Holiday by the sea – a weekend in Hanko

May 20, 2021 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Known for its beautiful archipelago, Hanko is a port town located on the south coast of Finland. This quiet little town has approximately 130 kilometres of coastline. 30 kilometres of which are sandy beaches.

We planned for this trip in such a short time that most of the hotels were already booked. But we got the last room in a hotel which is conveniently located near restaurants. Finding good coffee was a challenge though. We went to a number of cafes which were all serving the normal Finnish coffee so it was a joy to enter this cafe and see a coffee machine. And the coffee was good too!

It was only a short weekend break, just enough to break the everyday routine and busyness. But it was good, just what I needed. I enjoyed the short hikes, beach walks, the nature’s breeze, good food and the change of environment. It was also nice to visit again the beach where we were last summer.

Do you need a quick break today? Go for it!

All photos by Ari Vitikainen at http://arivitikainenphotography.com

A cherry park in Helsinki

May 19, 2021May 19, 2021 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

One of the joys of Spring is being able to experience the cherry blossom. Although they came a bit late this Spring, it was such a beauty to enjoy. It was wonderful to be able to see them in full bloom here in Helsinki.

The Cherry Park which is located in the Roihuvuori district of Helsinki was opened in 2007. There are about 150 Cherry trees in the park which were planted with the help of the Japanese community in Helsinki. Of course, one of my dreams is to visit Japan during the Hanami season. But for now, I can enjoy this season without traveling far!

All photos by Ari Vitikainen at https://www.arivitikainenphotography.com

Taemin’s amazing concert

May 2, 2021March 10, 2025 by elainevitikainen ♥ 2 Comments

Never once in my entire existence in this world would have I expected to have my next live concert online. The last one was in 2019 with Lenny Kravitz in Helsinki. Well, you all know how the story goes and I’ve been missing live concerts ever since. So it was an amazing opportunity to attend Taemin’s Never Gonna Dance concert at 9:00 in the morning in Helsinki.

The concert was no doubt amazing. That one artist singing and dancing simultaneously in perfection was very impressive. I also like how humble he is and very real to his fans. This is my first ever live online concert and I’m happy it was Taemin’s. I’ll never forget this day where I was in Seoul in Helsinki and met Taemin! I won’t lie about it. It felt very emotional and knowing that I was watching with 90,000 fans in 119 countries was an incredible feeling…

Walking on ice

February 21, 2021February 21, 2021 by elainevitikainen ♥ 1 Comment

How else would I spend the late Sunday morning than having a lovely walk on the sea. It was a 6.9 kilometres stroll at +2C. Yes, we can indeed walk on water! Most of Europe has been enjoying the frozen waters. We also have the privilege to enjoy this beautiful winter in Helsinki. Walking on ice is very magical especially when a few months back, this was not at all possible. This is definitely one of the reasons why I love the change of seasons!

All photos by Ari Vitikainen @ arivitikainenphotography.com

Outdoor cafe, anyone?

February 5, 2021 by elainevitikainen ♥ 7 Comments

There is nothing like a cup of hot, creamy chocolate in this very cold day. You need a warm blanket and another warm blanket to enjoy it outside. But the experience is worth it. It’s not an everyday occurrence to be sat in -10C but felts like -20C, right? A cafe on the island of Suomenlinna is just the best place to have it. This place is so idyllic and you will like its pink exterior. The cakes were lovely too!

All photos by Ari Vitikainen @ https://www.arivitikainenphotography.com

Daebak! That’s awesome!

January 16, 2021January 16, 2023 by elainevitikainen ♥ 4 Comments

South Korea was on the plan for 2020. COVID-19 was surely not. But as the saying goes, ‘If you can’t go, let it come to you!’ Or did I just make that up…

Can you see the green men shovelling snow?

I always wanted a Daebak box, a seasonal box full of Korean products. It has now became a trend to love all things Korean. Think about all the K-Pop, K-Drama, K-Beauty, K-Food, K-Snacks… However, just as COVID-19 disrupted most of our lives, it also affected the mailing system. My Daebak box was cancelled! So I ended up just admiring each and every photo posted on Facebook about the Daebak box. Beauty products here. K-Pop and K-Drama merch there. Snacks and drinks to enjoy. All awesome, Daebak stuff. I’ve became more and more a fan of the Daebak box with each passing hour, day, week, month…

Then something happened. The Daebak staff opened a portal. A tiny portal intended only for me to order a Daebak collaboration box with Mediheal. Well, I’m not entirely new to Mediheal. I’ve been using Mediheal face sheets for a while now. They are not just for relaxation but they deeply moisturize, taking away the fear of the winter months.

