…road service volunteers help people who get into trouble in Finnish Christmas traffic. “Operation Snowflake” has been organized since 1969.

Read more in Finnish from Autoliitto (Automobile and Touring Club of Finland).

…imported from Sicily. (Title adapted from Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt’s tweet today).

I have and I will post more photos from the parade in my other blog Learning to See in Helsinki.

…at the Market Square.

…on the heated pavements. I’d rather walk in unploughed snow than in this wet slush every time it has snowed. I certainly hope the heating saves a lot of money.

I had wandered several hours in yesterday’s “snow storm” and it wasn’t uncomfortable until I got to these wet shopping streets. The rest of Helsinki is now finally beautifully white and bright.

…and today’s blizzard.

…at Ursa observatory.

Although at the moment Learning to See in Helsinki is my main blog, in year 2013 it could be again this blog. The stars haven’t told me the decision, looks like I have to make it myself.

…called SYP and this is their logo – upside down.

Although Finland’s largest commercial banks SYP and KOP merged as Merita in 1995, you can still see traces of their past in Helsinki if you look carefully. Merita merged with Swedish Nordbanken as Merita-Nordbanken that changed its name into Nordea. Next?

…yesterday evening.

…to Katajanokka.

The bright colors help when the conditions are a bit rougher.

…not garbage.

See more my photos from Helsinki City Marathon 2012.

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Finland has won more medals in Summer Olympics per capita than any other nation but unfortunately these days a couple of medals is a typical performance for the former sports superpower.

On August 1st 2008 I made this photo blog public with this post and for the two first years I posted a photo every single day and more than 1200 in total. During that time I’ve learned a thing or two about photography, Helsinki and what works and what doesn’t work in the internet.

Currently my main photo blog is Learning to See in Helsinki that is about photography but it is quite likely that one day this blog about Helsinki will become the main blog again.

During the years I’ve made some galleries of my favourite photos, so have a look

• 2011
• 2010
• 2009
• 2008

The three most popular posts have been

• Wolverine – One of the Least Understood Big Predators
• Helsinki Olympics Today: Gin Long Drink
• Snow Leopard Attack

Thanks also to my both viewers for your patience!

If you were the last one to wake up in your Finnish family today, you risk being ridiculed as a sleepyhead.

A photo she took moments later was published in the country’s largest newspaper and possibly in other papers as well. Here’s what is was about.