Nostalgia!

Now that the Tall Ship's Race's have taken over Hietalahdentori, I was so pleased to walk only a few blocks to Kansalaistori for a flea market-Saturday!

And oh, how I suddenly started feeling a huge longing back to the years I spent studying and living only a stone's throw away from the old Makasiinit, where I always went during weekends to make finds in the legendary flea market! 

The scenery was suddenly the same, you could see the Parliament House, and a little bit of that old tile wall that looks so sad now, when they don't know what to do with it!

Oh, memories! Sweet memories!

I was thinking how young I was then, but equally happy and somehow equally "me", as I feel now. 

I could recognize myself, and that gave me a little comfort! 

Life is sweet, most of the times, I feel gratitude over it.

Have a beautiful weekend, my dears!

 

I stopped to have lunch at the Musiikkitalo terrace, such a good salad! You can choose the fillings, and they sprinkle pumpkin seeds and nuts on top if you wish! I was really positively surprised, it was good!

Plus something small I found: old sheet music of La Cumparsita, that'll make a beautiful picture on the wall, plus a necklace! My ghetto gold-phase is still going strong, I can see!

Street art at the construction area: 

     

Yet another flea market day...!

Yes, I'm going crazy with the flea markets, I know, but it's the best kind of shopping there is!!
I love to get surprised with something unexpected, to snoop around and look at beautiful things! It's treasure hunting! And since the whole day Yesterday went by at work having to miss the Siivouspäivä when the whole city turns into one gigantic flea market, I headed East today.
There were several things going on: Apila-kirppis in Roihuvuori and Rantakirppis in Marjaniemi.
I made a date with my sweet friend in one of the playgrounds of Roihuvuori, where she was out with her boys, and we were sipping tea from a thermos while the boys were playing around! It was nice to catch up with the latest news, hugs Sweetie!

It started to rain a little so I didn't find much action in the Apila-kirppis, but oh my, when I drove to Marjaniemi! First of all it was beautiful! Big beautiful houses along the shoreline, the sea so pretty, and the whole Marjaniemenranta full of yard-sales, friendly people and such kind atmosphere! I chatted with several ladies, had the yummiest mushroom-pie, was welcome to even use the loo in one of the houses, and got a tour in the prettiest backyard I have ever seen! This family had their own boat in their own little pier, lots of tulips and a fountain! The house was a 100-year-old stone villa, originally the ladie's husband's grandparents had it as their summer house.
When Helsinki was a lot smaller, Marjaniemi was filled with villas like these as people's summer places.
Oh, how I love the history of Helsinki, these old areas, and the fact that there still are people from the same old families living in the same homes. That's rare I think. It was fascinating, we talked for quite a while!

I also made some finds, bargains, if I may say so! A pair of golden leather sandals, almost new, and three little black leather bags, total 7€! Clothes-wise it wasn't my cup of tea. I'm telling you, when the garages are filled with Jags, Mercs, even with a Maserati and a Porsche, the clothes are pretty businessy, being all black and beige, suits and pencil skirts, so I let them be, but enjoyed enormously the walk, the talk and the landscape! It was just perfect! I want more happenings like these, pretty please!!

Now we're just taking it easy, sweet husband took me out for a dinner to one of our favourite places in Katajanokka, and now it's sofa-time! Stomachs full!

Off towards a new week tomorrow, lots of thoughts to you all dear ones!

                                                      Sweet Roihis & sweet friend!

Here's the beautiful house...

....and this is the backyard!

Here are he finds!
The smallest one of the bags with the golden little strap belonged to the Mother of this older lady who sold it to me. A very special thing, I think. It's very delicate, goes beautifully with evening wear.

Sunshine, Weekend, Fleamarket!

Hellohello!

It's been such a heavenly day today! It was supposed to be a little rainy but we got full-on sunshine instead! 

The boys went fishing and myself, my Mother and Miss T headed towards Puu-Vallila, one of my absolute favourite areas in our sweet town of Helsinki! 

Weekends in May are busy times in these old neighbourhoods. The locals organise a lot of happenings such as street-fleamarkets, live music and little cafés in their yards and narrow little streets, it's adorable! Besides Puu-Vallila, Puu-Käpylä, Kumpula and Arabia are full of gatherings like these! 