The Daebak / Mediheal collaboration box is a must have. The box itself is so cute and trendy. And the content is absolutely amazing. It gives you the urge to really take care of yourself. Beauty and functionally went perfectly well together in this box. The box is packed full of face sheet masks, eye masks, a foot mask and a hand mask. A face cream, a lipstick, a face mask and sponges are also found in the box. And a plus for BTS fans out there, it also includes the BTS face sheets!

And once you empty the box, there are many creative ways to reuse it. Here is mine. My three purses fit perfectly in the box. How do you reuse yours?

If you don’t want to miss out on South Korea delivered to your home, check out this link. You won’t regret it, I promise! You can also get 5% off on code ELAINE5.

All photos by Ari Vitikainen at arivitikainenphotography.com

The beautiful snow covered Helsinki

January 13, 2021 by elainevitikainen ♥ 4 Comments

It was a fun snowy day in Helsinki and an evening walk was all it takes to fully enjoy it. The Old Church Park (Vanha kirkkopuisto) is one of the best places to enjoy the scenic snow in the Helsinki centre. The tree silhouettes against the snow covered ground felt so magical as the old lamps glow their golden lights. The beautiful old buildings surrounding this park add to its elegance. The Old Church Park was a cemetery. There are 48 gravestones visible in the park dating back from 1790–1829.

Walking further is the beautiful Espanade Park which leads to the Senate Square. The snow covered steps of the Helsinki Cathedral was a fun place to just enjoy the scenery and take in the cold, fresh air. But in fact, it was not cold at all. At 0 degrees celsius, my coat felt like a warm sleeping bag.

All photos by Ari Vitikainen @ arivitikainenphotography.com

Finally, snow!

January 4, 2021 by elainevitikainen ♥ 2 Comments

The weather did not cooperate as I wanted to during the holidays. Darkness and rain was all it gave. There was anticipation of snow during Christmas which never arrived. But alas! 2020 ended. The new year came. And on the third day, snow appeared. It snowed beautifully, covering the city with its shine and glitter. A feeling of freshness and hope came along with it. The darkness turned into a beautiful Helsinki!

All photos by https://www.arivitikainenphotography.com

Christmas COVID style

December 25, 2020December 25, 2020 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

This Christmas season, it was inevitable to spend it following the COVID recommendation. Although, there were still unavoidable situations like the crowded shops ( we need to get food!), in general, downtown Helsinki was strangely quiet. The city is obviously lacking some tourists as seen during our evening stroll on the 23rd. It actually feels empty.

However, the Grand Noel afternoon tea at the Kämp Braserrie is not to be missed. Additional Christmas flavours are added to spice up the Christmas spirit. The obvious addition is the gingerbread macaron.

One of the Christmas traditions in Finland is to visit the cemetary on Christmas eve. Hietaniemi cemetary is located 650 meters from our flat. Many famous Finns are buried here since the 1820s. Here, I’m standing where people can light candles for those who were buried in other places. We also visited the graves of past Finnish presidents.

One fun thing I did this Christmas time was to open a Japan crate. My first time ever! I got Julian from the Animal Crossing. It was lots of fun! Greetings too from Emiko who lives on Mochi Island. Please come and visit!

Here is also an illustrated recipe of Joulutorttu. Joulutorttu is a Finnish Christmas pastry made from puff pastry in the shape of a star, filled with prune jam and dusted with icing sugar.

Have a Happy Christmas to all!

All photos (except my illustrations and Emiko on Animal Crossing) by Ari Vitikainen at https://www.arivitikainenphotography.com

Golden Helsinki

October 15, 2020 by elainevitikainen ♥ 2 Comments

Autumn is my favourite season. Everywhere in Helsinki seems to be framed by this beautiful Autumn colours and the lovely golden backdrop. Helsinki is even more beautiful in Autumn and this year has been an endless supply of warm and sunshine.

One of the best places to see the Autumn colours is at the Hesperia Park. This park never ceases to amaze me and gives so much hope for the coming darkness.