Saturday, September 7, 2024

The New Schengen Finnair Lounge at HEL

Finnair has redone their lounge on the Schengen side of the Helsinki-Vantaa airport. Long overdue; it was cramped, almost every time quite full. Still, it wasn't bad. Quite nice, good food, enough drinks, etc. The new one is much nicer though, at least the Platinum Wing that I visited briefly before my flight in August. The new lounge is on the highest floor of the airport, where the additional security checks and priority security used to reside.

It is spacious, not crowded, good muted design, good views, private little sofa chairs, and a great (and ample) service crew.

Leaving the verdict open about the food. I found the food in the previous lounge pretty good, it was possible to have a hearty meal. Here it was maybe a bit more fine-ish but also less opportunities for having a full-sized meal. Although I *loved* the salmon soup. Because I always do :-)

Entrance:

Views:

Seats:



Food:


Of course, I stayed until the last moment, until it was "viimeinen kutsu" (last call):



For more flying stories, check out the planetflier.com website! And of course the Planetcaver, and Planetskier blogs for other stories in Blogspot and TGR! The photos and text (c) 2024 by Jari Arkko. All rights reserved.



Movie night: geology and caves in the Vis island region

Komiza is a small fishing village on the island of Vis, off the coast of Croatia. It is perhaps one of the most real feeling places that I've visited in the Croatian archipelago. The houses are old, stone-built, the streets are narrow and for walking only. The views are great. But they also have an open-air movie theater, and an information center for the UNESCO's Vis Archipelago Geopark. And I happened to hear about a movie they were premiering in the theater, about the origins of island, their caves, and geology. Including some newly published research that changes the current understanding of how the islands formed!

The traditional understanding goes back to the time of geologist Albert Fortis who sailed and studied the area 250 years ago. The understanding was that the group of islands around Vis -- Jabuka, Svetac, Brusnik, Bisevo, Ravnik, Budihovac, and Palagruza -- are of volcanic origin. In particular, that Vis and Jabuka have volcanic origins.

These origins have also played a significant role in forming Komiza on the east side of Vis. Komiza village benefits from having s shielded bay where a port could be constructed, but also from the naturally occurring springs that brought much-needed water to the village. Volcanic basalt rocks line the bay where Komiza sits, creating a barrier for the water flowing through the mountains made up of more porous rocks. This made it possible for the springs to form where leaks through the basalt occurred. You can see some of those springs and volcanic rock in this earlier post about the Kamenice Beach.

But the movie "Razgovor sa stijenama; Otoci koji rastu" (Conversation with rocks; Islands that grow) that premiered in August in Komiza shows this view may be incorrect. Geologist Tvrtka Korbara and his team has studied the situation in more detail for ten years. Turns out that what has happened is rather that a salt layer deep inside earth was pushed up and brought with it volcanic rocks. Jabuka is perhaps a volcano, but Vis isn't.

The movie theater is by the one of the oldest ones running in Croatia.



The movie featured many caves, such as the "Modra špilja" (Blue Cave, see opening picture in this post). 

And the ''Zelena špilja" (Green Cave) in the island of Ravine (few hundred meters from Vis island's south coast):




Introduction to the movie:


The island of Bisevo, which hosts the Blue Cave. This island is a 20-minute speed boat ride away from Komiza:


Komiza locals enjoying the thunderstorm:


Komiza port and center:

For other Vis-related posts, see also the post about the hidden cave or the one about the beach caves in Srebrna, or about swimming in Vis. Or the one about underground submarine base :-) 

Read more urban exploration stories from theurbanexplorer.net, and other underground stories from planetcaver.net. Read the full Planetskier series at planetskier.net, or all blog articles from Blogspot or TGR. Photos and text (c) 2024 by Jari Arkko. All rights reserved. 

Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Dallas - Helsinki in Finnair Business Class

I used my last (possibly ever) Platinum voucher to upgrade my return flight from Dallas to Helsinki, as I was coming back from Canada using the Finnair's Dallas flight. Nice experience, particularly when Tero was also on the same flight!





Luggage: Dallas Cowboys hat, skis (for the Mt. Hood visit), caving helmets (for the Ape Cave visit), etc. Everything you need!

For more flying stories, check out the planetflier.com website! And of course the Planetcaver, and Planetskier blogs for other stories in Blogspot and TGR! The photos and text (c) 2024 by Jari Arkko. All rights reserved. 

