So you know how all those articles that say you should find your passion and make that your life's work? Well I've finally found mine; it's retirement.
I like nothing better than to spend a month somewhere I've never been before and just explore. In retirement, you've got plenty of time to be out and about, just seeing what's there. You can walk at your own pace, look down every little alley and try to see into every hidden courtyard, and then sit in a cafe and read when your feet are tired. It's important to have a place where you can cook because then you can shop for food and drink, and get a bit of the feel for what it's actually like to live there. Sometimes you try new foods that are great; sometimes not. If you scratch the floor with your suitcase, you can try and find the same kind of fix-it stick there is at home, but finally give up, because they just don't have it. You can speculate about who made the hanging banners draped on a classic yellow stone building and what words the owner of the Mercedes truck had for the seagulls perched on top. You can see different ways of landscaping and of making building entries easily accessible. When you've got a month, you don't have to rush to see all the tourist stuff. You've got plenty of time to see the real stuff too. Which brings me to why the turtle sculptures around Helsinki? Answered on the web of course. And here are my photos.