Postcards from Finland

Finland was a challenge.

Not only were we tested when it came to our adventurous spirit and the size of our cajones our bravery, but it was an artistic and personal challenge as well. The majority of our time in Finland was spent in a remote setting near the Russian border, surrounded by mounds of snow and tall, still alpine forests. The task of trying to capture the pure elegance of the repeating scenes of white and grey was an ambitious one.

And then there was the capital Helsinki, which was an entire other world in comparison. The city felt too cool, too hip, too chic – we felt quite shy and undeserving while in its core, stumbling along in our backpacker clothes and with runny noses. It was intimidating, yet lovely, as the people were friendly and the scenery so appealing. It is a city where we could spend days just watching the world go by from the comfort of a cafe (as long as no one judged us by our un-chic footwear).

The essence of a country is hard to capture in just a weeks time, but this is how beautiful Finland was to us…

 

Finland Postcards - Red Cabin

 

Finland Postcards - Icy Cold River

 

Finland Postcards - Helsinki Tram

 

Finland Postcards - Snow Covered Trees

 

Finland Postcards - Kuhmo Center for Arts

 

Finland Postcards - Kuhmo Church

 

Finland Postcards - Helsinki Church

 

Finland Postcards - Helsinki Train Station

 

Finland Postcards - Lone Cabin

 

Finland Postcards - Chapel of Silence

 

Finland Postcards - Dog Sledding Excitement

 

*****

Our trip to Finland was courtesy of Visit Finland and Wild Taiga. As always, all opinions are our own.

While we were in Helsinki we were invited as guests to the very chic Sokos Hotel Albert. Click here for a full review.

25 Comments... Read them below or add one of your own
  • March 27 2013

    Your postcards are amazing. Very impressive. Do I understand this correctly? You were invited rather than accepting a house sit. That must have been rewarding for you. Thank you for taking us along.

    • Pete
      March 29 2013

      Hi Janet, yes you are correct. Visit Finland invited us and four other travel blogs to their beautiful country and it was incredible. And we would also love to take a house-sit there if the opportunity came up.

  • March 27 2013

    i want to steal those puppies! Great photos!

    • Pete
      March 29 2013

      Those puppies were so adorable, we wanted to find room in our backpacks also πŸ™‚

  • A Montrealer Abroad (@amontrealer)
    March 27 2013

    That is such a cool post (pun intended). After visiting Norway and Sweden, I’m a huge fan of Scandinavia and even though I know Finland isn’t officially part of this region I think it’s probably fairly similar, and I would love to visit too. Especially in the winter!

    • Pete
      March 29 2013

      It’s certainly a magical place in the winter. And we’ve never been to any other Nordic country, so hopefully that changes as well πŸ™‚

    • Antti Ratalahti
      July 19 2013

      Actually Finland is part of Fennoscandinavia. Up in Lapland there is a spot where Sweden, Norway and Finland share the very same border pole. We have common values. Sweden ruled Finns from the 10th century.1809 Russia took over. 1917 onwards an independent state. Finnish-Russia border is the longest than in any other EU -country. Today we have good relations with Russia too.

  • March 27 2013

    These are gorgeous photos! Makes me so excited for our trip there next week.
    Jennifer recently posted..Wine Wednesday: Chianti Colli Senesi

    • Pete
      March 29 2013

      Enjoy your time there Jen and Tim!

  • March 27 2013

    Cool postcards! I love that wood cylinder looking building. Is that the chapel I saw on your IG? Cool structure!!

    • Pete
      March 29 2013

      It is Jeff. It is the Chapel of Silence and its a place where you can go just to get some quiet time. A beautiful structure indeed.

  • March 28 2013

    You really need to package these for mass market sales. πŸ™‚
    Maria recently posted..Medic Humor

    • Pete
      March 29 2013

      It’s in the works πŸ˜‰

  • March 29 2013

    Love love love these! Especially the one with the sled dogs πŸ™‚
    Rika | Cubicle Throwdown recently posted..Hey stranger. It’s been awhile.

    • Pete
      March 29 2013

      Thanks Rika! The last shot with the dogs Dalene caught at the perfect moment. They look so excited!

  • March 29 2013

    I so want to go to Finland! Love the architecture and style, and love the photo of the street car. Inspiring post!
    Lesley Peterson recently posted..ArtSmart Roundtable: mosaics of the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna

    • Pete
      March 29 2013

      Thanks so much Lesley. The street car was my favorite shot of the bunch. But I’m a sucker for street scenes πŸ™‚

  • March 29 2013

    I always L.O.V.E. your beautiful “postcards” – thanks for the treat!

    • Pete
      March 29 2013

      Thanks Dyanne, I’m happy your enjoyed πŸ™‚

  • March 31 2013

    Ooo so pretty. I love the one of the tram in Helsinki.
    Amanda recently posted..Snapshots from Washington, D.C.

    • April 2 2013

      Thanks Amanda! That’s our favourite too. πŸ™‚

  • April 1 2013

    Amazing.. Mindblowing Pictures..

  • April 1 2013

    Great postcards guys! You’ve really captured the nature and the architecture Finland has to offer.

  • I love the first photo – I would love to spend some time just relaxing with a book and a hot chocolate while being surrounded by snowy forest

  • Ali
    April 6 2013

    Gorgeous photos, and looks like a gorgeous country!

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