…used to be a hotel and now there are plans to convert it to a hotel again.

…although only moments before the fall it felt like it’s going to outlive the Great Wall of China. THE historical event of my lifetime.

The fall of the iron curtain didn’t just completely change Europe but it ended many bloody conflicts that were supported by the cold war superpowers on several continents. There was no longer imminent threat of global nuclear war although the weapons still existed.

I can’t understand people who say that we now live dangerous times. We have our dangers but still terrorists or our current diseases are nothing compared to what one bad decision by a US or Soviet leader might have caused during the cold war.

It was a miracle that Soviet Union was not able to occupy Finland during WW II. It’s scary to think what my life might have been on the other side of the iron curtain if things would have went according to Stalin’s plans.

The wall in the photo is from Suvilahti.

Here are some Berlin Wall entries from the City Daily Photo blog community’s German members:

• Heidelberg
• Leipzig
• Düsseldorf

The author of Paris Daily Photo was in Berlin exactly 20 years ago and has included photos in his entry.

…at the central railway station. I quickly took a few photos while I was on my way to work. Water from a broken pipe should have flooded to the streets but there was a hole in a wrong place and it damaged the station instead.

This might not look that bad but this metro station might be out of service for the next six months if they need to replace the escalators.

Helsinki metro is pretty small and this is the most important station. Hopefully during the next few days the metro can drive through this place so that the two stations to west of it can be opened as well.

…due to a broken water pipe at central railway station.

Metro can’t reach the city center, some trams have to use an alternative route and cars can’t come here either. The metro is probably affected also during tomorrow.

Or is it the tears of the Swedish ice hockey fans who had just witnessed a 7-0 defeat against Finland here in Helsinki? That’s probably the ugliest score in the history of modern Swedish ice hockey.

EDIT: At the moment it is believed that the metro station will be closed for months…

…at Tervasaari island.

…at the University of Helsinki earlier this week when people had a chance to visit the 175 years old observatory.

You foreigners might now think that Finnish astronomy is very primitive but observations are no longer done from this site. There is too much light pollution to allow scientific work. What used to be at the outskirts of the city is today a very central location.

The exterior of the observatory is one of the most impressive in the city – and not among the easiest to be photographed.

…part 2. Now the snow stays on the ground for a while unlike during part 1.

November would be so much nicer if there would be snow on the ground but unfortunately this will probably disappear in a few days.

…now that it has been colder than normally in October/November.

These Helsinki icons at the Central Railway Station were created by Emil Wickström and there are two others just outside of the photo on the left. The statues are called lyhdynkannattajat (carriers of the lanterns).

During the past years VR railway company has used them as animation figures in their advertising. The green hats are also part of their advertising campaign.

…and this photo was taken already in October ;(

…that I found on the next day.

Some younger Finns have adopted some Halloween traditions through American movies and tv-series but it’s nothing like Halloween in the U.S.

Officially we celebrate pyhäinpäivä (All Saints Day) and people who have died are being remembered. It’s not uncommon to forget the whole day and notice too late that all the shops are closed.