Blue Wings Wild issue January 2017

WILD ISSUE TRENDS, DESTINATIONS AND INSIGHTS FOR TRAVELLERS

JANUARY 2017

Your personal copy

THE BEST

BURGERS IN NYC JOURNEY INTO JAPAN’S

SNOW COUNTRY

URBAN EXPLORING

IN BERLIN

Meet the new generation of nature

photographers

Where we are going, trees can fly.

Find out what a tree can do

Sports too, will become more enjoyable to watch, when we know that competitions can be sustainably organised again and again. As the presenting sponsor of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Lahti, Stora Enso therefore challenges competition organisers and sponsors of future events to pursue the ambition of creating 100% sustainable and renewable events.

Because everything that’s made with fossil-based materials now, can be made from a tree in the future. Today, trees make the cups that hold our drinks, to entire stadiums that host the fans. Tomorrow, it’s about the solar panels from which we power the games, to the planes on which our champions arrive.

100% for renewability. 100% for sports.

Join the journey: storaenso.com/renewablefuture This magazine is printed on LumiArt by Stora Enso.

EDITORIAL

BY PEKKA VAURAMO CEO OF FINNAIR WWW.FINNAIR.COM

FOKUS MEDIA FINLAND PRODUCER Amanda Soila ART DIRECTOR Sirpa Ärmänen SUB-EDITOR Shelly Nyqvist VISUAL ASSISTANT Iris Mark ENGLISH EDITING Silja Kudel REPROGRAPHICS Faktor Oy COVER Konsta Punkka

by Meri Björn BEHIND THIS ISSUE Tim Bird, Meri Björn, David J Cord, Simon Fry, Laura Iisalo, Jaakko Järvensivu, Silja Kudel, Juha Laine, Andrew Marshall, Paul Marshall, Laura Palotie, Katja Pantzar, Anu Piippo, Otto Ponto, and Anni-Julia Tuomisto SUBMISSIONS bluewings@fokusmedia.fi BLUE WINGS ONLINE www.issuu.com/finnair_bluewings EDITORIAL OFFICES Hämeentie 153 C, 00560 Helsinki, Finland tel. +358 40 630 8253 firstname.lastname@fokusmedia.fi ADVERTISING SALES Jaana Lindvall-Harki tel. +358 40 582 1416 PUBLISHER Fokus Media Finland PRINTED BY Punamusta, Joensuu, Finland 2017 PAPER UPM Valor 61g Cover paper Stora Enso LumiArt 200g CIRCULATION 45,000 ISSN-0358-7703

Path towards growth

I

always feel a great sense of excitement at the start of a new year and there is certainly plenty to look forward to in 2017. Finland’s centennial anniversary has generated a lot of buzz on the global stage and our country continues to gain international recognition as a great destination.

This year also brings a range of exciting destinations to our roster. We are adding new seasonal routes for next summer to San Francisco, Reykjavik, and Alicante; we will also fly to Astana, Kazakhstan, in conjunction with World Expo 2017, which begins in June.

From an operational perspective, our fleet is expected to expand and we are eagerly awaiting four additional A350 ­aircraft during this year.

With even more of these state-of-the-art aircraft, Finnair will have one of the most modern and efficient fleets in the world.

Most of our aircraft, including the entire long-haul fleet, will be equipped with Wi-Fi this year. All of these changes will generate great opportunities to further enhance the experience onboard for our customers.

Wishing you a great flight!

Pekka Vauramo

Top 3 Lapland tips EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Arja Suominen arja.suominen@finnair.com

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK www.finnair.com/feedback or by mail: Customer Relations, SL/403, FI-01053 FINNAIR. www.finnair.com, www.finnair.fi, www.finnairgroup.com

ELINA SIRPARANTA

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The Inari-Saariselkä resort features a range of natural winter delights from the Kiilopää fells to the pure nature of Urho Kekkonen National Park, one of Finland’s largest protected wilderness areas.

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Sea Lapland, the region from Kemi to Tornio, offers activities ranging from cruising the Arctic Sea onboard the Sampo Icebreaker to floating in the sea alongside it.

JANUARY 2017

VISIT FINLAND

FINNAIR HEAD OFFICE Tietotie 9 A, Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, 1053 Finnair, Finland, tel. +358 (0)9 818 81, Postal address: P. O. Box 15, 01053 Finnair, Finland

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ROBERT SMITH

Levi, voted Finland’s Best Ski Resort of the Year for 2016, is also the country’s largest, with something for everyone.

BLUE WINGS

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SALE Amazing savings on showroom beds LIMITED AVAILABILITY At Hästens, the true value of deep sleep has been our passion for generations. Our beds, made from the best natural materials by our skilled craftsmen, are more than a product; they are an investment for life. Now is a great time to discover the true value of deep sleep.

hastens.com

HÄSTENS STORE HELSINKI Mannerheimintie 8, 00100 Helsinki Tel. 020 780 1370

IN THIS ISSUE

32

JANUARY 2017 32

LIFESTYLE FINLAND’S INSTAGRAM STARS Three Finnish photographers capture winning shots

42

LIFESTYLE TOP 5 BURGERS IN THE BIG APPLE The battle of the patty is on in New York City

46

DESTINATION JAPAN’S SNOW COUNTRY Champagne powder awaits avid skiers

54

DESTINATION WARM UP TO ICELAND Magical must-sees around Reykjavik

Baby owls portrait care of Konsta Punkka

Nothing better than a burger and fries in NYC

42

57

BUSINESS THE REALITY OF SLUSH

Finnair goes out on a wing with a Virtual Reality demo

64

BUSINESS DESIGNING ACTIVE WEAR Well-being technology is big business

67

DESTINATION SECRET BERLIN

The backstory of urbexers in Germany’s capital

DESTINATION FLORIDA’S EVERGLADES REVEALED There’s more to do in Miami than sun and sand

TAKEOFF STARTERS

New Orleans carnival.................11

NEWS

Food & drink...................................12

NEWS

Cats, igloos, and movies ......... 14 Tour guide ­Shinya at Myoko Suginohara ski resort

46

WORLD

What’s on across the globe..... 16

LAPLAND

Floating adventures.................... 18

70

FLYING STORIES

Gravity-defying dreams ............ 22

DESTINATION

All aboard in London.................. 24

FINLAND

Top 4 wild highlights...................26

FINNISH FAVOURITES

Seven must-have faves.............28

MAKERS OF FINLAND

Architect Marco Casagrande.. 30

EVENTS

Out and about in Finland..............20 JANUARY 2017

BLUE WINGS

5

IN THIS ISSUE

70

Bird watching in Bascayne Bay

67

54

Street art in Teufelsberg

The Harpa Concert Hall lies on the shores of Reykjavik harbour.

REGULARS

Travel Moment............................................ 8

Alexander Stubb.....................................44 Marja Makarow........................................60 Finland in figures....................................98

FLY FINNAIR

Tips for takeoff........................................ 80 Inflight wellbeing.................................... 81 Entertainment.......................................... 82 Inflight shopping..................................... 83

Lapland, p. 8, 18 New Orleans, p. 11 Helsinki, p. 12, 56 Finland, p. 26 London, p. 24

Sustainability............................................. 84 Border crossings..................................... 85 Helsinki Airport ....................................... 86 Maps and destinations......................... 88 Fleet and My Finnair............................. 92 Finnair Plus................................................ 94 6 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

Check this month’s plusshop offers on page 97

New York City, p. 42 Japan, p. 46 Reykjavik, p. 54 Berlin, p. 67 Miami, p. 70

now, performance has a deeper meaning. the new princess s65.

BOOT Düsseldorf 21 – 29.1.2017

PRINCESS FINLAND Tel. +358 500 667754 info@princess.fi www.princess.fi

princessyachts.com PRINCESS S65

A member of the Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton family

8 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

TRAVEL MOMENT

BY OTTO PONTO

GIDDY-UP RUDOLPH Each year, jockeys in Lapland vie for pole position in the competitive sport of reindeer racing. The season starts in February and culminates on ice-covered Lake Inari in the spring.

Racer Seija Matero rode a total of five reindeers in the premium league. The fastest of those is named Pisama (“Freckle” in Finnish), who ended up fifth in the final ranking.

JANUARY 2017

BLUE WINGS

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FLY AROUND THE WORLD

Traveling around the world has never been this easy.

The oneworld alliance network flies to more than 1,000 destinations in over 160 countries. Simply pick a route of your choosing and explore the world with ease.

READ MORE AND BOOK YOUR OWN JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD AT FINNAIR.COM

TAKEOFF

NEWS / EVENTS / DESTINATIONS / STORIES / FAVOURITES

Y S M

to ies ith fl r sw nai Fin rlean rtner O pa w es.

Ne world irlin A e on rican om e r.c Am nnai fi

LIVE IT UP

NAUGHTY N’AWLINS

TEXT BY SILJA KUDEL PHOTO BY ISTOCK

New Orleans is a year-round party town, but the revelry steps up a gear during Mardi Gras, a season of over-the-top merriment preceding Lent in January and February.

Partiers from around the world descend on the Mississippi to binge on King Cake and jambalaya, catch trinkets from the krewe parades, and generally let it all hang out. Jazz, blues, and Zydeco tunes blast from every street corner, and the Bourbon Street clubs are packed to the gills with unruly revellers into the wee hours.

Eleven years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is booming like never before, and its mouth-watering Cajun cuisine is a bucket-list experience any time of year. As Mark Twain famously said: “New Orleans food is as delicious as the less criminal forms of sin.” mardigrasneworleans.com

JANUARY 2017

BLUE WINGS

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TAKEOFF NEWS

WORLD OF BENEFITS Make the most of your Finnair Plus points. You can use your points for a variety of services from Finnair ­and partners. Read more about the renewed program on pages 94–96.

COMPILED BY SILJA KUDEL LEENA MÄKIJÄRVI

APPSOLUTELY

Globetrot with google

GOOD EATS

Ten little restaurants

MALL DINING has never had a sexy reputation, but a next-level spin on the concept is offered by Helsinki’s Kortteli, a new constellation of ten hip bars and eateries opened last month on the fifth floor of Kamppi shopping centre. This miniature food city comprises familiar favourites including Marrakesh-inspired Sandro, Asian-Hawaiian fusion kitchen Hoku, and Story from the Old Market Hall.

The exciting line-up of newcomers includes Italian trattoria Bastardo, Scandinavian Jord, health-conscious Date+Kale, dump-

ling den Beijing8, and seafood specialists Fisken på disken. Among the quirkier attractions is Bar Cón (barcón is Spanish for “boat”), a tapas-pintxos eatery housed in a ship-like structure suspended above the complex.

“Kortteli is anything but a food court.

The idea is that it’s a super-cool city block with great indie restaurants that just happens to be located on top of a shopping centre,” says Anders Westerholm from We Are Group, creators of the concept.

AIMING TO HELP travellers cut stress and squeeze more into their limited time window, online giant Google expanded its presence in travel services with the launch of Google Trips last September.

The free app does everything from organise your bookings to offering personalised sightseeing tips based on your Google history. Best of all, it works offline: it’s possible to download tickets, bookings, maps, and walking directions before you leave, which saves time and money plus comes in handy in countries where connectivity is limited.

kampinkortteli.fi/en

ALKO

DRY JANUARY

Let’s make mocktails Alcohol-free cocktails really took off last year and the trend shows no signs of slowing down in 2017. Even Finland’s national alcohol retailer Alko embraces the trend in its online mocktail school, for which it invited Finland’s top bartenders to create Nordic-inspired virgin concoctions such as “Hot Berries in a Tin” and “Birch Named Hugo.” Home tests confirm they’re every bit as tempting as their liquor-laced counterparts. alko.fi

12 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

TAKEOFF NEWS

FEEL FINNAIR

Share your Finnair moments on I­nstagram by using @feelfinnair and to get featured use #feelfinnair.

COMPILED BY SILJA KUDEL TUOMO MANNINEN

SOPHISTICATED CAT

Purrfect powder room

ONE-ON-ONE

Director’s cut BLUE WINGS chatted with F ­ innish director Jussi Hiltunen before the ­January 20 premiere of his debut film The Law of the Land (Making Movies).

Q: What destinations inspire you as a filmmaker?

A: I was born in the north, so Lapland feels like home. I’m inspired by the Midnight Sun Film Festival in Sodankylä and the Tromsø International Film Festival, which is in January. I travelled through every village in Finnish Lapland scouting

locations for my film – in the end it was shot in the north of Norway.

Q: Movie buffs love visiting real-life film locations. Do you have any good tips?

A: I enjoy the intensity and atmosphere of Quentin Tarantino’s films. Try Café Einstein Stammhaus in Kurfürstenstraße, Berlin, where Inglourious Basterds was shot.

Q: What film best captures the spirit of a particular town?

A. Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

WINTER TERRACE

Igloos by the Thames

LONDON GETS nippy in January, but the Coppa Club now caters for yearround al fresco dining with its eight giant PVC party domes. Kitted out with sheepskin blankets, the igloos are available for walk-ins on a first-come, firstserved basis. coppaclub.co.uk/towerbridge

14 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

CATS HAVE style, but the same can’t be said of feline accessories. When Tallinnbased Liis Lindmaa and Anatoli Tafitšuk realised that a gaudy plastic litter box didn’t fit their idea of a stylish home, they came up with Black Velvet Pets, a new line of Scandinavian-style pet furniture. Priced at €290, their kitty toilet “Juno” – named after their “muse” – is an elegant plywood creation that even the fussiest decorators (and felines) will welcome in their homes. The low-key scratching pad (€27) and feather teaser (€9) are made of all-natural materials. blackvelvetpets.com

AVIAPOLIS – THE FASTEST GROWING BUSINESS AREA AROUND THE AIRPORT. Contact: jose.valanta@vantaa.fi arja.lukin@vantaa.fi

TAKEOFF WORLD

ONLINE BOOKING MADE EASY Need more time to decide? Hold my Booking guarantees your flight price for up to 72 hours. Go to ­finnair.com for more information.

CALENDAR

JANUARY EVENTS

UNTIL JAN 22 AMSTERDAM. The fifth annual Amsterdam Light Festival brightens up the city’s streets and waterways with a magical array of 35 light installations by artists and designers from around the world.

The “Water Colours” boat tour starts and ends at Central Station. amsterdamlightfestival.com/en

JAN 13–15 MIAMI. Join a Jazz Age lawn party, browse antiques, and catch a vintage fashion show at the Miami Design Preservation League’s Art Deco Weekend. This free, three-day outdoor festival takes place on Ocean Drive between 5th and 13th Streets. artdecoweekend.com

LERWICK

Rebel yell

JAN 31 The capital of the Shetland Islands plays host to Up Helly Aa, Europe’s largest fire festival. This celebration of Scotland’s Viking heritage is a daylong street party culminating in a torch-lit procession of costumed warriors setting ablaze a replica Viking longship. Come gales or snow, “there will be no postponement for weather.” Dress warmly: The Shetlands lie on the same latitude as Greenland. uphellyaa.org

GSTAAD

Fatbikers’ ball JAN 29 LONDON celebrates the Year of the Rooster with the biggest Chinese New Year celebrations outside Asia. Hundreds of thousands flock to the West End to see the colourful parade and performances. The grand fireworks finale takes place in Trafalgar Square.

JAN 19–22 The latest craze to hit the Alps is a sport so trendy it already has its own festival.

The third annual Snow Bike Festival sees fatbikers and MTB enthusiasts gather for four days of riding, racing, and serious partying in the Swiss alpine resort of Gstaad. The programme features a fourday stage race, a night race, and snow galore to keep the “fatties” happy.

visitlondon.com

snowbikefestival.com

16 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

Huominen alkaa tänään. hybrid Uusi Hyundai IONIQ hybrid yhdistää tulevaisuuden ja nykyhetken. IONIQ tuo innovatiiviset ratkaisut osaksi arkea ja käytännöllistä perheautoilua. Se yhdistää sinut ympäröivään maailmaan älypuhelimesi kautta ja lataa puhelimesi langattomasti. IONIQ liittää autoiluun myös ekologisesti kestäviä ratkaisuja, esimerkiksi sisäverhoilun täysin uusissa materiaaleissa.

Ja matkaasi turvaa viiden vuoden takuu ilman kilometrirajaa. Litium-ioni-polymeeriakun takuu on laajennettu kahdeksaan vuoteen. www.hyundai.fi

IONIQ hybrid DCT Comfort autoveroton hinta 24 851,70 + arvioitu autovero 3 138,30 = 27 990,00 + tk 600 = 28 590 €.

EU-yhd. kulutus 3,4 l/100 km, CO2 79 g/km. Käyttöetu 445 €/kk, vapaa autoetu 610 €/kk. Kuvan auto erikoisvarustein.

ESPOO Laakkonen Espoo Suomenoja 010 2147 600 | HELSINKI Laakkonen Herttoniemi 010 2147 520 | HUITTINEN Autotalo Pelttari 02 5605 300 | HYVINKÄÄ Auto-Ilves 019 4277 070 | JOENSUU Timosen Auto 010 2394 100 | JYVÄSKYLÄ Autopale 014 8602 200 | KAUHAVA Kauhavan Auto 06 4341 600 | KOKKOLA Wetteri 06 8273 111 | KOUVOLA Auto-Suni 010 5043 590 | KUOPIO Autotalo Hartikainen 0400 331 155 | KURIKKA Automyynti Saarakkala 044 4025 611 | LAPPEENRANTA Autotalo Ripatti 010 7621 680 | LOHJA PP-auto 075 3040 5210 | ORIVESI Autola Orivesi 03 3346 522 | OULU Wetteri 020 7788 290 | PARKANO Automyynti R. Laihonen 03 4481 377 | PORI Autotalo Pelttari 44 5601 278 | ROVANIEMI Wetteri 020 778 830 | SALO Salon Autotalo 02 7212 100 | SAVONLINNA Ajanvaunu 0500 555 676 | SEINÄJOKI ESS Autotalo 010 7649 000 | TAMPERE Autosalpa 020 7799 705 | TERVAJOKI Arton Auto 010 5044 391 | TURKU Keskusautohalli 020 7218 100 | TUUSULA Auto-Expert Ekroos 020 7558 111 | VANTAA Autoverkkokauppa.fi 020 7997 810

TAKEOFF DESTINATION

WILDS OF LAPLAND CALLING Finnair operates additional flights to Kittilä, Ivalo, and Kuusamo during the 2017 spring ski season. Go to finnair.com for the timetable.

TEXT AND PHOTO BY LAURA IISALO

NORTHERN NOVELTY

Art of Arctic floating FLOATING in an icy lake sounds extreme if not outright painful, but for intrepid adventurers snugly wrapped up in a custom-made ice rescue suit, the experience is either relaxing or fun.

Depending on the bather, some like to dive right in, while others prefer taking their time to enjoy the weightless feeling.

“Many guests have to really push themselves to take the plunge in the middle of nowhere, but those who dare can experience an unforgettable connection 18 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

with nature,” says Lotta Lonka, sales manager of events company Safartica.

Floating tours are organised daily in Rovaniemi and weekly in Ylläs, both popular destinations in Lapland. This winter’s novelty is “night floating,” offering lucky participants the chance to admire the magical Northern Lights, undoubtedly one of nature’s grandest shows. safartica.com

Innovation 360O

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In an alternate reality

Oulu Innovation Alliance IMPENDING SHIFTS TO THE STATUS QUO HAVE GOT YOU EYEING THE HORIZON FOR NEW VENTURES? IN OULU, FINLAND, YOU CAN CO-CREATE THE FUTURE IN A CITY OF LIVING LABS WITH OULU INNOVATION ALLIANCE.

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ant to set up your business somewhere with a dynamic, young population*, creative madness and a living lab virtually the size of a city?

Oulu has an advanced and accessible ecosystem that covers every step of your development process – from idea to manufacturing the product itself. Oulu is full of test environments with which to test your innovations – we just need you to utilize them to their full potential.

OIA – your gateway to the best networks The ecosystems of OIA – ICT & Digitalization, Industry 2026, Agile Commercialization, OuluHealth, and Northern City with Attractive Opportunities - provide the best know-how in their fields.

ICT & Digitalization’s goal is to make Oulu the FinTech hub of Northern Europe. One step on this path is January 17, 2017 when David Brear, among other famous speakers will be talking at Technology Disrupting Finance seminar in Oulu.

Industry 2026 focuses Oulu area’s top research and know-how into industries’ actual needs to usher industry of the future, like circular economy, and bio & machine industries.

