hartti's VirtualTourist Home Page

I'm just making these pages for myself, mostly my own photos and text. The aquarelles shown are mede by my ex-wife. Of course everybody is welcome to visit my pages, too! There are maybe hints about accomodation and transportation besides the tourism destimations valuable for somebody.

It has been a great challenge for me to make another time my trips. I could realize that so much has been forgotten, but the greatest memories are still safe. Funny how rapidly the memories begin to fade away. Pity that before digital time I did not use to keep camera with. So maybe it's idea to ask photos from my friends, or others who have photos of the destinations I have visited, but have no photos left.

Here is the moon above Turku at 27th November 2004 night, before leaving to Spain for 2 weeks. I would say it's full.

In autumn it's time to tell good-bye to summer. The last leaves of summer trees are falling down. And time to wait for first snow which will cover all the nature for winter.

One of the greatest sportsmen ever, Paavo Nurmi, has born in Turku 1897. He was buried here in Turku Old Cementary, too. His wooden home building where he lived during 1903 - 1932 is working as museum. The statue representing him is erected in Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Lausanne, and here in his home town, Turku.

In August every year there takes place the "Dragon Boat Ride"-competition. Companies and different societies take apart to this race by a team and a rowing boat.

Welcome to this amazing old - more than 750 years old - town any time! (Except Nov - Jan, if you don't miss gray and wet. cold and misty weather.) We have here the world's largest archipelago, among others.

I have to promote Turku a little, because it has been the captal city of Finland before Helsinki was existing, or Helsinki was only a little village for centuries. Russians began to build Helsinki and move the capital there in 1812, because it was closer to St. Petersburg, the capital of Russia that time. The worsest
strike against Turku was the fire in 1827 when almost whole the town was destroyed, and the University was moved to Helsinki.

Turku has lost its position as an economical and spiritual center, but it is still a church center of Finland, the cathedral is here.

Turku has declared itself the Christmas Town, because there is "Christmas Peace" proclaimed for Finland and maybe for whole the world. And the other reason is that every year a huge Christmas tree is erected before the Cathedral.

Here is a little bit about me: a pic from the bottom of my right eye.