The tree pollen levels have been breaking all sorts of records this spring, which has resulted in: 1) a night time visit to the emergency duty when my asthma returned with a vengeance after some 15 years of being just fine, and 2) not really leaving the house after that because a simple trip to get groceries could lead to allergy symptoms bad enough to ruin more than just one day. So, after a month of mostly staying at home, I was in dire need of fresh air, space and culture. My number one choice would've been an escape to London but I just couldn't. The next best thing within my means was Helsinki, and the best things there were:

1. Tove Jansson 100th anniversary exhibition at Ateneum
2. Jean Tinguely at Amos Anderson
3. Kimpassa (Together) / Kiasma Hits / Alfredo Jaar at Kiasma
4. great weather
5. less pollen
6. the sea
7. me on my own with no one to talk to (sometimes this is the closest thing to perfection)
+ reading Tuhat kurkea (Senbazuru / Thousand Cranes) by Yasunari Kawabata, it was pure bliss

(featured artists from top: Jean Tinguely, Jenni Hiltunen, Lea Whittington, Matti Braun)