Agile Commercialization helps you in commercializing your business idea. Arctic Business Corridor, where multidisciplinary

student teams help companies enter new market areas; Avanto Accelerator, Demola – you name it, they’re all there for you every step of the way into successful business. You’re also welcome to Polar Bear Pitching on February 15, where you can pitch your innovation for as long as you want… from an ice hole in the sea. Save the date!

OuluHealth is the ecosystem to boost your business in health tech and healthcare.

It is dedicated to combining the different specialized fields in health, natural sciences, IT, academic and business know-how to create patient-friendly technologies, prosperity and wellness in the Oulu region.

Northern City with Attractive Opportunities is dedicated to facilitating growth with innovative infrastructure, pilot environments for companies and enabling wellbeing in Oulu through events and topnotch services.

OIA and its members - The City of Oulu, Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Oamk), the University of Oulu, Oulu

University Hospital, The Oulu Region Joint Authority for Education (Osekk), the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Technopolis Plc., and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland - are looking forward to seeing the innovations you are looking to explore in Oulu.

See you in Oulu! ● *Average age of people living in Oulu: 36.6 years

Discover OuluInnovationAlliance.fi

PRODUCED BY TAKEOFF CONSULTING GROUP (PART OF CALCUS.COM )

OULU INNOVATION ALLIANCE

• 8 partners, 5 ecosystems • Find best partner networks in › ICT, Digitalization, Printed Electronics › Bio & Machine Industries › Cleantech › Healthtech › Commercializing your business › Attractive spaces and events with a cold-headed attitude

TAKEOFF EVENTS

100 YEARS Blue Wings salutes Finland’s centenary by highlighting ­interesting events throughout the year. suomifinland100.fi/

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY LAURA IISALO

CALENDAR

Winter events

DESIGN

100 years of design ECHOES

JAN 5–9 LUX HELSINKI lights up the city for the ninth time in a row. Fifteen installations by local and international artists will ­magically transform the historic quarters surrounding Helsinki Cathedral. luxhelsinki.fi

UNTIL MARCH 8 ICE SKATING is the theme of more than 80 events to be held in 70 cities around Finland, ranging from ice adventures for kids to rousette skating. The programme culminates in the World Figure Skating Championships in Helsinki in March. kokosuomiluistelee.fi

FEB 3–5 THE ANNUAL snow sculpture championships take place in the city of Juuka in eastern Finland, where 50 sculptors will transform 20,000 cubic metres of snow into artworks celebrating the centenary theme. facebook.com/ LumenveistonSM2017Juuka

20 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

In an exhibition highlighting classic masterpieces and lesserknown works that have shaped Finland’s identity since the beginning of its independence, “100 Years in Finnish Design and Architecture” runs from January 13 to February 23 at the Museum of the History of Polish Jews POLIN in Warsaw. The museum building was designed by Finnish architects Lahdelma &Mahlamäki. facebook.com/echoes100

ADVENTURE

Wild about winter

Nature days is a series of four seasonal events encouraging everyone to explore the Finnish wilds together. The first event, themed “discovering winter wonderland,” is on February 4. Check the website for the full programme. Share and follow adventures at #luonnonpaivat. luonnonpäivät.fi

Innovation 360O

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ROUGH WORLD — TOUGH PRODUCTS

SENOP DEVELOPS AND BUILDS RELIABLE EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEMS FOR CRITICAL SAFETY AND SECURITY APPLICATIONS. STRONG KNOWLEDGE OF ROUGH CONDITIONS, AND MORE THAN 75 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE HAVE EARNED THE COMPANY A REPUTATION AS ONE OF THE TOP EXPERTS OF EXTREME CONDITIONS.

A

s the needs of defence and security organizations grow ever more demanding, more is also required from the devices and systems that support them. Yet as devices grow more complex, they must still operate under all conditions.

“All our devices have been developed and manufactured with advanced Nordic expertise, backed by decades of experience. No matter what the conditions, these systems remain functional”, says Senop’s Managing Director Mika Räty.

The Finns are known for their high-tech knowhow. In part to ensure the quality of the final product, Senop keeps their manufacturing and development process in Finland.

Long co-operation with the Finnish Defence Forces has given Senop extensive experience when it comes to developing equipment for demanding conditions. However, each customer has their own unique needs, so specific customizations are often required.

“As an agile and independent manufacturer we are able to be more responsive when it comes to individual customization.”

Senop takes Finnish excellence to the world.

Their clients consist of many of the industry’s major players, such as Kongsberg. “The market clearly has a demand for an operator which is able to react quickly and flexibly to changing needs”, says Räty.

Both the names and capabilities of Senop’s products, whether it’s integration solutions or night vision devices, are inspired directly by the harsh Nordic conditions. For example, Senop’s Husky products ensure you can beat the challenges of operating in the dark.

Similarly, Arctic Fox is an agile system platform that can survive extremely harsh environments.

Husky’s product family includes everything from image intensifiers to thermal cameras, as well as various control and positioning

equipment. Arctic Fox is the market’s lightest mobile system platform for technical and management systems.

“Quality is our number one priority. All of our products meet the official requirements of the industry”, concludes Räty. ■

PRODUCED BY TAKEOFF CONSULTING GROUP (PART OF CALCUS.COM )

FLYING STORIES

Fly NORRA Nordic Regional Airline (Norra) operates many domestic and European routes for Finnair. All flights operated by Norra have a Finnair flight number, which means more Finnair Plus points for you.

TEXT BY ANU PIIPPO PHOTO BY JANNE LEHTINEN

5 DISCOVERIES

Learning to fly

Finnish photographer Janne Lehtinen, the son of a glider pilot, dreams of defying gravity. His Sacred Bird photography series portrays a man, the artist himself, about to take off with various apparatuses built with his own hands. This photo, titled Zeppelin, was taken near his hometown of Loviisa, on the southern coast of Finland, on a cold winter day on an ice-covered sea.

Blue Wings asked Lehtinen to share five things he has learned while reaching for the sky.

the pioneers of aviation. My crew and I have taken flying to another level.

3

There is art in coincidences. Prepare a plan. Also, prepare for the plan not to come together.

The element of surprise is hidden in these instances.

4

1

Things are not what they seem.

The outcome doesn’t show the whole process. In product development, perfecting technology and aesthetics requires work, sacrifices, and chaos management.

This was the case in the making of the Zeppelin photo as well.

2

We are blessed by imperfection. In the end, it’s all about the human, not the machine. The possibility of failure always exists – and indeed, it’s the imperfection that makes the outcome one of a kind.

Everything is possible. If you don’t believe in what you’re doing, nothing will come out of it.

Even if circumstances seem to be against you, you need to find a way to cross the mountain.

We live with ghosts of the past. First, there was my father.

Then, there were Icarus and

5

In this series Blue Wings looks into the fascinating world of flying, through inspiring people, discoveries, and inventions.

22 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

TAKEOFF DESTINATION

UK CALLING Finnair flies to London Heathrow five times a day and operates five A350 flights per week. Go to finnair.com to see the timetable and book your flights.

TEXT BY SIMON FRY THE POSTAL MUSEUM/ MILES WILLIS

The Mail Rail’s 23 miles of track stretch 10.5 km from Paddington to Whitechapel.

THE POSTAL MUSEUM

You’ve got Mail Rail A hitherto hidden London train line opens to the public in 2017.

VISITORS TO THE ENGLISH c­ apital will soon have another must-see on their list if plans by London’s Postal Museum run to schedule.

The museum (formerly the British Postal Museum & Archive) is converting the Mail Rail – a subterranean London railway mothballed in 2003 – into a tourist attraction as part of its new £26 million (€30.42 million) museum premises opening in mid-2017.

Running for 10.5 kilometres from Paddington in west London to Whitechapel in the East End, the line was opened in 1927.

At its peak, the railway carried over 4 million letters daily, 22 hours daily along 23 miles of track and by the 1990s it transported 6 million mailbags annually.

It was officially renamed the Mail Rail in 1987 to mark its sixtieth anniversary.

By 2003, however, declining postal volumes rendered the line uneconomical and operation was halted, though engineers still maintained the railway.

24 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

While 4.8 million trips are made daily (and over a billion annually) on London’s Underground, the museum estimates approximately 185,000 visitors in its first year, with the majority taking the Mail Rail ride along one kilometre of looped track beneath the central Mount Pleasant Sorting Office (the site of the new museum).

During a ride of approximately 15 minutes, passengers will experience a range of audio and visual effects exhibiting the history and legacy of the Royal Mail’s 501 years of service.

“This was and is an operational tool.

It won’t be a rollercoaster or pleasure ride – top speed will be around 6 mph – although there will be scope to operate as a ghost train at Halloween,” says Chris Taft, Postal Museum head of collections.

Until its reopening, railway enthusiasts can see what remains of the world’s only purpose-built underground mail transit system in operation in Bruce Willis’ 1991 film Hudson Hawk, in which it portrays

Shunt vehicles were used to move the mail below London.

SIMON FRY

Engineer Ray Middlesworth shows the system’s layout.

the fictitious Vatican Underground Postal Railway, with some equipment painted yellow accordingly. postalmuseum.org

Health & Wellbeing

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“Even small daily choices help you to increase your activity level also on business trips.”

“Our heart rate monitors and supporting apps teach the user to be more active in everyday life, which is extremely significant for wellbeing,” says Ville Uronen from Polar.

Business traveller,

don’t forget to move around!

FOR BUSINESS TRAVELLERS, STAYING FIT MAY BE A CHALLENGE, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF ALL THOSE HOURS SPENT SITTING IN AN AIRPLANE.

“A

ccording to recent studies, sitting down is a health hazard just like smoking or bad eating habits. This means that not even brisk exercise can undo the damage done by excessive sitting,” says Ville Uronen, Smart Coaching Manager at Polar.

Uronen has personal experience of the stress experienced by business travellers as he is also on the go for more than a hundred days every year as part of his work.

“All of our heart rate monitors and activity trackers give out inactivity alerts if you have been sitting down for longer than an hour. This reminds you to get up on your feet and straighten your spine. Especially on long-haul flights, it’s good to walk around regularly.”

As you’re often busy on business trips, it’s easy to forget to be active, but it’s good to keep in mind that small choices are good for you in the long run.

“For instance, as soon as you’ve checked into a hotel, it’s good to do something physically active. The exercise doesn’t have to last long or be exhausting. Even half an hour at the gym or a brisk walk or jog helps your body to bounce back quicker from the stress caused by travel, work and jetlag. However, if the exercise is too strenuous, it may be harder to fall asleep in the evening, and it’s not wise to burden an already strained body too much.”

If the hotel doesn’t have a gym or it’s not possible to head out for a walk at the destination, it’s a good idea to be active during the working day by choosing the stairs instead of taking the lift or by standing for a while in meetings.

from activity trackers to hardcore heart rate monitors. In addition to measuring your heart rate and other variables, Polar devices also give out verbal instructions on activity and exercising.

“Online and mobile applications compliment the data provided by the wrist devices. For instance, you can use routes saved by other users at your destination to plan your exercises and find new, interesting ways to develop your physical health.” ●

Coach on your wrist and in your pocket Wrist devices come in many shapes and styles, and there’s one for every purpose: they range

PRODUCED BY TAKEOFF CONSULTING GROUP (PART OF CALCUS.COM )

POLAR is a global pioneer in heart rate measurement and wearables. In 1977, the founders of Polar developed the first wireless heart rate monitor in the world, so the innovation turns 40 next year!

Technology and physiology meet at Polar’s own, strong scientific research unit that is behind all Polar products and services.

TAKEOFF FINLAND

AND THE WINNER IS...

The Finnair mobile app wins a Red Dot award! Download the app and use it to check in, get flight alerts, and store your boarding passes.

TEXT BY AMANDA SOILA PHOTOS BY VISIT FINLAND

JUSSI HELTTUNEN

HONOURS

Nature’s playground

ACCORDING TO Lonely ­Planet’s Best in Travel guide and National ­Geographic’s “Best Trips” list, 2017 will be the year of Finland. These two awards send a unanimous message: It’s nature that makes Fin-

land a must-visit destination right now.

Some 68 per cent of the country is covered by forest (mainly evergreen pine and spruce), making it the most heavily forested country in Europe. ­Finland also takes

good care of its green zones and there are loads of national parks that ensure biodiversity and give people a chance to enjoy the undisrupted wilderness.

Here are some of the wild highlights:

TOP 4 EXPERIENCES

WINTER SPORTS This year the country will host the World Figure Skating Championships (in Helsinki) and the Nordic World Ski Championships (in Lahti).

26 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

LIGHT AND DARK In Lapland it’s possible to see the Northern Lights up to 200 nights a year, whereas in the summer there’s virtually 24 hours of daylight.

ARTO LIITI

MARKUS KIILI

TOBIAS MEYER

TREKKING HAVEN Finland has 40 national parks ideal for hiking and outdoor activities.

The newest, Hossa in eastern Finland, joins the ranks this year.

GO OFFLINE The country’s hiking areas cater to the growing trend of silence-seekers, while the village of Torassieppi offers digital detox retreats with a Laplandish twist.

MY FINNISH FAVOURITES

100 years Blue Wings salutes Finland’s centenary by ­spotlighting iconic Finnish design ­and ­products throughout the year. suomifinland100.fi

COMPILED BY AMANDA SOILA

4

In this series, the Blue Wings team shares their best-loved Finnish keepsakes.

1

2

6

3

5 7

PURE ALLURE

Into the woods we go 1. There’s spring in the air in Polkka Jam’s illustrated calendar for 2017. Polkkajam.com 2. Osmia’s deadwood-scented candle taps into the rather unusual charm of a rainy forest.

Osmia.fi 3. Finnish cottage life is the star of Kauniste’s lovable Mökkilä prints. Kauniste.com 4. Marimekko’s Veljekset (Brothers) print comes to life at the Lux Helsinki light festival.

Marimekko.com 28 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

5. Flow Cosmetic’s latest “Wilderness” line of organic beauty products gain their strength from berry oils. Flowkosmetiikka.fi 6. The adorable winter addition to the Moomin cup collection brings a bit of a fairytale winter wonderland to the breakfast table.

Iittala.fi 7. Nord-T’s handcrafted teas fuse Nordic forest berries with green or black tea and quirky names. Nord-t.com

Amanda Soila is the producer of Blue Wings and a big fan of urban wilderness and all things sustainable.

OMA SÄNKY. PARAS SÄNKY. SÄÄDETTÄVÄ VUODE NYT TAVALLISEN VUOTEEN HINNALLA!

180 x 200 cm, norm. 5.520 € NYT 3.190 €

Hyvä uni on yksi elämän tärkeimmistä asioista. Jensen on parantanut ihmisten nukkumista ja unenlaatua jo vuodesta 1947.

Diplomat Dream on Jensenin säädettävien vuoteiden klassinen malli, joka sisältää kaikki olennaisimmat toiminnot. Huolellisesti valittujen materiaalien lisäksi tässä vuoteessa on Jensen® Original -vyöhykejärjestelmä, jossa on pehmeä hartiavyöhyke ja sisäänrakennettu ristiseläntuki. Headrest-toiminto mahdollistaa sen, että niskasi ja pääsi ovat aina hyvässä asennossa kun istut vuoteessa. Mukana myös muistitoiminto oman suosikkiasennon tallennukseen. Nuku aina parasta unta omassa vuoteessasi.

ESPOO | HELSINKI | HÄMEENLINNA | JYVÄSKYL Ä | KOUVOL A | KUOPIO | L AHTI | L APPEENRANTA MIKKELI | OULU | PORI | PORVOO | ROVANIEMI | SEINÄ JOKI | TAMPERE | T URKU | VAASA | VANTAA

MAKERS OF FINLAND

DESIGN DEALS Check out the range of Finnish design icons from the renewed Finnair Shop.­ Special offers for Finnair Plus members! finnairshop.com

TEXT AND PHOTO BY LAURA IISALO

ARCHITECTURAL VISIONARY

Rebel with a cause Architect Marco Casagrande does not limit himself to one discipline. Instead, he blends landscape architecture, environmental design, art, and science with a focus on the bigger picture. His goal is nothing less ambitious than changing the way we live. “Already as a student I had this idealistic vision that an architect is a guardian of the truth who communicates both with people and with nature – a bit like a shaman,” he says.

Fresh out of university, Casagrande realised that nobody wanted to hire a shaman, and so he decided to quit the profession altogether. With his former classmate Sami Rintala he created one last work, an installation titled “Land(e)scape” in 1999. The installation attracted international attention and the duo was invited to take part in the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which spawned further international projects.

Now, 18 years later, Casagrande teaches at academic institutions around the world and runs a Helsinki-based practice developing novel building methods that challenge current societal structures. In 2014 he launched Paracity, a wooden bio-urban modular framework that allows people to build their own affordable housing and plantations – or a high tech slum as described by Casagrande. Although his approach to design is foremost sustainable, Casagrande prefers the word “normal.” “Wood is our most abundant natural resource. My chief interest is connecting cities as part of nature,” he says. casagrandelaboratory.com

Marco Casagrande, the laureate of the UNESCO Global Award for Sustainable Architecture 2015, was photographed at G Livelab, one of his latest projects, which was constructed using recycled urban waste.

30 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

In this series we meet the bright young talents of Nordic design.

FLASH FORWARD

Three rising Finnish photography stars share the stories behind their winning shots.

TEXT BY KATJA PANTZAR

32 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

MIKKO LAGERSTEDT

JANUARY 2017

BLUE WINGS

33

MERI BJÖRN

KONSTA PUNKKA’S 3 TIPS FOR GETTING A GOOD PHOTO:

1

Planning A good nature photo requires forethought. Don’t just point and shoot, consider composition, where the light is coming from, and what you want to capture in the image.

2

Different heights If you always take your photos from the same height, they will have a tendency to look the same. Climb up, crouch down, and move around.

3

Use different lenses If that’s not an option move closer, move away, and vary the distances between you and your subject. instagram.com/kpunkka

Konsta Punkka uses about five cameras at any given time and says it doesn’t matter to him whether he’s shooting with a Canon, a Nikon, or something else – so as long as it does the job.

THE SQUIRREL WHISPERER

Y

oung photographer Konsta Punkka is on the verge of a major milestone: His closeups of wild animals and nature are set to clock up more than one million Instagram followers.

That volume has parlayed the 23-year-old Finn into a social media influencer, a shutterbug who is offered plum assignments from road tripping along America’s West Coast for Range Rover to capturing the raw natural beauty of the far North for travel guide Visit Finland.

Why are his photos of Finnish wildlife and nature so popular?

34 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

“Many people don’t have the opportunity to experience nature first-hand. I think there’s something universally reassuring about images of wildlife and natural landscapes, regardless of what else is happening in the world,” says Punkka, who receives hundreds of messages weekly from fans.

In person Punkka is boyish, tall, and slender with an up-sweep of light auburn hair. At first glance, he’s reminiscent of a modern-day Tintin – the fictitious reporter who travelled the world in Hergé’s The Adventures of Tintin comic albums. But while Tintin’s colonial era adventures illustrate a lack of respect towards the animal kingdom, Punkka, who is known

KONSTA PUNKKA

as “the squirrel whisperer” for his ability to get close to animals, says he is very concerned about the wellbeing of the animals he photographs.

“I never reveal the exact locations where I take photos of animals, and I want to ensure that the animals I work with remain wild and don’t become dependent on me,” he says.

As for his secret in getting so close to squirrels, foxes, bears, and other creatures – the answer is simple. “Patience,” says Punkka, who often spends hours and even days camped out in the woods waiting for wildlife to appear.

For the future, Punkka’s sights are set on new destinations including Africa, Asia, and Japan: “I’m hoping to photograph rare and endangered animals including the puma and panda.”

No doubt they will be Instagram hits, too.

INSPIRING EXPLORATION This month the Finnish K grocery store chain rolls out a series of reusable shopping bags emblazoned with Konsta Punkka’s photos of the Finnish bear and snowy deer.

Punkka and fellow photographer Mikko Lagerstedt are the two stars of the new Exploring Earth documentary by the Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle). The five-part series travels to the world’s premiere nature destinations such as Patagonia and offers behind-the-scenes footage of the hard work, skill, and endurance that go into creating Punkka and Lagerstedt’s breath-taking photos.

JANUARY 2017

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MIKKO LAGERSTEDT

THE SURREAL STORYTELLER

A

gainst the brilliant backdrop of the Northern Lights phenomenon that paints the sky dazzling shades of yellow, orange, and green, a human silhouette stands on a rock near the shoreline of a lake. Illuminated Night, the awe-inspiring image, is by photographer Mikko Lagerstedt. And like virtually all of his work, the evocative photo conveys a story-like, otherworldly quality.

