Blue Wings Creative issue February 2016 by Finnair_BlueWings

CREATIVE ISSUE TRENDS, DESTINATIONS AND INSIGHTS FOR TRAVELLERS

FEBRUARY 2016

FEEL THE INNOVATIVE

VIBE OF BANGKOK TOP 5 ARTFUL

HOTELS IN EUROPE MEET ROME’S

PIZZA VISIONARIES

Your personal copy

Finland’s new brand of

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EDITORIAL BY ARJA SUOMINEN SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

WWW.FINNAIR.COM

SANOMA MEDIA FINLAND HEAD OFFICE

CONTENT DESIGNER Amanda Soila VISUAL DESIGNER Sirpa Ärmänen SUB-EDITOR Shelly Nyqvist VISUAL ASSISTANT Iris Mark ENGLISH EDITING Silja Kudel REPROGRAPHICS Faktor Oy ON THE COVER Adam Rowe, Laser Cut Studio by Ville Palonen BEHIND THIS ISSUE Daniel Allen, Tim Bird, Kati Heikinheimo, Laura Iisalo, Silja Kudel, Tiina Kälkäinen, Mirva Lempiäinen, Jorma Leppänen, Ville Palonen, Laura Palotie, Katja Pantzar, Anu Piippo, Andrew Taylor, Rachael Vance and Jenna Vehviläinen SUBMISSIONS bluewings@headofficefinland.fi BLUE WINGS ONLINE www.issuu.com/headofficefinland EDITORIAL OFFICES Porkkalankatu 20 A, 00180 Helsinki, Finland, Postal address P.O.Box 100, 00040 Sanoma, Finland, tel. +358 9 1201, firstname.lastname@headofficefinland.fi ADVERTISING SALES Media Assistant Sirkka Pulkkinen tel. +358 9 120 5921 PUBLISHER Sanoma Media Finland PRINTED BY Punamusta, Joensuu, Finland 2016 PAPER UPM Valor 61g Cover paper Stora Enso LumiArt 200g CIRCULATION 60,000 ISSN-0358-7703

Discover new destinations

ccording to a radio programme I was listening to on my way to work one morning, many people prefer a sense of familiarity when they travel, which means returning to the same destinations. Occasionally, a sense of adventure arises and the googling starts. When it comes to travel, I am one of those people who find security in the familiar. Although I have slept in a tent in a small Nepalese village and watched the sun rise behind the Himalayas and I am currently considering a trip to the Cambodian countryside, most of the time I prefer the known over the unknown. That means a weekend in one of the European capitals or Finnish Lapland, or a summer break in Tuscany. Finnair offers many familiar destinations

in Asia, North America, and Europe. In addition, we feature many interesting new destinations to visit this summer including Fukuoka and Guangzhou in Asia and Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. We’re also working closely with Visit Finland and other partners to create Stopover Finland, a new programme focused on the growing number of Asian passengers travelling via Helsinki to Europe. It will give visitors the opportunity to stop over and experience Finland for a few hours or a few days with 50 easy packages and experiences – from the Midnight Sun to forests, lakes and saunas, as well as a large selection of art and design events. Why not expand your travel horizons to include Finland? Arja Suominen

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

Find out more about the familiar and new sides of Finland: visitfinland.com

In addition to stunning nature, Finland offers loads of culture: Sample the world-renowned Savonlinna Opera Festival this summer: operafestival.fi

Try an exciting new Finnair destination: Fukuoka, Japan.

FEBRUARY 2016

BLUE WINGS

IN THIS ISSUE Bangkok Paintbar represents the creative side of the Thai capital.

CREATIVE 2016 32

DESTINATION NEW SIDE OF BANGKOK

Creative entrepreneurs are re-imagining the Thai capital

TOP 5 ARTFUL ACCOMMODATIONS These hotels are real treats for the eyes

DESTINATION HIP AND HEALTHY CAPE TOWN The South African city is a hot spot for superfood fans

DESTINATION RIGA’S MODERN SKYLINE

Contemporary architecture is reshaping the Latvian capital

LIFESTYLE RETHINKING PIZZA

Adventurous chefs are turning Rome’s food scene on its head

Is power politics taking over economic policy?

DESTINATION TOKYO’S OWL CAFÉS

LIFESTYLE FINLAND’S TOP WOOD DESIGNERS These crafty entrepreneurs have a way with wood

DESTINATION TENERIFE FOR HIKERS

Find your best trek on the largest of the Canary Islands

TAKEOFF NEWS

Marimekko in Japan.................... 14

SPORTS

Transporting the Lions.............. 16

STYLE

Bracelets with a good cause .18

Zanis Lipke Memorial Museum is one of Riga’s architectural highlights.

FOOD&DRINK

Helsinki’s best soup.....................20

54 62

BUSINESS ENTER THE ERA OF GEOPOLITICS

The latest cute trend follows the popular cat cafés

Brody House in Budapest features an eclectic curated art collection.

WORLD

Arts festival in Hong Kong ...... 24

FINLAND

100 days in Lapland ................... 26

MAKERS OF FINLAND

Meet a floral designer................ 28

TRAVEL TRENDS

Learning holidays..........................30

WELLBEING

Ice sauna health boost...................22 FEBRUARY 2016

BLUE WINGS

IN THIS ISSUE Keeping up with Rome’s changing pizza scene.

Owl cafés are the latest cute trend in Tokyo.

At Laser Cut Studio, anyone can walk in and have a product lasercut with any design of their choice.

REGULARS

Travel Moment.........................................10 Stefan Nilsson..........................................40 Alexander Stubb.....................................60 Finland in figures.................................... 98

FLY FINNAIR

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

Peru, p. 10 Svalbard p. 13 Tokyo, p. 14, 66 Helsinki, p. 20 Lapland, p. 22, 26 Hong Kong, p. 24

Sustainability............................................. 84 Border crossings..................................... 85 Helsinki Airport ....................................... 86 Maps and destinations......................... 88 Fleet.............................................................. 92 Frequent flyer benefits........................ 94 8 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

Check this month’s inflight shopping offers for Valentine’s Day on p. 83

Bangkok, p. 32 Cape Town, p. 42 Riga, p. 48 Rome, p. 54 Tenerife, p. 74

It takes a Swedish bed to sleep like royalty in Finland.

We were already handcrafting our first beds when Henry Ford was still playing with toy cars. Hästens beds are the most luxurious in the world, renowned even today for their

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

quality Swedish craftsmanship, natural materials and unique weightless sleep experience. We invite you to try a Hästens – and to wake up in the bed of your dreams.

hastens.com

TRAVEL MOMENT

RICH IN COLOUR BY HEIDI ROSTĂ&#x2030;N

The market in the village of Pisac bursts with colour as tÂ raditionally dressed native Peruvians sell their wares. Pisac, as we know it today, was founded in the 1570s after the Spanish conquerors destroyed the Inca Pisac in the early 1530s.

10 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

The Inca ruins can be found high above the village. A steep trail starts from the centre of the town. The two-hour climb can be exchausting, but is worth the effort as these magnificent ruins offer great vistas of the Sacred Valley.

FEBRUARY 2016

BLUE WINGS

Aloita vuosi värikkäästi parhaassa seurassa! Hienostunut dukkahsharonsalaatti

Porkkanafritterit

Pistaasitahnalla kuorrutetut kalkkunapihvit syö itselle si hyvä ol o

Soppa365 lisäsi reseptin listaan Juhli ja nauti, Salaatit

Me Naiset lisäsi reseptin listaan Arjen nopeat, Kasvisruuat

Glorian Ruoka ja Viini lisäsi reseptin listaan Liharuuat

143

Marengit ilman munaa

eseen HeTi osoiTTe a a K K lisäsi reseptin listaan KliSoppa365

5.f 6 3 a p p o s Juhli ja nauti, Jälkiruuat

144

Täytetyt avokadot

Viherpizza

Kodin Kuvalehti lisäsi reseptin listaan Arjen nopeat, Kasvisruuat

Me Naiset lisäsi reseptin listaan Pizzat ja piirakat

Tervetuloa soppa365:een, suomen herkullisimpaan ruokayhteisöön! liity soppalaiseksi, paljasta bravuurisi. Poimi itsellesi parhaat reseptit ja kiinnostavimmat ideat. Mukana Sopassa:

TAKEOFF

NEWS / SPORTS / FOOD AND DRINK / STYLE / WELLBEING / WORLD / FINLAND / MAKERS OF FINLAND

78 degrees north TEXT BY SHELLY NYQVIST PHOTO BY SPITSBERGEN TRAVEL/ RAGNAR HARTVIG

SVALBARD IS ONE of Europe’s last great wildernesses as there are more polar bears than people in this Norwegian archipelago! But in Longyearbyen, the administrative home of the island, no one seems to hibernate. Residents and tourists alike make the most of the seasons and experience what the town has to offer — from kayak ice expeditions to fossil hunting safaris. Finnair’s direct route from Helsinki to Longyearbyen opens on June 1 and runs through the summer season to August 28.

R Y L

s to flie ee r i na thr k Fin bard e l we r. Sva s per mme u e s tim the om g ir.c rin du finna

FEBRUARY 2016

BLUE WINGS

TAKEOFF NEWS

MOSHI MOSHI JAPAN Finnair flies to four Japanese cities: Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka.

