So while I am back on Minnesota soil, I will be writing more in the next few weeks about the Minneapolis-Kuopio Sister City relationship, the Kuopio Housing Fair and perhaps a few more of the three thousand photos I took on this trip. (I wonder how many photos I would have taken if I had to lug around 35 mm film rolls?)

Stay tuned!

Just a few years ago he purchased a sail boat on the Gulf of Mexico through on Ebay … fixed it up, took one amazing sail adventure with my youngest brother, Ray, off the Texas coast. After spending more than a month on the Gulf fixing the boat up, he sold it at a slight profit … allowing him to buy another sail boat closer to home that he can take out on the Minnesota lakes. He is also building a river houseboat … and we’re all yearning for him to complete construction! (He estimates that he has about a year’s work left before he and my mother, Ruth, can be on their way down the Mississippi River.)

With all that said … spending a day cruising the scenic Finnish lakes between Kuopio and Savonlinna makes me think that perhaps I have a passion for boating in my genes!

It’s unseasonably hot here in Finland. On Monday I thought I was going to melt in the city center of Kuopio … so spending nearly 11 hours on the lakes was the most perfect way to spend a hot midsummer day.

The scenery reminds me of Minnesota … except that the lakes and forrest of Finland are much more vast. All along the coast line there are beautiful summer cabins (and saunas) nestled among the pines and birch. Many folks in Finland are on summer vacation, so we saw people swimming and boating along the entire route.

I particularly like how friendly the Finns are on the open water. Everyone … and I mean EVERYONE … waves to each other! (I find the Finns to be a bit more reserved on the roads and walking paths in the cities.) There’s something about water that brings everyone together.

What follows are some of my most favorite photos … selected from hundreds that I still have to review and edit!

As a graphic designer, I am intrigued by the signs I see when I travel to another country. Lisa and I encountered several variations of  ”no dogs allowed” signs … basically consisting of an “X” over the image of a dog. The image is practical, but for a dog lover, it creates an emotional response. (And in all fairness, how many of us know that “koira” means dog in Finnish?)

It has taken a lot of work on the part of dog lovers to make Minneapolis a more “dog friendly” city … with its off-leash parks and allowing well-behaved dogs in sidewalk cafes.

During a walk around the small lake Iso-Valkeinen in the center of Kuopio, I saw a few beautiful dogs enjoying a stroll with their owners around the lake.

Have you heard of the Sac-O-Mat? It’s a great way to encourage citizens to pick up after their dogs.

Near the end of my walk yesterday, I encountered the most engaging sign of all. Can you tell what it means?

A) Bad dog! You made me drop my doughnut!

B) Look, dog, look! Food!

C) Wait, dog, wait! I must find a Sac-O-Mat and clean up your mess!

It’s late as I write this … nearly midnight … following an amazing day in Tallinn, Estonia, with Lisa Goodman. The ferry trip across the Gulf of Finland takes just under two hours one way … and once we stepped foot into the old city, we were enchanted. Lisa’s summed it up best as we walked around on the cobblestone streets: “Tallinn is a jewel box city!”

Here are some highlights from today!

This jet-lagged traveler dutifully went to bed at 10 p.m. last night … to make sure that I adjusted as quickly as possible to the eight-hour time difference between Helsinki and Minneapolis. However, at 2:30 a.m. I was up … wide awake … and snapped this view from my hotel window.

As I mentioned before in this blog, the “midnight sun” intrigues me … and while the sun does set in Helsinki (the Arctic Circle is still a ways away from here), dusk and dawn meld into one this time of year.

By 4:15 a.m. I decided to take a little walk … and to buy some orange juice … near the Central Train Station. (Clock tower, below.) The sidewalks around the station were filled with young people leaving the night clubs, buying food from street vendors … and gathering at a few late-night sidewalk cafes. I remember the days when I used to stay up all night in a new city … soaking in the night life. I am much happier today getting a good night’s sleep, and this stroll was just what I needed to get back to sleep by 5 a.m.

Helsinki: A Little Street Music from Karl Reichert on Vimeo.

Even though we are feeling very jet lagged, Lisa Goodman and I spent time walking around Helsinki this evening … soaking in the beautiful sites and sounds!