Tractor driver chatting up woman from old Zetor-tractor at one of Zetor’s characteristic pub tables. After visiting Helsinki’s tractor pub Zetor, named after the Czech tractor brand popular during the Cold War, my interest for Leningrad Cowboys came to life again after years of slumber. The pub, owned by Aki Kaurismaki, was decorated with Zetors […]
Founded in 1550 by Gustavus I of Sweden, Helsinki is today the capital of Finland with a population of roughly 570 000 (2006) spread out over an area of 186 square kilometres. The national stereotype is someone who can sit idle in a sauna (at about 80 degrees) for several hours without uttering a word. […]
Situated in the region of Northumbria between the Scottish border and North Yorkshire, Newcastle upon Tyne has a population of 266 000 inhabitants (2006) distributed over roughly 112 square kilometres. The settlement dating way back to the romans, the city owes its name to a castle built by the Normans in the year 1080. Locals […]
With social networking sites ever on the rise, new problems arise with them. One of the latest is “social networking fatigue” which is what kicks in when you become a member of one too many arenas that require your presence your interaction and thus a part of your time. The earliest quotation that mentions the […]
The German capital lies on both banks of the river Spree where it has grown out of the settlement of Cölln founded in 1237. The city is now home to about 3 385 000 (2000) citizens spread over an area of 890 square kilometres. Germans love cars, something which puts a definitive mark on the […]
My great aunt, Anna, aged 92 at the time (2002), with her new sun-glasses. Who said old people are prejudiced and out of sync with the fashion industry?
Located in the Dravinja Valley in the north east, Slovenske Konjice spreads out over 98 square kilometers and is home to a population of modest 13 600 (2006). Less than one hour away from the capital, Ljubljana, the scenic landscape and wineries are easily accessible even on a day trip. Slovenians are an agreeable bunch! […]
Those of you who are familiar with Western Norway, know that there are some pretty shady products brewing in the pots and stills below the steep mountains by the fjords. However, compared to Brinjevec – the main objective of this article – “our” moonshine tast like fresh apples. It was in September in the year […]
Turin, capital of the Piedmont region and a major industrial city on the banks of the river Po, home of close to one million Italians. For four september days in 2006 the city was put under severe stress by an additional 308 Norwegians. Two study trips per year is one more than the doctor prescribed […]
The 2006 Avinet study trip: Returning to Iceland for the third time made it no less of an experience than the previous visits. Iceland is wilderness, it is raw nature, it is hot springs and it is a busy urban community – all at once.