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY MIRVA LEMPIÄINEN MARIMEKKO MARC GOODWIN

Wood cities

The Marimekko exhibition will tour seven museums in Japan in 2016 and 2017.

Japan’s poppy love THE LOVE AFFAIR between Marimekko and Japan – already the Finnish design brand’s biggest foreign market – looks set to get even more serious. This and next year, a historic Marimekko exhibition will tour seven museums in Japan, starting in Kochi on January 23, with Tokyo planned for December. The exhibition was curated by the Helsinki Design Museum, which owns some 5,000 Marimekko items from the last six decades. Varying picks from the collection have been displayed around the world over the past decade, most recently in Rotterdam in 2014. The Japanese tour is a collaboration with the country’s second largest newspaper Asahi Shimbun. “Japanese people love Marimekko. It’s time-

Solar Paper

No more fighting over limited electric sockets at airports. Solar Paper, the world’s thinnest two-panel solar charger can simply be placed near a sunny window for 2.5 hours and your iPhone 6 is fully charged. Solar Paper doesn’t come with a battery reservoir of its own, but you can use it to charge external power banks via a USB cable. The retail price is slated to be €120, but €99 pre-orders are accepted through March. yolkstation.com

14 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

less and lively, equally historic and freshly modern,” says curator Yukiko Ogihara of Asahi Shimbun. The Japanese media organisation has previously cooperated with such world-known museums as London’s Tate Gallery and the New York Metropolitan Museum. “We’re very excited about the upcoming show,” says Ogihara. And Marimekko folks in Finland are thrilled by the attention, too. “We’re very happy with the retrospective curated by the Design Museum, and especially about the fact that it’s heading to Japan,” says Minna KemellKutvonen, director of home products and prints design. marimekko.com/com_en

In a country that is 70 per cent forest, it’s no wonder that wood has traditionally been a favourite building material. To the delight of tourists, the wood-building revival is now expanding to Finnish hotels and guesthouses. One recent project is the overhaul of the Hilton Helsinki Strand completed last month. According to the hotel, wood and other natural materials help to emphasise its Nordic identity, authenticity and connection with nature. Wood-lovers visiting Tampere are advised to stay at the Dream Hostel & Hotel (pictured) known for its minimalistic Nordic wooden décor. Dream Hostel has been chosen as Finland’s best youth hostel every year since it opened in 2010. In 2013 The Guardian listed it among Europe’s top 10 luxury hostels. But the best is yet to come later this year: Helsinki will inaugurate a new hip district built entirely of wood. Forming part of the Jätkäsaari neighbourhood near city centre, Wood City will comprise two residential buildings, an office building and a wooden hotel. Hilton.fi Dreamhostel.fi Woodcity.fi

kia.fi

@kiamotorsfinland

Ympäröi itsesi älyllä.

Automaattinen hätäjarrutus

360° kamera

Langaton lataus

Monitoiminäyttö

Ilmastoidut istuimet

Uusi innovatiivinen Kia Optima. Uuden Kia Optiman ylelliset sisätilat suorastaan kutsuvat viihtymään älykkään teknologian huolehtiessa ajonautinnostasi. Optiman automaattinen hätäjarrutus, kuolleen kulman tunnistusjärjestelmä ja 360° kamera huolehtivat siitä, että pääset turvallisesti määränpäähäsi.

Kia Optima -mallisto alk. 29.647 € Vapaa autoetu alk. 630 €/kk, käyttöetu alk. 465 €/kk Tulossa pian myös farmari, GT sekä ladattava hybridi.

Kia Optima -mallisto alk. autoveroton hinta 24.797,24 € + arvioitu autovero 4.849,64 € = kokonaishinta 29.646,88 €. Vapaa autoetu alk. 630 €/kk, käyttöetu alk. 465 €/kk. EU-yhd. kulutus 4,2–7,5 l/100 km, CO2-päästöt 110–175g/km. Kia-huolenpitosopimus alk. 34 €/kk (sopimusaika 36 kk, 10 tkm/vuosi). Kia-takuu 7 vuotta tai 150 000 km, kolme ensimmäistä vuotta ilman kilometrirajaa. Kia 24h tiepalvelu vuodeksi veloituksetta. Kuvan auto erikoisvarustein.

TAKEOFF SPORTS

FLYING LIONS Finnair and the Finnish Ice Hockey Association have partnered together for five world championships. Go Lions!

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY JORMA LEPPÄNEN PHOTO BY PEKKA PELKONEN

ICE HOCKEY

Flying with the Lions EVEN FOR the most experienced travel pros, certain business trips still hold an extra thrill. For Finland’s ice hockey stars, trips to St. Petersburg and Moscow this May have an especially exhilarating purpose: to bring the national team closer to the IIHF World Championship Trophy. “Organising flights for an entourage of more than 40, some of whom will be coming straight from the NHL Playoffs, is always an interesting challenge for our team,” says Ari Pura, project manager at SMT travel agency, a subsidiary of Finnair. Some travellers might be a little perturbed at the sight of an ice hockey team and its entourage showing up at the airport right before check-in. But Pura promises that the Finnish national ice 16 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

The trips are planned to ensure the players are in the best shape possible when the action starts. hockey team – affectionately known as ‘the Lions’ – will not cause any delays. “Most of their luggage and equipment – up to 12 cubic metres of it – will travel in trunks. The whole team will be checked in as a group. Everything will run so smoothly that passengers won’t even real-

ise they’re travelling in the same airplane as our national heroes,” says Pura. SMT lets the airline know in advance if a larger aircraft is required, and Finnair makes special arrangements to free up a special plane to carry the heaviest luggage. As long-time partners, SMT and the Finnish Ice Hockey Association have been through some unusual situations together. “If there’s a threat of a strike, for example, SMT will warn us separately and prepare a Plan B – involving travel in several batches, if necessary,” says Sanna Hult, A-Team secretary at the Finnish Ice Hockey Association. The national team usually flies a couple of days before the tournament starts. “The trips are planned to ensure the players are in the best shape possible when the action starts. We favour direct flights landing as close to the destination as possible. We prefer to fly in the morning so the players have time to acclimatise before the first training session. SMT’s team understands us well and knows our special needs,” says Hult. Players often have special requests concerning inflight meals and seating arrangements. These are taken into account when planning the trip. Some have special routines such as afternoon naps to recharge their batteries before the match, and others like to take familiar belongings along to the destination. Arranging express travel for an NHL star from the US to the World Championships can be a complicated task if all direct routes are fully booked. “We know which players to watch in the NHL Playoffs. As soon as anyone becomes available for the Finnish national team, the flight reservations will be made immediately. In these situations, speed and flexibility are needed from our team, too. We do our utmost to help our Lions,” says Pura. The IIHF World Championships in ice hockey will take place in St. Petersburg and Moscow from May 6 to 22.

liukastelevat

eteenpäin

ME LUISTELEMME

Taalerilla sijoittaminen perustuu neljään asiaan: aktiivisuuteen, riippumattomuuteen, tehokkuuteen ja tuloksiin. Meillä sijoitussalkkujen perusjakauma ja taktinen näkemys pohjautuvat maailmantalouden ja sijoitusmarkkinoiden lainalaisuuksiin, eivät alan yleisiin toimintamalleihin. Siksi Taaleri on erilainen varainhoitaja. Tule mukaan, omistajuus kuuluu kaikille. Taaleri.com

Taaleri Varainhoito Oy, Kluuvikatu 3, 00100 Helsinki, Y-tunnus 2080113-9

TOISET

TAKEOFF STYLE

CATWALK CALENDAR Monokini 2.0 will be part of the Barents Bird International Cultural Festival in Murmansk, Russia this April. eng.barentsbird.co

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY KATJA PANTZAR

TÄRÄHTÄNEET ÄMMÄT / PINJA VALJA

Customised swimwear Leeni Ojaniemi, founder of the No2Malaria charity, gives a mosquito net to locals in Ghana for every N2M bracelet sold.

Making a difference Life’s challenging experiences can provide inspiration for helping others. When London-based art expert Leeni Ojaniemi first travelled to West Africa in 2011, she contracted malaria despite taking anti-malaria pills. Fortunately, Ojaniemi was prescribed lifesaving medicine and recovered. But not everyone is so lucky. Close to half a million people die from malaria each year because they lack access to treatment and simple preventative measures such as an insecticide-treated net to sleep inside. Finnish-born Ojaniemi decided to do something about this and started No2Malaria (N2M), an initiative that donates one mosquito net for each handmade bracelet it sells. “The idea for N2M bracelets came after having worked with and seen the potential of Ghanaian crafts18 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

men and artists and having caught malaria myself,” says Ojaniemi, whose colourful bracelets are handmade from recycled glass bottles in Ghana. Ojaniemi, who moved to Accra, the capital of Ghana, in 2012 to devote herself to the project, says the initiative combines artist talent with “giving something back to the local people.” As for the future, she says N2M is always looking at ways to effectively fight malaria, including the possibility of setting up a foundation that provides other ways of helping such as distributing rapid-test kits and possibly even malaria medication. N2M’s unique bracelets will be available at select American and European retailers later this year. Currently, they can be ordered from the online shop. no2malaria.com

The monokini, or topless bathing suit for women, was originally designed in the mid-1960s as a form of social protest by American fashion designer Rudi Gernreich. More than 50 years later in Finland, the Monokini 2.0 art project was borne to address two needs: creating a functional bathing suit for one-breasted mastectomy survivors and re-examining popular culture’s aesthetic. The original idea, based on cancer survivor Elina Halttunen’s desire for a suitable post-mastectomy swimsuit, was developed by the Finnish art duo Tärähtäneet ämmät (“Nutty Tarts”) of Katriina Haikala and Vilma Metteri into a series of monokinis created by Finnish fashion designers and modelled by women who have gone through breast cancer. August 2015 saw the Monokini 2.0 fashion show staged at Helsinki’s Yrjönkatu Swimming Hall and it quickly garnered international media attention. “Monokini 2.0 has already grown to be more than we expected, it reaches out and speaks to different people around the world,” says the duo. Though the monokinis aren’t yet commercially available, they may be in the future as talks are underway with Finnish and international brands. monokini2.com

NUKU HYVIN TÄSTÄ LÄHTIEN.

