Deep sea baby

Holidays. Not too much planned. There were some initial ideas, but it did not work out. I don't care too much as long as I have nice place to stay, what I have. Big thanks to my Swiss family.

I'm staying in Borex, close to French border, 5km from the Lac Leman (Geneva Lake) surrounded by vine yards, sunflower, apples and wheat plantations. Safe and sound. Without any duties, things to do, people to meet, places to be. Just me, myself and I.

Now after a week of this state of half solitude I've realised that this is exactly the kind of holidays that I've wanted. My life is usually too busy and this rest is better than anything.

First two days I had friend coming over and we did some hiking in the surrounding. We drove to Leysin and from there we did the following walk:

Leysin - Le Temeleq - La Berneuse (2048) - Lac d'Ai - Lac de Meyen - Truex (2194) - Les Fers - Les Plans - Leysin.

It was only 16 km but it was constantly either up or down, so really tyring, but I don't mind this kind of tiredness. It's just beautiful.

On the way from Leysin to La Berneuse

La Berneuse. With the view of Mt. Blanc

Lac d'Ai

Cottage in Lac de Mezen

Panarama view from Truex (2194). Mt. Blanc on the left and Lac Leman (Geneva Lake on the right)

 

 

Now being on my own I do some running, walking, swimming. Weather outside is not the best what you can get, but it's still bearable. Like today - slight rain, 17 degrees. Maybe swimming in the swimming pool in Nyon with the water temperature of 24 is not very pleasant but it is still possible.

On the way from Borex to Nyon. Ain't it pretty?

Beach in Nyon, at Lac Leman. Water was rather rough today, but it was not a problem for an old couple who had a swim in the lake. The funniest part was when she was walking down, towards the beach in her white bath robe.

Beach in Nyon

After swimming in the pool I walked back to Borex. I took different route than on the way from Borex to Nyon. I've found some life among the sunflowers burnt by sun.

 

That was just a lucky shot. I saw that redman and I liked the colours so I took a shot.

 

I also went to to Geneva to visit a friend. And again very relaxing time. Vine at the balcony in the same center of Geneva, party, bike trip (what a pity it was raining again...).

Bike trip was to Hermance, which is a border city with France. Gorgeous route via small towns, fields and vine yards.

Geneva

Fountain in Geneva

 

I better not leave before I get my chance to ride

So finally the time has come to show Helsinki. I've been here for a while and spend one weekend (which is right now in fact) doing cross country skiing and celebrating Finnish tradition - Shrovetide.

So on Saturday we took a train to Espoon Keskus, where two of our colleagues picked us up and we drove to cross country skiing area. We've rented skis there and the whole fun has begun. It was great cause in some way it was like huge skiing station where you have rentals, car parks, restaurants, marked trails but everything was flat. Just no lifts.

The event was even funnier as I did not get much sleep in the night cause we went out with some of the colleagues as well as with client's employees. We were closing the "Le Bonk" disco at 3.30. So at first when I got up I was in rather slow motion and I was convinced I'll be a crap when we start moving, but afterwards I got better and I became a legend ;-). No one wanted to believe that it's the first time I go cross country skiing. It's because I was doing so well. Maybe it's because I've got some practise in downhill skiing and that makes me feel comfortable having two longish pieces tied to my feet. We did 9 kilometers. I had appetite for more, but nobody wanted to join me.

Helsinki city center

Helsinki, on the way to the railway station. Sokos department store and hotel.

Heap of lost luggage in the hall of railway station. I guess that if you've lost something on the train you can come here an search for it.

Cross country skis rental and restaurant

Crew

Professional look. Take a look at one of my colleagues in the background too ;-)

After cross country skiing you can go to sauna and later on do some swimming in the ice hole. Next time I'm gonna do that too.

Helsinki city center. But why the hell do they need lighthouse in the middle of the city?

Helsinki city center. Sokos Presidentti in the background is the hotel where I'm staying. It's not recommended. Rooms are not clean, service is very poor, as are the breakfasts and once I've found pubic hair in the bathroom when I moved in. Disgusting.

