Cookie travels

The other day I was anxious of buying the express bus tickets before the weekend coz of the Midsummer holiday. So yesterday despite my ‘not so perfect’ condition, I decided to go to the bus station. I was finally able to purchase the bus tickets needed for my family’s visit here. There will be four adults and an infant traveling from Helsinki airport (Helsinki-Vantaa lentoasema) to Pori and return.

In order for us to enjoy a maximum amount of discount, the lady selling the bus tickets suggested that 3 adults will follow the 25% discount for persons traveling in a group of three. By the way, in order to enjoy this discount at least one adult is present in the group and this group ticket must be purchased in advance from a bus station and not on buses. Then she pointed out that for pensioners, those over 65 yrs old they also get a discount. So we placed dad in this category. As for me, I have to enjoy 10% discount for a round trip journey. A passenger is allowed only one type of discount so better choose the best discount applicable in order to get great savings. Bus tickets are valid for 30 days, the lady added, so we can enjoy many bus trips from Pori to Helsinki and vice versa. The total amount paid for four adults (infant is free) was 99 Euros from Helsinki to Pori and another 99 Euros for their return journey to airport, while mine alone costs 70 Euros for a return trip. Just imagine the discount when traveling in a group of three.

I think, you can also buy these tickets online but with the questions I have to ask before purchasing the tickets, a personal visit is better for me. Besides, the bus station is just a few minutes walk from our flat. For more information about timetables, tickets and prices, routes and bus stops, or contacting customer service, you can visit www.expressbus.fi. On the other hand, if you want more information regarding different kinds of bus ticket products or travel cards, you can visit www.matkahuolto.fi. These websites have English version.

I have been posting articles about my family’s travel to Finland. Although this is not what you call a family reunion coz some of my siblings are not around, it would be a time I know for another family picture, with just us. If most families have their treasured pictures kept in several photo albums, my mom has a special place for those that are considered standouts or favorites out of these cherished photos. And for sure Europe trip would be among them.

So what’s this special place about? Mom had a wall art in mind, a place on the wall to contain a collage of pictures, which could serve as a memory board. She has thought about this when we had our house renovated. It’s still an ongoing project coz we have been waiting for the right time when to sort out the pictures and to arrange the photo combination. You know, putting them up in one well-designed arrangement can sometimes be challenging coz memory boards combine photos that may be of different sizes, be it portrait or landscape, a technique that can be used by families who are interested in having a photographic montage. To produce a magnificent result though, one could need the expertise of those who have been professionals in this trade.

I’ve come across one website which offers such service. In fact it offers professional photographic services, turning photos into works of art. Aside from the above-mentioned technique which is just one of the services they offer, they are also into restoration of old photographs, turning them into an art work. Materials that can be used are also varied. Pictures can be printed on stretched canvass, where tension wedges are used to ensure tightness. An alternative to canvass is textured art paper. Acrylic art could also be used which will have a contemporary effect, like a photograph behind glass without frame. Multi-layer techniques, either parallax or lusion, will bring depth to the image, with vibrant contrast and colors. They also offer family and friends packages plus complete refund guarantee. The online site is learntodream.co.uk.

Photographs in themselves are great souvenirs of ones journey. So it would be nice if we let our perfect travel photos shine out from our album, and turn them into beautiful works of art on our very own wall.

I have few more days before my family’s vacation in Finland but I’m stuck here in the house hopeful for a quick recovery from an operation. The weather was not also cooperating for the past few days. It was cloudy and rainy. Hmmmm. And Friday is a holiday as it is the start of a 3-day Midsummer holiday. I am so anxious to get out of the house coz I need to visit the express bus station to inquire personally about discount policies as mentioned in the website I have been browsing while I was on ’sick leave’, and also ask for their bus timetable brochure so I can plan what time to leave Pori for Helsinki and back. Well I still have few more days to go.

I have over a week left in preparing for the visit of my dad, mom and sisters to our place in Finland. There are still matters that are not taken cared of yet. I am still undecided how I will pick them up at Helsinki airport. I have some options but, well, I will get to that soon. I’m just glad that there’s a cheaper way to make an international call to my family in Prague for some concerns we need to sort out before they come here.

There are international calling cards available online for those who want a cheaper rate, convenience, mobility, and a control of phone bills when making overseas calls. For example, calling cards that can be used to call from Finland to Prague range from 4.7 cents to 16.1 cents per minute and the cheapest provider is Continental Phone Card. You can purchase prepaid phone cards online at getmecallingcard.com, one of the largest retailers of phone cards, thru their hacker safe online payment server. Their prepaid calling cards have a number of options for the customer. You can choose from PINless dialing, rechargeable or refillable, permanent PIN and international call backs. For me, overseas call becomes affordable.

Okay so here’s the continuation of the Medieval Market event in Turku I posted earlier today. If movies about knights are enjoyed by the children like ‘Knights of the Round Table’, here in Turku, the Black Knight Sir Accolon and the other last knights of Camelot will ride to the Medieval Market, and a popular jousting event will happen next. I’m sure the whole family will enjoy watching the knights in this medieval fighting environment, the battling of swords, and bow shooting on horseback. The city of Turku rates this as an event suitable for the whole family.

The jousting event will be on 26-29 June 2008: Thu-Fri at 20:00, Sat at 18:00 and 20:00, Sun at 17:00 and at 19:00.