I just love it, it's a perfect way to celebrate the beginning of summer! Trees are blooming, the sun is so warm and you can see smiles in people's faces, oh, it makes my heart pound!

We wondered around, made some finds, had crepes for lunch, and stopped for a while to watch the cutest wooden car-race for small boys! There were 27 contestants! Busy day for the parents!

Still stopped for cups of coffee and tea and came home. So lovely!!!

Now check this out!! I'm now a brand new owner of these über-cool Sendra boots! I couldn't believe it! They fit my feet perfectly, are in good shape and look so good! I've been thinking about boots on and off for sometime now but haven't really acted on it in any way, and this was just amazing: they came to me! And for 10€!! This is too good to be true!

Here's our lunch-creperie! They were handed to us from the window! Delicious!

Beautiful gardens everywhere you looked!

Wroom wroom wroom!

We were following signs so we could find even the smallest of yards!

And finally: the first day of sandals!!

All things old!

My Sunday began early! Once I reached the 14th arrondissement around 9 am, I grabbed a tea and a croissant au beurre to go and started looking around. It was my first time in this flea market, it was huge! I loved it how it was just continuing with the streets, some side streets, then the main street again! But pretty soon I realised it was mainly antiques with quite high prices. I didn't mind, it was really nice to wander around there, feel the atmosphere and watch people gather together. There was mainly locals which felt nice too! I got to think that even though some of the stuff was quite normal flea market stuff, it felt a lot more special lying there on a Parisian flea market!

Afterwards I hopped into a bus and drove to Montparnasse, found an art market by accident, and had soupe á l'oignon for lunch and a crepe for dessert, mmmm, so good! Then took a bus to Boulevard Saint Michel and walked along La Seine. I love those stalls by the riverside! They're so picturesque! Some of them have the touristy thing going on but not all. I bought old covers of Vogue, let's see what'll come of those!

I walked back to the hotel past Notre Dame and The Shakespeare and Co. Took a picture for you of this world famous bookstore! Before my first trip to Paris I read Ernest Heminigways' Nuoruuteni Pariisi (A Moveable Feast) and of course loved the images of young artists coming to Paris, working, getting inspired, sitting in cafés, paying their bills with their works.. it all looks so romantic to us, of which I'm sure it always wasn't, but it's a part of the spell. This bookshop still supports young writers by letting them live upstairs and work for the shop for a few hours. The legacy of Sylvia Beach carries on.

I sat in numerous cafés myself because it was quite cold! I was hoping to get a glimpse of real spring over here but no! Yesterday might have been even worse than home, because it's so much more humid over here. That's the worst type of coldness, it's colder than dry coldness! I had Vin Chaude to make myself warm, a little like glögi, hot red wine with orange and cinnamon!

Here we go, pictures from Yesterday!

Porte de Vanves marché aux puces

Pont Neuf, La Seine

Flea market!

Today I spent the whole day from nine o'clock in a flea market in Vanha Ylioppilastalo! I had my own table which I filled with stuff after I'd spent a descent amount of time doing some inventory around our closets and attic! This, I think, is the best and most fun way to get rid of unnecessary things, clothes, and shoes. It's so nice to see the joy in people's faces when they find something they like in something you don't need anymore!
I try to do this at least once a year, maybe twice, and like to put some thought to the whole thing. First of all you need some nice table cloths to make the table look nice. Even when you fill it with things it will show from underneath and make an emphasis. Secondly, this my sweet mother taught me, you can style some outfits you put on display, in today's case, the wall. Mix tops with scarves and jewellery, it makes them look even nicer! And finally, iron the clothes! This I did not do, and it bugged me a little bit, but I did get over it eventually! And last but not least, the clothes you sell must be clean!
I made some good selling, had stuff in at least four big bags and came back with one, woohoo! The thing is to keep the prizes low, you don't go there to make money, the main thing is to recycle, get rid of stuff you don't need anymore, and make space to your closet so you can fill it again..!
I also like to meet people, talk a little, and feel the spirit of flea markets, it's nice and makes you feel good!

Here's how it was, it's such a beautiful space! My Mother came to keep me company, we had a good time as always, there was time to catch up, chat and have lunch, thank you Mom! This flea market is relatively new and it was my first time as a seller there and I will go back for sure!