“In my photos, I try to capture a certain kind of atmosphere, feeling, and light,” says Lagerstedt. “I sometimes merge two images together that were taken in the same location, sometimes at different times of the day – for example, just after sunset and

36 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

then at night with a sky full of stars.”

Some of Lagerstedt’s photos shine with optimism.

Others convey a haunting sense of solitude such as his Alone image set which he attributes to the loss he suffered when he was 20 and his best friend died.

And like Punkka, Lagerstedt, 34, has more than 900,000 followers on social media, but his are on Facebook. Lagerstedt is also poised to surpass the one million mark in 2017.

For Lagerstedt, who is self-taught, a love of nature brought him to photography about eight years ago when he was driving through the Finnish countryside on a summer evening.

“After a rainy day, the sun started shining and there

MIKKO LAGERSTEDT

MIKKO LAGERSTEDT’S 3 TIPS FOR CAPTURING A STARRY NIGHT

1 2 3

Gear Ensure you have the right kind of equipment, from a good camera body and lenses to a tripod.

Watch the light Scout a location that has low light pollution, usually at least 20 kilometres from a city.

Mikko Lagerstedt uses two cameras, the Nikon D810 and the Nikon D800.

MIKKO LAGERSTEDT

was a mist rising in the fields. I just had to stop and watch that beautiful moment. I realised then that that’s what I want to do: capture these kinds of moments,” says Lagerstedt, who is originally from the small town of Kauhava in Southern Ostrobothnia.

Along with many international awards, Lagerstedt won second place in the Nikon Photo Contest a few years ago for Moody Water, an image of a lone rower on Tuusulanjärvi Lake, close to where Lagerstedt lives.

Licenses for his images have been sold for use in everything from dairy products to mobile phone wallpapers and even as the backdrop for a South Korean movie theatre screen. In addition to instructional guides on how to take photos, Lagerstedt sells downloadable e-books such as his Star Photography Masterclass and high-quality prints of his works, which are ordered from around the world from the US to Asia.

What lies at the heart of a great shot?

“Using different perspectives and locations, and different times of day such as early morning, evening, and night,” he says.

But above all, says Lagerstedt, “consider feedback from others, but listen to your own voice and be true to it.”

The right settings Use a wide-angle lens so stars appear as dots not trails.

Always use RAW file format. mikkolagerstedt.com

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DANIEL ERNST

Eeva Mäkinen’s camera of choice is a Nikon D810.

THE WILDERNESS HOSTESS

38 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

show you the very best that nature has to offer by hosting you in the wilderness.”

Mäkinen, who radiates an infectious positive energy, devoted 2016 to travelling and organising trips in Finland. One of her favourite destinations is the magical region of Finland above the Arctic Circle, Lapland, which is often called Europe’s last wilderness.

“In Lapland, everyone finds their own place,” says Mäkinen. “There really is something for everyone and the wilderness is totally unique.”

Touring with a knowledgeable wilderness guide (or hostess) will take travellers that extra bit further.

Mäkinen recounts how she took her mother to Lapland’s Pallastunturi fells. There they hiked through snow late into the night so they could rest for a few hours in a small wilderness hut before waking up early to see the sun rise, its rays dancing over the snowdrifts.

“My mother still talks about the awe of that moment,” says Mäkinen, who captured the experience in a series of photos that quite simply make the viewer want to go there, too.

KATJA TÄHJÄ

F

ive years ago, avid traveller Eeva Mäkinen was on her way to the Galápagos Islands, considered to be one of the world’s foremost wildlife-viewing destinations.

“I decided to pick up a camera as a way to record and share memories with others, instead of buying souvenirs,” says Mäkinen. That focus helped her to launch a career as a photographer; on that trip Mäkinen started blogging about her travels and eventually sharing her images on social media, where she currently has more than 62,000 Instagram followers.

Mäkinen, 28, who is originally from Liminka in northern Finland, has lived in the US and Mexico and visited more than 60 countries. In addition to travel, her love of nature has also become a professional calling: She recently graduated as a certified wilderness guide. Yet, she prefers to call herself “a wilderness hostess.”

“When you love something dearly, you want to share it with people,” says Mäkinen, who has worked for many years organising nightclub events in Helsinki. “I wanted to use the same nightlife VIP approach – let us take care of everything for you and

Katja Pantzar Raised in Canada and based in Finland, writer and editor Katja Pantzar is currently working on a new book, 100 things to do in Helsinki (Siltala), which will be published this year.

EEVA MÄKINEN’S TOP 3 FINNISH NATURE MUST-SEES

1

EEVA MÄKINEN

Tammela, an hour’s drive from Helsinki

UKK National Park - One of Finland’s largest protected areas is a great place to experience Lapland and see the Northern Lights.

2

Pallastunturi Fells, a group of seven fells in the municipalities of Muonio and Enontekiö in Lapland - From hiring a guide to the overall service offering, there truly is something for every traveller.

3

Liesjärvi and Torronsuo national parks in Tammela, about an hour and a half from Helsinki - There’s no light pollution and in the winter there’s almost guaranteed to be snow. eevamakinen.com

EEVA MÄKINEN

A wilderness hut in Lapland

FINLAND 100 YEARS Blue Wings salutes Finland’s centenary by profiling some of the most interesting creative minds of the moment and spotlighting fascinating destinations, culture, and design from Finland. suomifinland100.fi

JANUARY 2017

BLUE WINGS

39

EEVA MÄKINEN

What elements does a good photo contain?

“It captures a feeling and even different senses such as warm or cold, a scent, or a sound such as the howl of the wind,” she answers.

In addition to photography, travel writing, and wilderness guiding, Mäkinen is also working on the concept for the Eerikkilä Resort, located about a one-hour drive from Helsinki. The resort is currently upgrading its well-being and sports training facilities into a first-class nature experience getaway.

Trips planned for winter 2017 include Lapland and other parts of Finland, Norway, and the nature photographer’s dream destination of Patagonia at the southern end of South America, which is also on the roster for fellow photographers Punkka and Lagerstedt.

“I also have a feeling – I don’t know what it is yet – but there’s something special in store for 2017,” says Mäkinen, with a smile. l

The Northern Lights in Lapland’s Urho Kekkonen National Park

LUT eMBA [ Yksilöllinen valinta ] Vaihtoehtoisia teemaopintoja alkamassa Tietojohtaminen 7.3.2017 alkaen Lahdessa Hankintojen johtaminen 16.3.2017 alkaen Lahdessa LUT eMBA -ohjelman yhteiset opinnot käynnistyvät marraskuussa 2017.

LISÄTIETOJA:

LUT Täydennyskoulutus

Asiakkuuspäällikkö Sari Valkeapää sari.valkeapaa@lut.fi

lut.fi/mba

Rohkeat ajattelevat toisin. Ole yksi meistä.

Health & Wellbeing

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Finnish berries

come packed with vitamins FINNISH BERRIES ARE SPECIAL FOR MANY REASONS. THE CLEARLY DIFFERENT SEASONS IN THE NORTH AND THE CLEAN NORDIC NATURE MAKE FOR A PERFECT ENVIRONMENT FOR GROWING BERRIES.

“T

he Nordic conditions offer the best possible conditions for growing tasty berries with a high nutritional value. Thanks to the commitment and professionalism of the producers, the end results are amazing,” states Pakkasmarja CEO Matti Leinonen.

Berries are full of different vitamins, fiber and other crucial nutrients. However, some of the nutrients disappear if the berries are heated.

“According to studies, Finnish berries are so clean there is no need to heat them. This is the best way to preserve their flavor and nutrients,” Leinonen explains.

The unique strawberry flavour is created by the magnificent nature and the expertise of the families that grow the berries. Watch a mini film about the Suonenjoki Strawberry.

Before Pakkasmarja, there were strawberries.

Strawberry farming was established in Suonenjoki in Eastern Finland a century ago, and now a video covering its history has been published to celebrate the anniversary. You can view the video of the Red Diamond of Suonenjoki through the QR code or on our website at www.pakkasmarja.fi.

Nowadays, the company also works to protect and develop the cultivation of berries in Finland.

Its operations are based on collaboration, and networks are constantly expanded.

“Food bloggers Virpi Mikkonen and Tuulia Talvio have created a fantastic collection of

different berry-based feel-good recipes for us. In keeping with current trends, the recipes contain no dairy products, gluten or white sugar,” Leinonen explains excitedly. ●

On the Pakkasmarja web site you will find Vaneljan & Tuulia -berry-based feel-good recipes - without gluten, dairy products and white sugar.

PRODUCED BY TAKEOFF CONSULTING GROUP (PART OF CALCUS.COM )

TOP5 JFK

Fin nai r fl to Ne i w Y es da ily finn ork Cit air y. .co m

New York City burger joints

1

BARE TO BE DIFFERENT At eco-conscious Bareburger, the focus is on custom-building your own organic burger. Firstly decide on the meat, then pick your bun, cheese, bacon, and sauce. Lastly choose a drink. What makes Bareburger stand out is their menu of exotic meats such as bison, elk, and ostrich, which is a particularly healthy option being high in protein and low in cholesterol. All their meats are humanely raised free-range animals that eat the foods they would naturally eat in the wild like organic barley, snow peas, and alfalfa.

Bareburger, Upper East Side bareburger.com

42 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

There’s literally thousands of places to buy a burger in the Big Apple, but here are five of the most atmospheric for the carnivore in you.

TEXT BY ANDREW MARSHALL PHOTOS BY PAUL MARSHALL

2

DINER DINNER Situated near the Williamsburg Bridge is a Brooklyn institution known as Diner. The quintessential American diner features booths and a long bar counter with a row of chrome swivel stools running alongside. Diner serves a selection of dishes and daily specials, which the waiters and waitresses recite while writing down the details on napkins in front of you. The refreshingly simple burger consists of a good quality bun, slice of cheddar, and freshly-ground perfectly cooked grass-fed beef.

Diner, Brooklyn dinernyc.com

3

BURGER INSTITUTION This grandaddy of NYC burger joints has occupied the same tavern site in West Greenwich Village for nearly a century. Seating is hard to come by and the place is usually abuzz with burger aficionados. Popular choices from the old-fashioned menu board include the Bistro Burger (8 oz. burger with American cheese and crispy bacon) and the Chili Burger (8 oz. cheeseburger topped with homemade chili).

There may be better burgers in New York, but none more famous and with as much history.

Corner Bistro, West Greenwich Village cornerbistrony.com

4

BURGER IN THE CITY Located in the swanky foyer of the Le Parker Meridian Hotel in Manhattan, the Burger Joint is no ordinary place.

Down a dimly-lit corridor, only a neon hamburger sign indicates what lies beyond velvet curtains. Inside the windowless room, posters of the Sopranos and Sex and the City adorn graffiti-strewn walls above leatherette booths, where customers enjoy a menu of burgers, fries, and milkshakes. Butchers grind the meat fresh on site and the ratio of fat to lean is what makes the burger unbelievably good.

Burger Joint, Manhattan parkermeridien.com/eat/burger-joint/

5

VINTAGE BURGERS Famous for its kitschy décor, the Trailer Park Lounge & Grill in Chelsea is crammed with vintage Americana memorabilia. Drink in the atmosphere from the 22-seater bar which dispenses ice cold beer and margarita pitchers, and from the kitchen comes hearty and comforting fare. One of the standout dishes is the “Mother-in-Law’s Revenge Burger” topped with American cheese, chili, jalapeños, and sour cream served with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and sweet potato fries.

Trailer Park Lounge & Grill, Chelsea trailerparklounge.com

JANUARY 2017

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EUROPEAN VOICES

BY ALEXANDER STUBB

The power of language

O

ver the past ten years that I have not picked up more languages.

I have had the joy and But which lingua francas are considered privilege to speak at to be the most important? I actually think more than 150 schools. all languages are an important part of hisThese events are often tory, culture, and expression, but the WEF the highlight of my work- study makes a useful ranking based on 20 ing week. Nothing like an open, curious, indicators. It argues that the ten most useyoung mind to get you going. I learn a lot ful languages in the world are (in order of every time. importance): English, Mandarin, French, In every talk I stress the importance of Spanish, Arabic, Russian, German, Japanese, learning languages. I do not do it to please Portuguese, and Hindi. teachers, or because I come from a bilinLanguage matters for many reasons. One gual Finnish-Swedish background. I do it is its link to competitiveness, as eight of the because I believe in the power of languages. world’s biggest financial centres function in The more languages you know, the more English. London and New York are the largopen the world becomes for study, work, est, while Singapore and Hong Kong, which travel, and more. have English-lanAgainst this guage infrastrucbackground I tures, are bigger QUITE SIMPLY, IT PAYS TO was happy to than Tokyo.

STUDY LANGUAGES. come across a There is ­naturally study by the an English-­speaking World Ecobias among the nomic Forum (WEF) about the global elite. Many of the countries with world’s most powerful languages. high GDP figures or relative wealth also There are about 6,000 languages show proficiency in English, either as a first in the world: 2,000 are spoken by or second language. The same goes for the fewer than 1,000 people. And the Internet and many developments in infortop 15 languages are spoken by half mation technology. of the world’s population.

A more interesting question is to try to According to the study, languages figure out what the language map will look provide us with five opportunities: like in 2050. The WEF study predicts that geography, economy, communication, the order of importance will be as follows: knowledge and media, and diplomacy.

English, Mandarin, Spanish, French, Arabic, The ability to work within these realms Russian, German, Portuguese, Hindi, and by understanding and engaging takes Japanese. the multilingual person much further Thus from my personal experience and than somebody who only speaks one the WEF study I would draw three conclulanguage. sions for my next talk at a school: It pays to I agree with all of these claims. I study languages; the more languages you am grateful that my parents always know, the better; it’s time to learn Spanish told me to study languages. I speak or Mandarin. l Finnish, Swedish, English, G ­ erman, and French. They have been immensely helpful over the years, Alexander Stubb is Finland’s former be it with studying, understanding, prime minister and has been a regular Blue or diplomacy. My only regret is Wings columnist since 2005.

44 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

DESTINATION JAPAN

T R N

to ies r fl ily. i a n a Fin kyo d m o .co T air finn

46 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

JAPAN’S DOWNHILL PARADISE TEXT BY JAAKKO JÄRVENSIVU PHOTOS BY JUHA LAINE

With its rich history, hot onsen baths and superb skiing, Japanese Snow Country makes a fascinating destination for a ski break with added discovery value.

JANUARY 2017

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Nozawa Onsen is a ­traditional Japanese village with worldclass skiing.

I

t’s two am and dark outside. I watch heavy, wet snowflakes gently floating down in the halo of a solitary street lamp outside our traditional ryokan-style room. We have just arrived in Nozawa Onsen in Nagano Prefecture on the main island of Honshu, right in the heart of Japanese Snow Country.

We wake early the next morning, eager to see how much snow has accumulated during the night. Carrying our skis through the narrow, maze-like streets of the village centre, we see few other skiers. The ancient Japanese buildings and the whiff of sulphur rising from the local bathhouses create a unique atmosphere rarely found in any other ski resort – even in Japan.

Nozawa is not your typical ski resort. Although it is the birthplace of Japanese skiing – dating back just over 100 years – the resort’s hot springs are believed to have been discovered in 700 AD. Ever since, people have been coming here to enjoy the healing powers of the hot sulphurous waters. In addition to the hotel-owned onsens or hotsprings, there are 13 communal bathhouses scattered around the village. Called soto-yu, these beautiful historical bathhouses are a popular way to complete a day of skiing – especially as admission is free.

48 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

People have been coming here to enjoy the healing powers of the hot sulphurous waters.

CHAMPAGNE POWDER SNOW The view from the sunny top of Mount Kenashi at 1,650 metres is nothing short of spectacular: 30 centimetres of fresh champagne powder covers the forested slopes, which offer a 180-degree panoramic view of the Japanese Alps.

Skiing down the crystal-like snow requires almost effortless turning. As we ski the glades, we quickly learn that the runs near the top and middle of the mountain tend to be on the easy side, while the slopes nearer the village are steep and often covered with moguls at the end of the day. If the black runs seem daunting, the green runs zigzagging down either side of the mountain offer plenty of fun for skiers of all abilities. The steep mogul runs really test your quads: It comes as no surprise that several Olympic athletes and world cup skiers hail from these parts.

Caption Myoko

The food market by Ogama’s hot springs is not your typical ski town setting.

Walking back to the village after a tiring day of skiing, we marvel at the ancient Yuzawa Shrine with its pagoda roof and the beautiful setting of the Ogama hot springs, where villagers cook onsen tamago eggs and nozawana, a pickled leafy vegetable and local specialty, in piping hot, 90-degree Celsius water. We stop at St. Anton café on the main street of Oyu Dori for steamed Oyaki buns which, judging by the queues, are as popular as they are delicious.

Nozawa, an area steeped in history and culture, has been spared over-development, says Mark Baum from Nozawa Holidays: “It’s a quiet farming town most of the time, so we really appreciate visitors who are mindful of the unique environment and customs.

We want it to retain its identity as an environmentally sustainable traditional Japanese village that happens to offer some world-class skiing.”

ON THE MYOKO EXPRESS Our next destination is Myoko Kogen, an internationally famed powder hot spot. The distance from Nozawa Onsen to Myoko takes 90 minutes on the famous Shinkansen bullet train. We arrive in Akakura Onsen in the middle of a blizzard, the town’s neon signs winking behind tall snow banks – a classic

WHAT IS SNOW COUNTRY? The term “snow country,” yukiguni, refers to areas characterised by heavy, long-lasting snowfalls. In its broadest sense, it means the belt along the Sea of Japan from Yamaguchi in the south to Honshū’s northern tip, as well as Sado Island and Hokkaidō. The area is among the snowiest in the world, with snow depths of four to five metres being common.

The abundant snowfall is the result of cold winds blowing from Siberia and picking up moisture from the Sea of Japan, the snow being dumped from moisture-laden clouds as they bump against Japan’s mountain ranges. In the old days this meant endless snow clearing and sometimes being cut off from the outside world. Today the government pays subsidies to heavy snowfall zones for road-melting sprinklers, heated roads, and roadside water channels.

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LOCAL HIGHLIGHTS SNOW MONKEY PARK Ever since LIFE magazine ran a cover photo of Japan’s outdoor-bathing macaque monkeys in 1970, the snow monkeys of Jigokudani Yaenkoen Park have enjoyed international stardom. The park originally opened in 1964 together with the local ski resort.

It takes roughly 80 minutes to get from Nozawa Onsen and Myoko to the Snow Monkey Park bus stop, from where it’s a five-minute walk to the village of Kanbayashi Onsen, followed by another 25-minute walk through the forest to see the monkeys. Kanbayashi Onsen is an elegant hotel with ryokan-style rooms, outdoor hot baths, and a ramen restaurant whose chef previously worked in a Michelin-star restaurant.

Tickets cost 500 yen (about four euros) for adults and 250 yen for children.

SPIRITED AWAY BY SHIBU ONSEN Situated just ten minutes by bus from Kanbayashi Onsen and the Snow Monkey Park, the Shibu Onsen resort in Yudanaka makes for a great stopover. Packed with ancient Japanese buildings and visitors clad in traditional kimonos and sandals with wooden platforms, Shibu Onsen feels almost like a real-life movie set.

Like Nozawa Onsen, Shibu Onsen also has public bathhouses that are free of charge. Also worth a visit is the local Tamamura Honten Sake brewery, which has been producing local beer and sake for more than 200 years.

For special accommodation, try the 250+ year old Kanaguya Hotel, which dates to the Edo period. Situated on a narrow street right in the centre of Shibu Onsen, the hotel is said to have provided inspiration for Hayao Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli animated movie masterpiece Spirited Away. The hotel features nine baths, five of which are private: You can reserve one for yourself or your group.

One night costs around 20,000 yen per person, including breakfast and dinner.

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J­ apanese ski image seen in ski magazines around the world.

On arrival at the Red Warehouse guesthouse, we are greeted by its Australian host Nic Klar and his family. Klar settled in Japan after marrying Myokoborn Mami Klar, whom he met on a ski trip in the mid-90s. Together they have been running the familyfriendly Red Warehouse for two years now. Klar also keeps himself busy running the most popular English website covering the area, Destination Myokokogen.

