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A conference in Berlin, and some vacationing before and after.
This whole trip is pretty much defined by food. We had totally forgotten what we really miss in Singapore: good quality bread, and sandwiches and salads with fresh ingredients. Simple and tasty!
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We fly to Berlin to a conference via Helsinki; it is definitely the most convenient connection from South-East Asia to Europe.
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This is the scene that meets us at the Helsinki railway station at 7am. on the Saturday morning. Even sadder is that the trash was not cleaned up until several days later.
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Merimiehenkatu in Punavuori, one of the nicest neighborhoods in central Helsinki.
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We stay in an apartment belonging to a Colombian-Finnish couple that we booked from airbnb.com. The apartment is trendy and very functional.
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On our first day we visit our own apartment in Lassila.
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This is the kitchen we miss so much, especially the induction stove.
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Dinner at Patrona. Is this Sopesitos de Frijol c/ Chorizo? (Small thick corn tortillas, beans, chorizo,salad, cream & fresh cheese.)
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The square next to the main railway station hosts a microbrewery festival (Big beers, Small breweries). Long lines on the last day of the event.
Unfortunately we have to skip it.
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Trash bin situation in Helsinki is horrendous.
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Muse in concert on the Olympic Stadium.
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It just happens that a friend of mine had two tickets to this concert she cannot attend herself. And we happen to be in town.
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It is still too light outside for them to be truly impressive (the concert started just after 9:30pm.)
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A giant light bulb, with an acrobat underneath, traverses the stadium.
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Muse gives an impressive show, although some people may think that the extra effects beyond music (the light bulb, a giant robot, actors and dancers, etc.) made it more like an Olympic opening ceremony rather than a rock concert.
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Next morning we go for a run. The white building in the garden is the first mental hospital in Finland. It was designed by Carl Ludvig Engel (born in Berlin in 1778), who's responsible of the new neoclassical empire style architecture in Helsinki's center.
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An empty beach after a night's partying. This is a popular place to celebrate both the end and the start of the school year.
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Our backyard in Punavuori.
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Out of last 14 years we have lived 12 abroad, and whenever we have visited Helsinki our tradition has been to visit Suomenlinna Brewery for lunch.
Another thing that defines our trip is fresh fish, which we can't get in Singapore. (most fish and seafood there smells "fishy" --- fresh fish does not smell)
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On season: Roasted whitefish, creamed chanterelles, new potatoes and vegetable saute. (description from their menu)
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Brewery's fish platter and buttered new potatoes with dill: Peppered grav lax, smoked vendace mousse, baltic herrings marinated with juniper berry, roe of vendace with onions and soured cream.(description from their menu)
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We have a dinner at Bryggeri, a rather new brewery situated in the neoclassical empire center of Helsinki.
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North Esplanade. It's about 10pm.
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Next morning we have another nice run. This combined pedestrian and bike path was built on the former freight train track.
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We visit the open-air museum Seurasaari. It represents rural living in all Finnish provinces from 18th to 20th century. There are altogether 87 buildings in the museum area.
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And you guessed it right: there is also a cafeteria, and we are there for lunch.
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Roasted Summer vegetables and goat cheese.
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And then dinner in a Japanese restaurant Domo.
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Now we are in Berlin, having a breakfast set for two in a bakery cafe.
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Humboldt University that hosts the conference is within walking distance from our accommodation.
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State Opera on Unter den Linden.
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Another great breakfast place in Berlin Mitte just a block away from our accommodation: Feine kost.
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A mixed set and an Italian set.
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Lunch buffet in the conference poster session.
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A relatively new restaurant at Heinrich-Heine Platz. The food is hearty and service very efficient.
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The sun is about to go down, but there is still abundant daylight left.
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After dinner we take a stroll in the neighborhood.
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Evangelische Kirchengemeinde St.Thomas.
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Alexanderplatz and the tv-tower are just a little more than a kilometer away.
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The sky to this direction looks quite different. The sun is down but it is still light.
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The other side of River Spree.
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We try to take a shortcut through some shady neighborhoods.
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"We don't want no yuppie flats
we are happy with our rats."
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East German style apartment flats in Berlin Mitte.
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Breakfast at Chefetage, half a block away from our accommodation.
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Humboldt University main building.
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Old and new apartment building.
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We have quick dinner at Tapas y Mas.
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Breakfast at a brand new coffee shop Cappuccino.
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Rainbow over Berlin Mitte, viewed from our accommodation on Neue Jakobstrasse.
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On our last evening in Berlin we have dinner at Safran, a cafe-restaurant specializing in Persian cuisine. This a vegetarian appetizer platter. Honestly, we are happy and satiated after this.
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But we still have a major protein load coming, chicken, beef, and lamb kebabs.
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"Do your part keeping Berlin beautiful."
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On our last morning in Berlin we have another nice run along Spree Canal and Spree River.
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Heinrich Heine, one of the most prominent German poets of the 19th century.
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After four long days in the conference it is laundry time. While our clothes are washing we have breakfast at Sankt Oberholz Restaurant.