Täysin uudistunut Jensen-mallisto nyt esittelyssä!

Jo vuodesta 1947 lähtien, Jensen on kehittänyt vuoteiden ominaisuuksia käyttämällä aina uusimpia menetelmiä ja kaikkein moderneimpia materiaaleja. Optimaaliseen nukkumismukavuuteen pyrkiminen on tuottanut myös innovaatioita – kuten entistäkin paremman ja myötäilevämmän Jensen Aloy 2.0 -jousitusjärjestelmän. Kuvan Nordic Seamless on ainutlaatuinen runkopatjavuode. Siinä on kaksi erillistä runkoa, mutta yhtenäinen joustinpatja ja verhoilu, jolloin nukkujien väliin ei jää rakoja eikä reunoja. Hyvää yötä, www.vepsalainen.com

TAKEOFF FOOD & DRINK

CHEERS Here’s to a bubbly toast with Finnair’s A350 signature cocktail — Blue Sky — available for Business Class passengers on long-haul flights.

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY ANU PIIPPO ULLAMAIJA HÄNNINEN

Photographer Ullamaija Hänninen is one of the founders of Suvanto.

DRINK TREND

Is it tea you’re looking for? First the classic cuppa made its comeback, and now the world has gone crazy about tea blends and tea drinks. These three novelties are predicted to rock the tea world in 2016.

For the love of soup Helsinki has rediscovered the long-lost recipe for the heartiest of warming winter eats: soup. We offer our pick of the city’s top broth spots. SOUP It all started on Runeberginkatu street in Töölö, and now this disarmingly named restaurant has a twin in the Kallio district. Soup was founded by two Brits with a mission to serve seasonal and nutritious ‘fast food’. The soups are vegetarian and the delicious bread is baked daily on the premises. soup.fi

SOPPAKEITTIÖ Translating as ‘soup kitchen’, this yummy eatery chain can be found in all three of Helsinki’s market

halls: Hakaniemi, Hietalahti, and the old Market Hall in the city centre. The menu offers a fixed choice of three options: vegetarian, meat, and fish. The bouillabaisse has drawn rave reviews, but the noodle soup also has many passionate fans. katijafille.fi/soppakeittio

SUVANTO Nestled alongside the legendary wooden quarter in Helsinki’s Vallila district, the café-restaurant Suvanto ladles out more than just a hearty daily soup. Customers flock to this cosy café for breakfast, too. The charming ambiance has been created by the owner-duo, food writer Marita Suontausta and photographer Ullamaija Hänninen. kahvilasuvanto.wordpress.com

TABLEWEAR

Cooler Moomins

You can’t beat a lunchbox that’s machine-washable, microwave-safe, has an integrated cooling lid and – to top it all – comes with Moomin characters on the lid! Made in Sweden, Frozzypacks are an excellent example of Nordic cooperation. Frozzypack Moomin, €21.90 frozzypack.se

20 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

Rooibos reinvented Growing health awareness and a boom in caffeine-free teas have made herbal and fruit teas more popular than ever. The ‘original’ Rooibos tea with its distinct red colour now also comes in green and a number of flavoured versions. Tea beer Coffee as an ingredient in beer is nothing new, but how about tea beer? Breweries around the world are experimenting with various combinations of beers and teas, from green tea to chai flavours. Scotch blends Sales of traditional black tea are reported to have declined while tea blends combining multiple flavours are on a winning streak. An extraordinary example of this trend is the Wee Tea Company’s tea plantation in Perthshire, Scotland, which manufactures a range of tea blends from Earl Grey to ginger chai at surprising northern latitudes.

TAKEOFF WELLBEING

NEW BREED OF LOUNGING Sweat away your layover at Helsinki Airport with a sauna. Finnair’s Premium Lounge in the non-Schengen area is the perfect spot to relax before a flight.

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY AMANDA SOILA

The ice sauna in Ruka is not just an exotic experience, but also a surprisingly healthy one.

Know your steam

One sauna is as good as the next – or is it? Steam aficionados know that an authentic sauna involves much more than blazing heat and a bucket of water. To help visitors recognise the real thing, the Sauna from Finland network has created a certificate of authenticity for high-quality sauna services, the first of which were awarded at the end of 2015. So what makes a great sauna experience, Carita Harju, executive director of Sauna from Finland? HARMONY OF THE SENSES: A great sauna experience is a fusion of scents and a tactile and visual experience that enhances your feeling of health and wellbeing. Every detail from hygiene and safety to the surrounding natural setting must be carefully balanced. KNOW WHAT’S COMING: The sauna should be an all-embracing experience. The visitor should know exactly what to do before, during and after the sauna, with proper protocols for everything from towels and treatments to refreshments and cool-off rituals.

Coolest sauna in Finland FINNISH SAUNAS are renowned for relaxing the mind and muscles, but Kuusamo-based hospitality and sauna operator Rukan Salonki takes the experience to the next level with their ice sauna. Their slush-insulated hut is made of ice cubes from a nearby lake, and inside visitors are welcomed by a gentle steam in 60 degrees Celsius. This seasonal curiosity is popular for its quirkiness, but few are aware of the ice sauna’s lesser-known health benefits. “As the humidity percentage is over 80, many people with lung problems find they can bathe comfortably even if they can’t stand a regular sauna,” says sauna therapist Marjo Määttä of Rukan Salonki. 22 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

The steam is softer and wetter than in a regular sauna where the temperature typically rises to a sizzling 80 degrees Celsius. You begin to perspire the moment you enter, which helps beat seasonal colds and flu, explains Määttä. It has taken Rukan Salonki 16 years to perfect the technique of building the low, box-like sauna, which fits ten people at a time. The season usually lasts from December until the sauna begins to melt early in April. Rukan Salonki is one of few enterprises to offer this exotic experience, but the Arctic Snow Hotel in Rovaniemi now boasts a comparable snow-built sauna. rukansalonki.fi

FOCUS ON THE ESSENTIALS: When all the credentials of a good sauna are met, from authenticity to cleanliness, the visitor can simply focus on relaxing and enjoying the moment. Forget time and let your daily cares melt away. saunafromfinland.fi

CleanTech in Finland

A future in

forest

Feel the paper this magazine is printed on.

WITH CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY, WOOD AND SUSTAINABLY GROWN FIBERS CAN BE FORGED INTO VARIOUS PRODUCTS RANGING FROM FUELS TO TEXTILES. THE FINNISH BIOFORE COMPANY UPM INVESTS HEAVILY IN NEW AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO RESPONDING TO GLOBAL MEGATRENDS SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE AND RESOURCE SCARCITY AND CREATING MORE SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS.

“F

or almost a decade, UPM has boldly assumed the role of a forerunner in renewable and recyclable products and solutions. Today UPM is best described as a Biofore company. Our Biofore strategy hinges on innovative uses of wood and natural fibers”, says Mr Jyrki Ovaska, Executive Vice President, Technology. The new strategy has emerged against the backdrop of dire and global environmental concerns. Both consumers and industries agree that more sustainable solutions and products are the order of the day. In Finland, UPM has been among the first to research and implement renewable energy solutions, and currently invests heavily in novel, innovative use of fiber. For UPM, Finland serves as a laboratory for global markets. “A crucial milestone was reached in 2015 when the company introduced a fully renewable diesel fuel labeled UPM BioVerno. The fuel cuts CO2 emissions by up to 80 per cent”, Ovaska reveals. UPM BioVerno is a case in point of the many uses of wood and sustainably grown fibers. “Wood may be forged into a whole range of materials, both for industries and consumer products. For instance, the Finnish high end loudspeaker company Genelec makes use of UPM´s wood-based biocomposite to achieve its celebrated acoustical performance.” Ovaska gives an astonishing list of current and feasible woodbased product categories. To name a few, building and engineering projects may be geared towards sustainability with the help of renewable insulation and other wood-based materials. There is also great potential in biochemicals, biopolymers and biofibrils. Ovaska adds that with the right innovation edge, traditional products may also be turned into something new and smart. “Feel the paper this magazine is printed on”, he urges. “The paper is called UPM Valor. The paper is favoured by Finnair and also other airlines because of its exceptional light weight and high print quality.” ●

“As the traditional paper industry has been in decline for many years, our job is to accelerate the transformation of UPM towards new innovative solutions”, says Jyrki Ovaska of UPM.

PRODUCED BY TAKEOFF CONSULTING GROUP OY

TAKEOFF WORLD

CHINESE NEW YEAR Bright lanterns, dragons and a parade ring in the Year of the Monkey in Helsinki on February 7. To close the event, Finnair presents a dazzling fireworks display over Töölö Bay.

