Living in Turku
Living in Turku
I just joined this site yesterday and I noticed most members are from the greater Helsinki area. My wife is originally from Turku and we would like to move back there but realize that the "Turku Mafia" may be hard to crack for an American. Does anyone have any advice or color on the situation. I really believe Turku is one of Finland's most beautiful cities ( I have a feeling I will take some heat on this site for that)
I think there's a whole lot of places you missed in your list.
And it depends also on what you look for in a city.
I think the Mafia you're talking about is pretty much conquered by mastering the language.
There's ofcourse always the widely notoriously known Finnish attitude but that can't be captured in Turku Mafia. That's probably more close to Finland Mafia, since it's throughout the country.
It'll be less in the bigger cities, since there are more foreigners there.
And it depends also on what you look for in a city.
I think the Mafia you're talking about is pretty much conquered by mastering the language.
There's ofcourse always the widely notoriously known Finnish attitude but that can't be captured in Turku Mafia. That's probably more close to Finland Mafia, since it's throughout the country.
It'll be less in the bigger cities, since there are more foreigners there.
Living in Turku
Please list some of the cities, I would love to find a new travel opportunity. Funny story: First time I came to Finland I borrowed a travel book, got very excited about traveling around Finland and seeing different sights. After all to an American Finland looks quite small. Well after I showed her several locations I wanted to visit she proceeded to shoot all my dreams away. "No, that is too far, that would take 2 hours to drive, we don't have time for that". I stayed in Turku the whole week and a half.
Re: Living in Turku
I haven't been all that much around myself, but of the places I've been Porvoo is absolutely worth seeing (architectorial (is that how you say it? ) and historical) and a bit more in Turku direction Uusikaupunki is not too bad either.
- Hank W.
- The Motorhead
- Posts: 29973
- Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2002 10:00 pm
- Location: Mushroom Mountain
- Contact:
Re: porvoo
Is it livable?joseph08 wrote:Porvoo is beautiful! But is it livable for a forienger?
My family being from there and having lived there for some odd 3 years I'd say the best attribute is the bridge you can get to the highway and to Helsinki. Though this opinion might be biased as one winter in 1992 or so all the bars were closed due to bankruptcy except one, and I was banned from there...
Won't they sell them to you because you can't order is Swedish?joseph08 wrote:I also have a problem with the "politically incorrect" chocolates
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.
chocolates
Can't order it, don't want it. The name, the taste......terrible. Those candies and sandwich cake, my all time most hatted Finnish foods[/quote]
- MinnaRaisanen
- Posts: 830
- Joined: Wed Jun 11, 2003 9:46 am
- Location: Helsinki
Yeah....what is the deal with sandwich cakes?!?!! Ack!
Porvoo is wonderful - we travel there in the summer on the motorbike about twice a week for hamburgers by the water. There is one place there that has IMHO the BEST hamburgers I have ever had! And crispy, yummy fries! I just have to remember to tell the guy not to put any mustard on my fries...
Another beautiful place is Hanko. We go there whenever we can for pizza at this amazing place right in the harbour. We enjoy driving and like to take Sunday drives around Finland - I strongly recommend it! Pack some snacks, some good cd's and take off for the highway!!! Then we stop here and there at small shops and villages...it's nice.
Porvoo is wonderful - we travel there in the summer on the motorbike about twice a week for hamburgers by the water. There is one place there that has IMHO the BEST hamburgers I have ever had! And crispy, yummy fries! I just have to remember to tell the guy not to put any mustard on my fries...
Another beautiful place is Hanko. We go there whenever we can for pizza at this amazing place right in the harbour. We enjoy driving and like to take Sunday drives around Finland - I strongly recommend it! Pack some snacks, some good cd's and take off for the highway!!! Then we stop here and there at small shops and villages...it's nice.
We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
Porvoo, Hanko, Turku, Helsinki are all nice/beautiful places.
Tammisaari is also wonderful.
I have also loved my visits to Savonlinna. There is this Russian captain's villa converted to an inn/historic place nearby that serves the best borscht with smetena.
Also, with a nod to Gavin, I love Hamina. I spent many summers in nearby Klamila as a child in the 80s. The nature around Hamina is fantastic IMHO. A month or so ago, we drove to Hamina (first time there since winter of 1993), and I liked it more than I remembered (especially without all of the tourists that invade during the summer).
- Jukka
Tammisaari is also wonderful.
I have also loved my visits to Savonlinna. There is this Russian captain's villa converted to an inn/historic place nearby that serves the best borscht with smetena.
Also, with a nod to Gavin, I love Hamina. I spent many summers in nearby Klamila as a child in the 80s. The nature around Hamina is fantastic IMHO. A month or so ago, we drove to Hamina (first time there since winter of 1993), and I liked it more than I remembered (especially without all of the tourists that invade during the summer).
- Jukka
"My wife is originally from Turku and we would like to move back there but realize that the "Turku Mafia" may be hard to crack for an American. "
No, as a visitor or as a new person to Turku you will not notice anything from the Turku Mafia. You really have to live there long or know people who live there long to notice anything from that.
Unless you go to look for it, that's another thing.
No, as a visitor or as a new person to Turku you will not notice anything from the Turku Mafia. You really have to live there long or know people who live there long to notice anything from that.
Unless you go to look for it, that's another thing.
Re: porvoo
Porvoo would also get my vote (had it been a choice). I can't think why it wouldn't be livable for a foreigner...I'm doing fine in the backwoods of Kangasala. Ok. It is a whopping 18 km from Tampere city centre, but still...joseph08 wrote:Porvoo is beautiful! But is it livable for a forienger?