on summer weather, the sky ridiculously high and the sun breathtakingly bright - shadows are long, make you feel tall, but nowhere near as tall as those giants, people from Planet Finland, ice blonds or blackhaired with enviable goth white skin, or those strange elfin redheads. All was explored in some detail at the Yrjonkadun Uimahalli - an old swimming bath and sauna place where ya go nekkid. So me and my daughter shared the experience of being the only gals with substantial arses in a confined space. It was actually lovely - all ages of women, some pregnant, so liberating to forget all the paranoid stuff about your body and just treat it well and relax. Saunas are class.
First time I've ever really explored Helsinki - had some help from Kalle Niniikangas, fellow poet and the lucky owner of a Helsinki apartment. We drank in a tiny bar the size of your living room where closing time was flexible but certainly not before 1am. It was the drinking place of Arto Melleri, another great mad poet (not saying your'e mad, like, Kalle) , recently dead.
Also met lovely Tapani Kinnunen in Turku (tho to be fair he was a bit more interested in the Formula 1 driving going on behind my head in the bar). Went to a party in the county jail - well Turku Castle in fact - happy 40th Mats and Thurid - the best party of the year - Mats doing "I wanna be your dog" - highlight of the night. Shame you missed it Michael but was lovely to talk to you and know you are still alive.
Take me back! It's so grey here! I want to be in the city of perpetual light! |
| 2:35 AM
|
|
|
|
|
|
