Week 45
Joensuu, Finland
2015 has been a year blessed with traveling. I am VERY LUCKY!
Also, I accept that flying, conquering new worlds is part of my nature 🙂
Thus, I am looking forward share my 2015, because I want to re-live it 🙂
Meanwhile today, I decide to act in my blog instead to save a wonderful video in delicious. I want to share it the video here because: TIME is LIFE
More info about this video in this link
Week 31
Joensuu, Finland
At the moment I have one student visiting us from the Netherlands. Additionally, we have another student visiting the department from Korea. If one lives in Joensuu, I consider important to visit Koli at least once. Then, I propose to our guests to go to Koli last Saturday.
Our party was of five, each one from a different country (Netherlands, Korea, Iran, Finland and Mexico). We were 3 ladies, 2 gentlemen and one of us is visual impair. We had really a blast and we were blessed with the weather. Here a glimpse of the places we visited:
1. First mandatory stop is Ukko-Koli
If one drives directly from Joensuu to Koli to stop firstly here at Ukko-koli has different advantages:
So if someone has the need to eat, buy a souvenir or go to the restroom all it is possible to do it here, before continue the adventure 🙂
View from Ukko-Koli
2. Hiking downhil towards Saama harbor
Next we hiked downhill until reach Saama harbor. During our hike it rained but only a little bit, it did not affect us. After a nice walk, we reached Saama harbor, where we ate salad and meat soup. As always when one eats in the country side, the meals are just tasty.
Saama harbor, place where we ate
The nice landscape helped us also to recharge.
Saama harbor’s view
3. Koli Village.
After recharged ourselves at the Saama harbor, we went to the Koli village. Often one drives through the village to reach Ukko-koli, but now we purposely stopped and walked through it. Unfortunately, we were late to visit the local museum, but we were able to ask in the tourist information about places to visit in the region. We were told of two new locations I wasn’t aware previously: Pirunkirkko and Rasävaara.
Sculputure in the entrance of one building in Koli Village
4. Pirunkirkko
We drove to Pirunkirkko. It took us a little bit of time to find it, as we were not 100% sure were it was, but we found the place relatively soon. Once we were in the parking area, everything was well signed. It is a nice walk.
Walking towards the cave, Pirunkirkko
Walking towards the cave, Pirunkirkko
The cave is not long and it has a dead end. It is an interesting cave to explore. Personally, I found it so authentic. We really have A LOT of fun on this spot. Some people of our group even found a “rabbit hole” where they tried to escape 🙂
Getting inside the cave
Inside the cave
We were really having a lot of fun.
5. Hattusaari
The next stop, based on an advice of Erkki – leader of the EdTech Research group – we went to Hattusaari. We actually aimed to drive to the end of the island, but it is a long one so we stop to enjoy the view at the bridge.
View at Hattusaari
6. Rasävaara
The following stop was Rasävaara, time to go up to the new tower. The view is again magnificent, and now one can see also Ukko-koli from here. It is worth the hike to see the landscape!!!!
Rasävaara’s tower
Views from the top of the tower:
The lake
Ukko-Koli
Before heading back to Joensuu, we stopped to meet the construction of the future cottage of Prof. Erkki Sutinen, which will be also the future writing-research retreat of EdTech.
Glimpse of future research retreat spot
After this stop, we drove back to Joensuu.
It was a full intensive day at Koli! and I must admit, we had A LOT OF FUN!!!!! Thank you to all the participants! 🙂
Below the location of the areas that we visited. The screenshots are taken from http://issuu.com/koli.fi/docs/retkeily_ja_palvelukartta
Location of the visited spots (1/2) – Screenshot from issuu.com
Location of the visited spots (2/2) – screenshot from issuu.com
Week 3
Praha, Czech Republic
What is a Paternoster lift? Do you know it?
On my behalf, I had not clue about a paternoster lift even though we had bee playing the Pater Noster game.
During my 1.5 day visit to Prague I visited the Fakulta elektrotechnická. There, I discovered a Paternoster lift.
Some people did not wanted to use it, as they were concern with security. On my behalf, I thought it was so exciting. It was as having rollercoster in your own school!. So, as you can imagine, we should try it and we did. Being honest, I try it myself more than once! : )
In this first video, you will see the Paternoster lift.
In this second video I record our journey, inside the paternoster, towards the third floor. I turn the camera a bit later, as I needed to learn how to jump in, and later how to jump out. 🙂 Our conversation is in Spanish, wondering about this machine! 🙂
I really enjoy discovering our world!
Week 2
Joensuu, Finland
The second letter, from the 104 I will sent, is posted. I successfully accomplish the two letters of this week! hurrah!!! 🙂
While placing the stamp on this envelop, I decide to collect the stamps in this blog. Honestly, since I live in Finland, I learn to appreciate the art embedded in the stamps. In my previous post, I aimed to include in the photo the teddy bear stamp, but it does not look so good. Thus, now, I will explicitly take a photo of them.
The following stamp I bought it in 2012, when Helsinki was the World Design Capital. Posti (the Finnish post office), offered a set of stamps entitled Future City. There was an open competition for selecting the stamps of the Future City set, which received 1422 submissions and and only eight were selected by a jury (information taken by the Postimerkkisuunnittelukipailun voittajat). The stamp used for my second letter is one of the selected ones.
Stamp designed by Varpu Kangas
Week 2
Joensuu, Finland
Despite I am trying to do not promised anything anymore, it is hard to reject very attractive proposals from a 6 years old lady. So now, I will write her twice a week 🙂 . Anyway, it is alight with my goal of this year.
So, the first letter sent under the beautiful -20C weather. Oh man!
Letter 1 of 104