Through his work for the website, Klar has had a front row seat on the local ski industry. The Japanese ski boom that began in Australia during the late 2000s was first visible in the resorts of Hokkaidō, particularly Niseko. Soon skiers wanted to visit and see other places, and because Klar’s Destination Myokokogen was the only website providing information in English, Myoko began to attract foreign visitors.

Despite its rising popularity, Myoko is still far from crowded, says Klar. “Ten years ago, when I saw a foreigner, I went over and said ‘hi’. And the foreigner was most likely an English teacher or an expat.” Today foreigners, especially Australians and Scandinavians, are clearly visible on the streets of Myoko.

The Myoko ski area comprises five small, privatelyowned ski resorts situated around the towering peak of 2,454 metres Mount Myoko, an active volcano.

Unlike in Europe, where a lift ticket might connect ski resorts in several different valleys, you must buy a separate ticket for each area, with the joint ticket for Akakura Kanko and Akakura Onsen being the only exception.

Welcome to Myoko!

OFF-PISTE POLICY

Japan is famous for its deep powder snow, and local resorts are marketed as “powder heaven” for foreign visitors. Unlike in the Alps, where you can ski in most places at your own peril, Japan has a similar system to the US, with roped-off ski area boundaries and a ski patrol that controls them.

One exception is Madarao ski resort situated some 20 kilometres southeast of Myoko on the border of Niigata and Nagano, which has embraced off-piste skiing and snowboarding more than many other resorts in Japan. The resort has cut down trees to create special tree skiing areas, carrying names like Crystal Bowl and Powder Wave.

Just another happy day on the way to the slopes in Akakura Onsen.

Established back in the 1930s, Akakura Onsen is the oldest ski resort in Myoko, having already drawn travellers as a hot spring resort since 1816. With its gentle slopes, it is regarded as a family-oriented resort, although the area also has challenging slopes and powder stashes.

Akakura Kanko (or Shinakakura) followed suit in 1937 by building Japan’s first luxury mountain hotel and ski JANUARY 2017

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NOZAWA ONSEN

This popular ski and hot spring resort situated in the northern part of Japan’s main island, Honshu, lies some 46 kilometres northeast of the city of Nagano.

It is regarded as the birthplace of Japanese skiing and its hot springs were arguably discovered in the 8th century. The 13 communal bathhouses and beautiful old village make for a unique experience.

The resort is known for its abundant snowfall: The area receives more than ten metres of snow annually and requires no artificial snow for grooming slopes. According to Mark Baum, owner of Nozawa Holidays, it offers something for all levels of skiers.

There are 44 slopes and 21 lifts marked on the trail map. A one-day ski pass costs 4,800 yen for adults and 2,200 yen for children under 15. nozawaholidays.com

Shinya on his home turf in Suginohara.

area resort. The hotel remains a landmark and boasts some of the best free-ride terrain in Myoko.

MYOKO

The Myoko ski area comprises five small privatelyowned ski resorts situated around Mount Myoko.

“Myoko is good for families and those who like offpiste and powder. If you’re looking for good backcountry, then this is a good place,” says local entrepreneur Nic Klar. “The area has more to offer food lovers than those looking for night clubs.”

MYOKO SKI RESORTS: Suginohara: 5 lifts, 16 slopes Ikenotaira: 6 lifts, 11 slopes Akakura Kanko: 7 lifts, 10 slopes Akakura Onsen: 14 lifts, 17 slopes Seki Onsen: 2 lifts, 4 slopes A day pass costs between 3,500 and 4,500 yen for adults, depending on the resort. red-warehouse.com, itadaki-tours.com

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JAPANESE SOUL FOOD Suginohara is the southernmost of Myoko’s ski resorts. It is also the highest, with a top lift elevation of 1,800 metres and a vertical drop of 1,124 metres, which is marketed as the second biggest vertical in Japan.

In the sunny parking lot we meet Shinya, one of the owners and guides of Itadaki Tours. Shinya grew up in Myoko and has been riding these hills for more than 20 years. After reaching the top, we follow him as he fluidly navigates his way around bushes and branches that in a normal year would be blanketed in snow.

As we continue the run, Shinya makes his way through the forest, finding small curves and mini half-pipes along the way. The run is not very steep and there is fresh, boot-deep snow, so we descend rapidly. Later, we stop for a break in a sunny glade and Shinya offers me fresh coffee from his thermos. I find it hard to stop smiling.

After we finish skiing, we enter a small, crowded restaurant called Asagao, one of Shinya’s favourites.

Specialising in yakitori, it serves what Shinya calls “Japanese soul food.”

We somehow manage to find empty stools at the

Above: Situated just off the main street, Yuzawa Shrine is a great after-ski walking destination.

Left: Hearty soba, udon, and ramen soups make for a delicious and inexpensive meal.

bar, affording us front row seats to watch the cooks in action preparing dishes the traditional way on a charcoal grill. As we wait we order a glass of umeshu, a Japanese plum wine with a subtle sour taste.

Yakitori basically consists of different kinds of meat on a wooden skewer, dipped in a special sauce and

then braised on a charcoal grill. It is usually inexpensive and since the skewers are modest in size, it makes sense to try different meats. I order fatty pork, liver, and heart and enjoy all three with gusto – nothing beats barbeque as the perfect way to wind up a great day of skiing in Snow Country. l JANUARY 2017

Jaakko Järvensivu Armed with skis and a book by award-winning Japanese writer Yasunari Kawabata, Jaakko arrived in Snow Country and was delighted to find a unique ski destination boasting a rich history and culture.

Juha Laine is a former heavy metal singer, so it was only natural that the ski photographer visited Japan, a country known for devoted metal fans and deep powder.

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DESTINATION ICELAND

NATURAL HIGHS For a one-day tour of Iceland’s geographic highlights, the Golden Circle Tour can be made by car or bus. The popular route takes adventurers to the Gullfoss waterfalls and the Haukadalur geothermal area. At the latter, geyser Strokkur (pictured) erupts about every six to ten minutes at heights of up to 20 metres, drawing a seemingly permanent crowd of onlookers.

Walking towards the Gullfoss waterfalls, it first appears as though the Hvítá (White) River simply vanishes into the earth. Like many of Iceland’s natural sights, there’s also a surprise in store here as the very powerful waterfall – 2000 cubic metres per second fed by the second biggest glacier Langjökull – comes rushing down the ravine. re.is

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KE F

Fin n Re air fli ykj es to tim avik f du rin es a w our gt ee h finn e sum k air .co mer. m

OUTDOORSY ICELAND Bundle up and head out for these magical must-sees on the Nordic island country where lunar landscapes meet urban delights.

TEXT BY KATJA PANTZAR PHOTOS BY RAGNAR TH SIGURDSSON AND KATJA PANTZAR

WONDER OF THE WORLD

Savvy travellers pre-book the airport bus so that on arrival at Keflavik International Airport they can head directly to Iceland’s Blue Lagoon for some soothing post-flight hydrotherapy.

Unlike many popular tourist destinations, the Blue Lagoon truly lives up to the hype.

The lagoon, a large geothermal pool where waters are between 37 and 40 degrees Celsius, features an array of naturally occurring silica, algae, and minerals that will leave skin feeling smooth and body and soul relaxed.

Though the Blue Lagoon is pricier than many of the island’s other geothermal springs, it’s well worth the cost for the unforgettable experience and the well-organised set-up that includes changing rooms and showers, on-site restaurants, and a gift shop that even sells plastic mobile phone covers so that social mediaphiles can share their geothermal moments with the world.

Prices start at €40 through various operators; pre-booking is required. bluelagoon.com

LIGHT FANTASTIC No visit to Iceland is complete without a stroll through eminently walk-able and compact Reykjavik, the world’s northernmost capital. On the shores of its harbour lies one of the city’s architectural highlights, the Harpa Concert Hall.

Co-designed by renowned Danish-Icelandic visual artist Olafur Eliasson, the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre is comprised of futuristic-looking cubes of glass that make the light refract and dance in a magical way.

Home to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera, Harpa is open to the public and has on-site galleries, gift shops, a café, and restaurants including Kolabrautin, which serves up fresh Icelandic ingredients with a Mediterranean twist. en.harpa.is

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Coffee stop: Joe & the Juice in central Reykjavik (pictured) or at the airport

WHERE CONTINENTS MEET At Þingvellir National Park, which can be viewed as part of the Golden Circle Tour or visited separately, the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet and separate on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Well-marked paths take walkers from the well-stocked gift shop and café to Alþing; a wooden viewing plat-

form marks the spot where the national parliament of Iceland was first established in 930 and continued to meet – outdoors – until 1798.

Against the backdrop of the black lava Almannagjá gorge, the open-air assembly is just one of the many highlights of this World Heritage site, which is about 50 kilometres from the capital.

Handmade baby booties at Þingvellir National Park’s well-stocked gift shop

COLD FACTS STREET ART Though graffiti is forbidden, street art is welcome in Reykjavik and is created together with home or building owners.

In the city centre, the streets in and around the main thoroughfare of Laugavegur host a lively range of murals, adding just the right artistic edge to the creative city on the sea.

ATTIRE The popular Icelandic saying is apt: “If you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes.” Year-round, it’s advisable to pack waterproofs and warm clothing that can be layered up or down depending on the temperature: The average Reykjavik temperature is about 0 degrees Celsius in December and 10-13 degrees Celsius in July. Good walking shoes are recommended.

GOOD TO KNOW Since the 2008 currency crash, the overall level of prices has dropped. But Iceland is not a cheap destination – it is an island and many items have to be shipped in. In 2015 it was ranked as the world’s fourth most expensive country to live in.

117 Iceland Krona = 1 euro Population: 330,000 people visiticeland.com

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SENSIBLE SOUVENIRS Laugavegur – Reykjavik’s main shopping, bar, and nightclub street – offers an excellent selection of boutiques that sell Icelandic wares ranging from fashion and accessories to outdoor gear and crafts.

For one-stop shopping, Iceland’s oldest and largest bookseller Eymundson stocks a great selection of magazines and books such as bestselling author Sigurgeir Sigurjónsson’s compact Iceland Small World, as well as sensible souvenirs from locally-made chocolate to woollen hats, mitts, and baby booties.

Further down the same street, café Joe & the Juice provides a good spot to stop for a fresh fruit or veggie smoothie and, of course, a cup of Joe. eymundsson.is

Young visitors to Slush 2016 in Helsinki experience virtual travel using VR headsets.

TAKING FLIGHT WITH VIRTUAL REALITY Finnair’s pioneering use of VR to demonstrate its new aircraft is one of an exciting range of applications for this technology.

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY TIM BIRD

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Slush 2016 lured startups, entrepreneurs, and established enterprises from across the world.

I

was standing on the airborne wing of a Finnair Airbus A350 XWB, concentrating hard on not losing my balance and toppling down onto the cushion of cloud, when I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder and a whisper in my ear. Suddenly I was back in my Business class seat and surveying the calm, soft lighting of the passenger cabin. Then I put down my handheld “joysticks,” lifted away my headphones and Virtual Reality headset, and the actual reality of Helsinki’s Fair Centre came gushing back in.

I was experiencing the highly convincing simulation of the latest additions to Finnair’s fleet at the Slush 2016 start-up conference in Helsinki, where established companies showcased their latest technologies alongside hopeful newcomers. Finnair was taking the opportunity to demonstrate how it is using Virtual Reality (VR) to promote products and services.

“It’s the next best thing to actually being on board one of our new aircraft,” says Katri Harra-Salonen, chief digital officer at Finnair. “Using VR gives our stakeholders and customers the opportunity to experience our new products, so customers can see what it’s like even from outside the flight. It’s something we will use at trade and travel fairs.”

CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY The gaming industry and Hollywood are pioneers of the kind of computer-generated images that can be delivered in terms of fully believable “fiction.”

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Experiencing the next generation of flying at Finnair’s Slush 2016 stand.

The VIVE solution developed by HTC and the Valve Corporation, released in 2016 and already s­ cooping industry awards, enables room-scale experiences, achieved using high-resolution VR headsets and hand consoles. This is what Finnair uses to create VR experiences of its new A350 aircraft and it means that users or customers are in charge of what they want to experience, in which order, and for how long.

“In this case VR means that we have created an exact copy of our A350 Business class where you can

VR engages people and combines physical, visual, audio, and personal experiences. move about and get the feel of how spacious and cool our new aircraft are,” explains Emmi Teräs, Finnair’s head of marketing communication.

The discerning global traveller increasingly makes his or her choice according to the type of aircraft offered by an airline, and the VR “show” is recognition of this. “This is as close as you can get to actually visiting the aircraft, giving us a lot of opportunities to engage people and communicate through the strongest of senses - physical, visual, audio and personal experience,” she says.

The travel industry has seen a range of VR solutions for marketing, promoting destinations, or simple “walk-throughs” of aircraft, for example.

“More applications will come for promotional purposes,” says Teräs. “In addition to its marketing and sales benefits, VR has the potential to contribute towards instructions for onboard procedures, or at the airport and at destinations for tour guides.”

VR GATHERING PACE An exploration of Slush 2016 revealed all sorts of other potential VR applications, as well as Augmented Reality (AR) technologies, which add digital “enhancements” to existing reality. Some industry gurus used the opportunity to make bold predictions about the technology’s future. According to David Helgason, one of the brains behind the Unity video game platform, innovations in VR will gather pace at an even faster rate than that of mobile phone technology in the last decade.

It seems appropriate, then, that Nokia, the main driver of mobile technology in its earlier heyday, has turned part of its focus to developing the world’s first professional Virtual Reality camera. Also demonstrated at Slush 2016, Nokia Technologies’ OZO is a spherical device with accompanying software that captures 360-degree video and high-quality audio, simplifying the recording process and expanding access to VR production.

Unity’s gaming technology may have set the scene for VR development, but games are only the tip of the application iceberg for both VR and AR. Training and maintenance for commercial customers will eventually make use of later incarnations of the technology as a matter of routine, thinks Zhongliang Hu, development manager of ABB in Finland.

“Using AR we’re already building applications using the Microsoft HoloLens, to assist personnel in the systems that they are working on,” says Hu,

The organisers of Slush aim to make it the world’s biggest start-up event.

A visitor to Slush immerses himself in a Virtual Reality “show” recorded using Nokia’s OZO camera.

who was among the ABB team at Slush demonstrating the technology. The HoloLens, billed as “the first self-contained holographic computer,” allows the user of the headset to interact with digital content and holograms.

“Today most of us still use a solution where you have to take a piece of paper, and follow step one, step two, and so on, and you might not even know if the instructions are up-to-date,” he says. “We can digitalise the process using Microsoft HoloLens technology, leaving your hands free to do the work.”

If these scenarios conjure up a future world in which everyone wanders about dressed in headsets, immersed in their own separate, segregated virtual realities, Finnair’s Katri Harra-Salonen offers some comfort. “Customers will be able to find out about our services using VR,” she says. “But it’s never going to replace the experience of actual flying and people are still going to want to actually travel.”

Real reality, then, has a future. l JANUARY 2017

Tim Bird is an English writer and photographer living in Finland whose latest book of photos, from Helsinki’s Suomenlinna fortress, is published in March.

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EUROPEAN VOICES

BY MARJA MAKAROW

Taming the wild

T

his autumn, a bear bedded Ten years ago, Kaimio was invited to down to sleep just around Nepal by the World Wild Life Fund to the corner of our holiday tame a herd of working elephants, which house in Ilomantsi, 500 are traditionally controlled by scaring kilometres from Helsinki them with fire. The Finnish animal psyin the easternmost corchologist was so successful with her soft ner of Finland. The locals identified the approach that she became a national imprint of the huge body in the grass. The celebrity. bears associate the scent of humans with a Tuire Kaimio is an expert on how the hearty meal, and they no longer fear peobrain works. Although behaviour can be ple: Some are even bold enough to steal modified with psychological techniques, strawberries from local gardens. Their we still do not understand the mechanisms behaviour has been that underlie thinking, altered – but not memorising, feeling, WILD BEHAVIOUR CAN BE tamed – by human and imagining.

TAMED WITH A SOFTER intervention.

Large-scale research It’s a different programmes have been APPROACH, AS story with wolves, launched on three DEMONSTRATED BY whose domesticontinents to deepen cated brothers are our understanding ANIMAL TRAINER today one of the of the functioning of TUIRE KAIMIO. world’s most poputhe brain. Japan, for lar pets. Man has example, is using anicreated hunmal models to explore dreds of dog breeds, each with its how the human mind works. A US proown distinct traits, appearance, and ject meanwhile aims to chart the activ– sadly – genetic diseases. A beast ity of the tens of billions of neurons in the once hunted for food or captured human brain. The European Union’s profor herding is now a domesticated ject is developing an ICT-based tool for pet. The ancient wild bull offers brain research and brain-inspired computthe most extreme example of ing, with the goal of applying the research “domestication”: Today we are results to the diagnosis and treatment of able to produce its meat artifibrain disorders such as dementia, Parkincially in the laboratory. son’s disease, and depression.

Castration is a widely used Humans have charted stars and every means of controlling the behavlast outpost on our planet, but the most iour of farm animals and pets. mysterious uncharted territory of all lies But wild behaviour can also be tamed right between our ears: The study of the with a softer approach, as demonstrated mind is the last true “wild” frontier in sciby animal trainer Tuire Kaimio. Using ence. l body language, sounds, and rewards, she has teased out the most amazing theatre and movie performances by horses, reindeers, dogs, birds, and even frogs. One of the famous animal actors she has trained Professor MARJA MAKAROW is director of is a lynx called Väinö, a movie star loved Biocenter Finland and the former vice president by children in many countries. While a of the Academy of Finland, the Finnish Research tasty treat is the most attractive reward for Council. She is also former chief executive of the most animals, the frog craved something European Science Foundation and vice rector of quite different: warmth. the University of Helsinki.

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NEW ROUTE

Experience the best of California next summer in San Francisco – the city of sunsets, steep streets and gorgeous views. Finnair will operate three weekly flights between Helsinki and San Francisco from 1st of June to 30th of September. Book your flights at finnair.fi

Finnair operates flights in cooperation with fellow oneworld alliance partners.

be rewardedċ be oneċ Earn and redeem Finnair Plus miles across all oneworld airlinesċ Wherever you goČ your rewards followċ Learn more at oneworldċcom

member of

be connected Welcome to oneworldČ an alliance of the worldĚs leading airlines committed to providing the highest level of service and convenience across more than āČĀĀĀ destinations worldwideċ Whenever Finnair canĚt take you to your final destinationČ we encourage you to travel with our oneworld partner airlinesċ Enjoy an array of special privileges and rewards ģ which include earning and redeeming Finnair Plus points on all oneworld airlines andČ for Finnair Plus Platinum and Gold membersČ access to some ćĆĀ premium airport loungesċ

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*Access to preferred or preġreserved seating is in accordance with the individual policy of the oneworld member airline operating the flightċ First and business class checkġin desks and lounges are not available at all airportsċ Fast track is not available at all airportsċ Priority baggage handling is not available on flights operated by British Airwaysċ Extra baggage allowance benefits differ for Sapphire and Emerald level membersċ oneworld benefits are available only to passengers on scheduled flights that are both marketed and operated by a oneworld member airline (marketed means that there must be a oneworld member airlineĚs flight number on your ticket)ċ airberlinČ American AirlinesČ British AirwaysČ Cathay PacificČ FinnairČ IberiaČ Japan AirlinesČ LATAM AirlinesČ Malaysia AirlinesČ QantasČ Qatar AirwaysČ Royal JordanianČ SĈ AirlinesČ SriLankan Airlines and oneworld are trademarks of their respective companiesċ LATAM Airlines (Paraguay) is currently not a part of oneworldċ Some limitations and exceptions may applyċ For more informationČ visit wwwċoneworldċcom/benefitsċ

be global Roundġtheġworld travel is easyČ flexible and affordable with oneworld Explorerċ Fares are based on the number of continents you visit or pass throughČ and class of travelċ Select your routeČ plan your stopoversČ even adjust your itineraryċ oneworld Explorer means ultimate flexibility and valueċ

To bookČ or to discover more multiġcontinent and singleġcontinent optionsČ visit wwwċoneworldċcom/flights

Design for an active life

New technology can contribute to greater activity and wellbeing, but the trick is making sure the entire experience is designed correctly.

TEXT BY DAVID J. CORD ILLUSTRATION BY ANNI-JULIA TUOMISTO

E

lina Björklund is apologetic.

“I spent all day Friday in the office,” she says. “But look at Sunday! We went for a long walk that day and I beat my weekly activity goal.”

