Panu Minkkinen
@panuminkkinen
Free academic (emeritus), but still dabbling with photography, the architecture of public power, and media-theoretical approaches to law. Profile photo: Mika Pakarinen / Keksi.
Annual holidays, day final. By now very ready to get back. Take a 5-hour coach trip north on the dreadfully slow (no motorways) Via Baltica through Latvia and Estonia to Tallinn harbour. Board the ferry and head for Helsinki. A successful holiday ≈ the joy of being home again.
Annual holidays, day 15. Spend the last proper holiday of this train adventure fleeing the thunder showers and the old town’s tourist masses. See the Jugendstil glory of Albert St and surroundings mostly designed by Mikhail (father of Sergei) Eisenstein. Enjoy last cheap canteen meal of this trip.
Annual holidays, day 14. Leave Vilnius early and take the (not quite ready yet) Rail Baltica travelling 4.5 hours northward to Riga. Spend half a day walking around in the old town as the weather forecast for tomorrow looks dismal. Sleep final nights in a modernised and luxurious convent.
Annual holidays, day 13. Spend the last full day in Vilnius relaxing in the sunshine, enjoy brunch in a Jewish restaurant in the old town, and prepare for tomorrow’s journey to Riga, our last stop on this rail adventure.
Annual holidays, day 12. Spend first full day in Vilnius exploring the sights that we missed yesterday. The wonderful Republic of Užupis with its own constitution takes up most of our time. Eat once again (well!) at the Soviet-style canteen that has by now become our favourite and regular spot.
Annual holidays, day 11. Leave Kaunas and head one hour eastward to Vilnius, another ‘Paris of the Baltics’. Spend the first half day walking in drizzle admiring the beautiful neoclassical centre and the old town. Eat spectacularly well and cheaply in old Soviet-style canteens.
Annual holidays, day 10. First and only full day of walking in beautiful Kaunas. Have lamb-filled kibinai (a Karaite pie) for breakfast. Continue the same culinary theme of Jewish delicacies at dinner with latkes (potato pancakes) flushed down with kvass (non-alcoholic beer made from rye bread).
Annual holidays, day 9. Wake up before 6am to catch the early train to Warsaw Central and from there northwards towards Lithuania. Change at Mockava (track width changes), and arrive after 7 hours in Kaunas. Afternoon and early evening first impressions: gorgeous old town.
Annual holidays, day 8. Spend our only full day in Łódź walking around admiring the intertwined beauty and decadence. After a brief visit to the Manufaktura square seek shelter from the thundershowers. End the day with a stunning Jewish dinner of (a variation of) żurek soup and dumplings.
Annual holidays, day 7. Leave Frankfurt (Oder). Polish 1st class provided experience of ‘genuine’ 6-passenger compartment wagon. Travel to Łódź (“… one of the best budget destinations in Europe”) where it rained cats and dogs. Eat early tapas dinner to jinx the match result.
Annual holidays, day 6. Leisurely morning in slightly less hot temperatures. Stumble upon city’s apparently only hipster barista kiosk Elyx. Buy provisions and write postcards to goddaughters (the younger ones). Afternoon take a guided tour in the Schlaubetal nature reserve and a game dinner.
Annual holidays, day 5. Morning of first full day in Frankfurt (Oder) spent sheltering from the drizzles in dodgy shopping centres. Then head for Słubice crossing the famous bridge. More run down and shabby, but definitely more interesting as well.
Annual holidays, day 4. Begin second longish travel day from Hamburg Hbv with a (late) train that switched platforms causing panic (Monsieur Hulot!). After a missed connection at Berlin Hbv arrived in Frankfurt(Oder). The city is like a curious mix of architectural history and DDR ghost town.
Annual holidays, day 3. Take the U-3 to the harbour. Then take the (apparently no longer so) ‘secret’ HVV harbour tour to Övelgönne. After a pleasant walk on the Elbe shoreline, visit the Elbphilharmonie and surroundings. Early dinner (vegan Vietnamese) and a bit of shopping near the Rathaus.
Annual holidays, day 2. Leave pleasant Flensburg after a hearty German breakfast and head for Hamburg. Enjoy an early vegetarian dinner at a Lebanese restaurant recommended by a friend. Walk around St Pauli in the footsteps of the Fab Four. Finally visit the piers by Landungsbrücken before retiring.
Annual holidays, day 1. Arrive (very!) early in Stockholm. Make our way to the central railway station. Travel 12 hot hours first to Malmö, then to Copenhagen, and after more changes and replacement buses finally across the German border to Flensburg. This was the longest travel day of this trip.
Annual holidays, day 0. And so the second rail adventure of the year begins. Take the metro first from home to the coach terminal, then continue with a coach to Turku harbour. From there take the overnight ferry to Stockholm. Happy days.
Five years ago today my dear friend, colleague and comrade #AriHirvonen passed away. I still miss him a lot.
A fantastic two-week Interrail trip came to an abrupt end when trains to Stockholm from the south were cancelled. Would have missed my ferry back. Had to count my losses and fly home from Copenhagen. But a very recommendable trip despite the minor glitch.
Our traditional Easter festivities began with a Church concert. This year it was Josef Haydn’s ‘The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross’. Happy Easter (if you’re celebrating).
Arctic holidays continue a bit further south visiting the in-laws. But still damn cold!
Winter swimming in a brook, air temperature -30C. Your body is fooled to think that it’s in mortal danger and it reacts accordingly with a rush of adrenaline.
Happy New Year from 68.4 Degrees N (Inari) in the land of darkness where the sun rises next week for the first time in ages.
My brother in law and his partner are driving northwards to visit the family. They send us this photo taken on the road of the skies above them. This has been a good year for the lights.
Winter solstice at 60°10′15″N 24°56′15″E (Helsinki): 9.23am ↑☀️↓ 3.12pm So not even six hours of overcast daylight. On the bright side, things can only get better.
Retirement days just got even better! Bought 2 (!) @interraileu.bsky.social passes for 2026. First trip to the sands of North Jutland, second to Berlin/Baltics. Reduced senior price, 1st class, with an additional -25% rebate that @wetpaint63.bsky.social (🙏🏻) brought to my attention.
The rest of the family has been doing this already for a month or so, but today I opened my winter sea swimming season with a dip in candlelight. Air +3C, water about the same.
Today our house celebrated its 70th anniversary, and the board of our condominium had organised a lovely garden party to mark the occasion (thanks!). 🥂 One occupant has lived here from the very beginning, so practically all her life. The word ‘community’ was often heard. 🙏🏻
In Finland and in Sweden, summer ends with lots of crayfish, dill and schnapps. Autumn is here.