Finnair Split Flights

I took a Finnair flight from Split recently, upgraded myself on points to business class to try and stay away from the crowds in the back, given the again surging flu and covid infections... and since I need to be at the hospital for an operation soon, I can't afford to get sick. But, I was surprised how the business class service was improved by a very simple thing: after a meal, they served a bun, the "korvapuusti" (a cinnamon roll). And it was massive! Almost the size of the tray :-)





Back home I was rewarded with a magnificent sunset:

For more flying stories, check out the planetflier.com website! And of course the Planetcaver, and Planetskier blogs for other stories in Blogspot and TGR! The photos and text (c) 2024 by Jari Arkko. All rights reserved. 

Monday, September 2, 2024

Night sail

Had a fun event at work today, a picnic in Suomenlinna (the fortress island in front of Helsinki). But a friend from work invited us to join the trip by a sail boat. Nice! 

We also had a sauna and dinner on the island, after the official program was over. And then we sailed back... got pretty dark in the end. But what an experience! Thank you!

We did a similar thing some years ago, see the previous article here.

The sail:



Return:





Finally in the harbor:


Dinner and sauna views in the Suomenlinnan vierassatama (visitor harbor) and its facilities:



For more sauna and swimming stories, check out planetswimmer.com and saunablogger.cool websites! And of course the Planetcaver, and Planetskier blogs for other stories in Blogspot and TGR! The photos and text (c) 2024 by Jari Arkko. All rights reserved. I never take recognisable photos of other saunagoers or swimmers. and try to visit at times where there is simply no one else around or the facility has been booked only for me.


Vis Swim

Vis has a wonderful swimming area. Or several, but the one I like is across the road in front of the Issa hotel. There's a sandy/pebble beach further towards the city, and here there are only concrete piers and then bigger rocks under the water. But what a wonderful view, and most importantly, wonderful shade from the pine trees!

Much recommended.

Here is the location I'm thinking of: N 43.064582 E 16.189183. The sandier, more official beach, Prirovo Beach, is here: 43.063367 E 16.188888


For more sauna and swimming stories, check out planetswimmer.com and saunablogger.cool websites! And of course the Planetcaver, and Planetskier blogs for other stories in Blogspot and TGR! The photos and text (c) 2024 by Jari Arkko. All rights reserved. I never take recognisable photos of other saunagoers or swimmers. and try to visit at times where there is simply no one else around or the facility has been booked only for me.


Long wait

It will be a long wait for the season to start. But the snow is there.

Grani hill, in Kauniainen. They started storing snow this year.

Read the full Planetskier series at planetskier.net, or all blog articles from Blogspot or TGR. Photos and text (c) 2024 by Jari Arkko. All rights reserved. 

Sunday, September 1, 2024

Beach cave tunnels at the Srebrna Beach

The Srebrna Beach is a popular, rocky beach in the limestone layer of on the south side of the Vis island in Croatia. Beach caves are a very frequent occurrence on Croatia's coast, but for me - coming from a cave-poor country - they are always a wonder. There's a very nice straight, tunnel-like beach cave on the left side of the Srebrna beach.

And a smaller side cave as well. You can reach these caves mostly on foot, but you have to wade in in some places in the cliff-faced shore when you make your way, and in the actual cave as well.

The main cave is at N 43.019399 E 16.204786. The small side cave is at N 43.019815 E 16.205279. The beach is at N 43.020619 E 16.205317. There's parking a couple of hundred meters from the beach, and at the beach there's a bar and some toilets. You may also rent beach beds for 10€ per day.

The main cave is approximately 11 meters long, but beautifully formed. I also recorded a 3D model of the cave, shown below. Load the model from this link in GLB format. Or rotate it on your browser's screen with this link. There's also a map, picture below but the high-res version is here.

Main cave:









Side cave:

Beach:

See also other Vis area cave articles herehere and here. Or the urban exploration destinations here, here, or here.

Read more urban exploration stories from theurbanexplorer.net, and other underground stories from planetcaver.net. For more sauna and swimming stories, check out planetswimmer.com and saunablogger.cool websites! Read the full Planetskier series at planetskier.net, or all blog articles from Blogspot or TGR. Photos and text (c) 2024 by Jari Arkko. All rights reserved. No beach- or sauna goers have been photographed.