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY MIRVA LEMPIÄINEN

HKAF

CALENDAR

February events FEB 5–18 SAPPORO. The 67th Sapporo Snow Festival boasts 250 snow and ice sculptures, mega-snow slides, and a snow rafting area. Known as Yuki Matsuri in Japan, this extravaganza attracts two million people and features an International Snow Sculpture Contest. snowfes.com

HONG KONG

Arts Festival FEB 19 – MARCH 20

The 44th annual HKAF brings over 1,400 international and local artists to the stage in 119 performances and shows by top names the likes of Cecilia Bartoli, Philip Glass and Gustavo Dudamel. Also check out the great line-up of ‘Festival PLUS’ workshops, guided tours and meet-the-artist sessions.

FEB 1–29 CHIANG MAI. Thailand’s second biggest city hosts its third annual photography festival. Month-long F/28 offers free exhibitions, screenings and workshops. Presented by Documentary Arts Asia, it supports both local and international artists.

hk.artsfestival.org

f-28.org VICTORIA LANDIS

ISTOCK

LONDON

Year of the Monkey FEB 14

FEB 25–28 DEERFIELD BEACH. If lounging on Miami’s south beaches starts to feel dull, you can always drive an hour north and take part in SleuthFest. This annual conference for mystery, suspense, and thriller writers headlines bestselling author C. J. Box as its keynote speaker.

Hundreds of thousands gather in London for the largest Chinese New Year celebration outside Asia. The Year of the Monkey will be welcomed in Trafalgar Square, Chinatown and Shaftesbury Avenue with iconic lion dances, martial arts, stage performances, and a float parade. Those born in the Year of Monkey are said to be witty.

sleuthfest.com

chinatownlondon.org

24 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

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TAKEOFF FINLAND

ARCTIC CIRCLE DELIGHTS Finnair flies to Rovaniemi, Kittilä, Ivalo and Enontekiö in the Finnish Lapland. Check out finnair.com for the timetables.

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY LAURA IISALO LAURA IISALO

HELSINKI

Winter events HENRI LUOMA

FEB 10–11 POLAR BEAR PITCHING gives entrepreneurs two days to present business ideas to potential investors in the city of Oulu. Only the toughest ones survive because pitching happens while standing in an icy lake. polarbearpitching.com

TRAVEL

Mastering polar nights IN DECEMBER, five novice explorers from around the world headed to Lapland to immerse themselves for three months in a very different lifestyle than what they are used to. Invited by Visit Finland and Finnair, the international bloggers on the adventure are being given the opportunity to experience everything Lapland has to offer whilst being surrounded by beautiful polar darkness. Halfway through the journey in late January the highlights have included an icy dip in a frozen lake, snowshoeing across the Arctic landscape and several hunts to see the Northern Lights. The team members have also learned new skills such as making a traditional Finnish knife, puukko. “It was amazing to create something like that with my own hands,” says German explorer Matthias Huber. He credits the locals for their hospitality and appreciates the chance to experience the ‘Lappi’ (Finnish for ‘Lapland’) way of life. South Korean K. Chae is surprised by how much he appreciates the traditional sauna, which he now enjoys every night 26 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

after a long day of trekking. “I admit that I wasn’t that excited in the beginning, but I’ve learned to like sauna. I feel like I’m half Finnish now,” he says. The three other team members – Japanese Yuichi Yokota, Chinese Zhuoyin He and Brit Sophie Nolan – are just as keen to be part of the expedition. “My favourite activity was to cycle down the mountain on a fatbike. I really love everything we are doing, and I’m already planning to come back,” says Nolan. The explorers have had their share of the local cuisine, too, from reindeer burgers to fish fresh caught first-hand. They will continue their journey until March, sharing their experiences online and on social media as they go along. “We already know that this adventure will have an effect on our lives afterwards. This really is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” says Huber. Join the adventure by following the hashtag #polarnightmagic or visit polarnightmagic.com for weekly updates.

FEB 27

FINLAND ICE MARATHON, one of Finland’s oldest ice skating events, is being held again in the city of Kuopio. Races are organised to suit different skill and age levels. finlandicemarathon-com.directo.fi

MARCH 2–9 THE STAGE will be specially frozen for ‘The Saint Petersburg State Ballet on Ice,’ who are on tour in Finland for the first time. The dancers perform scenes from ‘The Nutcracker’ and ‘Swan Lake’ in Helsinki, Lahti, and Turku. lippu.fi Events subject to change

EXCLUSIVE PASSENGER DEAL Order via www.trx2.com/bw and use the coupon code Bluewings to receive an exclusive 10% discount.

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cientists from Oxford, UK promise that they can help keep your hair thick and healthy. Their pill TRX2 is currently one of Europe’s best-selling hair supplements and is sold in over 100 countries. TRX2 is a food supplement based on natural compounds and, compared to medicinal products, has no side effects. Also it does what it says. “Your hair will look much bigger; it becomes heavier and thicker. You maintain your healthy hair,” says Dr. Thomas Whitfield, biochemist and founder of Oxford Biolabs. Hair treatments often promise a lot without delivering, but TRX2 is backed by cutting-edge science and has been thoroughly tested. Three of the key ingredients* in TRX2 are officially recognized by the European Commission as contributing to the maintenance of normal healthy hair. The effects can be impressive. According to a pre-clinical study* conducted by scientists, TRX2 works for 87% of men and women. Start TRX2 as early as possible in order to start gaining results before the problem takes over. TRX2 is suitable for men and women of all ages. The crystalline white capsules come in a brown glass bottle,

which holds a one-month supply and costs from EUR 49 if ordered online. The manufacturer offers a money-back guarantee when ordered via TRX2’s official website, and ships worldwide. For 2016, Oxford Biolabs introduces a new, advanced TRX2 topical range, for a double impact on hair issues from the inside and from the outside. There’s a special offer for our magazine readers when ordering via the TRX2 website, www.trx2.com.

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How a pill can boost your hair and self-confidence

TAKEOFF MAKERS OF FINLAND

DESIGN DEALS Check out the items from Finnish designers at the Finnair PlusShop! Special offers for Plus members only. www.finnairplusshop.com.

TEXT AND PHOTO BY LAURA IISALO

Wonderful world of flora LAURA VÄINÖLÄ has been infatuated with plants ever since she was a little girl. The love affair really blossomed in 2014 when the graphic designer was working at her studio next to a flower warehouse. “I saw all these amazing flowers and wondered why most of them weren’t being sold at florists. So I decided to do something about it,” she explains. Väinölä’s creations include beautiful flower hats fashioned from soft moss and delicate buds as well as living window displays. Väinölä loves plants not only as a material but also as a source of inspiration. “When you work with flowers you have to respect them – you never have complete control. There are many factors that need to be taken into account, such as their life cycle,” she says. Väinölä recently took on a new role as creative director of the Duotone creative studio. But flowers remain her biggest passion, especially building plant worlds that can be seen, touched, smelled, and heard. She recently opened an online store that sells all things related to flora. Some of the items are selfmade – such as the birchwood flower press – but she also collaborates with other artists and designers. Her ultimate dream would be to create a flower arrangement for Matisse to paint. As that’s not possible, she’s always on the lookout for something new and exciting to create. “There is a certain timelessness about flowers – they never get boring,” she says. floraandlaura.com Floral designer Laura Väinölä creates one-of-akind accessories and window displays from moss, pinecones, flowers, and other plants. Her client portfolio includes major brands such as Aarikka, Iittala, and R-Collection.

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

28 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

CleanTech in Finland

Positively snowed under FIGHTING THE HARSH ELEMENTS, AND WITH INNOVATIVE USE OF FORESTS, FINLAND HAS FOSTERED A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE CLEANTECH SECTOR.

he end of the last year brought surprisingly good news to the environment as the UN climate summit in Paris reached a first-ever global, legally binding climate deal. ”The summit was a major breakthrough for the environment, and will in all likelihood pave the way to a new golden age for cleantech”, estimates Ilkka Homanen, the head of cleantech industry at the Finnish export agency Finpro. “As a result, we will see cleantech drive new economic growth on an unprecedented scale.” To mitigate climate change, the time frame is set to be tight: the new, cleaner regulations will be effective by 2020 on. In Finland, the new environmental goals are greeted with enthusiasm. “The historical fact is that the Finns have always had to rely on their wits when it comes to natural resources. The only resource that has been available in abundance is wood and forests.” Through innovation the country has turned the disadvantage to its favour. “Energy efficiency, automation and environmental construction as well as wind power and forest industry are but a few examples of the Finnish world-class know-how in cleantech.” Combined heat and power (CHP) plants exhibit the top of the line in Finnish cleantech, bringing renewable energy together with energy efficiency. “These plants have helped to elevate the Finnish energy infrastructure among the cleanest in the EU. The CHP plants demonstrate that investing to energy efficiency and renewables is not necessary an expensive venture.” The Finnish national cleantech strategy expects the sector to have a turnover of 50 billion euros by 2020. “This calls for a lot of hard work and new, innovative solutions”, Homanen admits. “But then again, we Finns are known for our resourcefulness and problem-solving approach. Combine that with the famous hands down integrity and get-along attitude, and many good things will follow.” ●

Finland has always fought the harsh elements and competed with less natural resources. “As a result, the Finnish cleantech sector is geared towards energy efficiency and innovative use of renewables”, says Ilkka Homanen from Cleantech Finland. PRODUCED BY TAKEOFF CONSULTING GROUP OY

TRAVEL TRENDS COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY KATJA PANTZAR ILLUSTRATION BY LUCIANO LOZANO

BUZZWORD OF THE MOMENT Jetiquette – Polite behaviour displayed by passengers and crew during a flight; also known as in-flight etiquette.