Björklund is the CEO of Reima, a 70-year-old Finnish company famous for developing children’s clothing. Now they are moving beyond their tough snowsuits and jackets into connected clothing. Their first such product is the activity tracker ReimaGO, which she demonstrates.

“This is supposed to be for children,” Björklund says conspiratorially. “But I confess that I’m hooked.”

The ReimaGO sensor was developed with the Finnish tech company Suunto. Kids can wear the small round device on an armband like a watch or place it in a specially designed pocket in Reima clothes. Their activity can be seen using the mobile application, which shows trends, progress, and custom rewards.

The app displays charts and numbers, but it cleverly uses visualisation. Children can see where they started, where they are, and where they are going on a colourful map. A cartoon character moves forward with each synchronisation, demonstrating progress.

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The entire system was designed to encourage outdoor activity. All-weather clothes mean that rain or snow is never an excuse to stay inside. The sensor is made to be durable and unobtrusive, easily fitting into a pocket on the upper arm. The app was developed to be fun and rewarding for the kids, enlightening for the parents, and social for both.

“This is not a game, but it encourages activity in a gamified way,” Björklund continues. “It is extremely important to keep children active. Kids look at a smartphone instead of playing outside. We designed ReimaGO to use this tide of technology instead of fighting it.”

DESIGN VS. FUNCTIONALITY In the past it was common to see a trade-off taking place between design and functionality in connected devices. You might have a well-designed product with few features, or a great technological marvel which looked ghastly. Today, though, companies are increasingly taking pains to make sure a product is both designed well and works well.

“Basketballs with sensors inside still have to bounce correctly,” points out Kevin Krysiak, ­director of innovation for team sports at Wilson Sporting Goods.

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Wilson creates connected balls for different sports.

These balls behave just like one would expect during a game, but they also transmit data.

“Scouts and trainers want to see things like the spin rate and spiral quality of an American football when it is thrown,” Krysiak continues. “Now we have data analytics to evaluate a quarterback when before this was just done by eye.”

The technology in Wilson’s connected products might motivate people who want to see new data, but motivation is extremely complicated. In researcher Aino Ahtinen’s doctoral studies at the Tampere University of Technology she discovered clear cultural differences between how people were inspired by their mobile exercise applications. People from India liked surprise and playful elements as sources of encouragement, while people from Finland preferred to see numbers and graphs.

Other people can be a source of motivation, so designing social features can be important. One study showed that a group sharing their activity were almost twice as likely to reach their goal. Even sharing GPS data can be helpful, because someone can try a popular running route (or an unpopular one, if they prefer solitude). Designers understand how co-operation and competition can encourage activity and design the social features of their products accordingly.

The end result is that the best products tend to be designed to solve an actual problem people face.

Designers have a lot of tools available, but only use the ones which are relevant.

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START WITH THE USER There are many different types of users with different types of problems. That is the philosophy behind activity sensors by another Finnish company, Polar. For example, triathletes need more information so Polar designs larger devices to hold more sensors and a bigger battery. Basic activity trackers are lighter and more discrete.

Polar, based in Kempele, Finland, has been designing hi-tech wearables since the mid-1970s when it created the world’s first wireless heart rate monitor.

Now they develop various activity sensors, bicycle computers, and mobile apps, each designed for a different category of user.

Marco Suvilaakso, Polar’s chief strategy officer, explains that their designers try to find a balance between ergonomics, aesthetics, and functionality. A major issue is the practical constraints on users’ lifestyles. When devices need to be worn or carried, form factor – the size and shape – is critical.

“We have seen an evolution in the last ten years,” Suvilaakso says. “At first people only wanted to wear devices during training sessions, but now many want to wear them regularly. So we design products which can be used at the gym, while you are at the office, and when you are sleeping. This adds design challenges.”

In the future, Suvilaakso believes these devices will be with us continuously. They will need to properly monitor and motivate us in different environments, whether we are at work or in a sporting competition. Artificial intelligence will have evolved to better track and understand patterns as well as motivate us. So maybe in the near future our devices will be designed to give us a bit of slack over the holidays but then firmly tell us when it is time to resume an active lifestyle. l

BEHIND THE DESIGN Strategies for creating a motivational exercise app: • Support exercise with tracking, goal setting, and rewarding.

• Give advice and reminders.

• Grow and evolve with progress.

• Be sociable! Share, co-operate, and compete.

• Keep up engagement with levels, surprises, and playful features.

• Visualise exercise data and progress.

Source: Mobile Applications to Support Physical Exercise – Motivational Factors and Design Strategies (2015) by Aino Ahtinen

DESTINATION BERLIN

L X T

s to flie es r i tim na n o i F tw rlin day.

Be a om ir.c a n fin

On Devil’s Mountain: A street artist’s scathing homage to Konrad Adenauer, Germany’s first post-war Chancellor.

GHOST TOWN BERLIN Derelict hospitals, abandoned military installations, and other artfully crumbling ruins make Berlin a treasure trove for urban explorers.

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY SILJA KUDEL

JANUARY 2017

BLUE WINGS

67

L

eon, Marvin, and Dennis arrive at the wrought-iron gates of Ballhaus Grünau, a boarded-up dance pavilion on the sleepy outskirts of Berlin. Ignoring the “NO ENTRY” sign, they slip in through a gap in the wire fence. Spotting an open window at the rear, they clamber in using hook and rope.

“Watch out for broken glass!” cries Dennis, leading the others across the sagging floors with his militarygrade flashlight.

They go by first names only, because the trio are hard-core “urbexers”: people whose hobby is to document urban decay. Their idea of a fun weekend is to scout Berlin capturing footage of dilapidated architecture for their vlogs.

THE LAST DANCE In the middle of the dance floor stands a graffiti-splattered piano, the ghostly tinkle of its keys still almost audible. The atmosphere is eerie, yet hauntingly beautiful. Dating from 1890, the dance hall once drew revellers from far and wide, but today its crumbling demeanour is a forlorn echo of its lost grandeur.

“That’s exactly what appeals to us. Urbex is all about discovering Vergänglichkeit – the transience of things,” says Leon. “It’s intriguing to see how fast the decay sets in.”

Hooking up ropes to abseil into the lower sections of the building, Marvin admits to enjoying the adren-

aline rush of courting danger: “We were once arrested for trespassing. We’ve also stepped on a few nails and cut ourselves on broken glass, but risk-taking comes with the territory.”

ROLLERCOASTER MEMORIES One of Berlin’s widely followed urbex bloggers is Ciarán Fahey, author of the book Abandoned Berlin.

The Irishman’s urbex infatuation began with a visit to an abandoned fairground in Spreepark.

“I was amazed by what I found – a wonderworld of fallen dinosaurs, rusty rollercoasters, psychedelic creatures, and pirate ships with dragon heads. I was entranced. When I got home I researched the story behind it, and that’s been the driving force since – the stories behind all these neglected places,” says Fahey.

The Spreepark fairground is now patrolled by dogs to keep out vandals. Fahey points out that u ­ rbexers are wrongly blamed for vandalism: Most of them adhere to the “take only pictures, leave only footprints” rule.

“Abandoned sites are vandalised by bored kids with nothing better to do. I don’t believe urbex is a big contributing factor,” says Fahey.

HAUNTED BY HISTORY One of the most popular urbex sites recommended

by Fahey is is the former US Cold War spy station, Teufelsberg. The mountaintop site is adorned with some of Berlin’s finest street art, guerrilla gardens, and

So very Berlin: A former Cold War spy station is now a hipster hangout.

68 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

TOP 5 BERLIN FOR URBEXERS For those who prefer their adrenaline rush without risk of injury or arrest, there are plenty of sites that can be visited without your heart in your mouth.

TEUFELSBERG On an artificial hill made from bombedout Second World War rubble stands “Devil’s Mountain,” a former spy station used by the Americans for eavesdropping on the Soviets. The Cold War relic is now accessible for a modest fee: well worth a visit just for the street art.

S9 or S75 to Heerstraße, or S1 to Grunewald

The music’s over at Grünau’s once-famous dance hall. Dancing would be dangerous on its crumbling floors.

Filmmaker David Lynch planned to turn this site into a “Happiness College” for meditationists. improvised beer gardens. For a modest sum paid at the gate, visitors can roam around freely, though parts are sealed off for safety reasons.

“There’s a wonderful view from the top, best enjoyed with a couple of beers! Some of the street art is really brilliant,” says Fahey.

Another famous site is Beelitz-Heilstätten, a vast, vine-covered military hospital where both Hitler and Honecker were once treated. Comprising 60 buildings across 200 hectares, the complex is relatively easy to fence-hop. Many sections have been heavily vandalised, however, and it’s only a matter of time until nothing of the original hospital interiors remains.

“It’s a race against time to see these places.

Between vandalism at one end of the scale and development at the other (usually another form of vandalism), their existence is threatened from the moment they’re abandoned. Now is the time to catch what remains before they’re gone altogether,” says Fahey. l

Silja Kudel is an Australian writer based in Helsinki who has been exploring Berlin’s abandoned sites since long before she even heard the term “urbex.”

BEELITZ-HEILSTÄTTEN One of the world’s creepiest ghost towns is Beelitz Sanatorium, originally built for tuberculosis patients in 1898. During the Nazi regime, it was used for inhuman experiments, and after the Second World War it was the largest Soviet military treatment facility outside Russia. The fancy new treetop walkway offers a pricey alternative to fence-hopping.

50 mins by regional train from Alexanderplatz to Beelitz-Heilstätten Bahnhof BALLHAUS GRÜNAU Failing to find a suitable investor after Germany’s reunification in 1990, the once-resplendent party palace is now in a sorry state of repair. The roofs and floors are dangerously soggy, but this doesn’t stop goths from partying there.

S8 or S46 to Grünau, turn right at Regattastraße VOGELSANG Ironically dubbed “Birdsong,” this topsecret Soviet nuclear missile storage facility is a must-see for its sheer spookiness and brilliant murals. Without any political will to preserve this unique spot, it is rapidly being reclaimed by forest.

S1 to Oranienburg and the RB12 regional train to Templin KINDERKRANKENHAUS WEISSENSEE Phantom infant cries echo eerily through the long corridors of this abandoned children’s hospital known as the “Zombie Hospital.” Though officially “protected,” it has been left to suffer at the hands of vandals and neglect-induced decay.

M4 tram from Alexanderplatz to Buschallee/Hansastraße abandonedberlin.com

JANUARY 2017

BLUE WINGS

69

DESTINATION MIAMI

WET AND WILD EVERGLADES TEXT AND PHOTOS BY DANIEL ALLEN

70 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

Dawn over the Everglades’ so-called river of grass.

MIA

Fin Mia nair fl mi thr ies to a w ee tim es finn eek. air .co m

Restoration projects breathe new life into southern Florida’s captivating national parks.

JANUARY 2017

BLUE WINGS

71

A sailboat is a great way to explore the bountiful waters of Biscayne Bay.

Hans Bockelman, skipper of the Soul Adventure

I

t’s hard to tell which group of mammals is ­having more fun – the ones on the sailboat, or the ones under the limpid waters of Florida’s Biscayne Bay. For the humans aboard the Soul Adventure, the chance to interact with a pod of playful bottlenose dolphins rounds off a perfect day. As for the dolphins, they just want to show off their acrobatic skills.

“I like to think the dolphins recognise the boat,” says Hans Bockelman, Florida native and the Soul Adventure’s long-time captain. “It always seems to be the same pod which comes to say hello. They’re like my Biscayne welcome committee.”

Situated a few kilometres south of Miami, where it encompasses all but the northernmost part of Biscayne Bay, Biscayne National Park (BNP) is the largest marine national park in the United States. Visitors and locals are drawn here by the opportunity to dive, snorkel, and kayak, and witness signature species such as the manatee, American crocodile, and green turtle.

The BNP is also the only place in the world where a living tropical reef exists right on the doorstep of a major city.

“When you’re sailing out here in the wild, it is a little strange to see the skyscrapers of Miami sitting on the horizon,” says Bockelman. “But I guess most of the ecosystems in Florida are about the balance between man and nature.”

72 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

A sailboat docked at the main visitor centre of Biscayne National Park.

UNIQUE WETLAND By mid-morning the alligators below the P ­ ahayokee Overlook are in full voice. Here in the heart of the Everglades National Park, around 40 k­ ilometres inland from Biscayne Bay, the reptilian mating ­season is well underway. As the local complement of ­testerone-fueled males try out their full vocal repertoire, a diverse chorus of bellows, grunts, and growls reverberates underneath the wooden boardwalk.

For those who have never visited, the Everglades may bring to mind images of a mosquito-infested swamp. In reality, this unique ecosystem is incredibly diverse. Narrow waterways divide swathes of dense, razor-sharp sawgrass, with a scattering of tree islands rising dome-like above the grass and water. Nearer the coast, vast forests of mangroves rise up from the brackish mud on a mass of spindly roots.

“Most of the ecosystems in Florida are about the balance between man and nature.”

Caption

Nesting cormorants in Biscayne Bay.

VIISAS VALINTA Itä-Suomen yliopiston Avoin yliopisto on aidosti avoin, meille ei ole pohjakoulutusvaatimuksia tai ikärajoja! Suurin osa oppiaineistamme on opiskeltavissa verkossa ja niihin voi ilmoittautua koko lukuvuoden ajan.

Opinnot sopivat muuttuvassa työelämässä syntyviin tarpeisiin, hyödynnä niitä ammatillisen osaamisen päivittämisessa ja kehittämisessä. Avoimessa yliopistossa opiskelu voi olla myös tie tutkinto-opiskelijaksi yliopistoon.

AVOIN YLIOPISTO @UniEastFinland

© K.Mäenharju

Toteuta haaveesi – me autamme. Tarjoamme tueksesi neuvontaa ja ohjausta, opintojesi kaikissa vaiheissa – paikan päällä tai etänä verkossa.

Anna opintoja lahjaksi, osta opintolahjakortti! @uniuef UEF UEFavoinyliopisto avoinyliopisto-ohjaus@uef.fiuefvideot uef.fi/avoinyliopisto

An airboat in Shark Valley

Biscayne mangroves

The Everglades is home to an estimated 200,000 alligators.

74 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

“Imagine a vast, slow-moving river, 100 kilometres wide, 30 centimetres deep, and mostly filled with grass,” says Jack Roark, a National Park Service volunteer and Everglades veteran. “This is the Everglades.

Unfortunately, thanks to man, much of this river has dried up.”

ESSENTIAL RESTORATION Standing in the streets of downtown Miami, it’s hard to believe that most of southern Florida was once covered by the Everglades. Yet a labryinthine network of canals and levees, which have re-routed water away from its natural course, mean this giant wetland is now a fraction of its former size. Over the last hundred years, species such as the black bear, alligator, and puma, as well as a huge array of birds and plants, have seen their habitat inexorably diminished.

“More than half of the original land mass and 70 per cent of the historic water flow to the Everglades has now been lost,” says Cara Capp, Everglades restoration program manager with the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA).

But times are slowly changing. Thanks to the efforts of conservationists and a broad coalition of other stakeholders, the Everglades is now witnessing the largest ecosystem restoration effort ever attempted. With an estimated timeline of 50 years and a €9.3 billion ($10 billion) price tag, the overriding aim of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is to give this wetland back the water it so desperately needs.

PARK PLACES

Shark Valley-based ranger Philip Greenwalt

A swallow-tailed kite performs a graceful aerial display over the Everglades National Park.

Local flora in the Everglades National Park

A bottlenose dolphin at play in the waters off Miami.

FUTURE FOCUS

There are numerous on-going and planned restoration projects throughout the Everglades National Park and its catchment area.

The Kissimmee River, which flows into Lake Okeechobee – originally the main source of freshwater for the Everglades – is currently being transformed back into a naturally functioning river. Work has also begun on reservoirs and water treatment areas below the lake to store and depollute water. The Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Project has also recently started, and will focus on restoring coastal wetlands and boosting overland freshwater flow into the bay.

“The objective of the CERP is to get unpolluted freshwater to flow south through the Everglades again, and into places such as Biscayne Bay,” says the NPCA’s Capp. “It’s a massive undertaking.”

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENT The most headline-grabbing triumph of the CERP to date came in April 2016. For the first time in decades, water began flowing south from Lake Okeechobee into the Everglades, under a new bridge on the Tamiami Trail. The highway, completed in 1928 to connect

The best time to visit is in the dry season, from December to April, which means cooler temperatures, more wildlife, and less mosquitoes.

The main entrance to the Everglades National Park (the Ernest Coe Visitor Centre) is located in Homestead (a one-hour drive southwest of Miami), with opportunities for hiking, fishing, canoeing, camping, and boat tours. The Shark Valley Visitor Centre (a one-hour drive west of Miami) offers bike rental, boardwalks, tram tours, and an observation tower.

Those looking to explore Biscayne National Park should head for the Dante Fascell Visitor Centre in Homestead (a one-hour drive south of Miami). From here visitors can rent canoes and kayaks, and take daily boat tours. Biscayne Bay Sailing Tours offer activities such as snorkeling, paddle boarding, and kayaking. nps.gov sharkvalleytramtours.com biscaynenationalparksailing.com

Tampa with Miami, had previously acted as a dam. A second, longer bridge is now under construction.

At the Shark Valley area of the Everglades National Park, around 65 kilometres west of Miami, Phillip Greenwalt is overjoyed at the sight of higher water levels.

“Alligators have died here in recent years due to a lack of water,” says Greenwalt, a local ranger.

Healthier, more abundant wildlife is good news for those who make it out to the Shark Valley Visitor Centre, from where rental bikes and tram tours give nature lovers the chance to explore the local Everglades environment.

More freshwater flowing naturally through the Everglades is also good news for the BNP, where the irregular discharge of polluted water through manmade waterways has increased contamination, salinity, and the incidence of destructive algal blooms.

“A steady supply of clean water will benefit seagrass, fish, and species as diverse as manatee and oysters,” says Maria Beotegui, a BNP ranger. “It may also benefit the bay’s coral reefs, which are already stressed by climate change.”

Despite their degradation, today Biscayne Bay and the Everglades are still best described in superlatives.

The latter remains the largest protected wilderness east of the Mississippi, and the biggest subtropical wetland in North America. With the various projects of the CERP now bearing fruit, Florida will hopefully remain the best place for widlife watching in the southeastern United States for years to come. l JANUARY 2017

Daniel Allen is an award-winning, Londonbased writer and photographer who contributes regularly to Blue Wings. See more of his work at danielallen.net.

BLUE WINGS

75

DESTINATION MIAMI

WET AND WILD EVERGLADES TEXT AND PHOTOS BY DANIEL ALLEN

70 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

Dawn over the Everglades’ so-called river of grass.

MIA

Fin Mia nair fl mi thr ies to a w ee tim es finn eek. air .co m

Restoration projects breathe new life into southern Florida’s captivating national parks.

JANUARY 2017

BLUE WINGS

71

A sailboat is a great way to explore the bountiful waters of Biscayne Bay.

Hans Bockelman, skipper of the Soul Adventure

I

t’s hard to tell which group of mammals is ­having more fun – the ones on the sailboat, or the ones under the limpid waters of Florida’s Biscayne Bay. For the humans aboard the Soul Adventure, the chance to interact with a pod of playful bottlenose dolphins rounds off a perfect day. As for the dolphins, they just want to show off their acrobatic skills.

“I like to think the dolphins recognise the boat,” says Hans Bockelman, Florida native and the Soul Adventure’s long-time captain. “It always seems to be the same pod which comes to say hello. They’re like my Biscayne welcome committee.”

Situated a few kilometres south of Miami, where it encompasses all but the northernmost part of Biscayne Bay, Biscayne National Park (BNP) is the largest marine national park in the United States. Visitors and locals are drawn here by the opportunity to dive, snorkel, and kayak, and witness signature species such as the manatee, American crocodile, and green turtle.

The BNP is also the only place in the world where a living tropical reef exists right on the doorstep of a major city.

“When you’re sailing out here in the wild, it is a little strange to see the skyscrapers of Miami sitting on the horizon,” says Bockelman. “But I guess most of the ecosystems in Florida are about the balance between man and nature.”

72 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

A sailboat docked at the main visitor centre of Biscayne National Park.

UNIQUE WETLAND By mid-morning the alligators below the P ­ ahayokee Overlook are in full voice. Here in the heart of the Everglades National Park, around 40 k­ ilometres inland from Biscayne Bay, the reptilian mating ­season is well underway. As the local complement of ­testerone-fueled males try out their full vocal repertoire, a diverse chorus of bellows, grunts, and growls reverberates underneath the wooden boardwalk.

