The stalls at Hakaniemi farmers’ market are set up every morning for the locals to buy groceries and fresh flowers, amongst other things.
Two types of fresh flowers vying for space and attention at the Hakaniemi farmers’ market. Photo taken with a Nikon D600 with AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
By afternoon, however, all that’s left of the market is a large empty plaza, as stall holders tear down their stalls and call it a day.
We’d just gotten off the ferry from Helsinki to the off-shore sea fortress of Suomenlinna. While the excited tourists and local families with children hustled and bustled around the pier, I spied this old couple quietly cycling away from the hullabaloo into the tranquility of the island’s interior.
An old couple cycles slowly down a gravel path on a hot summer’s day on the fortress island of Suomenlinna in Helsinki, Finland. Both photos taken with a Nikon D600 with AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
Suomenlinna actually comprises eight islands, five of which are connected by bridges and sandbars. There are about 850 inhabitants on the island, while 400-500 people work there.
We were driving from Cordoba to Granada in Spain back in the summer of 2009 when we spotted this field of sunflowers along the route. So we pulled over and ran amok among the gigantic sunflowers.
The sunflowers were as big as a real person’s head! All three photos taken with an Olympus E-450 with 14-42mm kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
These were some of the largest sunflowers we’d ever seen.
To show how big they were, we donned some of them with my son’s favourite cap and my wife’s shades, taking care not to damage the flowers.
We took a boat to Kusu Island on the National Day holiday for a family picnic.
Splashing along the way to Kusu Island on a sunny morning (back in March). Photo taken with an Olympus E-450 with Zuiko Digital 40-150mm f/4-5.6 kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
We’d visited Kusu Island back in March on a weekday and found the island almost totally deserted, except for a few people manning the Chinese temple on the island, and a few fellow visitors that came on the same boat.
Hakaniemi is a part of Helsinki city centre traditionally associated with the working class and workers’ associations.
Fresh flowers being sold at the Hakaniemi farmers’ market. Photo taken with a Nikon D600 with AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
Every morning farmers set up stalls at the farmers’ market selling groceries and flowers to the locals.
An island fortress, a rock church, and plenty of fun for the kids, Helsinki is a suitable family destination with long daylight hours in the summer.
Located in the central Senate Square, the Lutheran Cathedral was completed in 1852 and is a symbol of Helsinki. Taken with a Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.
Our first glimpse of Helsinki was gloomy and grim.
It was raining and we’d arrived at the central railway station, an imposing mostly brown building clad in granite, dragging our luggage.
The Uspenski Cathedral is a classical onion-domed Russian church that sits majestically on a hill overlooking the Market Square by the harbour. Taken with a Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.
Our mood improved as the weather cleared up.
Sunshine really makes a difference, although it was to rain intermittently over the next few days.
White nights, midnight sun and paying a social visit to Santa Claus at his hometown at the Arctic Circle.
Uspenski Cathedral in Helsinki. The clear blue skies was a relief from the haze back in South East Asia. Taken with Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.
It all started back in 1991 with the liberation of the Baltic States from the Soviet Union which was subsequently followed by the collapse and breakup of the Soviet bloc.
The old town square in Tallinn teems with tourists and artisans celebrating the city’s history and traditional crafts. Photo taken with Nikon D600 with 24-120mm lens.
Since then, my wife and I have always wondered about what these three brave Baltic States were like – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
As students then, we’d heard so little about these three newly-minted (then) countries.
So it was that – two decades after those tumultuous times – we decided to visit Estonia’s capital Tallinn during the children’s school holidays this year.
The easiest approach was via Helsinki.
We flew direct to the capital of Finland via Finnair and then made a day trip via a 2-hour ferry across the Gulf of Finland.
Takamori is a small town located at the Southeastern corner of the Aso caldera. We chose to stay there because it was between Takachiho and the Nakadake peak of Mount Aso, and so served as a good base from which to visit both.
I don’t know how the kids stay so pristine white all the time.
We chose this “country-house” style hotel in Takamori, partly because of the beautiful goat that it showed in a photo on its website.
The other kid peering out from its goat shed.
When we arrived, we found that, in addition to that teenage goat, there were another nanny complete with horns and a beard – and two really cute kids.
This was what we saw when we looked out the window on the third morning of our stay. It had snowed lightly overnight and everything was coated with a thin layer of newly fallen snow. You can see the goat shed to the left.