Top 3 two-inone courses

lass jewellery making G and cooking holiday in Gascony, Southwest France Participants learn two skills while staying in a beautiful 19th-century farmhouse in the countryside.

2 The rise of learning breaks TRAVEL IS A FABULOUS teacher, but a growing number of people are combining trips with workshops and courses to hone specific creative skills such as cooking, painting, or writing. According to a 2015 report by the ABTA, the association of UK travel agents and tour operators, “holidays working harder” is the year’s second biggest trend. As people look to maximise their leisure time, the reports says the “hardworking holiday” now includes the added benefit of coming home with a new skill – or polishing an existing one. Eliza Reid is the co-founding director of the annual Iceland Writers Retreat, which is already sold out for 2016, despite having been founded only three years ago. “Obviously Iceland is a huge attraction for people, as is the fact many of our faculty are world-famous writers, so the opportunity to have plenty of interaction with these people is appealing,” says Reid, a Canadian-born writer and editor who 30 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

has lived in Reykjavik since 2003. The Retreat’s esteemed faculty has included New Yorker staff writers Susan Orlean and Adam Gopnik, Pulitzer Prize winning author Geraldine Brooks and Orange Prize for Fiction winner Barbara Kingsolver. This year American novelist Cheryl Strayed and Finnish journalist and filmmaker Elina Hirvonen are among the lauded writers who will be leading workshops attended by participants from as far away as Australia, South Africa, and Singapore. “I think people feel energised and rejuvenated when they travel outside their usual locale. They are more open-minded to new experiences and adventures, ready to see things from a different perspective,” says Reid. Iceland Writers Retreat April 13–17, 2016 icelandwritersretreat.com

Yoga and watercolour painting holiday in Lazio, Italy Combine stretching with art lessons on this weeklong holiday at a traditional medieval village house in Casperia, one hour north of Rome.

S panish and salsa dance course in Buenos Aires, Argentina Learn to speak Spanish while mastering the seductive dance of salsa on a two-week course. golearnto.com

The ‘hard-working holiday’ now includes the added benefit of coming home with a new skill – or polishing an existing one.

”Jos Gloria olisi ihminen, se ei olisi koppava k***pää, vaan kuplivan lämmin.” SAILA-MARI KOHTALA, PÄÄTOIMITTAJA, UUSI GLORIA

upeasti uud istunut!

ainutla atuinen yhteish aastatt elu

milanos sa

kii ra kor & art hu pi borges r

”annamme tilaa toistemm kunnianhimol e le” uusi ihan a palsta

Tammikuu 2016

par haa ant i-ag t -tuotteeet näin synt yy kuoh kea

toisen päivän tuk ka

kenkäsu unnitte menestystarina lijan

kevään helmikuu 2016 /

muoTi

75 innostav aa ideaa

min na par ikk a

”en antanut työk äijän lannistaa kärin bisneshaaveita ni”

9,90 €

värikäs

ilmiö: miksi super malli katos ivat?t taitei lija rauha mäkil än työh

Tämä väri on nimeltään Joie de Vivre, elämänilo. Sen sekoitti Glorialle taiteilija Rauha Mäkilä. Joie de Vivre sisältää 20 % eleganssia, 20 % itsevarmuutta, 20 % seikkailunhalua, 20 % nokkeluutta ja 20 % särmää. Käytä sitä runsaalla kädellä, levitä paksu kerros, älä säästele. Gloria.fi/ihastu

DESTINATION BANGKOK

Karndee Leopairote is the managing director of C asean, a hub for South East Asian entrepreneurs.

LAURA IISALO

32 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

BRAVE NEW BANGKOK A fresh generation of entrepreneurs have high hopes of transforming the Thai capital into the creative heart of South East Asia. TEXT BY LAURA IISALO

FEBRUARY 2016

BLUE WINGS

HUBBA

K K B

to ly ies r fl e dai i a c n i Fin k tw ter. o win ngk Ba uring .com d air finn

The HUBBA startup community attracts local talent.

HUBBA

About 80 per cent of HUBBA members are local entrepreneurs.

34 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

HUBBA

Apart from office space, HUBBA provides consultancy and networking opportunities.

angkok is one of the fastest growing megacities in the world and its population is estimated to reach 15 million by 2025. As with other rapidly expanding capitals, the city is facing global challenges such as pollution, traffic, poverty, and healthcare – a perfect breeding ground for world-changing solutions by the new generation of entrepreneurs, believes Charle Charoenphan. As a serial entrepreneur and the co-founder of a Bangkok-based startup community HUBBA, he is passionate about making a difference. Charoenphan launched the co-working space in 2012 with his brother to create a place where startups can work alongside one another. “Besides being a great work environment, we organise the biggest tech conference in Thailand called Start It Up, host weekly talks and meetups, provide early stage pre-seed investment, have in-house mentorship programmes and technical workshops, and we even run a fellowship program that helps incubate first-time founders,” Charoenphan explains. Some 80 per cent of the startups are run by local entrepreneurs and many are looking to find new solutions to the on-going societal challenges. “A friend

CREATIVE DISTRICT IN THE MAKING One of the most exciting neighbourhoods in Bangkok sits on both sides of the Chao Phraya River. The Charoenkrung area is characterised by mixed architectural styles, international luxury hotels, independent galleries and shops, bars and local eateries – it is also where Thomas Menard now calls home. Originally from Toulouse in France, he used to work in finance but ended up in Bangkok when travelling South East Asia.

Enjoy a night of painting and socialising at Paintbar.

PARON ART SCHOOL

BEAUTIFUL CHAOS Across town, in the modern headquarters of the recently founded C asean – a hub for South East Asian entrepreneurs built by private sector investors – Karndee Leopairote, managing director of C asean, knows what Charoenphan is talking about. She started in her current role in January 2015 so it is still early days for Leopairote, who wants to be involved in developing Bangkok into the creative business capital of South East Asia. In order for her vision to come true, she admits there are issues that need solving. “The infrastructure in Bangkok could get better: traffic and roads need improving, but we have new technological innovations that can help to solve these issues and improve the overall quality of life. I’m especially interested in mobile app developments because they are easy to create and do not require much investment.” Working with all ten ASEAN countries Leopairote’s emphasis is in young entrepreneurs and especially in startups. She finds it crucial to promote the idea of growth funding – still somewhat overlooked in Bangkok. In order for Bangkok to compete globally Leopairote hopes that the Thai capital can attract even more multicultural talent to stay longer. “I always say that Bangkok is a beautiful chaos. The people are friendly, adaptable, flexible, and creative. Bangkok is very vibrant and fun and the cost of living is low – the city has a lot of potential for young entrepreneurs,” she says.

Thomas Menard converts shop-houses into creative spaces in the Charoenkrung area. PAINTBAR

once told me that the two most important days in your life are the day that you were born and the day you’ve discovered the reason why. I am proud to say that my reason is to help others succeed and that’s why I created HUBBA,” Charoenphan says.

FRANZ NAVARRETE

Bangkok is very vibrant and fun and the cost of living is low – the city has a lot of potential for young entrepreneurs.

Paron School of Art holds workshops and classes that suit everyone. FEBRUARY 2016

BLUE WINGS

SOY SAUCE FACTORY

7 X INSPIRING BANGKOK CREATIVE BANGKOK Join local companies and creative talent for six days of talks and workshops from February 21–26. This year’s theme is ‘From Imitation to Innovation.’ creativebangkok.org

STARTUP HUB HUBBA startup community was launched in 2012. The co-working space is open daily and visitors are welcome to join. HUBBA also organises tech conferences, talks and weekly startup meet-ups. hubbathailand.com

CHAROENKRUNG ART SCENE One of Bangkok’s oldest roads Charoen Krung has turned into the hottest destination for bar hopping and independent galleries. Try Soy Sauce Factory for an art-infused night out and occasional live music. soysaucefactory.com

PARTY WITH EXPATS Design hotel Sofitel So hosts a pool party every last Saturday of the month. Admire the view over Lumphini Park and the Bangkok skyline whilst sipping cocktails with the stylish locals and in-the-know expats. sofitel-so-bangkok.com

PAINTING THE NIGHT AWAY Spend a creative evening at Paintbar. Tasty food and drinks are served while instructors guide guests through different techniques. paintbarbangkok.com

ART FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY There are various drop-in classes that suit the whole family. February classes include sculpture, tattoo design workshops, and an introduction to painting. paronschoolofart.com

SHOP LOCAL FASHION Statement is a shop and café run by three fashion designers selling international and independent Thai fashion labels for women. Organic coffee and treats are on the menu. facebook.com/statementofficialbkk

36 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

Soy Sauce factory is an art space, photo studio, restaurant and bar.

