Enjoy Sauna in a Gondola Lift

Enjoy the hot ride while others are skiing around you. The sauna gondola at Ylläs is the first one in the world.

More info:
Click here.

Pelago Bicycles

The idea for Pelago Bicycles has developed during the last 10 years.

In 2009 Pelago introduced their first bicycles and a shop in Vallila district, uptown Helsinki. Pelago aims to make bicycles that you can be as proud of – bikes that still ride in 2050 – bikes that serve the purpose.

Click here to take a closer look and get one for yourself.

New seaside districts in Helsinki

The transfer of the Sörnäinen and Länsisatama harbours to Vuosaari and shutting down the Laajasalo oil harbour are setting into motion the biggest process of change in Helsinki in over a 100 years. These massive changes reminds me of Hafencity project in Hamburg.


In Hanasaari there will be five terrace buildings.

Kalasatama district

Moving the harbour away from the city centre provides the opportunity to completely transform the shorelines along Sörnäinen and Hermanni, as old industrial buildings, warehouses and harbour operations make way for modern office buildings and residential areas. Kalasatama will be planned for 18 000 residents and 10 000 jobs.

More info: City Planning Department of Helsinki


Länsisatama (West Harbour) district

Within the next couple of decades, the Länsisatama area will have been transformed into a waterfront city quarter with an estimated population of 22 000, which will enhance the appeal of central Helsinki and its services as a whole.

More info: City Planning Department of Helsinki




Kruunuvuorenranta district

The area presently occupied by the Laajasalo oil harbour will be free of the harbour operations by 2010. A new seaside housing district will be built on the site of the present oil harbour and the adjoining land. Kruunuvuorenranta will be planned for 10 000 residents.

More info:
The future neighbourhood of Kruunuvuorenranta (Exhibition)
18.6.-15.8.2009
Laituri

City Planning Department of Helsinki

Rytmikaravaanari - electronic music festival

Rytmikaravaanari (Rhythm Caravan) is an one day electronic music festival. The festival is part of "Summer in Alppipuisto" - a series of open-air events taking place in Alppipuisto-park in Helsinki.

Rhythm Caravan festival presents special foreign and Finnish electronic music acts in three distinct settings: the park, terrace, and club. The event includes big names such as Legowelt from the Netherlands and, for the first time in Finland, the joint project of German AGF and Finnish Vladislav Delay called AGF / Delay along with the local rising indie-electro wonder Villa Nah. In addition, the festival will feature a bunch of fresh and promising Finnish electronic music acts.

Friday 31.7.2009
17:00 - 21:00
Alppipuisto park
Free entrance.

Sarana LIVE
Smackos Astro Unicorn Set LIVE (NL)
Villa Nah LIVE
AGF / Delay LIVE (GER / FIN)

22:00 - 04:00
Kuudes linja club
Entrance fee: 10eur.

Yavi
Snoxn
KinoSport (USA)
Uusitalo LIVE (FIN / GER)
Legowelt LIVE + dj (NL)

Kinokompo vol. 1 and 2 DVD's - compilations of Finnish short films

Tampere Film Festival has cooperated with Suomen elokuvakontakti organisation in putting together the first compilations of Finnish short films, called KinoKompo vol.1 and vol.2. The DVD's include animations, experimental films and fiction ranging from 2006 to 2009. More information about the DVD's can be found at www.elokuvakontakti.fi.

In Helsinki at least Korjaamo shop sells the DVD's (Vol.2 contains English subtitles).

Nip, snack and more

Something new?

Nip and snack: Siltanen
Lunch: Dong Bei Hu (Tuomas Vimma: "Best chinese in town")
Dinner: Restaurant Luomo (Vironkatu 8) - Try classic Gin Tonic made out of Organic Gin

Eat&Joy Farmer's Market Food

The Eat&Joy Farmer's Market sets the focus on local, top quality ingredients and organic food. They offer an extensive list of products:
kyytto-forest cow, poro (wild reindeer), grain pork meat, lake Inari, Saimaa fish and roe, smoked specialties, organic and wild vegetables and herbs, indigenous root vegetables, berry jams, mushrooms, small producer’s specialty cheese, churned organic butter, small brewery cider and special beer, organic whole grain and rye bread, organic flour, including great examples of organic ice cream and artisan chocolates.

More info:
Lasipalatsi, Mannerheimintie 22-24, Helsinki

Best of Finland - breakfast

Klaus K's the best of Finland - breakfast consists of many delicacies which are prepared using the best products of Finnish nature. Breakfast includes game, fish, berries and other, preferably organic products supplied by regional small producers. The bread and pastry selection is prepared by their own baker.

View the menu here.

The breakfast is served Monday to Friday 6.30-10 and 7.30-11.30 during the weekends.

More info:
www.ravintolailmatar.fi
Bulevardi 2 / 4, Helsinki.

Monte Rosso Soundtrack CD + DVD is out now

Monte Rosso is a short movie from the creators of the cult series Madventures. It captures the language and lifestyle of a whole generation living in the boroughs of Helsinki.

DVD release also includes a soundtrack mixtape-CD featuring 25 tracks inspired by the movie. The CD is mixed by DJ Street Kobra & Croko-Roc.

Monte Rosso Soundtrack CD mixed by DJ Street Kobra & Kroko-Roc
01. Uusi Fantasia: Mänin teema osa 1.
02. Hector & Oscar: Savu
03. Jimi Tenor & Kabu Kabu: Magical World
04. Didier's Sound System: Impuls
05. Uusi Fantasia: Mänin teema osa 2.
06. Cascade: Sinun vain
07. Cameo: Kun laiva lähtee
08. Inga Sulin: Hassu homma
09. Kompostikopla: Syvälle
10. Tomi & Sirkka Muhonen: Väyrysen mantra
11. Paroni Paakkunainen: Mango
12. Kaukolampi & CO: Takaa-ajettu mies
13. Petri & Pettersson Brass: Tiidattattaada
14. Katri Helena: Vihreä ruoho
15. Mukajazz: Pedro goes bananas
16. Pepe & Paradise: Kapteeni Koukku
17. Uusi Fantasia: Takaisin-edit
18. Anki: Niin aikaisin
19. Joose Keskitalo: Asematunnelissa
20. Uusi Fantasia: Faija-edit
21. Uusi Fantasia: Nasty Raydio-edit
22. Ka So Re: Standing Still
23. Kap Kap: Full Mooner
24. Jarkka Rissanen & Sons of the Desert: Hip
25. Davo: Niinku täälpäin sanotaan

Better place

Something has finally started to happen in the field of global car industry. Massive fuel wasters are facing huge problems and even in Finland we are finally getting real alternative options.

New Refuel (link in Finnish only) ethanol biofuel cuts transport-related fossil CO2 emissions by up to 80%. New flexifuel cars are required, but to ease the usage those are able to run with normal gasoline or with biofuel. According to St1 their biofuel is ecologically and environmentally sustainable, because as they claim: "Food is for eating and that´s why they make biofuel from waste".

Very interesting new global concept is Better Place (see video above). Better Place is a company that aims to reduce global dependency on petroleum through the creation of a market-based transportation infrastructure that supports electric vehicles, providing consumers with a cleaner, sustainable, personal transportation alternative.

Check out also the small local open source Electric Vehicle community project here in Finland: eCorolla project.