180 RGRL#4 Cafe

I knew that Finland is one of the greatest coffee-drinking nations on earth, but I had no idea of the reason. After spending some hours in several different cafes in Helsinki I still don't know why, but I am quite sure that these hours were blessed time. I visited Aschan Cafe Jugent everyday which used to be a bank office and was renovated to nice cafe, a place of classy but cozy and friendly atmosphere.  I took this photo at Cafe Aalto, one of the most eminent cafe in Helsinki, where I confirmed people could just be happy with chic interiors and a cup of hot coffee. FINNAIR magazine recommended Cafe Ursula as a place to go in Helsinki, where I enjoyed beautiful harbor view and peace and quiet time with nice hot drink after a walk in cold morning. I had lunch many times at TEATTERI, not only because they offered nice salad lunch with teriffic grilled-salmon, but also because of well-designed and comfortable room of mid-century taste. And if you believe or not, I had a quite delicious coffee at sushibar and it fit sushi very much. Karl Fazer is a famous chocolatier in Helsinki and its Karl Fazer Cafe was a nice classic place but at the same time very lively and had really tasty chololates, cakes and pastries. Cafe Engel was the best choice to enjoy the elegant architecture and spend some time to look at the beautiful Cathedral over a cup of coffee. I also liked very much Design Museum Cafe, an in-house small cafe but served a rich coffee and was casually furnished with good modern pieces.

Naturally they all had sophisticated interior design, tasty coffee and good foods. There is even more. What I found and felt in these cafes was a sense of distance at each table and sense of independent relief--- in other word, a sense of territory perhaps. You could be free and comforatably alone in the middle of crowd and yet, everyone having good time together. I kind of believe that Helsinki cafes are effortlessly designed to make it possible.

179 RGRL#3 Evergreen

In Helsinki for the first time I saw such fresh green in cold autumn. Temperature was around 4-5 deg centigrade, 2 in the morning. Chilly rain was often falling. Sometimes it was windy also. But the grass were green and bright in everywhere. In rain it looked even vivid, and in sunshine it was timelessly picturesque. And the green grass grew on the ground very next to the sea. I have no idea of the secret, but it was an unexpected gift to an ignorant visitor who had only imagined winter's dreary scenery, and I appreciated the gift all through the stay in Helsinki.  

178 RGRL#2 The Cathedral

I believe there're so many fine architectures all over the world that we never fully appreciate each of them. Sometimes, some of them are even possibly underestimated. The Helsinki Cathedral is one of the famous symbol of the city but I think it would deserve more special reputation. I've heard of the breathtaking contrast of the snow white exterior and the blue sky. I was lucky to have the view in my own eyes. The cathedral fascinated me with beauty of not solely the symmetrical neo-classical design but also of simplicity and quietness. This is actually a grand building but never be obsessive nor noisy. On top of the front stairs with the wind from near sea, there exists, simply, a pure beauty and calmness. 

177 Reindeer goes to Reindeer Land

I visited Helsinki, Finland. The capital city showed me such many charms. It has Aalto. It has Baltic Sea. It has fresh green grass and trees in chilly October. It has coffee-holic culture which never disappointed me. It has the Cathedral whose famous whiteness reaches almost the stage of myth. It has a superb combination of modern furniture and well-designed lighting. It has saunas with clean scent of cypress. It has sophistication and effortlessness. It has beauty and modesty. It has coziness and good sense of distance. It has something that makes a traveler feel at ease. I think I'll talk a bit more about my journey.

176 Trailer

I was in a journey during the last couple of days. Here's the land I visited. The place is one of the 7 cities I noted last year in the #98 "Travelista".  And it is chosen one of the most livable city in the world. Some of the readers might find out. In a few days I'll be ready to report that nice journey. Forgive me to take some time because there're so many photographs that I need to check and edit. But whatever, traveling is wonderful.

175 Model

モデルと言ってもファッションでもM&Aのバリュエーションでもない、建築の模型です。

建築を志し、その後諦め、それからしばらく経った今も建築への変わらない好奇心と、同時に職業としてはやはり向いていなかったことを妙に再確認することがあります。建築模型は後者です。なぜなら、模型の展示を見ても一体どこをどう見たらいいのかわからないからです。

模型にアゴを乗せんばかりに身をかがめて内部を凝視している人は、建物の中の造形や光線を疑似体験しているのでしょう。少し離れて腕組みなんかしながらぐるっと回って眺めている人は、建物全体のバランスや面白さに見入っているのでしょう。

しかし、ひとたび設計のプロセスとしての役割を終えた模型を見てもどこに熱中すればよいのか分からず、戸惑いながら歩きまわってみて思うのは、リアルな「建築体験」と模型の楽しみ方はきっと全然別のものだろうということです。でなければ、模型を見るだけでリアルな建築体験につながるような、なにか驚くような観察方法がそこにあるに違いないのです。

174 Change

Within past few days I've experienced many changes. I changed my mobile. Renewed my passport. Changed the background image of this page (which I am not totally satisfied so might be changeable sometime again.) Some of favorite weekend radio programs have changed today. 

Things that I changed had changed me a little. Things that I have never expected to happen would change me a lot. Once you open the window of change perhaps you'll trigger a linkage of changes beyond your expectations. 

What I cared most about my new mobile is how well I could use the new camera because I was so long and so well accustomed to the old and very good camera in the former. Old is old, new is new though. As you see above,  clearer pixel and wider view will offer me different experience.