25.3.2020

This photo really is like this blog right now

Another morning in Corona times. I woke up early, a bit before 8. The usual coffee with two dates for Maria and three for me. Breakfast was elevated by some expensive bread from Fazer (bought yesterday) for about 2,99.

Then it was time to crack on with the application that we started with yesterday. It was a struggle.

Documenting streetart

Marijoon

Contemporary graffiti

After having done the work we went for a walk. A strong wind from a western direction was pulling our clothes. There was a chubby boy kick boarding who reminded me a bit of the boy from Bad Santa (we watched the movie yesterday). We walked around Sumparn, the new area that is being built. It looks like anywhere in the world but there is plenty of water around.

The boy 1

The boy 2

When walking back we dared to walk through the Redi mall. It was quiet and most restaurants were closed. At home I made lunch: baked beans in tomato sauce from a can, sauerkraut from a can that we opened last week, some swiss cheese (I forgot the exact name and I don't feel like getting up and pick through the garbage to find the plastic wrapping. Also a salad with tomato, iceberg salad and spring onion. Some of the luxury bread as well. Coffee to close.

Could be anywhere? (Weird water)

Building Helsinki

Then I played some Starcraft against Titus. Lost two games. We sent in the application but we both had a nervous breakdown because the application system was down. I started to peel beetroots, 1kg, to make a salad. The system started to work and we submitted the application. To celebrate a beer each with some green olives (not pitted) and crisps dipped in yoghurt.

Then I started to play Starcraft again with Titus. He won 2 or 3 games and I won 1. During the game Maria had taken over the cooking and transformed the beetroot I had peeled to make a chèvre, walnut beetroot salad and made instead a beetroot chèvre risotto. It was delicious, but I had played so much computer my brain was a bit nuts.

Admiring Helsinki skyline

Then I was disciplined enough to go through today's photos and pic out the best ones. It's 22:29 and now is now.

I realise I have to write everyday to recall what I have been doing. I had trouble remembering what I did this morning.    

My memory

 See you tomorrow, dear fans.

24.3.2020

Sunday 22.2

On Sunday I biked in Espoo, which is the second biggest city in Finland and it's just next to the capital Helsinki. I biked along the water and it was crowded as many places are closed and people want to be outside. I had lunch behind Lidl on top of a small hill.

The lunch place

View from the lunch stop. Olars in the background.

Biking was slightly slow. I didn't feel 100%. 50 km tour.

At home I had a delicious meal of Khorest Kadu Badenjan that Maria had made the day before. 10/10.

We played some backgammon and the rest of the evening I have forgotten.

Monday 23.3

I woke up first when the dawn was breaking. I fell asleep again and woke up when the day was a bit closer. And then it happened again. After breakfast I worked efficiently. The one week holiday that I had last week was really refreshing. Then I made a pizza dough. Salami, goat cheese and aubergine, and mushroom as toppings.

In the night I went for a short walk. I had been inside the whole day. I saw Titus through his window and he was playing computer.

Titus playing computer

Tuesday 24.3.2020

Today I woke up already around 7.30. Quite well rested but still a bit tired. I finished a short story about Eric Rohmer by Michel Ekman and put a bread in the oven made of yesterday's pizza dough. We had a lovely breakfast with beautiful blood oranges on a dark green plate and some more delicacies like Italian Salami (Made in Vantaa it said on the package). I have an obsession to look at houses, properties, land plots. So I checked some this morning.

An application to the Finnish Film Foundation was next on the schedule. That involves a lot of bureaucracy so we cracked on with various certificates and documents. Luckily it was done in a couple of hours. 

Titus after peeing

Then we had some left over pizza for lunch. Then Titus and I went for a bike trip. We biked a circle around Helsinki and return through the central park. The trees protected us from the strong wind. 38 kilometers in three hours.

Might river at Vanda/Helsingfors border

The bridge boy

After coming home I shopped some groceries. The supermarket was giving instructions to avoid Covid. People were keeping a distance except for two drunks who also were very slow in front of me at the cashier.

Maria made a tasty vietnamese wok and now cosy snuggles at home - mudcake icecream and perhaps some Starcraft (computer) against Titus. It's windy outside.

When I wrote this I see I cannot remember what happened the three days back.

He is back on track

22 March 2020

The bed felt comfortable and the body felt heavy when I woke up this morning. This was half an hour ago. As we have no curtain in the bedroom it was very light. If it's a sunny day it is the light that will wake you up, if you slept in our bedroom. During cloudy days it will probably wake you up as well. Our neighbours are quiet.

The termometer showed -3.5 so no biking today. Silence reigns with the heaters humming and tram 9 passing.

Yesterday, we went for a walk. Maria led the way. First we walked along Flemingsgatan to Hakaniemi. The roadworks at Tavastvägen make walking difficult. And biking. From there we continued along Tokoistranden, crossed the railway tracks, rounded the south side of Tölöviken and walked through Hesperiaparken. The windows at the ateliers in that one building keep catching your attention. When we reached the sea that sunshine was gone and it started snowing.

Hietsun

Sun buster in no sun

We crossed the beach. No one was swimming. The tolling of the bells marking somebody's funeral, the epidemic and the heavy skies laid out a mood of unusual serenity. An old man looked out over the bay towards the old mental hospital.

Elements family

We cut across the cemetery and found free toilets at the crematory to our relief. Then we had tea, dates, sandwiches, dark chocolate and oranges as picnic at the highest point in southern Tölö. With the new energy given to us by the stuff in our stomachs' we walked home.

Lekker teee

The weather had changed again when we passed Tölöviken on our way back. Small but edgy waves had collected crushed ice by the shoreline. We got our groceries in Lidl and I cleaned the house. Maria made Iranian food for Noruz.

At 6 Titus came to our place and we ate. Then 20 minutes of Red Dead Redemption 2 and off to the sauna. The stomachs were still full which impeded on the complete sauna experience. When came back up from the sauna two police cars were in front of our apartment building. We tried to find out what was going on by being in the stairs. A board member of the housing company in his sweat pants said the police had been four times already in the apartment. From the balcony we saw a man being arrested and out into the police van. He was concerned that the officers would leave his valuables in the street where they had placed them after having removed them from his pockets. One officer said don't worry we will take care of those.

Before sleeping a glass of Cobergh, some cheese and Michels Ekman Jag tänker på Nötskrikor. Then sleep.

Sleep shadows

Now is now. Coffee time.