Finnish people are quiet and shy. But inspite of that they use to go out having a party at the weekend and with the help of the alcohol they are getting open minded. Actually I still do not understand why they are shy. It is a small nation but very smart and strong, with many educated and clever people. They have very good sense for music and dance as well.

Fortunately getting drunk was not a big problem for me, so I could get closer to finnish people in an easier way. I felt that they were really happy to meet with me and it was pleasure for me to talk with them. Generally people in Mikkeli are very friendly, everybody speaks the english language (even the only homeless man with whom I met during the whole 4 months).

In Mikkeli there are many possibilities for having fun. You can visit one of the pubs, you can play pool, there are many football fields….etc. So I am thinking about coming back in the summer to see Mikkeli’s other face.

- More activity on the courses. For example on CISCO course, you have to use the devices, on other courses you have to write assignements, develop projects… For me it was more practical than always just learning and taking exams.

- Courses in english language. If you want to improve your english knowledge, it is the best practice.

-  I got to know a totally different culture in Finland.

In my home university we also have english courses, we take part in the Erasmus program as well. You can find some useful informations here: www.bme.hu

Stockholm is built on 14 islands, water is a pervasive element in the city that has 57 bridges to travel between the different neighborhoods, it is often called the Venice of the North. It is full of bridges, marinas and docks. The water is so clean you can drink it and catch salmon in the middle of the city. The weather is influenced by sea breezes that featured the alleys of the city.

Some interesting places in the city are:

• Vasamuseet (The Vasa Museum). The impressive warship Vasa sank on her maiden voyage in 1628 but was salvaged 333 years later in 1961. She has since been restored and can now be seen with her complete lower rigging at the Vasa Museum, the only museum of its kind in the world.

• Skansen (Open-Air Museum). Skansen, the world’s oldest open air museum, was founded in 1891 and features some 150 cultural and historic buildings from all over Sweden. With a zoo featuring wild and domestic Nordic animals, Skansen is the place for traditional annual festivities, markets and folk dance displays. You can learn all about traditional Swedish folklore here at Skansen.

• Gamla Stan (The Old Town). The historic center of Stockholm is renowned for its narrow cobblestone alleys, beautiful houses, boutiques, restaurants and sights. Explore the Old Town on your own or join one of the many guided walks.

• Kungliga Slottet (The Royal Palace). The Royal Palace is the official residence of His Majesty the King of Sweden. Completed in 1754, it is one of the largest palaces in Europe. Most of the Palace is open to the public, such as the State Apartments, the Royal Armoury and the Treasury.

• Stadshuset (The City Hall). The City Hall is one of the best known landmarks in Stockholm and the city’s administrative and representative center. The Blue Hall hosts the world famous Nobel Prize Banquet every year, followed by a ball in the Golden Hall. Guided tours daily.

• Moderna Museet (Museum of Modern Art). Designed by one of the world’s most distinguished contemporary architects, Rafael Moneo, The museum houses one of Europe’s finest collections of modern art.

• Nationalmuseum (The National Museum of Fine Arts). Sweden’s largest art gallery with collections of paintings and sculptures, drawings, engravings and handicrafts also features a permanent exhibition of Swedish design. Works by Sweden’s foremost painters as well as Rembrandt, Rubens, Goya, Renoir, Degas and Gauguin.

• Millesgården (The Milles Museum). The home of sculptor Carl Milles. Some of his best works are on display in a beautiful outdoor setting.

• Nobel Museum (The Nobel Museum). Cutting-edge design and technology lie behind the Nobel Prize. Learn about Alfred Nobel, the Laureates and their groundbreaking discoveries and ideas.

Apart from being a large city with an active cultural life, Stockholm, as Sweden’s capital, houses many national cultural institutions. There are two UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Stockholm area: the Royal Palace Drottningholm (within Ekerö Municipality) and the Skogskyrkogården (The Woodland Cemetery). It was the 1998 European City of Culture.

Yearly events:

• Stockholm Jazz Festival is one of Sweden’s oldest festivals. The festival takes place at Skeppsholmen in July.
• Stockholm Pride is the largest Pride event in the Nordic countries and takes place in the last week of July every year. The Stockholm Pride always ends with a parade and in 2007, 50 000 people marched with the parade and about 500 000 watched it.
• The Stockholm Marathon takes place on a Saturday in early June each year.
• The Nobel Banquet takes place at Stockholm City Hall every year on December 10.
• The Stockholm Culture Festival.
• The Ung08 festival takes place every year the week before school starts, mainly the second or third week of August.

Stockholm is also known for its great food. Due to immigration, the city have plenty of restaurants with all kinds of food from worldwide, such as American fast food, Asian, Italian, French, Greek, Scandinavian, Spanish, and Middle Eastern cuisine. Cafeterias and bars are easy to find in the city anywhere.

Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm
http://www.stockholmtown.com/default____2023.aspx?epslanguage=EN

The city has unique values due to its rather intact medieval architecture and that of later periods, the urban structure, the richness and quality of Art Noveau architecture and the 19-th century wooden architecture of the city. Inscribing the historic centre of Riga on the World Heritage List of UNESCO recognized it.

Riga belongs to the cultural space of Western Europe. For the city, dynamic and diverse music and arts activities are typical. Over centuries, the creative atmosphere evolved in Riga and inspired composers, poets and artists. It has a life full of cultural activities such as the festival that is held every 4 years National Folk Song and dance and go to more than 30,000 people each time it is organized. It also has the Latvia Latvia National Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra. On the other hand, its nightlife is very lively. There are many clubs, pubs, casinos especially in the old part of town with a very appropriate decoration to the medieval city.