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Waschsalon 115 is very retro.
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The Waschsalon also has a tiny coffee shop. The place is run by a couple of eccentric guys, one of them a living replica of Truman Capote.
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Rosenthaler Platz neighborhood is pretty nice, too.
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St. Nikolai-Kirchen (St. Nicholas' Church) is the oldest church in Berlin. The church was built between 1220 and 1230.
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Das Rote Rathaus. (The Red Town Hall)
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Our destination today is Hackescher Markt, and just accidentally we find Brauhaus Lemke.
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Finally Tomi gets to taste the famous Berlin curry wurst.
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Tei has the Brewery Salad.
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Then we need to burn some calories walking these enormous streets.
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Our next stop is The 17th International Berlin Beer Festival. It is just a coincident we find about this event: it is advertized in the metro.
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There is no entrance fee to the festival area and no security checks.
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We have max an hour and a half to visit this enormous event before we need to get to the airport. We don't even make the half way through the area and taste just four beers.
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We buy a beer and a glass, and if we don't want to keep the glass we can return it and get back the deposit. Convenient and efficient.
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There no age limit either.
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Then we are on our way back to Helsinki.
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We spend one night at the airpot hotel Glow in terminal 2.
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Very early next morning we are back in the air to Geneva.
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From Geneva we are chauffeured to Grenoble, France.
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It takes less than two hours by our very careful driver.
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It is one of the hottest days this summer in Grenoble.
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A carousel in downtown Grenoble.
We arrive at the hotel before noon and have to wait for some time for them to make our room ready.
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View to Place Victor Hugo from our room at Hotel Angleterre.
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Then we head to the town's major tourist attraction La Bastille situated 476 meters above the sea level.
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Le telepherique (a cable car) takes us up to La Bastille. Also known as The Bubbles, the cable car was inaugurated in 1934 and remodelled in 1976.
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This kind of ropeways and ziplines seem to be very popular everywhere these days. This little boy was clearly refusing to go any further, no matter how long his sister tried to persuade him.
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A mascot of the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble.
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We just had a couple of local beers and followed this little creature.
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Cours Jean Jaures is under construction.
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Next morning we get up early and go running to La Bastille.
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Rue Saint-Laurent, all other streets, is quiet at this early hour.
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It is not an easy ascent because of the grade.
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We stop to admire the scenery.
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It's about three kilometers to the top, and it takes us 40 minutes.
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We also face a number of steps, up and down.
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This is the day. While Tomi is interviewed for the whole day for a job he has now accepted, Tei gets to know Grenoble. First she heads to a brand new shopping mall, Centre commercial la caserne de Bonne, in the eco district built adjacent to the old military barracks built in 1884 (Bonne barracks).
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There is huge outdoor store Au vieux campeur, and a couple of restaurants and coffee shops, plus clothing and apparel stores.
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New housing next to the mall.
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There is also a small public garden.
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The Esplanade Alain Le Ray.
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The Esplanade Alain Le Ray, old courtyard buildings and the military barracks named after Francois de Bonne. The first barracks were built 1593-1595.
It is a hot day and the kids have fun in the fountain.
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The next destination is park Paul Mistral.
This is Tour Perret, an observation tower built in 1924. It is the first reinforced concrete tower in the world.
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It's been closed to the public since 1960.
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Palais des Sports Pierre Mendes, an indoor hockey arena.
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Stade des Alpes, a football (soccer) stadium that also hosts the local rugby team.
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The turf is in perfect condition for the upcoming season.
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Graffiti in the underpass.
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La Bastille viewed from another direction.
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The market at Les Halles Saint Claire, and an open-air market next to it, selling fresh fruit and vegetables.
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Crab salad in restaurant Caviar House & Prunier at Geneva airport.
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Salmon tartar in restaurant Caviar House & Prunier at Geneva airport.
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Then we are in Helsinki again for one night.
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The ceiling of our room in Hotel Helka.
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Murky skies as we drive to Tampere.
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Amusement park Sarkanniemi, next to Nasinneula, a 124-meter observation tower built in 1970.
We have lunch in Nasinneula restaurant, a revolving restaurant on the top of the tower.
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We have Finlandia menu: nettle soup (not pictured) and Perch with yogurt for starters.
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Salt liquorice and lime to clean the palate.
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Reindeer from Kaldoaivi for the main.
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Sarkanniemi amusement park seen from above.
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Rhubarb and cream cheese for dessert.
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Tampere is located between two lakes Pyhajarvi and Nasijarvi.
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Early morning run on the nearby wood chip trails.
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The reason for our visit to Mantta is again the art festival, which brings together the most interesting contemporary artists.
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Murky skies again as we drive back to Helsinki.
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We are early at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport. We pay some extra for a three-hour stay in Finnair lounge, which offers us an opportunity to take a shower and have buffet dinner with free flow of drinks (beer and wine included)
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The lounge is nice and quiet, a perfect place to relax before a long flight.
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