I keep staring at this picture.

Kruununhaka, Helsinki, 1918

That could be me walking on the street there, just a few steps from home. Seriously. I have that hair. I am that height. I almost have that coat, just a little shorter. That shadow is cast by our building, our dear home, a house that’s turning a hundred years old this year. I’ve always wanted to step back in time about a hundred years, just to see what it was like. Maybe I have?

I came across this picture purely by chance at Flickr, from a set that features several photos from 1918 Helsinki. Someone’s private photos hidden away for decades until now. Boy, I love the internet!

And here’s a little bracelet in vintage inspired colours. Amethysts, amazonites, pearls, glass and silver.

“A lover’s tale”, Kruununhaka, Helsinki 2007

So we took a holiday. And of course it was cut short, as holidays tend to do.

You go to a new place and for the first couple of days you just “run around like a headless chicken” (finnish expression, sorry! or is it an international expression? I don’t know but it’s a very clear one.), trying to get a hang of the city. You’re not quite sure if you love it or hate it. There are pickpockets everywhere and you feel a little insecure. You’re a bit lost with the language as well.

Then it hits you: this place ROCKS! The shops, the weather, the architecture, the colours, the sounds, the relaxed, Mediterranean atmosphere/the urban coolness of it all. You don’t feel so much like a tourist anymore, you start to know your way around, you remember weird street names and you start imagining what it would be like to live here. You notice that the pickpockets mainly hang about in certain areas. You walk past them with an arrogant sneer and a fast pace. Nothing gets stolen. Ha!

You see “Help wanted!” signs on the windows of the coolest shops ever and you kick yourself for not speaking catalan (remember, Barcelona is not really in Spain…). You think you could just phone home, say that you’ll be staying here for the next six months and that you’re not coming to work anymore, you’ll stay here and live a bohemian life, make jewellery and sell it on the street or a tiny little store like everyone else… Plenty of things to inspire you for creative work, here. And materials to die for.

The tapas are amazing. You drink a glass of wine every night and you don’t get a headache from it like you usually do. You feel free. You don’t think about life in Helsinki. You don’t even remember it.

With only a couple of days left from your vacation you finally find the tiny little square with the cozy little cafés just perfect for breakfast only one and a half blocks from your hotel! A fresh cup of coffee with hot milk, fresh bread and jam and a chocolate croissant for less than 5€. The sun is shining on the terrace. Chilling out. That’s what you came here to do. There are only a few tourists to be seen. Getting up early never felt so worth it.

Before you know it, it’s your last day in Barcelona. You buy three pairs of shoes. Bless the Spanish shoemakers!! Soft leather = happy toes. You find the most beautiful bead store ever on literally the last minute. You only get to grab something and go with a lump in your throat. Next it’s a taxi to the airport.

Do check out my man’s awesome Barcelona Flickr set. His photos give you a real feel of the city and of what we’ve seen. I look at the slideshow and I’m there, traveling without moving. My own set is a complete torso (mainly doors and windows that I seem to be slightly obsessed with…), as I don’t have enough patience for photography. Always restless.

Travel. And travel some more. It makes you feel so much better! And have a great weekend! Next time I’ll be back with some jewellery…