They were really lovable and the kids (mine) were over the moon over them.
Two cold kids huddled up inside the goat shed.
The hotel probably sees the most guests during summer as a sort of summer camp location, where you can enjoy outdoor games and attend pottery lessons at the hotel’s workshop.
Eventually, the kids ventured out into the snow. After all, they’re donning Pure New Wool. Can you spot the kid against the white snow?
There was another large Japanese family staying on our second night and their children and ours had a whale of a snow fight after it snowed overnight.
“Who – me?” A figurine in the hotel’s pottery workshop.
It was a wonderful stayover indeed.
* All photos in this post were taken with a Nikon D800 DSLR with an AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED and an AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens.
After the hustle and bustle of the city, we drove into the mountains to spend a night at a ryokan in a quaint onsen village nestled in the valley of the Kurokawa river.
The streets wind through old houses along both sides of the river.
The last time we holidayed in Kyushu we had followed a package tour booked from Tokyo.
Colourful maize hung out to dry under the eaves of some of the houses.
The coach had stopped by this quaint village in the evening and we had strolled through the peaceful streets of the dimly-lit hamlet – charmed by the local craft shops and serene ryokans lining the cobbled streets.
Stroll leisurely through the peaceful streets of Kurokawa. The face on the lantern is stylised from the Japanese hiragana character for “Fuji”.
The short stroll was really inadequate to soak in the atmosphere and we resolved then to come back one day to stay in one of those ryokans.
Hotels and ryokans are built along both sides of the river.
15 years later, we’re back – to the sleepy town with a river that runs through it.
A study of different textures, from the crackled paint to the stone and wood textures. This is the “banner” for a pottery shop.
It’s actually a popular destination for the Japanese themselves, either as a day trip or stopover.
“Used” bath tags hung outside a local temple for blessing.
For those intent on bath-hopping, you can purchase a bath tag that lets you visit the onsen baths of participating ryokans freely.
Lemonade, cider and local beer chilled naturally in water frozen from the cold temperature.
The temperature when we were there was slightly above zero, so it would have been gratifying checking out the differently landscaped onsen baths offered by the ryokans.
Shed for firewood outside one of many hot spring baths along the river.
The outdoor spa at our ryokan overlooked the river so you could sip wine at a chair after you’ve been suitably warmed up by the hot spring water.
Peaceful steps leading up to one of the houses along the street.
After that, you can partake a full Japanese kaiseki dinner served in the comfort of your room.
Two local cats watching the world go by.
* All photos in this post were taken with a Nikon D800 DSLR and AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED lens.
The last place you’d expect to go on an African Safari would be on a mountain on the outskirts of Beppu in Japan – as chilly winds and light snow ushered in the winter.
Different types of food was provided for feeding different types of animals.
In every family holiday, you’ve got to dedicate part of the itinerary to the kids.
Handfeeding a black bear with tongs.
So we decided to check out this African Safari theme park half-an-hour’s drive from Beppu in Japan.
It’s actually the Kyushu Natural Zoological Park, with more than 1,300 animals of 70 different species, spread over some 115 ha of rolling mountain plains.
You can self-drive your car or take the bus. We took the latter because that came with the opportunity to hand-feed (or tong-feed) the animals up close from within the bus.
There’s no question this lion prefers the bigger morsel holding the tongs with the tiny morsel.
You can still drive your own car along the same route as the bus after the bus tour, but we didn’t have time to linger, and had to give the rest of the theme park – which included a petting area for tamer animals – a miss too.
I did harbour fantasies of patting this lion on the head until he convinced me that although he may bear a slight resemblance to my golden retriever at home, he is anything but.
This was meant to be a treat for the kids, who love animals.
Back to more docile animals.
But it turned out great for the parents too, as we’ve never had the chance to feed wild animals this up close before.
Here’s a smiley camel.
Perhaps it’s time for a real safari?
Not sure if these Cheetahs appreciate the impending cold season – all huddled up like. Photo taken through the grills of the safari bus.
* The photos in this article were taken with a Nikon D800 and Olympus E450 SLR.
The elephant’s trunk is actually rather dexterous.
Always thought that the proper attire for an African Safari were khaki shorts, not wrapped up in winter wear like this.
This bully of an adult giraffe kept butting the other giraffes away to hog the food.