Riga has hundreds of ways for enticing visitors – its rich history, architecture, spacious gardens and parks, museums, art galleries and world-class opera…and daily treats like a walk in the enormous colorful central market or going to a cosy café, club or pub…

Some interesting places in the city are:

• Old part of town. It goes back to the thirteenth century and is a fascinating series that has remained safe from fire, shelling and looting.
• The Lutheran Cathedral.
• Art Nouveau architecture. On central streets such as Alberta and Elizabetes Iela.
• Saint Peter’s Church. It has a 123 m high tower.
• The Occupation Museum of Latvia.
• Riga Castle (Rīgas Pils). It houses the Museum of Latvian History and the Museum of Foreign Art.
• Riga Circus. The only permanently situated circus in the Baltic States.
• St James’s Roman Catholic cathedral.

The city was European Capital of Culture in 2001 along with Basel (Switzerland), also hosted the Song Contest Eurovision 2003. In 2006 the capital of Latvia hosted the World Championships in ice hockey, the most important sporting event in the history of the Baltic States.

Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riga
http://www.rigatourism.lv/EN/Channels/Tip/default.htm

1899

Suomen Urheilulehti (‘Finnish Sports Magazine’) publishes the first article of a game resembling ice hockey being played in Finland. The game that was played in Helsinki bore characteristics of both bandy and hockey.

1926

On Boxing Day, Mr. Yrjö Salminen, the Chairman of the Finnish Skating Association, carries a set of hockey sticks and some pucks on the ice of a lake near the city of Tampere and enunciates his famous coaching philosophy: “Get on and play, boys!”

1927

The Finnish Skating Association includes ice hockey in its programme.

1928

The first official match is played in Tampere on January 15, 1928 between Pyrintö Tampere and Palloilijat Tampere.

The Football Association of Finland includes ice hockey in its programme. The first Finnish Championships are organized the same winter. The title decided in cup competition is taken by Reipas Vyborg.

Team Finland play their first international match and are defeated by Sweden by 1:8 in Helsinki.

Represented by the Finnish Skating Association, Finland is admitted as a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation.

1929

The Finnish Ice Hockey Association is founded on the 20th of January in 1929. The Finnish Championship title is competed for by ten teams and won by HJK Helsinki.

1933

Team Finland play their first away game and lose to Sweden by 1:11 in Stockholm.

1934

For the first time, the Finnish Championship title is decided in a round-robin competition.

1937

The first victory in international matches. Team Finland beat Estonia by 2:1.

1939

Team Finland’s first participation in the World Championships in the Swiss Basel in 1939. The endeavour results in 5 losses and the 13th place.

1948

The Finnish heraldic lion was made the emblem of the National Team.

1949

The first wins in World Championships. Finland beat Norway by 7:3 and Belgium 17:2 in Stockholm.

1951

The Canada Cup is awarded to the Finnish Champions for the first time.

1952

The first participation in the Olympic Ice Hockey Tournament. In Oslo, Team Finland beat Germany and Norway and end up seventh.

1954

For the first time, Team Finland meet the Soviet Union who participate in the 25th Anniversary Tournament of FIHA. The Soviets win the match played in Tampere by 8:1.

1956

Finland’s first artificial rink is opened in Tampere.

1957

Team Finland places fourth in World Championships for the first time.

1959

The first draw game against Sweden in World Championships.

1962

The first championships medal: European Championships silver in Colorado Springs.

1964

The sixth place taken by Team Finland for the first time in the Olympic Games.

1965

Finland hosts ice hockey World Championships for the first time. The games are played in the country’s first ice arena, Hakametsä in Tampere.

1967

The first victory over the Great Ones in World Championships. Finland defeat Czechoslovakia in Vienna by 3:1.

1968

Team Finland beat Canada for the first time in a championship tournament. The score in the Olympic Games in Grenoble is 5:2.

1974

The first championship medals won by junior teams. The U19 team wins bronze in the European Championships and the U20 silver in the World Championships.

1975

The Finnish SM-liiga (Finnish Championship League) is founded.

1976

Matti Hagman is the first-ever Finnish player to enter the NHL.

1978

The U18 team wins the European Championship title with an overtime goal scored by Jari Kurri.

1982

Pekka Rautakallio is the first-ever Finnish player to play in the NHL All Stars Game.

1983

The official start of women’s league.

1987

The U20 team take home the first World Championship.

1988

The first olympic medal (silver) is won in Calgary.

1989

Women’s National Team conquer the title in the first European Championships for women.

1990

Women’s National Team win bronze in the first World Championships for women.

1991

Team Finland places third in Canada Cup.

1992

The first World Championships medal for men’s team: Silver in Prague.

1994

Olympic bronze in Lillehammer and World Championships silver in Milan. The country’s 100th ice hall is constructed.

1995

Team Finland win the World Championship in ice hockey in Globen Arena, Stockholm. In the final game, Sweden is defeated by 4:1.

1997

Finland wins the first 4-nation Euro Hockey Tour (Finland, Sweden, Russia and the Czech Republic).

1998

Both the men’s and the women’s teams win olympic bronze medals in Nagano. The women´s tournament is organized for the first time.

1999

The first U18 World Championships title is won by Team Finland in Füssen, Germany.

2000

Team Finland win the 4-nation Euro Hockey Tour for the second time. Alpo Suhonen is the first European ever to be appointed the Head Coach of an NHL team, Chicago Black Hawks.

2001

Medals keep rolling in for Team Finland who win silver at the World Championships in Hannover. The Czechs beat their Finnish opponents in overtime.

2002

Raimo Helminen makes Olympic history by participating in his sixth Games in Salt Lake City. He is the first hockey-player ever to do this.

The Timetable of our Moas Sauna is:

Tuesday:   17-22

Wednesday:    17-22

Friday:    17-22

Saturday:    15-22