Greetings from Helsinki!

I’m finally here! It is 27 degrees and it is pretty humid. The first thing catching one’s eyes after landing in the airport was the yellow grass and dried up trees around the airport. I couldn’t decide if they have had a tough summer or this is the sign of autumn in this nordic land. Then I learned that southern and western parts of Finland have been experiencing their driest summer in a hundred years: many brush fires, lower ground water level and sharp reduction in the availability of wild berries.

I had a good flight. I had to make one of my suitcases a bit lighter in Montréal by removing some toiletry, but I managed to take 2 pieces of hand luggage to London: my laptop and a carry-on. Due to new size restrictions and security measures my hand luggage was processed as hold at no extra cost in London and I carried my laptop without its leather case in a clear plastic bag. Everything worked out finally.

Helsinki airport was pretty quiet. I don’t recall hearing many announcements and I didn’t see any airport staff or officials not even at the customs. I just passed through unguarded gates! There was a passport check, but that was pretty quick and silent as well; not a single question was asked. I am not sure if this had anything to do with the “Finnish polite reserve” I have been reading so much about!