Menard liked the creative and open vibe so much that he decided to stay. In 2012 he started an alternative art space called Speedy Grandma with his Thai partners. After the successful launch he took the next step and launched Soy Sauce Factory, another quirky gallery just around the corner. “I found a huge warehouse that used to be a real Chinese soy sauce factory. I wanted to consider this art space as a blank canvas for any form of expression,” he explains. The art-space-meets-bar quickly became popular among the creative crew and has fuelled many new plans for Menard, who wants to build the creative community by collaborating more with the local designers and artists. “Right now I concentrate my activity on property development by converting other shop-houses into creative spaces. I’m also developing the concept store and art book section at the Soy Sauce Factory. I hope that I can turn the space into a destination where people have a great chance to find a nice piece of affordable art to bring back home,” he says. DIVERSITY NURTURES CREATIVITY On an organisational level Vincent Ribiere is busy injecting creativity into existing organisations. Originally from France he moved to Bangkok in 2007 to co-found the Bangkok University’s Institute for Knowledge and Innovation. As the managing director he and his team of nine provide corporate training, consulting, and coaching to local companies aiming to help the organisations make structural changes necessary to create new products and services that can compete globally.

LAURA IISALO

“This is a long-term project. Local companies are starting to realise that in order to be leaders of the market – rather than adapters – they need to be innovative. Asian organisations are traditionally hierarchical and making mistakes is avoided at any cost. The companies need to create an environment where the employees are encouraged to share their ideas and are given the opportunity to take a risk. It is inevitable that some ideas will fail but you cannot succeed without failing,” he explains. One of Ribiere’s projects is a bi-annual event called Creative Bangkok, which is being organised for the second time in February. By inviting international speakers from successful organisations such as Cirque du Soleil and NASA he is hoping to demonstrate the use of creativity whilst strengthening the local creative community. “The aim is to bring people together so that everyone can get to know each other. Hopefully collaborations and mutual projects will follow,” says Ribiere. Ribiere is hopeful about the way the city is evolving in general. “Bangkok has so much diversity: in order to be creative you need diversity. There are talented people in all fields from high technology to design and art,” says Ribiere. “Thailand has a strong cultural heritage and potential to compete with other countries in areas like video games, art and fashion design. What we are still lacking is a local funding mechanism and this is a challenge that will need attention. Luckily there are many people working towards it,” he says. l

Vincent Ribiere runs Creative Bangkok, a bi-annual event of talks and workshops.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Laura Iisalo Laura Iisalo is a Helsinki-based freelance writer and photographer mostly drawn towards design, arts, culture, travel, and lifestyle. She is currently working on a book about the local way of life in Helsinki.

UUSI VUOSI. UUDET MAHDOLLISUUDET. Uuden vuoden alussa on hyvä muistaa, että maailma on edelleenkin täynnä mahdollisuuksia kasvaa ja menestyä. Me haluamme antaa yrittäjien keskittyä olennaiseen ja jättää työeläkevakuuttamisen asiat meidän huomaamme. Jos eläkeasiat askarruttavat, ota yhteyttä, niin jutellaan lisää. Me autamme pitämään unelmat elossa.

Soita numeroon 020 694 730 tai käy osoitteessa www.elo.fi/kysy

Olemme Elo, Suomen suosituin työeläkevakuuttaja. Suomalaisista yrityksistä joka kolmas ja yrittäjistä yli 40 % hoitaa työeläkevakuutuksensa Elossa. Liity hyvinvoivien asiakkaidemme joukkoon. Elon vakuutukset saat myös kumppaniemme LähiTapiolan, Fennian ja Turvan kautta. Katso lisää www.elo.fi.

TOP5

Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s artful accommodations

THIEF OF HEARTS In the waterside district of Tjuvholmen in Oslo, The Thief design hotel takes its art collection seriously. So seriously, that it employs its own in-house art curator Sune Nordgren. Passionate about creating new spaces to experience art, Nordgren re-defines the vision of hotel art. Harmoniously integrated with the architecture and interior design, the collection, which comprises works by international and local Scandinavian artists, is found within each room. But it is not only cutting-edge art that inspires; tasting menus at the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s restaurant Fru K are world-class. thethief.com

38 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

Fancy sleeping next to cutting-edge contemporary art on your travels? Jet-setting art lovers are taking their passion to a new level, enjoying unique travel experiences in Europe’s best art-inspired hotels. TEXT BY RACHAEL VANCE PHOTOS BY HOTELS

VINTAGE CHARM IN HUNGARY Situated in the Palace Quarter of Budapest, Brody House offers a special place to rest your head. Housed within a grand residence, guests are invited to get up close and personal with the hotel’s eclectic curated art collection. Artworks are presented in a salon-style hang throughout communal areas and the exclusive themed eight rooms. As an arts hub, the hotel’s affiliation with the Brody ArtYard print studio and gallery and BrodyStudios arts space connects visitors to a broader creative community. brodyhouse.com

COLOUR ME BEAUTIFUL The Hotel Crayon and its little sister, Hotel Crayon Rouge in Paris, offer a distinctly bohemian chic experience for hotel guests. Situated in the 1st arrondissement, the decor within the two boutique hotels is inspired by artist Julie Gauthron. Her playful illustrations are exhibited throughout the interior upon colouring-book inspired wallpaper. The rooms offer visual delights and personalised detailing with vintage furniture and art books. A world of art is beyond the front door; the Louvre and Centre Pompidou are just a stone’s throw away. hotelcrayon.com hotelcrayonrouge.com

LIKE ROMEO AND JULIET The Byblos Art Hotel near Verona has an enviable A-list art collection. Located in the heart of Valpolicella, the elegant 18th-century Villa Amistà is perhaps the pinnacle of the art hotel concept. The historical manicured grounds are juxtaposed with interiors filled with avant-garde installations by some of the world’s biggest art celebrities. Careful refurbishments of the elegant residence by architect and designer Alessandro Mendini elevate the hotel to the status of a contemporary art museum. byblosarthotel.com

WALTZ YOUR STAY AWAY Designed by renowned French stararchitect Jean Nouvel, the Sofitel in Vienna boldly stands as one of the world’s most integrated art hotels. Conceived as a work of art, each room has a striking monochromatic palette of grey, white or black. The crown of the hotel’s aesthetic is the vibrant, and by night luminescent, ceiling on the top floor created by acclaimed Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist. Here guests enjoy a panoramic view of the Danube River. sofitel-vienna-stephansdom.com

FEBRUARY 2016

BLUE WINGS

EUROPEAN VOICES BY STEFAN NILSSON

What’s in a trend?

s a trend hunter a ‘trend’, however, we would need further I travel a lot. In examples for verification. 2015 I attended This brings me to how trend hunting 17 design fairs actually works. I believe in the saying “three and visited 14 is a trend”: If you find three mutually concities outside the firming examples, then you know you’re Nordics. When onto a trend. I’m scouting trends, Whether I visit a design fair or a new city I need to see them in a real-life context. I like Budapest I always walk the supermarcan’t just rely on pictures; I also need to ket aisles and streets with an open mind. I touch and feel what I see. photograph basically everything that stands Being a trend hunter is of course lots of out. It could be a certain colour, shape or fun. I get to visit amazing cities, interview object. Or, as in the case of a city, I look at inspiring people and people, watch how think about how they act, what they emerging trends will eat, and how they WHAT REALLY EXCITES ME IS affect our lifestyles. WHEN I SPOT A TREND THAT’S shop. It’s actually quite I have always SET TO CHANGE THE WAY WE tricky to identify a felt it’s important trend, especially in to look at why cerTHINK AND BEHAVE. its very early stages. tain things become What really trendy, not just excites me is when I spot a trend state the fact that something is cool. I want that’s set to change the way we more than just a t-shirt or a brand – I want think and behave — like the sus- to know the ‘whys’ behind it. tainable shift we saw in 2015. I predict that my trend scouting in 2016 One good example is will focus on new technology. As our smarthow we treat used or brophones become more and more like superken goods. At a design fair computers, this is an area of vast potential. in Paris I met a master And last year’s birth of the “shared econcraftsman from Japan who omy” augurs the possible start of a whole new way of living, a total mental shift. We repaired broken porcelain bowls. He glued them got used to using Airbnb, Uber and other services, and a society where people are back together, adding liqmaking 100 to 200 euros per day out of uid gold to emphasise the shared services. How then, will this affect cracks he had fixed. In retail, ownership, and status? We’re living in this unique feat of upcysuper exciting times. l cling artistry, he raised the bowl’s value to a whole new level. Interviewing the people who were watching him work, I Stefan Nilsson is a Stockholm-based trend understood that many of us would like to continue using our old belong- hunter and gallerist. Best known for his blog Trendstefan, he is also the owner of Designings – which can be unique and beaugalleriet and head of the Designbloggarna blog tiful – rather than throw them away. network. Check out his YouTube channel Perhaps we’ll all begin to think difTrendstefan TV as well as his Instagram ferently about our belongings in the account: @trendstefanis future? Before this would qualify as

40 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

THE TASTIEST TREATS

FROM FINLAND IN A RESTAURANT FLYING AT 900 KM/H The incredible new Finnair Airbus A350, with a menu inspired by fresh Nordic flavours. Finnair is Europe’s first airline to fly the new Airbus A350 XWB. Experience a new sense of flying at A350.finnair.com

Finnair ﬂies to 17 destinations in Asia and over 60 destinations in Europe.