Helsinki city center

Shrovetide is celebrated both on Shrove Sunday (19th February) and Tuesday (21st February) by sledding downhill and eating pea soup and Shrove buns with cream and jam or with cream and almond paste. Friends and families get together to celebrate - this happening is called “laskiaisrieha”. People go sledding downhill with sledges and next go to have hot chocolate and Shrove buns. And this is exactly what we did in the Kaivopuisto park.

Shrove buns are ok, but nothing spectacular for me. I liked my salmon, egg sandwich so much better than shrove bun.I was even regreting not taking two sandwiches instead of having one of each.

We were on the news (guess whose scream it is) in channel 4

View from the hotel window on Sunday morning. Whole day was like that.

On the way to Kaivopuisto park. Stockmann department store.

On the way to Kaivopuisto park. Design Museum. Helsinki is Design Capital 2012

On the way to Kaivopuisto park. Church?

Kaivopuisto park. Let's go sledding.

Sledding on my stomach...

... and falling

Snowboard sledges?

On the way home

Marimekko. It's the Finnish fashion company, founded in 1951 and very popular nowdfays. Nevertheless their patterns remind me of polish design patterns. Looks very familiar.

And again we did some more cross country skiing, this time in Paloheinä where we were able to get by direct bus from the office that we have in Kapyla. 22 euros for skis rental for three hours (not cheap if I compare to the rental of downhill skis in France) and we go!
This venue was more hilly and going ups and downs made me tired. Especially that it was snowing all the time and that fresh snow was sticking to the skis all the time. That was also a little bit dangerous when going down as you think that you will go down, you are prepared for that but your skis stand still. And it's just you going down and falling.
Actually once when I've separated from my colleagues I got to the top of the small hill and I was a little bit afraid to go down especially that the route seemed empty and those cross country skies are not stable. So I could only imagine myself falling into one of the lamp posts lightening the track. Yes we went there in the late evening and yes they have lightened cross country skiing tracks.

On the 66A bus

Integration team ;-)

Let's go!

The cross country skiing hill. Lightened.

There is one more very interesting thing about Finland. Finnish swimming pools. Especially that one where you can swim naked. What's more this was the first one that I've found in Helsinki and the oldest one in the city (build in 1920).
I was not aware of the fact that you can swim naked there the first time I went there. And actually when you are wearing your swimming suit they look at you in a funny way. But I can still bear that look. I don't think I would feel comfy swimming nude. I must also admit that I don't feel very comfortable seeing it. When you swim behind someone you see definitely too much. The view is not appealing. Especially when you keep it in mind that most of those naked swimming women (the entrance hours/day are separate for men and women) are old, not very well shaped and not waxed. Disgusting.

No pictures from naked swimming pool ;-)

Ding dong, stop yelling, let me in

In fact it's high time to write something about Helsinki, as I've been here since mid January, but I still need to gather some more pictures. But as it's been a while since the last time I've been to Munich, there will be something about that city that tempts and attracts me sooo much. I'm not able to explain why, but it's the way it is.

Well I've been flying via MUC rather often recently, but I was not exiting the airport. Only last week I flew there for the training that was taking place there (there was a risk that it'll be in Frankfurt, but luckily Munich won).

I still have some friends there from the time when I was working in Ingolstadt, so I went there couple of days before the training. Just to meet them, enjoy the city vibe, drink some radlers and russes (wiezen shandy), wander through the streets, do running training on the graveyard and around Pinakotheken (main galleries in Munich) and Branshorst Museum, visit the oldest swimming pool in the city (build in 1901), watch 'The Artist' - contemporary silent movie, eat maroni and apfelstrudel mit vanillesauce.

Within those four days I've spent all my time in Maxvorstadt and Au Haidhausen districts. Strolling through the streets, watching people and registering cosy restaurants and cafes to go there next time when I'll be here (when will that be?). In particular I was able to find place that was shown to me ages ago that I liked from the same beginning a  lot but I did not pay much attention that time to where I was. And now it happened to be just around the corner from my hotel and hit my eyes when I was wanreding around.