This is not a free event though. The fees are: Adults 12 Euros and children 8 Euros. You can book your tickets in advance at the Turku Cultural Centre until 20 June at Tel: +358 2 262 0941/ +358 2 262 0944. Or you can purchase your tickets at the info booth during the Medieval Market event.

I wonder why I’m into medieval thing today. I visited mom’s blog this morning and she was mentioning about their visit to medieval and fascinating Cesky Krumlov last week. Then here I am recently posting about a Medieval Market event this June in Turku, with the continuation of that post still underway.

And now to Brussels I come with its beautiful medieval streets, in addition to its parks and monuments. Place Royale situated at the edge of the medieval city center of Brussels is a place to see. If you are traveling to Brussels on a budget and looking for discount hotels, easytobook.com has cheap Brussels Hotels to offer. Aside from that, if you want to visit the above mentioned Cesky Krumlov in Prague, this online hotel reservation has an extensive list of Prague Hotels to suit your need. Or you can book for Helsinki Hotels and travel to Turku to join the upcoming Medieval Market event.

At easytobook.com, you can view and compare the popular hotels in either of these places, based on its description, picture, location, price rate of up to 80% discount and the guest rating it earned. And much more, as you book your accommodation, you can learn about the points of interest in places you will be visiting.

I wonder when I will ever have a chance to travel to New York City. Right now, there are many things to consider and there are priorities, and yet I’m still looking at this website offering New York tours. They are so enthralling that I really got myself absorbed in dreaming of joining one of their tours someday.

So what’s up in New York City aside from the famous Statue of Liberty? There are lots of interesting sights to see but let me list down some of them. In uptown area, you can visit Central Park, a widely visited public urban park that has always appeared in movies and TV shows, Museum of the City of New York, or the Lincoln Center for those interested in Performing Arts. And in downtown area, places like Times Square, Wall Street, Empire State Building, and the skyscraper ‘Top of the Rock’ for a view of New York City can be included in the tour.

The website I have been browsing is CitySightsNY.com. Various kinds of New York Tours can be booked online in their website. They offer double-decker sightseeing tours, helicopter rides, harbor cruises, uptown and downtown tours, tickets and daily trips from New York. You can visit their website for all the tours, trip and attractions they arrange. But their ‘Shop, Hop & Top’ is worth thinking over. It’s a 4-day value package that includes a chance to shop at Woodbury Common Premium Outlet, plus hop on hop off double-decker tickets valid for 72 hours for Downtown Tour, Uptown Treasures & Harlem Tour, Night Tour, Museum of the City of New York (free admission), 2 hours Harbor Cruise, and ticket to the top of Empire State Building or Top of the Rock observation deck. At a price of 109USD for adults and 80USD for child 5-11yrs, you might want to consider this one.

One of the events I would like to witness is Turku’s Medieval Market which will be on 26-29 June 2008, an event our family can experience right after our very own Pori’s Midsummer celebration.

Why the fuss? I have seen medieval era in movies only but in Turku it will be for real. In this event, country folks and the nobles will join the medieval market, and everyone is welcome. There will be handicraftsmen, jokers and fools, and fighting wild knights to entertain the people, as well as tables filled with diverse food and drinks to fill the hungry stomach.

There will also be a market play that will be shown in this event, a romance in the year 1413. It’s a complicated story to tell but will love and justice win? Well, it’s worth seeing this plot, courage, and romance happening during medieval period. The market play will be shown in these times: Thu-Fri 14:00-20:00, Sat-Sun 12:00-18:00.

The exciting part is, the back knight will ride to Turku. More about this knight in shining armor next post…

I better mark our calendar first.

Some football fans must be heading off to Geneva these days, among other venues, to cheer for their favorite team as they play in the Euro 2008 game. Today’s tournament is Group A: Czech Republic versus Portugal playing live at Stade de Geneve, Geneva. Which of these teams is going to move on to the quarter finals?

You can bring your thoughts to writing at the football picks message board of Addictsports.com, which has by far a number of members who like baseball and other sports . You can share with members in the sports forum whatever you want to say and discuss about your favorite sports, be it football, baseball, basketball, hockey, your favorite team, season, anything about sports. Enjoy talking about the sports you like and meet new friends here.

And by the way, if you are in Geneva, don’t forget to buy one of those Swiss chocolates before your flight back home. You can get it at the Co-op with additionally some good-priced souvenirs. It’s located on Rue du Commerce, takes about 30 minute walk from Cornavin train station.

Back to the topic of playing golf at Yyteri Golf Links, I have been reading a travel brochure of Pori and found out that they actually have a golf package for those interested with beach and golf. This golf package includes a one night cottage accommodation for 2 persons at Top Camping Yyteri with sauna or shower, bed linens, towels, welcome coffee, breakfast buffet, and one green fee per person at Yyteri Golf Links at a rate of 149 Euros per day. Alternately, for 81 Euros per person per day, you can enjoy one green fee at Yyteri Golf Links with a night’s accommodation at Yyteri Spa Hotel, and free use of spa and gym. These golf packages can be booked through Pori’s Regional Tourist Agency (www.maisa.fi) but are not valid during major events such as Pori Jazz Festival which is scheduled on 12-20 July 2008.