Sacramento

John, Raquel, Winston and I drove up to Sacramento for New Years to stay with John's mom Kathy (who is awesome). We looked around Old Sacramento and the Capitol Building.

Old Sacramento

 

 

 

 

 

State Capitol building and Capitol Park

 

 

Helsinki

After Paris I flew north with just my parents to Helsinki for a couple of days before visiting their friends in the small town of Jakobstad, further northwest in Finland.
Helsinki is a compact city on the water which appears to get a lot of use in the warmer months, judging by the number of boats.  The air felt freezing after Paris, which had been cool compared to Italy, but I'm sure it was fairly warm for the local - it was time to break out the thermals.

15. Helsinki.

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=Helsinki,+Finland&hl=en&ll=60.168415,24.964542&spn=0.04227,0.169086&sll=48.856614,2.352222&sspn=0.223628,0.676346&oq=helsinki&vpsrc=6&hnear=Helsinki,+Finland&t=m&z=13

By the water

Esplanade

Orthodox Church

Helsinki Cathedral

Railway Station

Church of the Rock (Partly carved into the hillside)

The cemetery is a beautiful park

More water

Monument to Sibelius (composer)

Olympic Stadium (1952)

Jakobstad part II

17. Jakobstad, part II

Boathouses

 Sunset

 Moonrise

Jakobstad, part I

After Helsinki we flew west to a small town called Jakobstad where friends (Ann-Helen and Lucas and their new bub) of my parents greeted us and showed as an amazing little corner of the world. It was freezing cold but beautiful.

16. Jakobstad, Finland

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=Kokkola,+Finland&hl=en&ll=63.675125,22.732944&spn=0.037682,0.169086&sll=33.776193,-118.162996&sspn=0.008829,0.021136&oq=kokkola&vpsrc=6&hnear=Kokkola,+Finland&t=m&z=13

Our home during our stay

 Priory gardens

 Local beach

 The gang (minus Lucas)

 Forest walk

 Nanog arctic museum (replica village from Greenland)

Paris (part VI)

14. Paris -Sainte Chapelle and the Marais district

Sainte Chapelle

The Marais district