Ivan Hayek. Acordeonist on the Marienplatz.

We are poems

Hedgehogs (for Marta)

Muellersches Volksbad. The oldest swimming pool in Munich, opened in 1901.

Gasteig Munich. Munich cultural center.

Old cinema. There is plenty of them here.

Lebensmittel. Corner of Preysingstrasse and Leonhard Strasse

Preysinggarten. This is the place that I was able to track back.

Just to proof, that I did a training too ;-)

Country for Old Men

I've wanted to spend last days of my holidays doing nothing somewhere at the beach. So I've decided to go to Pattaya, which is close from Bangkok and getting there and back will not be to much of a hassle. Especially that I could stay there at home with my aunt and uncle, which is so much nicer than staying in a guest house or in a hostel.
So I've went there last Wednesday, and funny thing. My aunt recommended me to take bus from the airport as it stops almost directly at the place where they have their apartment, but from Khao San Rd it was easier to buy a ticket for mini van. But in the end I've been forced to take bus from the airport, as the bus which I was meant to take had an accident earlier and travel agent took me to the airport and bought me a ticket for a bus from there. Which was handy in the end as mini vans do not go as far as Jomtien, they only go to city center of Pattaya which is quite a distance from Jomtien.
Pattaya is well known for its sex tourism. For old usually fat guys coming here to meet Thai girls, Thai boys, lady boys, anything that you imagine. What I did not know is that its also popular holiday destination for Russians and Arabic people. If you go out here in the night and go to the Walking Street you meet mostly Russians and Arabic people. Very barely you are prone to meet other nationalities here, which was kind of disappointment for me. I was not hoping for anything big, just to meet someone to make party with. In the end I've been having fun on my own. Wandering from one club to another. I've had most of the fun in Mixx and Lucifer. I've also visited famous Insomnia, but I did not like the music at all.

At the beach here (which itself is not too nice at all - very narrow and sand is not fine and littered) mostly what you see are fat people, ladies sometimes top less (as if they would have something nice there to show), you also see gay couples lying on their fronts with they speedos (yes, speedos as 99% or mes wear them here) pulled down to tan their asses. Those are quite good looking, at least in terms of how they are built. But still not too much to catch your eye.
Also when you walk along the beach in Central Pattaya on the one side, closer to the beach you see all the Thai girls waiting for one of the men sitting in cafes on the other side of the street or walking along. If I were one of them I'd definitely be embarrassed of standing there like behind the window in a store and waiting who will buy me.
That made me spend most of my time at the swimming pool in the apartment where I'm staying. There of course also most of the people are rather old, but at least I can swim there and read and stay in a calm atmosphere, which is what I need now before I come back home and fly to Dubai for a new project, which makes me nervous already. I'm concerned how it'll be there especially that it's Italian project and Italians are known for their long working hours which I hate as I love to have some time to make my sports. I had some break from working out during my trip but now I want to come back and in fact I slowly do. I thought it'll be more difficult after over 4 months of break, but as I swim here I do about 1,5 km as I used to do back at home and it's not too challenging. So I'm happy that my stamina is not fully down at least if it comes to swimming. I'll see in about week time how it is in terms of running as my plan is to come back to running as soon as possible.

Central shopping mall in Pattaya. It's purely for tourists as regular Thai citizen would not be able to afford to buy in all those expensive stores that are there.

Something nice in Pattaya - view from the beach in Central Pattaya

This is how walking street looks like on Saturday - packed with Arabs and Russians

Show time 1:30 a.m.

Walking Street - Pattaya party area

Pattaya city by night

Having dinner with my family, this time we had European food - the best pizza in Pattaya is meant to be in Hopf Brewhouse

This is how beach looks like. Very narrow and packed with umbrellas and fat people underneath.



To proof my last sentence. Have a look at speedos.



Save the wales



Things like that would be impossible anywhere else in Asia, maybe Phuket.

Swimming pool where I do my laps

That is why I spend most of the time at the swimming pool, where at least I can do laps and I don;t have to pay to go to the toilet.