DESTINATION CAPE TOWN

A HEALTHY HOLIDAY IN CAPE TOWN A fave destination for hikers, surfers and sun lovers, this South African city is also a culinary hot spot for superfood fans. TEXT BY KATI HEIKINHEIMO PHOTOS BY SINI KOLEHMAINEN

1. GOODIES TO GO An impressive menu of mouth-watering smoothies, juices, power shots and bowls feature all thinkable superfoods. The secret behind the yumminess is Orchard’s own signature nut milk. For those who wish to kick-start their holidays with a total detox, there is a reasonably priced menu of one-day, three-day, or five-day juice cleanses. 211 Long Street orchardonlong.co.za

2. STRAIGHT FROM THE FARMERS Open every Saturday, the Oranjezicht City Farm outdoor market at Granger Bay offers an array of organic, local goods ranging from greens and fruits to meats. You can’t beat the location, right on the waterfront within a short walking distance from the V&A Marina and shopping mall. Granger Bay, V&A Waterfront ozcf.co.za

42 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

3. SMOOTHIES WITH SOUL When hunger strikes, relief is found at The Shake Down mobile smoothie bar. The cordial hosts are happy to suggest a recipe to suit your mood. Blue Wings favourites are the ‘Badass Beet’ beetroot juice mix and the vanilla-flavoured ‘Protein Bomb’ smoothie. Sugar- and dairy-free, of course. Granger Bay, V&A Waterfront facebook.com/theshakedownincapetown

4. RAW PIZZA AND LIVE MUSIC The harbour’s brick-and-stone market hall looks traditional – yet it’s anything but. This is a haven for those craving raw, organic, vegan, and glutenfree treats. No worries for the rest of the crew – there’s always the option of a local version of fish and chips accompanied by a craft beer. If you’re lucky, the laid-back atmosphere is complemented by live music. V & A Waterfront waterfrontfoodmarket.com

5. DIG INTO DELICACIES For a relaxed dinner atmosphere, opt for stylish Fork on Long Street. The bistro and restaurant serve small pinchos-style dishes, served with a fork only – hence the name. A variety of local specialties, prepared with a modern twist, can be found on the menu. Don’t miss the tender ostrich filet or the roasted butternut squash with hummus. Make sure to book a table, though. 84 Long Street fork-restaurants.co.za

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6 T P C

s to flie via r i n na Fin Tow ith e w p r Ca on rtne nd a o p L s. d orl irway w e on tish A om c Bri nair. fin

Looking for the beautiful people of Cape Town? Clifton 3rd beach is the place to go.

Kloof Street House is a unique mix of Victorian nostalgia and hipster atmosphere.

6. COCKTAILS BY CANDLELIGHT This is possibly the restaurant with the most personality in all of Cape Town. The comfy couches on the covered patio are the best option – but inside is where the fairy-tale begins. Dark wooden furniture, velvet curtains, and dim lighting provide a perfect setup for an intimate yet quirky dinner experience. To top it off: the food is delicious. 30 Kloof Street www.kloofstreethouse.co.za

7. WHICH BEACH ARE YOU? With a lunchbox packed full of healthy goodies, it’s beach time. Sun and sugar-white sand make up for the water being freezing cold – even in the middle of summer. Clifton’s beaches have something for e veryone: Clifton 1st is frequented by locals, the second by young people, the third by models and bodybuilders, and the largest, Clifton 4th, by families. capetown.travel

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10. CHASE THE GEESE – OR NIRVANA

A magnificent view of Table Mountain, a fertile vegetable garden, a fish pond, and funny ducks make Company’s Garden the perfect place to linger for locals and tourists of all ages. In summertime, outdoor yoga is organised by The Om Revolution on Saturday mornings. 19 Queen Victoria St. theomrevolution.co.za

10 8. GET ON BOARD

Surfers catch waves on Muizenberg or Dungeons beaches. For the less adventurous, stand up paddling (SUP) is a great way to experience water in a completely new way. A good option for beginners is to paddle along the V&A Waterfront canals whereas more seasoned SUP enthusiasts can give the (freezing cold) sea water a try at Clifton 4th beach. supcapetown.co.za 9. SUPERFOOD OFF THE SHELF For a day of hiking or sightseeing, stock up on health foods at Wellness Warehouse. A wide array of local and international food and natural medicine brands will get you shopping for healthy souvenirs as well. Flagship store at 50 Kloof Street wellnesswarehouse.com

11. TOWNSHIP TOURS

Discover the various development projects in the local townships, underdeveloped urban living areas courtesy of the Apartheid era. An unforgettable and uplifting experience as well as a great way to contribute to community development. l uthandosa.org

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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 LANČ Malaysia AirlinesČ QantasČ Qatar AirwaysČ Royal JordanianČ SĈ AirlinesČ SriLankan AirlinesČ TAM Airlines and oneworld are trademarks of their respective companiesċ TAM Airlines (Paraguay) is currently not a part of oneworldċ Some limitations and exceptions may applyċ For more informationČ visit wwwċoneworldċcom/benefitsċ

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DESTINATION RIGA

RIX

to ies es fl r tim nai Fin three . a ay Rig per d om .c air finn

48 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

RIGA COMES OF AGE

Creative contemporary architecture reshapes the Latvian capital’s Art Nouveau skyline. TEXT AND PHOTOS BY DANIEL ALLEN

The towering exterior of Riga’s spectacular new library.

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BLUE WINGS

Contemporary architecture should be like a bridge crossing the borders of time – rooted in the past, looking towards the future.

Augusts Zilberts outside Riga’s national library, designed by Gunnar Birkerts.

s he grabs a quick mid-morning coffee, Augusts Zilberts takes a step back to admire the soaring exterior of Riga’s national library. Glittering under a cloudless sky, the 68-metre high iconic glass pyramid — officially opened in June 2014 —now dominates the skyline of the Latvian capital. “It’s hard to believe I’m standing here right now,” says the library’s fresh-faced head of public relations. “I was barely born when the design for this building was first sketched out. For the people of Riga this is more than just a beautiful piece of contemporary architecture. It’s the embodiment of our young nation’s development.” Today Riga is a symphony of spires, steeples and whimsically ornate Art Nouveau buildings – the leg-

50 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

acy of an eventful 800-year history that has seen ownership pass from Sweden to Germany to Russia and, two decades ago, to Latvia itself. Yet while Riga’s residents are rightly proud of their architectural heritage, that doesn’t mean they haven’t got one eye on the future. With the city taking confidence from its status as European Capital of Culture in 2014, the striking new library building epitomises a growing creativity that pervades both Riga and its small but growing cohort of architects. ONCE UPON A TIME “The British architectural historian Peter Buchanam once said that the architecture of a nascent age should ‘surpass and contain’,” says Latvian architect Gunnar Birkerts, the high-profile creative force behind the library design. Long-based in the United States, the silver-haired octogenarian is renowned for his use of light in a range of eye-catching American public buildings. “Contemporary architecture should be like a bridge crossing the borders of time – rooted in the past, looking towards the future,” continues Birkerts. “In Latvia we need to create a language of form, a language that treats previous architectural genres with respect.” With space to house six million books, as well as a concert hall and various exhibition spaces, Riga’s new library combines the practical with the aesthetic and the symbolic. While financial difficulties and political wrangling nearly saw the project shelved on numerous occasions, the building’s completion represents the most significant investment in cultural infrastructure since the establishment of the Latvian state. “Birkerts conceived of the library as an asymmetrical ‘glass mountain’ inspired by a famous Latvian fairy tale,” explains Zilberts, putting down his coffee mug. “This fable and the library’s design are related to Latvia’s quest for independence. This building is all about striking out on our own.”

RIGA’S BEST BUILDINGS KALNCIEMA KVARTALS

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF LATVIA

This old wooden quarter has been renovated and turned into a lively cultural meeting place by brothers Karlis and Martins Dambergi and architect Liene Griezite. Check out their events and concerts on Thursdays and Saturdays and Sunday markets.

The Latvian National Library is the creation of American-Latvian architect Gunnar Birkerts, who is best known for his creations in the United States such as the Law Library Building at the University of Michigan. Its distinctive shape evokes the Hill of Glass and the Castle of Light found in Latvian folklore.

kalnciemaiela.lv

Zanis Lipke Memorial Museum

RIGA CENTRAL MARKET Housed in five old German Zeppelin hangars, including elements of the Neoclassical and Art Deco architectural styles, Riga Central Market (Rigas Centraltirgus) is one of Europe’s largest markets. Open daily, it is inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list, together with Riga’s Old Town.

ZANIS LIPKE MEMORIAL MUSEUM This modern, interactive museum designed by Riga architect Zaige Gaile tells the little-known tale of Zanis Lipke and collaborators who saved Latvian Jews during the Nazi occupation. The building’s impactful wooden architecture evokes the bunker where Lipke kept Jews from harm.

rct.lv/en

lipke.lv

POSSIBILITIES EMERGE Within Riga’s fertile creative environment, striking out is what a growing number of young local architects are now doing. Aleksejs Birjukovs co-founded MARK Architects with two friends in 2006, with the company currently employing about 15 full-time architects. The firm has recently produced designs for Riga Castle, villas, shops, residential housing, hotels, and public spaces, and was a semi-finalist in the Latvian Architecture Awards for 2014. “Today Riga and its surroundings are a great place for architects to gain practical experience,” says Birjukovs. “We still don’t produce enough architects in Latvia, which means there are far more opportunities for us to get work realised. Architects in other European countries generally see their designs constructed far less frequently.” While Riga’s architectural environment is currently characterised by increasing originality, flair, and optimism, these sentiments are tempered somewhat by past experience. The global financial crisis of 2008 severely affected the Latvian economy, halting a previously feverish period of construction and forcing many architects out of business. “We were booming before the crash,” says Birjukovs. “Our turnover dropped 300 per cent almost overnight. At the time it was very tough, but I think the experience has genuinely been good for us, and good for Latvian architecture.” Before the crash some of the architectural work being produced in Riga was rushed and lacking in creativity. Birjukovs is quick to add that things have

lnb.lv/en

PIENA KVARTALS Previously an abandoned industrial area, the Piena Kvartals is now a buzzing creative hotspot. It all started some six years ago, when Martins Mielavs and friends founded a club called Piens in an old brewery. Today this rough yet cosy space is a café and restaurant by day and a club by night. Aristida Briana Iela 9

Latvian architects hard at work at MARK Architects in Riga.

