Turku 2011

The other day, on my way to practice, I over-heard a conversation which might well serve as an example of why this town has been chosen to be the Cultural Capital of Europe 2011. An old lady was lying on the street, I guess she had had some kind of seizure or something as it seemed as though she had passed out. Four young adults had gathered around her, and they were calling 112 as I passed. The operator on the other end must have asked where they were so that they could send an ambulance. The young man holding the phone looked around and then replied, "I don't know what street this is, or the number, but we are in front of a house by Alvar Aalto".

Hilarious! (If you do not know, Aalto was a Finnish designer/architect who passed away in the 1970s but whose work is still among the most important in putting Finland on the world map of design.) I think this is great! We might not know where we are, but we know who the architect is.

On another note, if possible, avoid traveling by train in Finland. The conductors are ass-holes and the trains are always late. Nough said!