For those who have never visited, the Everglades may bring to mind images of a mosquito-infested swamp. In reality, this unique ecosystem is incredibly diverse. Narrow waterways divide swathes of dense, razor-sharp sawgrass, with a scattering of tree islands rising dome-like above the grass and water. Nearer the coast, vast forests of mangroves rise up from the brackish mud on a mass of spindly roots.

“Most of the ecosystems in Florida are about the balance between man and nature.”

Caption

Nesting cormorants in Biscayne Bay.

VIISAS VALINTA Itä-Suomen yliopiston Avoin yliopisto on aidosti avoin, meille ei ole pohjakoulutusvaatimuksia tai ikärajoja! Suurin osa oppiaineistamme on opiskeltavissa verkossa ja niihin voi ilmoittautua koko lukuvuoden ajan.

Opinnot sopivat muuttuvassa työelämässä syntyviin tarpeisiin, hyödynnä niitä ammatillisen osaamisen päivittämisessa ja kehittämisessä. Avoimessa yliopistossa opiskelu voi olla myös tie tutkinto-opiskelijaksi yliopistoon.

AVOIN YLIOPISTO @UniEastFinland

© K.Mäenharju

Toteuta haaveesi – me autamme. Tarjoamme tueksesi neuvontaa ja ohjausta, opintojesi kaikissa vaiheissa – paikan päällä tai etänä verkossa.

Anna opintoja lahjaksi, osta opintolahjakortti! @uniuef UEF UEFavoinyliopisto avoinyliopisto-ohjaus@uef.fiuefvideot uef.fi/avoinyliopisto

An airboat in Shark Valley

Biscayne mangroves

The Everglades is home to an estimated 200,000 alligators.

74 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

“Imagine a vast, slow-moving river, 100 kilometres wide, 30 centimetres deep, and mostly filled with grass,” says Jack Roark, a National Park Service volunteer and Everglades veteran. “This is the Everglades.

Unfortunately, thanks to man, much of this river has dried up.”

ESSENTIAL RESTORATION Standing in the streets of downtown Miami, it’s hard to believe that most of southern Florida was once covered by the Everglades. Yet a labryinthine network of canals and levees, which have re-routed water away from its natural course, mean this giant wetland is now a fraction of its former size. Over the last hundred years, species such as the black bear, alligator, and puma, as well as a huge array of birds and plants, have seen their habitat inexorably diminished.

“More than half of the original land mass and 70 per cent of the historic water flow to the Everglades has now been lost,” says Cara Capp, Everglades restoration program manager with the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA).

But times are slowly changing. Thanks to the efforts of conservationists and a broad coalition of other stakeholders, the Everglades is now witnessing the largest ecosystem restoration effort ever attempted. With an estimated timeline of 50 years and a €9.3 billion ($10 billion) price tag, the overriding aim of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) is to give this wetland back the water it so desperately needs.

PARK PLACES

Shark Valley-based ranger Philip Greenwalt

A swallow-tailed kite performs a graceful aerial display over the Everglades National Park.

Local flora in the Everglades National Park

A bottlenose dolphin at play in the waters off Miami.

FUTURE FOCUS

There are numerous on-going and planned restoration projects throughout the Everglades National Park and its catchment area.

The Kissimmee River, which flows into Lake Okeechobee – originally the main source of freshwater for the Everglades – is currently being transformed back into a naturally functioning river. Work has also begun on reservoirs and water treatment areas below the lake to store and depollute water. The Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Project has also recently started, and will focus on restoring coastal wetlands and boosting overland freshwater flow into the bay.

“The objective of the CERP is to get unpolluted freshwater to flow south through the Everglades again, and into places such as Biscayne Bay,” says the NPCA’s Capp. “It’s a massive undertaking.”

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENT The most headline-grabbing triumph of the CERP to date came in April 2016. For the first time in decades, water began flowing south from Lake Okeechobee into the Everglades, under a new bridge on the Tamiami Trail. The highway, completed in 1928 to connect

The best time to visit is in the dry season, from December to April, which means cooler temperatures, more wildlife, and less mosquitoes.

The main entrance to the Everglades National Park (the Ernest Coe Visitor Centre) is located in Homestead (a one-hour drive southwest of Miami), with opportunities for hiking, fishing, canoeing, camping, and boat tours. The Shark Valley Visitor Centre (a one-hour drive west of Miami) offers bike rental, boardwalks, tram tours, and an observation tower.

Those looking to explore Biscayne National Park should head for the Dante Fascell Visitor Centre in Homestead (a one-hour drive south of Miami). From here visitors can rent canoes and kayaks, and take daily boat tours. Biscayne Bay Sailing Tours offer activities such as snorkeling, paddle boarding, and kayaking. nps.gov sharkvalleytramtours.com biscaynenationalparksailing.com

Tampa with Miami, had previously acted as a dam. A second, longer bridge is now under construction.

At the Shark Valley area of the Everglades National Park, around 65 kilometres west of Miami, Phillip Greenwalt is overjoyed at the sight of higher water levels.

“Alligators have died here in recent years due to a lack of water,” says Greenwalt, a local ranger.

Healthier, more abundant wildlife is good news for those who make it out to the Shark Valley Visitor Centre, from where rental bikes and tram tours give nature lovers the chance to explore the local Everglades environment.

More freshwater flowing naturally through the Everglades is also good news for the BNP, where the irregular discharge of polluted water through manmade waterways has increased contamination, salinity, and the incidence of destructive algal blooms.

“A steady supply of clean water will benefit seagrass, fish, and species as diverse as manatee and oysters,” says Maria Beotegui, a BNP ranger. “It may also benefit the bay’s coral reefs, which are already stressed by climate change.”

Despite their degradation, today Biscayne Bay and the Everglades are still best described in superlatives.

The latter remains the largest protected wilderness east of the Mississippi, and the biggest subtropical wetland in North America. With the various projects of the CERP now bearing fruit, Florida will hopefully remain the best place for widlife watching in the southeastern United States for years to come. l JANUARY 2017

Daniel Allen is an award-winning, Londonbased writer and photographer who contributes regularly to Blue Wings. See more of his work at danielallen.net.

BLUE WINGS

75

FINNAIR NEWS

DISCOVER FINLAND If you are interested in booking a flight and tour simultaneously, go to finnair.com/stopover. Finnair allows stopovers of up to five days.

COMPILED BY KATJA PANTZAR

ACCESS HELSINKI

Signature Menus created by star chef Eero Vottonen

3 x StopOver Helsinki The annual Lux Festival starts off Finland’s centenary year on a brilliant note with light art and installations around the city. January 5–9

COOK OFF

Finnair chef to culinary competition “THERE’S NO point in competing if you’re not going with the goal of winning,” says award-winning chef Eero Vottonen, who represents Finland at the prestigious Bocuse d’Or competition in Lyon, France, on January 24 and 25.

Vottonen, who represents the new wave of confident young Finnish culinary stars, has honed his craft at Helsinki’s best restaurants including Chez Dominique, Luomo, and Olo. To celebrate Finland’s centenary, he has created Finnair’s new Signature Menus for 2017.

“True Nordic flavours from Finland,” is how he sums up the essence of his Signature Menus. His dishes highlight pure Nordic ingredients from fish and game to

root vegetables and forest-picked berries.

“My philosophy is simple: flavour always comes first and I prefer to use locally sourced quality ingredients,” he says.

Vottonen’s Signature Menus are served to Finnair’s long-haul Business class customers flying out of Helsinki to all destinations from January 11, 2017.

Maarit Keränen, who heads Finnair’s inflight service, says: “With next year marking Finland’s centennial a­ nniversary, it’s a great opportunity for us to collaborate with Finland’s candidate for the Bocuse d’Or competition.”

CONGRATS

FINNAIR HAS won two prestigious awards in China; one for Best Business Class at the Best Travel Awards 2016 event and another for the Best Inflight Catering Airline at the 2016 World ­Traveller Awards.

China is the world’s largest market for outbound tourism, and one of Finnair’s key strategic markets. finnair.com

76 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

best Finnish and international documentary films during a week dedicated to cinephiles. January 23–29

Ring in Chinese New Year with a parade from Narinkka Square to Keskuskatu, fireworks over Töölönlahti Bay, and a fantastic food festival.

January 27 SEPPO LAAKSO

Another Chinese award win

finnair.com

DocPoint Helsinki presents the

SYKETTÄ YLÖS TAI KEHON JA MIELEN HARMONIAA Viihdy suosikkiurheilulajisi parissa, lataa akkuja spa-hotelleissa ja keskity rentoutumiseen ja virkistymiseen. Tutustu Hyvään oloon -lomakokoelmaan aurinkomatkat.fi/lomakokoelmat

FINNAIR NEWS

@ YOUR SERVICE Have a question about your Finnair flight? Send a tweet to @FinnairHelps, the official Finnair ­customer service account.

COMPILED BY KATJA PANTZAR

Finnair crew tips Pilot Tomi Tervo shares his favourite bicycle rides from around the world:

Two-wheeling it

1

Berlin, Germany: Cycle through history with a range of excellent routes from the Berlin Wall tour to the former Tempelhof Airport area, which is now a public park, or try the Tiergarten inner city park.

PROJECT WATCH

Cool cargo FINNAIR’S STATE-OF-THE-ART COOL Nordic Cargo hub at Helsinki Airport is slated to open in mid-May 2017.

With a focus on transporting temperaturesensitive goods, the 37,000-square-metre terminal will feature special cargo handling areas for pharmaceuticals and life science products, as well as for perishable food products such as seafood.

Using next-generation cargo management system SkyChain, the new automated hub will double Finnair’s cargo ­handling capacity and enhance efficiency.

Finnair has invested 80 million euros in the new cargo facility; the airline’s new Airbus A350 fleet will also bring up to 50 per cent more cargo capacity by 2020. finnaircargo.com

FEELFINNAIR ON INSTAGRAM

RE-TWEET OF THIS MONTH

Find out what to do in Helsinki: bit.ly/2gfbDPL #visithelsinki

“Cargo is an integral part of Finnair’s growth strategy and we intend to make the most of the warehouse automation and process optimisation capabilities of our new terminal,” says Janne Tarvainen, ­Finnair Cargo’s Managing Director.

Check out these stunning snow-covered trees in Lapland!

twitter.com/Finnair

78 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

instagram.com/feelfinnair

2

New York City, US: Pedal through Brooklyn neighbourhoods for a slice of authentic NYC life. Stop in Williamsburg for its restaurants, cafés, bars, and markets that offer loads of options for refuelling.

3

Costa Blanca, Spain: A little south of Alicante, the Costa Blanca region offers hundreds of kilometres of wellpaved roads where cyclists can create their own customised trips sea- or mountain-side year-round.

FINNAIR ON FACEBOOK

Finland’s favourite X-Factor UK singer Saara Aalto flies Finnair! facebook.com/finnair

FINNAIR ON WECHAT

Finnair is on WeChat! Scan the QR Code below to get started. wechat.com

FLY FINNAIR

Your complete guide to travelling with us

WELCOME ABOARD We want you to enjoy your flight. This guide contains all the information you need for stress-free travelling. We have even included tips for inflight wellbeing and entertainment.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy your travel experience.

In this guide 80 81 82 83 84 85 88 92 94 98

TIPS FOR TAKEOFF INFLIGHT WELLBEING ENTERTAINMENT SHOPPING SUSTAINABILITY HELSINKI AIRPORT MAPS FLEET AND MY FINNAIR FINNAIR PLUS FINLAND IN FIGURES

JANUARY 2017

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FLY FINNAIR TIPS FOR TAKEOFF

FINNAIR in a nutshell

Established in 1923, Finnair is one of the world’s oldest operating airlines.

Finnair’s route network includes 17 destinations in Asia, 3 in North America and some 74 in Europe.

In 2015, Finnair carried 10.3 million passengers.

More than 1.6 million passengers fly between Asia and Helsinki each year.

TRAVEL TIPS SARI NEVANLINNA Head of Ground Experience and ­Ancillary, Finnair “Happy New Year! Did you make any resolutions? I sure did. I promised to listen to myself, especially when travelling. As a frequent traveller, I often arrive to the airport at the very last minute and rush to the gate.

Well, travelling doesn’t have to be like that. My strategy is to book my ­departure (when possible) outside of peak hours. This way I have less stress.

And my favourite place to unwind before a flight is in one of the Finnair lounges at Helsinki Airport. The offpeak hours are particularly relaxing: no rush and no queues.

I invite you to experience a Finnair lounge and taste our renewed Nordic menu. Here’s to new beginnings!”

For more information on accessing Finnair lounges during off-peak hours see page 87.

SAFETY

YOUR FAVOURITE TRAVEL APP DOWNLOAD FINNAIR’S app on your mobile and enjoy an even smoother travel experience. Check-in, get flight alerts, and store your boarding passes all in one place. As a Finnair Plus member, you can view your profile and points balance, and even purchase services such as extra bags or an Economy Comfort seat.

You can access the app with your Finnair Plus member ID or by using your booking reference number and surname. Learn more at finnair.com.

80 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

FLIGHT MODE: CABIN SAFETY SAFETY INFORMATION is presented by the cabin crew at the start of each flight.

This information is also listed on the safety instruction card in your seat pocket.

Safety belts must remain fastened when the “Fasten safety belt” sign is on.

For safety reasons we recommend keeping them fastened even when the sign has been switched off.

Handheld devices can be used throughout the flight (including takeoff and landing) in airplane-mode. Laptops and larger devices must be stowed away during takeoff and landing, but can be used when the “Fasten safety belt” sign has been switched off.

FLY FINNAIR INFLIGHT WELLBEING

FOOD AND DRINK

EAT WELL

Business class passengers on ­ long-haul flights can enjoy Signature menus prepared by chefs from top restaurants.

The menus offer passengers a taste of Nordic flavours.

Foods to fuel on European flights FANCY A SNACK ONBOARD? Then take a look at the Sky Bistro menu card in your seat pocket. For a small fee, you can choose from a tasty ­selection of food and ­beverage options combining the best of Europe and Asia. Coffee, tea, water, and Finnair’s ­signature blueberry juice are always served free of charge on all Finnair flights.

WELLBEING

MINDFULNESS

INFLIGHT EXERCISES

Sit back and relax

These moves keep you fit while flying. Hold each movement for a few seconds and repeat five times per side.

Mindfulness instructor Aleksi Litovaara's exercises will help you feel calm and rested during your flight.

1

BE AWARE: The basic idea of mindfulness is that you have arrived. The aircraft is already taking you where you need to be so just sit back and relax. Watch, listen, and feel your present environment.

CIRCLES

LIFT

RAISE

LOWER

Lift one foot and draw circles with your toes.

Reverse direction.

Lift one knee up and then lower your foot back down to the floor.

Keep heels on the floor and lift your toes upwards, then release.

Keep toes on the floor and lift your heels upwards, then release.

2

TACKLE ANXIETY: If you experience nervousness or restlessness, try holding an object in your hand. It will help bring your attention to that simple physical sensation instead of getting caught up in your own thoughts.

3 SHRUG

NOD

ROTATE

TURN

Lift your shoulders up towards your ears and release.

Lower your chin slowly towards your chest and lift back up again.

Gently rotate your head from side to side. Keep your shoulders relaxed.

Slowly lower your left ear to your left shoulder and then back up again.

THINK POSITIVE: This is a good ­moment to choose nice words towards yourself and other passengers — if only in your mind. You can also ask yourself: what do I need right now? It may well be reading a book or getting some rest instead of working on your computer. aleksilitovaara.com

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FLY FINNAIR ENTERTAINMENT

BE ENTERTAINED AND CONNECTED

WHAT’S PLAYING

Experience the Nordic Sky entertainment system and the Nordic Sky Wi-Fi portal onboard Finnair A350 XWB aircraft.

ON SCREEN

THE NORDIC SKY inflight ­entertainment system is available onboard Finnair A350 flights. Not only will you stay entertained with a wide range of movies and TV series, you can stay up to date on what’s happening during your flight, from when dinner is served to updated arrival information and the local weather.

With the Nordic Sky Wi-Fi portal, you can enjoy a host of fantastic services via your own mobile device. You can use the portal free of charge to access finnair.com and Finnair services such as destination information, pre-order shopping, and customer care. You can also rent a car, order a taxi, or book a tour.

Here’s how to get started: 1. Turn your device to flight mode and ­enable Wi-Fi. 2. Join the Wi-Fi ­network Nordic Sky”.

3. Open the browser of your choice.

4. Start exploring.

Want to know more about your destination?

Nordic Sky offers travel tips to make your landing even easier.

PICK OF THE MONTH Comedy, Romance

BRIDGET JONES’S BABY Forty-something and single again, Bridget decides to focus on her job - but her life soon becomes much more complicated.

82 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

Latest films and TV series

MOVIE JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK. Jack Reacher must uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy in order to clear his name.

MOVIE MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN. Jacob discovers clues to a mystery that stretches across time and finds a home for very peculiar children.

MOVIE THE BIRTH OF A NATION. Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher in the antebellum South, orchestrates an uprising.

TV SERIES THE LEAGUE. An ensemble comedy that follows a group of old friends in a fantasy football league.

TV SERIES THE BIG BANG THEORY. Penny moves into an apartment across the hall from two brilliant but socially awkward physicists.

RADIO SOUNDS OF CHINA. Sit back, relax, and immerse yourself in the beautiful sounds of China.

PLUG IN!

Most Airbus A340 aircraft and all Airbus A330 aircraft are equipped with an electricity socket, which you will find under your seat. On the Airbus A350 aircraft, you will find a USB port located in the seatback monitor in Economy class and directly from the seat in B ­ usiness class.

FLY FINNAIR INFLIGHT SHOPPING

LANCÔME ÉNERGIE DE VIE NUIT SLEEPING MASK Available in pre-order shopping catalogue €56.50

LANCÔME ÉNERGIE DE VIE LIQUID CARE Available in pre-order shopping catalogue €31

PRE-ORDER before your flight

LUST HAVES FOR JANUARY Seven reasons to pamper yourself this new year.

Check out other special offers in the pre-order catalogue. And remember you can always shop via the Nordic Sky Wi-Fi portal while onboard the A350.

BALMUIR LOTION & BODY WASH SET, MEADOW Available in pre-order shopping catalogue €42

FINNAIR CARRIES a wide selection of cosmetics, fragrances, gift items, confectionary, and jewellery, all of which can be ­purchased before your flight.

On most Intercontinental flights and flights to and from destinations outside the EU, wine and spirits are available for purchase. You also earn Finnair Plus points with every purchase.

BALMUIR LOTION ECOCERT 2X60 ML, MEADOW Available in pre-order shopping catalogue €22

BALMUIR KID MOHAIR BEANIE Available in pre-order shopping catalogue €74

PRE-ORDER BALMUIR KID MOHAIR SCARF Available in pre-order shopping catalogue €98

for stress-free shopping BALMUIR MILAN CASHMIR SCARF Available in pre-order shopping catalogue €98

Ordering in advance is always a good idea.

You can save up to 60 per cent compared to city prices. There’s no minimum order and your ­purchase will be waiting at your seat on your next flight! finnairshop.com

JANUARY 2017

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FLY FINNAIR TIPS FOR TAKEOFF

FINNAIR in a nutshell

Established in 1923, Finnair is one of the world’s oldest operating airlines.

Finnair’s route network includes 17 destinations in Asia, 3 in North America and some 74 in Europe.

In 2015, Finnair carried 10.3 million passengers.

More than 1.6 million passengers fly between Asia and Helsinki each year.

TRAVEL TIPS SARI NEVANLINNA Head of Ground Experience and ­Ancillary, Finnair “Happy New Year! Did you make any resolutions? I sure did. I promised to listen to myself, especially when travelling. As a frequent traveller, I often arrive to the airport at the very last minute and rush to the gate.

Well, travelling doesn’t have to be like that. My strategy is to book my ­departure (when possible) outside of peak hours. This way I have less stress.

And my favourite place to unwind before a flight is in one of the Finnair lounges at Helsinki Airport. The offpeak hours are particularly relaxing: no rush and no queues.

I invite you to experience a Finnair lounge and taste our renewed Nordic menu. Here’s to new beginnings!”

For more information on accessing Finnair lounges during off-peak hours see page 87.

SAFETY

YOUR FAVOURITE TRAVEL APP DOWNLOAD FINNAIR’S app on your mobile and enjoy an even smoother travel experience. Check-in, get flight alerts, and store your boarding passes all in one place. As a Finnair Plus member, you can view your profile and points balance, and even purchase services such as extra bags or an Economy Comfort seat.

You can access the app with your Finnair Plus member ID or by using your booking reference number and surname. Learn more at finnair.com.

80 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

FLIGHT MODE: CABIN SAFETY SAFETY INFORMATION is presented by the cabin crew at the start of each flight.

This information is also listed on the safety instruction card in your seat pocket.

Safety belts must remain fastened when the “Fasten safety belt” sign is on.

For safety reasons we recommend keeping them fastened even when the sign has been switched off.

Handheld devices can be used throughout the flight (including takeoff and landing) in airplane-mode. Laptops and larger devices must be stowed away during takeoff and landing, but can be used when the “Fasten safety belt” sign has been switched off.

FLY FINNAIR INFLIGHT WELLBEING

FOOD AND DRINK

EAT WELL

Business class passengers on ­ long-haul flights can enjoy Signature menus prepared by chefs from top restaurants.

The menus offer passengers a taste of Nordic flavours.

Foods to fuel on European flights FANCY A SNACK ONBOARD? Then take a look at the Sky Bistro menu card in your seat pocket. For a small fee, you can choose from a tasty ­selection of food and ­beverage options combining the best of Europe and Asia. Coffee, tea, water, and Finnair’s ­signature blueberry juice are always served free of charge on all Finnair flights.

WELLBEING

MINDFULNESS

INFLIGHT EXERCISES

Sit back and relax

These moves keep you fit while flying. Hold each movement for a few seconds and repeat five times per side.

Mindfulness instructor Aleksi Litovaara's exercises will help you feel calm and rested during your flight.

1

BE AWARE: The basic idea of mindfulness is that you have arrived. The aircraft is already taking you where you need to be so just sit back and relax. Watch, listen, and feel your present environment.

CIRCLES

LIFT

RAISE

LOWER

Lift one foot and draw circles with your toes.

Reverse direction.

Lift one knee up and then lower your foot back down to the floor.

Keep heels on the floor and lift your toes upwards, then release.

Keep toes on the floor and lift your heels upwards, then release.

2

TACKLE ANXIETY: If you experience nervousness or restlessness, try holding an object in your hand. It will help bring your attention to that simple physical sensation instead of getting caught up in your own thoughts.

3 SHRUG

NOD

ROTATE

TURN

Lift your shoulders up towards your ears and release.

Lower your chin slowly towards your chest and lift back up again.

Gently rotate your head from side to side. Keep your shoulders relaxed.

Slowly lower your left ear to your left shoulder and then back up again.

THINK POSITIVE: This is a good ­moment to choose nice words towards yourself and other passengers — if only in your mind. You can also ask yourself: what do I need right now? It may well be reading a book or getting some rest instead of working on your computer. aleksilitovaara.com

JANUARY 2017

BLUE WINGS

81

FLY FINNAIR ENTERTAINMENT

BE ENTERTAINED AND CONNECTED Experience the Nordic Sky entertainment system and the Nordic Sky Wi-Fi portal onboard Finnair A350 XWB aircraft.

THE NORDIC SKY inflight ­entertainment system is available onboard Finnair A350 flights. Not only will you stay entertained with a wide range of movies and TV series, you can stay up to date on what’s happening during your flight, from when dinner is served to updated arrival information and the local weather.

With the Nordic Sky Wi-Fi portal, you can enjoy a host of fantastic services via your own mobile device. You can use the portal free of charge to access finnair.com and Finnair services such as destination information, pre-order shopping, and customer care. You can also rent a car, order a taxi, or book a tour.

Here’s how to get started: 1. Turn your device to flight mode and ­enable Wi-Fi. 2. Join the Wi-Fi ­network Nordic Sky”.

3. Open the browser of your choice.

4. Start exploring.

Want to know more about your destination?

Nordic Sky offers travel tips to make your landing even easier.

PICK OF THE MONTH Comedy, Romance

BRIDGET JONES’S BABY Forty-something and single again, Bridget decides to focus on her job - but her life soon becomes much more complicated.

82 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

WHAT’S PLAYING

ON SCREEN Latest films and TV series

MOVIE JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK. Jack Reacher must uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy in order to clear his name.

MOVIE MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN. Jacob discovers clues to a mystery that stretches across time and finds a home for very peculiar children.

MOVIE THE BIRTH OF A NATION. Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher in the antebellum South, orchestrates an uprising.

TV SERIES THE LEAGUE. An ensemble comedy that follows a group of old friends in a fantasy football league.

TV SERIES THE BIG BANG THEORY. Penny moves into an apartment across the hall from two brilliant but socially awkward physicists.

RADIO SOUNDS OF CHINA. Sit back, relax, and immerse yourself in the beautiful sounds of China.

PLUG IN!

Most Airbus A340 aircraft and all Airbus A330 aircraft are equipped with an electricity socket, which you will find under your seat. On the Airbus A350 aircraft, you will find a USB port located in the seatback monitor in Economy class and directly from the seat in B ­ usiness class.

FLY FINNAIR INFLIGHT SHOPPING

LANCÔME ÉNERGIE DE VIE NUIT SLEEPING MASK Available in pre-order shopping catalogue €56.50

LANCÔME ÉNERGIE DE VIE LIQUID CARE Available in pre-order shopping catalogue €31

PRE-ORDER before your flight

LUST HAVES FOR JANUARY Seven reasons to pamper yourself this new year.

Check out other special offers in the pre-order catalogue. And remember you can always shop via the Nordic Sky Wi-Fi portal while onboard the A350.

BALMUIR LOTION & BODY WASH SET, MEADOW Available in pre-order shopping catalogue €42

FINNAIR CARRIES a wide selection of cosmetics, fragrances, gift items, confectionary, and jewellery, all of which can be ­purchased before your flight.

On most Intercontinental flights and flights to and from destinations outside the EU, wine and spirits are available for purchase. You also earn Finnair Plus points with every purchase.

BALMUIR LOTION ECOCERT 2X60 ML, MEADOW Available in pre-order shopping catalogue €22

BALMUIR KID MOHAIR BEANIE Available in pre-order shopping catalogue €74

PRE-ORDER BALMUIR KID MOHAIR SCARF Available in pre-order shopping catalogue €98

for stress-free shopping BALMUIR MILAN CASHMIR SCARF Available in pre-order shopping catalogue €98

Ordering in advance is always a good idea.

You can save up to 60 per cent compared to city prices. There’s no minimum order and your ­purchase will be waiting at your seat on your next flight! finnairshop.com

JANUARY 2017

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FLY FINNAIR SUSTAINABILITY

BETTER PLANET A few examples of Finnair’s societal involvement in action: THE UNITED NATIONS Global Compact is a corporate responsibility initiative aiming to make human rights, fair labour standards, environmental responsibility, and anti-corruption core parts of the participating companies’ operations. Finnair has been a member since 2013. The airline also signed the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles in 2011.

WANDERLUST FOR ALL ACCESSIBLE TOURISM - ensuring that destinations and services can be enjoyed by everyone regardless of disability, age, or impairment - has received increased attention in recent years. The European Commission has funded research projects to design accessible tourism i­tineraries and launched Pantou, a directory of businesses that design their services with accessibility in mind.

Finnair has assembled a working group to draft and implement an equality plan for both its travellers and staff, and works in close co-operation with Finland’s Non-Discrimination Ombudsman. As part of this effort the airline has partnered

WORK WITH US

DO GOOD Finnair makes it even easier to donate to charity. Passengers can now make a donation to UNICEF Finland when they book their flights on the Finnair website. Donations are possible in sums of five, ten, or twenty euros.

Finnair also collaborates with many other environmental and ­humanitarian organisations.

84 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

with travel blogger Sanna Kalmari, who returned from an around-the-world trip in late 2016. Kalmari lives with Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), and requires an electric wheelchair.

“The travel industry should prioritise accessibility as a key component of its service design process,” says Kalmari.

“I especially appreciate businesses who provide accessibility information on their websites, so I can find out with just a few clicks whether or not a location is within my reach.”

Follow Kalmari’s adventures at palmuasema.fi/in-english

Finnair Plus members can ­donate points to the following ­charities at finnairplusshop.com: • The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation • The Association of Friends of the University ­Children’s Hospitals • The Cancer Society of Finland • The Finnish Red Cross • UNICEF Finland • Hope • WAU ry • UNWomen

FINNAIR has received 7 of 12 forthcoming Airbus A350 aircraft, which cut back on fuel consumption and emissions by 25 per cent.

FINNAIR was one of the first airlines in the world to receive an IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) certification; this environmental management system is a set of processes and practices that enable an airline to reduce its environmental impacts and increase its operating efficiency.

THE AIRLINE supports the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) goal of zero emissions trading scheme. Finnair is dedicated to reducing its carbon dioxide emission revenue as much as 20 per cent per tonne-kilometre from 2009 to 2017. Another ambitious goal is to reduce the total amount of de-icing fluids by 40 per cent from 2006 to the end of 2016.

FINNAIR CONDUCTS an annual employee well-being survey, participates in campaigns promoting equal opportunities at the workplace, and places a strong focus on occupational safety and continuous training.

IN 2015 FINNAIR joined the Climate Leadership Council, an initiative bringing together leading Finnish businesses to combat climate change and foster business eco-technologies. The airline is also included on the CDP’s (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project) 2015 Nordic Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI), which comprises organisations that have scored within the top 10 per cent in the region in their efforts to disclose carbon emissions and energy data.

FLY FINNAIR HELSINKI AIRPORT

HAPPY LANDINGS

Arriving and departing Helsinki Airport

PASSENGERS at Helsinki Airport can use the 30 automated border control gates. Fifteen of these are located in the departure hall. The Finnish Border Guard’s automated border control helps serve growing passenger volumes at Helsinki Airport.

EU, EEA, Japanese, and Swiss nationals with biometric passports can take advantage of the automated border control gates.

Other foreign nationals, who are exempt from the visa ­rrequirement equirement and hold a biometric passport, may also use the automated border control upon departure.

This service is available for ­A ustralian, Canadian, Japanese, Australian, New Zealand, South Korean, and U.S. citizens. The automated border control is monitored by a border guard ensuring secure border crossings.

Please note that passengers travelling with an infant, baggage trolley or wheelchair must use the manual border control lane.

AUTOMATED BORDER CONTROL Place your passport with the info page face down on the reader. Please wait while your passport is being read for biographical and biometric data. When the scan is complete, the gate will open. ヘルシンキ・ヴァンター空港シェンゲンエリアで は、入出国審査の際に自動化ゲートをご利用頂けま す。対象となるのはICパスポートをお持ちのお客様 です。

대한민국 전자여권을 소지한 승객께서는 유럽에서 한국으로 입국 시, 헬싱키 공항에서 자동출국심사 서비스를 이용 하실 수 있습니다.

① パスポートの顔写真ページを読み取ります。該当 ページを読み取り機の上に置いて下さい。個人情報 と生体認証データを読み取ります。

우선, 전자여권의 사진 페이지를 인식장치에 올려주시기를 바랍니다. 이 과정에서 여권정보가 시스템에 자동 인식됩니다.

② ゲートが開いたら中に入り、右を向いて下さい。 パスポートの顔写真と照合します。バックパック・ 帽子・眼鏡などは外して下さい。足跡マークの上に 立って画面を正面からまっすぐに見て下さい。 ③ 二番目のゲートが開いたら、入国審査官のカウン ターにお進み下さい。パスポートを確認した後、入 国または出国スタンプを押印致します。シェンゲン エリア居住許可証をお持ちの方は、入国審査官にご 提示下さい。

finnair.com/jp

첫 번째 게이트가 열리면 안으로 들어가 오른쪽에 위치한 카메라로 안면인증을 거치게 됩니다. 이후 마지막 게이트에서 출입국관리 직원의 출국확인도장을 받으시면 됩니다. 보다 간편하고 빠른 본 자동시스템의 많은 이용 바랍니다. 대한민국 전자여권은?

2008년 8월 25일 이후 발급된 여권으로 표지 하단부에 전자칩과 안테나가 내장 되어 있는 여권입니다.

finnair.com/kr

Enter through the gate and turn right. Please remove your backpack if you’re wearing one and stand on the footprints on the floor. Remove your glasses and hat. Stand still and look directly at the screen keeping your face visible. The camera will compare your facial image with the biometric feature scanned from your passport. Wait until the second gate opens.

The border check for EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals is completed when the gate opens. Other foreign nationals must move towards the border guard, who will check your entry stamp and mark your passport with an exit stamp.

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FLY FINNAIR HELSINKI AIRPORT

WELCOME TO HELSINKI AIRPORT HOW TO TRANSFER Check your gate and departure time on the airport monitors. All Finnair and Nordic Regional Airlines (Norra) departures are located in the same terminal.

If you do not have a boarding pass for your connecting flight, please contact the transfer service desk.

Most passengers transferring from non-EU countries to EU countries must go through security and passport control. Please note that liquids are restricted in carry-on baggage.

If your baggage has not been checked through to your final destination, collect it from the baggage claim area, and go to check-in and security control.

AUTOMATED BORDER CHECKS are available to passengers with biometric passports. The service is available for ­Australian, Canadian, EEA, EU, Japanese, ­New ­Zealand, South Korean, Swiss, and U.S. citizens. See more ­information on page 85.

34 35

SHOP

33

32

32a

31a-e 30

31x 31

Security control

SHOP

Border control

SHOP

NON-SCHENGEN AREA

Bo con

TRANSFER SERVICE 3

2ND FLOOR 36

FINNAIR LOUNGE FINNAIR PREMIUM LOUNGE BUS GATES

37

NONSCHENGEN AREA

Border control

FINNAIR TRANSFER SERVICE desks in Helsinki Airport T2 ­terminal are ready to help you with any inquiries related to your connection flights.

38

2ND FLOOR

37a-d

GROUND FLOOR

TRANSFER SERVICE

BUS CONNECTION The Finnair City Bus to the Helsinki Railway Station leaves from Terminal 2 every 20 minutes, stopping also at Terminal 1.

Travel time is about 30 minutes.

Price: €6.30

CHECKING IN Checking in to your Finnair flight is easy. You can save time by checking in at a self-service kiosk at the airport, online 36 hours before departure, or by text message. For flights to the US, online check-in opens 24 hours before departure.

TRAIN CONNECTION The Ring Rail Line connects Helsinki Airport to downtown Helsinki. There is direct access from the corridor ­between T1 and T2 terminals to the train station by two lifts and three escalators.

FLIGHT DISRUPTIONS In case a flight is delayed or cancelled, Finnair will make every effort to keep you updated. Please make sure that you have provided Finnair with your email address and phone number.

86 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

SHOP

SERVICES AND FACILITIES SHOP SHOPPING Receive special offers for airport services when you show your Finnair Plus card. You will recognise our partners by the Finnair Plus symbol. Helsinki Airport features more than 30 shops and boutiques and various restaurants and cafés.

WIRELESS INTERNET Helsinki Airport offers free Wi-Fi throughout the airport.

CHILDREN Children’s playrooms offer videos, microwave ovens, and baby care facilities.

NON-SMOKING Smoking at Helsinki Airport is prohibited outside of designated smoking rooms.

SHOP

FLY FINNAIR HELSINKI AIRPORT WALKING TIME GATE 24–30: 7 MIN

T2 29

28

LOST AND FOUND Restaurant & Deli Fly Inn

27

26 SHOP

SCHENGEN AREA

SHOP

SHOP

GATE AREA

Security check

TRANSFER SERVICE 2 SHOP

23 SHOP

FINNAIR LOUNGE

Security

order ntrol

CHECK-IN 240–270

P

SHOP

SHOP

INQUIRIES Lentäjäntie 1 (next to T2, street level) Open Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00 and Sat 09:00–15:00 Tel 0600 41006 (1,97€/min + local network charge)

24

25

FINNAIR check CHECK-IN/ SERVICE DESKS 201–229

22

GROCERY

21

3RD FLOOR

PHARMACY TOURIST INFO

SH

OP

20

1ST FLOOR

SHOP

19 18 17 16

TRANSFER SERVICE 1

15

CHECK-IN 101–114

GROUND FLOOR

T1

14

Security check

BAGGAGE STORAGE

13

DROP-IN LOUNGE ACCESS As a Finnair customer, you can unwind in a Finnair lounge for €48 when your flight departs during off-peak hours. The service is available 3 hours prior to your actual departure time and cannot be purchased between 6-9 am and 2-6 pm. An off-peak lounge pass can be purchased from the Finnair Shop and will be automatically added to your profile. finnairshop.com

GATE AREA

2ND FLOOR

12

11

SHOP

1ST FLOOR JANUARY 2017

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FLY FINNAIR FLIGHTS WITHIN EUROPE KARTAT Great Circle Estimated FROM HELSINKI AMSTERDAM ALANYA/GAZIPASA ALICANTE ARRECIFE ATHENS BARCELONA BERGEN BERLIN BIARRITZ BILLUND BRUSSELS BUDAPEST CATANIA CHANIA COPENHAGEN CORFU DALAMAN DUBLIN DUBROVNIK DÜSSELDORF EDINBURGH EILAT EKATERINBURG FRANKFURT FUERTEVENTURA FUNCHAL GDANSK GENEVA GOTHENBURG HAMBURG HERAKLION IBIZA INNSBRUCK KAZAN KOS KRAKOW LAS PALMAS LISBON LJUBLJANA LONDON MADRID MALAGA MALTA MANCHESTER MENORCA MILAN MINSK MOSCOW MUNICH MYTILENE NAPLES NICE OSLO PALMA DE MALLORCA PAPHOS PARIS PISA PRAGUE

Distances km

1525 02:35 2722 03:45 3034 04:25 4518 05:55 2490 03:40 2632 03:55 1112 03:30 1123 02:00 2581 03:45 1060 01:50 1651 02:40 1481 02:20 2636 03:45 2756 03:50 895 01:40 2329 03:25 2639 03:40 2030 03:10 2027 03:00 1512 02:25 1717 02:40 3457 04:45 2098 03:05 1543 02:35 4578 06:05 4310 05:45 768 02:00 1994 03:00 785 01:25 1172 02:00 2777 03:55 2897 04:00 1701 02:35 1521 02:30 2620 03:45 1186 02:00 4700 06:10 3369 04:50 1713 02:40 1863 03:10 2950 04:25 3357 04:35 2822 04:15 1817 03:00 2688 04:05 1953 03:05 740 01:25 876 01:40 1577 02:30 1471 03:35 2283 03:25 2202 03:25 766 01:30 2777 04:00 2898 04:00 1900 03:05 2093 03:20 1322 02:10

TÄHÄN KARTTA

8 WINGS DECEMBER 2014 88BLUE BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

Great Circle Estimated Distances Flight km Times

Flight Times PREVEZA PULA REYKJAVIK RHODES RIGA RIMINI ROME SALZBURG SAMARA SANTORINI SKIATHOS SPLIT STOCKHOLM ST. PETERSBURG TALLINN TARTU TEL AVIV TENERIFE NORTE TENERIFE SUR VARNA VENICE VERONA VIENNA VILNIUS VISBY WARSAW ZAKYNTHOS ZÜRICH

2397 03:25 1865 02:55 2429 3:50 2668 03:45 382 00:55 1993 03:00 2235 03:25 1592 02:30 1698 02:35 2660 03:40 2353 03:30 1956 02:55 400 01:00 301 01:00 101 00:30 245 00:50 3230 04:25 4691 06:10 4745 06:10 1911 02:55 1847 02:55 1903 02:55 1462 02:30 633 01:15 481 01:25 940 01:40 2526 03:55 1781 02:45

SCHEDULED DESTINATIONS LEISURE DESTINATIONS PARTNER-OPERATED CODE-SHARE OR MARKETING DESTINATIONS SEASONAL ROUTE EW SCHEDULED N SEASONAL ROUTE

NEW SCHEDULED DESTINATION IN 2017

Atl Oc antic ean

DOMESTIC FLIGHTS New

FROM HELSINKI IVALO JOENSUU JYVÄSKYLÄ KAJAANI MARIEHAMN KEMI/TORNIO KITTILÄ KOKKOLA/PIETARSAARI KUOPIO KUUSAMO OULU ROVANIEMI TAMPERE TURKU VAASA

quay

931 01:35 360 01:00 235 00:50 464 01:20 282 00:55 609 01:35 823 01:25 391 01:10 335 01:00 667 01:15 514 01:05 697 01:20 143 00:35 150 00:35 348 00:55

Bay of B isca ya

FLY FINNAIR FLIGHTS WITHIN EUROPE KARTAT Great Circle Estimated FROM HELSINKI AMSTERDAM ALANYA/GAZIPASA ALICANTE ARRECIFE ATHENS BARCELONA BERGEN BERLIN BIARRITZ BILLUND BRUSSELS BUDAPEST CATANIA CHANIA COPENHAGEN CORFU DALAMAN DUBLIN DUBROVNIK DÜSSELDORF EDINBURGH EILAT EKATERINBURG FRANKFURT FUERTEVENTURA FUNCHAL GDANSK GENEVA GOTHENBURG HAMBURG HERAKLION IBIZA INNSBRUCK KAZAN KOS KRAKOW LAS PALMAS LISBON LJUBLJANA LONDON MADRID MALAGA MALTA MANCHESTER MENORCA MILAN MINSK MOSCOW MUNICH MYTILENE NAPLES NICE OSLO PALMA DE MALLORCA PAPHOS PARIS PISA PRAGUE

Distances km

1525 02:35 2722 03:45 3034 04:25 4518 05:55 2490 03:40 2632 03:55 1112 03:30 1123 02:00 2581 03:45 1060 01:50 1651 02:40 1481 02:20 2636 03:45 2756 03:50 895 01:40 2329 03:25 2639 03:40 2030 03:10 2027 03:00 1512 02:25 1717 02:40 3457 04:45 2098 03:05 1543 02:35 4578 06:05 4310 05:45 768 02:00 1994 03:00 785 01:25 1172 02:00 2777 03:55 2897 04:00 1701 02:35 1521 02:30 2620 03:45 1186 02:00 4700 06:10 3369 04:50 1713 02:40 1863 03:10 2950 04:25 3357 04:35 2822 04:15 1817 03:00 2688 04:05 1953 03:05 740 01:25 876 01:40 1577 02:30 1471 03:35 2283 03:25 2202 03:25 766 01:30 2777 04:00 2898 04:00 1900 03:05 2093 03:20 1322 02:10

TÄHÄN KARTTA

8 WINGS DECEMBER 2014 88BLUE BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

Great Circle Estimated Distances Flight km Times

Flight Times PREVEZA PULA REYKJAVIK RHODES RIGA RIMINI ROME SALZBURG SAMARA SANTORINI SKIATHOS SPLIT STOCKHOLM ST. PETERSBURG TALLINN TARTU TEL AVIV TENERIFE NORTE TENERIFE SUR VARNA VENICE VERONA VIENNA VILNIUS VISBY WARSAW ZAKYNTHOS ZÜRICH

2397 03:25 1865 02:55 2429 3:50 2668 03:45 382 00:55 1993 03:00 2235 03:25 1592 02:30 1698 02:35 2660 03:40 2353 03:30 1956 02:55 400 01:00 301 01:00 101 00:30 245 00:50 3230 04:25 4691 06:10 4745 06:10 1911 02:55 1847 02:55 1903 02:55 1462 02:30 633 01:15 481 01:25 940 01:40 2526 03:55 1781 02:45

SCHEDULED DESTINATIONS LEISURE DESTINATIONS PARTNER-OPERATED CODE-SHARE OR MARKETING DESTINATIONS SEASONAL ROUTE EW SCHEDULED N SEASONAL ROUTE

NEW SCHEDULED DESTINATION IN 2016

Atl Oc antic ean

DOMESTIC FLIGHTS New

FROM HELSINKI IVALO JOENSUU JYVÄSKYLÄ KAJAANI MARIEHAMN KEMI/TORNIO KITTILÄ KOKKOLA/PIETARSAARI KUOPIO KUUSAMO OULU ROVANIEMI TAMPERE TURKU VAASA

quay

931 01:35 360 01:00 235 00:50 464 01:20 282 00:55 609 01:35 823 01:25 391 01:10 335 01:00 667 01:15 514 01:05 697 01:20 143 00:35 150 00:35 348 00:55

Bay of B isca ya

Arct ic

Ocea n

FLY FINNAIR IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Nor weg ian S ea

Nort

h Sea

on

on-D

tov-

Ros

Heraklion

Medit erranea n Sea DECEMBER 2014 BLUE WINGS89 8 JANUARY 2017 BLUE WINGS

rctic

Arctic Ocean

FLY FINNAIR FLIGHTS INTERCONTINENTAL Circle Estimated KARTAT Great Distances Flight FROM HELSINKI

km

GREENLAND

Times

BANGKOK 7912 09:45 BEIJING 6325 07:55 CHICAGO 7139 09:15 CHONGQING 6736 08:40 DELHI 5229 06:50 DUBAI 4537 05:55 FUKUOKA 8060 09:30 GOA via Dubai 6739 10:15 GUANGZHOU 7693 09:30 HAVANNA 8718 12:05 HÔ CHI MINH CITY (Saigon) 8510 10:50 HONG KONG 7821 09:35 KRABI 8350 10:20 MIAMI 8342 11:10 NAGOYA 7780 09:40 NEW YORK 6626 08:45 OSAKA 7751 09:30 PHUKET 8312 10:05

PUERTO PLATA 8417 11:15 SAN FRANCISCO 8724 10:45 SEOUL 7050 08:40 SHANGHAI 7410 09:05 SINGAPORE 9272 11:30 TOKYO 7849 09:45 XIAN 6421 07:50

Atlantic Ocean

Havanna

FINNAIR PLUS members earn Plus points from travelling on any ­scheduled flight with a oneworld airline.

The oneworld alliance flies to more than 1,000 destinations.

Pacific Ocean

Ocea n Atlantic Ocean

8 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2014

Arctic Ocean Arctic Ocean

FLY FINNAIR IMPORTANT INFORMATION

GREENLAND

Atlantic Ocean

an

Agadir Agadir

Taiwan Taiwan

Pacific Ocean

Indian Ocean Indian Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

n

DECEMBER 2014 BLUE WINGS 8

Pa

FLY FINNAIR FLEET

AIRBUS A350-900 Number 7+ 12 on order Seating capacity 297 Length 66.8 m Wingspan 64.75 m Cruising speed 903 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 13,000 m AIRBUS A340-300 Number 1 Seating capacity 257 Length 63.6 m Wingspan 60.3 m Cruising speed 870 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,500 m AIRBUS A330-300 Number 8 Seating capacity 289/263 Length 63.6 m Wingspan 60.3 m Cruising speed 870 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,600 m AIRBUS A321 (ER) Number 11 Seating capacity 196–209 Length 44.5 m Wingspan 34.1 m Cruising speed 840 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 11,900 m AIRBUS A320 Number 10 Seating capacity 165 Length 37.6 m Wingspan 34.1 m Cruising speed 840 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 11,900 m AIRBUS A319 Number 9 Seating capacity 138 Length 33.8 m Wingspan 34.1 m Cruising speed 840 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 11,900 m EMBRAER 190 Operated by Norra Number 12 Seating capacity 100 Length 36.2 m Wingspan 28.7 m Cruising speed 850 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,300 m

92 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

FLY FINNAIR MY FINNAIR

MY FINNAIR EVERY SEAT HAS A STORY It’s the customers who make Finnair and that’s why we’ve dedicated this page to your travel stories.

#FEELFINNAIR Share your Finnair moments on I­nstagram by using @feelfinnair and to get featured use #feelfinnair.

MEET THE FREQUENT FLYER What has been your most ­memorable flight? I was lucky enough to be on the maiden voyage for the Chongqing route.

What’s your all-time favourite destination? Without a doubt my favourite destination is Hong Kong.

mg_aviationphotography London Heathrow Airport

What is your go-to airplane snack?

None, I prefer to enjoy the Finnair menu offered onboard!

What gadget could you never travel without? It would have to be my laptop.

Hannu Bergholm has been a Finnair Plus member since 1994, but has flown with Finnair since 1970.

Miles flown: approx 3.3 million kilometres Next destinations: Geneva and Vancouver

What’s the most impressive ­airport you’ve visited? I’d say Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

APP & AWAY

QUESTIONS? Twitter: @FinnairHelps Facebook: facebook.com/finnair Finnair on chat: Live chat is available on weekdays from 7 am to 10 pm, on Saturdays from 9 am to 6 pm, and on Sundays from 10 am to 10 pm (Finnish time).

pablo_and_dali_the_beagles Little traveller, first time in airplane

Find Finnair on WeChat! Scan and follow Finnair’s official WeChat account.

Finnair’s mobile app is now available to everyone who has a Finnair booking.

Log in with either your Finnair Plus member ID or your booking reference number and surname.

Go to finnair.com to learn more.

jagontheroad Wandering in Aarhus, Denmark.

JANUARY 2017

BLUE WINGS

93

FINNAIR PLUS RENEWED FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM

JOIN NOW

A world of benefits for ­frequent flyers

THE FINNAIR PLUS PROGRAM allows you to earn both tier points and award points when travelling with Finnair or a ­oneworld airline and from ­services provided by Finnair Plus partners.

As a Finnair Plus member you get instant access to valuable benefits including:

· A head start on special flight sales · Exclusive members prices on offers · Earn and use points on Finnair, oneworld, and partner airline flights · Earn and use points on numerous worldwide partner services

RENEWED FINNAIR PLUS With our latest changes, it’s easier to reach tier ­membership. You can also enjoy simpler ways of ­earning and using points for Finnair flights.

Read more about the changes: finnair.com/plus

DID YOU KNOW? JOIN FOR FREE by filling in the Finnair Plus form attached to this magazine or online at finnair.com/plus

NEW WAYS TO USE POINTS AS A FINNAIR PLUS MEMBER you can

use your Finnair Plus award points for additional ­Finnair services such as seat selection, meals, and extra baggage payments online.

The number of points you pay depends on your flight and the chosen service.

You can pay for additional services at the time you book your reservation, or later through the ­Manage Booking tab. finnair.com/plus

94 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

FINNAIR PLUS RENEWED FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM

FINNAIR PLUS MEMBERSHIP

FINNAIR PLUS TIERS AND BENEFITS JUNIOR Children aged 2–17 can join the Finnair Plus Junior program. The points earned can be spent on award flights as well as for fun reward items.

BASIC · F lights awards · Additional

baggage charges with points · Extra

services for flights with points · Partner

service purchases with points · Waiting

list priority based on tier SILVER · One

extra bag (max. 23 kg) free of charge · F innair lounge access* · P riority Lane · 1 0% points bonus · 10%

discount on ­Finnair tax-free purchases outside of the EU * Chargeable from August 1, 2016

All tier benefits are valid on Finnair flights (AY operated and AY marketed)

GOLD · Special

baggage free of charge · T ravel class upgrades · F innair and oneworld Business Class and Frequent Flyer lounge access + 1 guest · P riority Lane · 1 5% points bonus · 10%

discount on Finnair tax-free purchases outside of the EU PLATINUM · G old card giveaway · Special

baggage free of charge · T ravel class upgrades · Travel

upgrades for family members · F innair and oneworld Business and First Class and Frequent Flyer lounge access + 1 guest · P riority Lane · Points

do not expire during tracking period · 2 5% points bonus · 10%

discount on Finnair tax-free purchases outside of the EU

Remember to keep your Finnair Plus card with you at all times to make sure you don’t miss out on opportunities to earn points!

EQUIVALENT ONEWORLD TIERS Finnair Plus oneworld Basic --Silver Ruby Gold Sapphire Platinum Emerald

JANUARY 2017

BLUE WINGS

95

FINNAIR PLUS NEWS THIS MONTH

TIPS FROM FINNAIR’S CUSTOMER LOYALTY TEAM Jenni Auvinen Customer Communications Consultant

ONE-STOP FINNAIR SHOP The Finnair PlusShop and Pre-order Shop are now combined into the new and improved Finnair Shop!

In the Finnair Shop, you can pre-order products for your flight, shop for home delivery, purchase Finnair gift cards, and use your points

for partner services and award vouchers - all under the same roof.

For the best shopping experience, log in with your Finnair Plus credentials. If you’re not yet a member, join now!

Have fun shopping at finnairshop.com

PARTNER BENEFITS

1. NORDIC STAY If you’re heading to northern Finland stay at Lapland Hotels! Earn Finnair Plus points for every night that you stay.

2. HAVE A BLINI at Bystro.

Slavic kitchen meets edgy vodka bar for a taste of Russia in Helsinki. Redeem an award voucher with Finnair Plus points or with a combination of money and points.

3. RETAIL THERAPY Check out the new trends and shop fashion, design, and home decor at Stockmann! You can use and earn Finnair Plus points with an activated Stockmann Loyal Customer card.

EARN POINTS WITH HERTZ

SLEEP FOR POINTS

EARN 500 Finnair Plus points from published and corporate agreement rates when you hire a car from any Hertz office. Use your Finnair Plus points either by paying the rental with points or with a combination of points (min 1000 points) and money.

BOOK HOTELS with Rocketmiles and earn thousands of points per night. Rocketmiles is a hotel booking website and app that awards thousands of Finnair Plus points per night, for stays at hundreds of thousands of properties worldwide.

hertz.com/finnair

rocketmiles.com

96 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

finnairshop.com

FINNAIR PLUS TOP PICKS THIS MONTH

USE YOUR POINTS WISELY FOR THIS SEASON’S BEST! NOW YOU CAN FIND Finnair gift cards, partner services, and award vouchers as well as Finnair Shop brands all under the same roof.

Simply login using your frequent flyer number, place your order, and pay with Finnair Plus points, money, or a combination of both.

Shop for the always affordable 1,000 Point Special Offers and your Plus points can be worth hundreds of euros! finnairshop.com

TOP 5 PARTNER SERVICES THIS MONTH 1. ESPORT FITNESS gift voucher: 6 months €277.90 + 5,000p 2. MANDATUM LIFE gift voucher: €25,000 policy from €32.60 + 1,000p 3. REWARD NIGHT in Scandic Hotels: €47 + 10,000p 4. THE ECONOMIST gift voucher: year subscription €199.75 + 10,000p 5. PASTIS gift voucher: Pastis menu for two €81.21 + 2,000p Gift vouchers can be redeemed with points or a combination of money and points.

1 ,000 POINTS SPECIAL OFFERS MARIMEKKO FOR FINNAIR LOKKI SET €113.90 Member offer €89 + 1,000p

RIEDEL ORIESLING/ZINFANDEL VALUE PACK 6 GLASSES €92.70 Member offer €49 + 1,000p

RIEDEL OCABERNET/MERLOT VALUE PACK 6 GLASSES €92.70 Member offer €49 + 1,000p

ARABIA MUUMI LUMIHEVONEN SET €48.80 Member offer €39 + 1,000p

Limited edition!

SALOMON EAGLE BEANIE & EVEN LEATHER GLOVES FOR MEN €130 Member offer €99 + 1,000p

SALOMON IVY HAT & NATIVE LEATHER MITTENS FOR WOMEN €140 Member offer €105 + 1,000p

JANUARY 2017

BLUE WINGS

97

FINLAND IN FIGURES

CONGRATULATIONS Finland celebrates 100 years of independence in 2017.

FINLAND

ECONOMIC STRUCTURE

IN FIGURES

Employed persons by industry, 3rd quarter 2016 (per cent of total)

AREA • 390,905 sq. kil­o­me­tres, of ­which 9% is fresh water; land area is 303,900 ­sq. kil­o­me­tres. There are 188,000 lakes. 6% of the l­and is ­under cul­ti­va­tion. Fo­rests (main­ly ­pine and s­ pruce) cov­er 68% of the country.

GOVERNMENT • Sove­reign par­lia­men­tary re­pub­lic ­since 1917.

• The pres­i­dent is elect­ed eve­r y six years. The current president of Finland, Sauli Niinistö took office in March 2012. The 200 mem­bers of Par­lia­ment are elect­ed for fouryear terms.

• Finland has been a member of the European Union since January 1995.

ECONOMY • GDP 2015: 209 billion euros, the annual change in volume 0.2% • Annual inflation rate as of November 2016: 0.7% • Currency: Euro

Construction and energy 9%

Miscellaneous services

13%

35%

Manufacturing

14% 4% Agriculture

10%

16%

Financial and business servces

Trade and hotel

Transport and communications

GDP

47%

Other manufactured goods

24%

Forest products

16%

Food prod. and textiles

13%

Nominal

Adjusted for Purchasing Power Standard

67.100 47.800 45.600 39.600 38.200 37.100 32.800 28.900

46.700 36.200 35.600 31.600 31.200 36.000 30.300 28.900

Foreign trade 2015 exports by products by activity: 53.829 MEUR (per cent of total) Forest industry products

21.5%

Other industries

19.5%

Chemical industry products

18.8%

Metals and metal products

14.7%

Machinery and equipment

13.5%

Electronics

12.1%

*preliminary

MONTHLY TEMPERATURES IN HELSINKI 2015

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Mean˚C -0.9 0.9 2.4 5.3 9.3 13.3 16.4 17.5 13.7 6.4 5.6 3.3 Max˚C 6.0 8.3 11.1 13.2 17.1 21.9 26.9 24.6 18.9 17.2 13.4 10.5 Min˚C -14.0 -7.2 -7.5 -1.1 1.2 6.8 10.3 9.6 6.0 -3.4 -4.2 -7.1

More information: finland.fi, goodnewsfromfinland.com, findicator.fi

98 BLUE WINGS JANUARY 2017

Metal and engineering products

EXPORTS BY PRODUCTS

Gross domestic product per capita 2015* (EUR)

Norway Denmark Sweden UK Finland Germany France EU28

Manufacturing

Source: Statistics Finland

POPULATION • 5.5 mil­lion • Life ex­pec­tan­c y: men 78.2 and women 83.9 years • Av­er­age house­hold ­size: 2.1 persons • L anguages: 89% s­ peak Finn­ish; 5.3% Swedish; 1.3% Russian • Religion: 74% Lu­ther­an; 1% Orthodox; 24% census register or unknown • 83% of the pop­u­la­tion aged 25 to 64 ­have com­plet­ed upper secondary or tertiary ed­u­ca­tion and 39% ­have uni­ver­sity or other tertiary qualifications.

www.kia.fi

Erottuva muotoilu, ylivoimainen varustelu ja markkinoiden pisin 7 vuoden takuu

Upea Kia-mallisto Kia Optima Sportswagon Optima on luokkansa tyylikkäin ja parhaiten varusteltu auto sisältä ja ulkoa.

Mallisto alkaen 30 990 € Vapaa autoetu alk. 650 €/kk Käyttöetu alk. 485 €/kk CO2-päästöt alk. 113 g/km EU-yhd. alk. 4,4 l/100 km

Kia Optima Sedan Mallisto alkaen 29 647 € Vapaa autoetu alk. 630 €/kk Käyttöetu alk. 465 €/kk CO2-päästöt alk. 110 g/km EU-yhd. alk. 4,2 l/100 km

Kia Optima Plug-In hybrid Mallisto alkaen 43 990 € Vapaa autoetu alk. 830 €/kk Käyttöetu alk. 665 €/kk CO2-päästöt alk. 37 g/km EU-yhd. alk. 1,6 l/100 km

CO2 alk.

88 g/km

HV 2 0 0 TO .

E N EL IV

NY T INA AT T OM A AUT D SEK Ä 2W .

4W D

ER. S S OV CRO RIDI. B Y I. H AT T OMA AU T

Kia K ia S Sorento orentto

Kia a Sportage

Kia Niro hybrid

Vaikuttavan näköinen ja kokoinen kokoinen.

Ylellinen kaupunkimaasturi on saatavana myös 7 hengen versiona.

Hien Hienostunut ja urheilullinen Sportage. e Täysin uudistunut crossover on luokkansa tyylikkäin ja viimeistellyin paketti.

Hybridin Hybridi in taloudellisuus ja kompaktin crossoverin atleettinen ulkonäkö.

Niro on ainutlaatuinen yhdistelmä.

Mallisto alkaen 44 990 € Vapaa autoetu alk. 850 €/kk Käyttöetu alk. 685 €/kk CO2-päästöt alk. 149 g/km EU-yhd. alk. 5,7 l/100 km

Mallisto alkaen 26 990 € Vapaa autoetu alk. 600 €/kk Käyttöetu alk. 435 €/kk CO2-päästöt alk. 119 g/km EU-yhd. alk. 4,6 l/100 km

Mallisto alkaen 27 990 € Vapaa autoetu alk. 610 €/kk Käyttöetu alk. 445 €/kk CO2-päästöt alk. 88 g/km EU-yhd. alk. 3,8 l/100 km