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BLUE WINGS

Riga’s Vina Studja wine bar by Martins Pilens.

Villa Guna — contemporary residential rchitecture by Riga’s Vincents Architecture. a

The Aqua Luna restaurant in Riga reflects the city’s contemporary architecture.

Another fine example of contemporary residential archicture in the Carlo apartment building.

fortunately calmed down, and designs are more considered and innovative. In terms of business, MARK Architects has diversified, working on different projects, participating in competitions, taking on private and corporate clients. BUST TO BOOM The aftermath of the 2008 collapse has also seen the prices for architectural and design services in Riga come down. This, coupled with the increased cost awareness of clients, has meant that many younger and less well-known architects are actually benefiting from the economic downturn. “In the past the high prices paid for architectural services meant that many international agencies were active in Riga,” says Martins Pilens, who founded the Riga-based 1PLUS1 architectural practice in 2008. “Aspiring young Latvian architects faced really strong competition, and it was tough to break into the mar52 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

ket if you didn’t already have a large portfolio. Now clients are happier to employ local architects as long as their ideas are creative and reasonably priced.” Headed up by an architect with a burgeoning reputation, 1PLUS1 has been involved in diverse projects, including retail, office, bar, exhibition and restaurant design. Recent work in Riga includes a redesign project in Riga Castle, office design for international insurance and building companies, a restaurant and a concept store. Pilens is also optimistic about the future of architecture in Riga and in Latvia as a whole. “It’s true there is less work than pre-2008,” he says. “But that generally means a higher quality end result. I would still say the best Riga-based architects are those who have studied overseas. This will hopefully change as courses develop and new institutions establish themselves. After all, it’s only 20 years since we gained independence.” WOODEN FLAIR Whether it be medieval grandeur, Art Nouveau frippery or Soviet functionalism, Riga’s architecture has long been influenced by external trends and politi-

The Gypsum Factory by Zaiga Gaile stands on the banks of the Daugava River in Riga.

cal forces. Part of the process of establishing the city’s modern identity has been the renovation of existing buildings, which many see as a renewal of values which were important in Latvia before the Soviet occupation. “Riga is home to approximately 4,000 wooden houses, which is unique for a European capital,” says Pilens. “A lot of the architecture here now involves the renovation and conversion of these wooden homes. One of the architects heavily involved in the restoration and modernisation of wooden houses is Zaiga Gaile. The 63-year-old, whose office (Zaiga Gaile Birojs) won the Latvian Architecture Award in 2014, is often called one of the greatest female contemporary architect in Latvia. Gaile is responsible for two of the most eyecatching examples of contemporary architecture in Riga – the Gypsum Factory and the Zanis Lipke Memorial Museum – both of which are located on Kipsala Island, on the left bank of the River Daugava. An iconic new wooden building, the latter won the European Museum of the Year Award for 2014. In terms of architecture, Riga is a place where old and new sit happily side by side. Increasingly daring and emotionally expressive, yet sensitive to what has gone before, these days the city’s Latvian-born architects are steadily reshaping the urban environment. “I think there’s certain humility to the Latvian architects of Riga,” says Birjukovs. “Of course we might still dream international, but we also love the city where we live. And that passion translates into fine contemporary architecture.” Those that witness their work invariably agree. l FEBRUARY 2016

BLUE WINGS

DESTINATION ROME

pizza Total

makeover

Roman cuisine is known for its love of tradition. Now, adventurous chefs and food entrepreneurs are tossing the pizza scene on its head. TEXT BY JENNA VEHVILÃ&#x201E;INEN PHOTOS BY ANDREW TAYLOR

54 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

FC O

Fin na Ro me ir flie s the d win aily d to u t finn er se ring a air .co son. m

Martina Latini serves Tondaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cacio e pepe pizza.

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A selection of pizza slices at Pizzarium, including caramelised onion, 36-month matured parmesan, roast beef, and burrata.

hen I opened Pizzarium in 2003, there were only mediocre pizza slices served in Rome. I wanted to make a difference,” says Gabriele Bonci. And that is exactly what he has done. Signor Bonci has become a living pizza legend that needs no introduction inside Italian borders. Even outside of Italy, Bonci is often referred to as ‘the Michelangelo of pizza’. Let’s rewind a few decades. Pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice) is a ubiquitous Roman take-away snack with a history that dates back to the 1950s. It is usually eaten standing up at a counter or while on the go. Street food at its finest hour. Bonci doesn’t want to bad mouth the local pizza scene, but he has seen a reduction in the quality of products used by many bakeries. While other bakers use inferior ingredients to save money, Bonci found a niche through using the best artisanal products on the market. This gave him a clear advantage, and soon his pizza was literally on everybody’s lips. “I use the respected Mulino Marino flour for the dough and buy most of the ingredients from farms, half of them located in the Lazio region. My prosciutto as well as the

56 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

Gabriele Bonci in front of his Pizzarium.

TOP SLICES IN ROME Regina Giannantoni and Stefano Callegari of Trapizzino.

PIZZARIUM Gabriele Bonci’s pizza slices, served in a tiny take-away, are famous for their soft yet crispy dough and seasonal toppings. Via della Meloria, 43 TONDA Stefano Callegari’s hip pizzeria specialises in thick, almost Neapolitan-style pizza bases that are baked in a wood-fired stone oven. Via Valle Corteno, 31 TRAPIZZINO Rome’s new take on the pizza, trapizzino, combines tramezzino (triangle-shaped sandwich) and pizza. These crunchy pockets, stuffed with a generous amount of Roman-style main courses, can be savoured in two locations. Via Giovanni Branca, 88 Piazzale di Ponte Milvio, 13 trapizzino.it

pecorino and parmesan cheeses are aged and hard to find,” explains Bonci. THE ART OF PIZZA Although top-notch ingredients are part of the success, the ultimate secret behind Bonci’s pizza is the dough. It is made by using brewer’s yeast and left to rise for 72 hours. The slow fermentation makes the pizza base easily digestible. When baked, the dough is soft yet crispy. “Even though my dough has required 12 years of research, I will continue to develop it,” Bonci says. When it comes to toppings, he pushes himself far beyond the standard tomato, mozzarella, and basil. In addition to the classics, pizza rossa (tomato pizza), bianca (white pizza) and patata (potato pizza), Bonci is known for experimental toppings that vary according to season. In summer he improvises with eggplant and zucchini; chestnuts, fresh figs, mushrooms and kale can often be found on top of his pizzas in autumn. Each one of Bonci’s pizzas looks like a little rectangular piece of art. Carefully

selected toppings are placed beautifully on top of the base, forming a perfect harmony of colour and flavour. Cut into small pieces and eaten with a toothpick standing in a tiny one-room pizza joint, this culinary experience is definitely sublimely unique. “My pizza aims to stimulate all possible senses,” says Bonci. BLENDING TRADITION AND INNOVATION Another pizza heavyweight to watch on the Roman pizza scene is Stefano Callegari. He is the founder of two hip pizzerias, Tonda and Sforno, both located on the outskirts of the city. According to many people, Callegari’s creations are the best in town. Whereas Bonci is a true reformer, Callegari is known for his ability to combine tradition and innovation. His dough is slowleavened and transforms into thick, almost Neapolitan-style pizza bases that are baked in a wood-fired stone oven. Callegari also likes to introduce bold flavours to his pizzas, using a variety of Italian cheeses.

Each one of Bonci’s pizzas looks like a little rectangular piece of art.

LA PRATOLINA A residential-area restaurant with pinsas, which is slow-leavened focaccia-style dough topped like a pizza. The recipe dates back to ancient Rome. Via degli Scipioni, 248 pizzerialapratolina.it

PINSERE Open for lunch only, Pinsere serves pinsas (focaccia-style dough topped like a pizza) made of seasonal ingredients. Via Flavia, 98 pinsereroma.com

Trapizzino

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BLUE WINGS

Paul Pansera has set restaurant and food trends across Rome.

A pinsa being prepared at La Pratolina. A prosciutto crudo, mozzarella and courgette flower pinsa from Pinsere.

The ingredients used for trapizzino are completely faithful to Roman culinary traditions, but the product itself is modern. “Cacio e pepe pizza with pecorino and black pepper is styled after a popular Roman pasta recipe. It even has the same mushy texture,” he explains as he points to the fresh pizza that the waitress at Tonda has just placed on the table. Callegari has invented a distinctive process to replicate the original dish, through which he successfully retains its signature characteristics. 58 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

A TREND CALLED TRAPIZZINO

Oddly enough, the product that eventually made the crowds sing Callegari’s gospel was not pizza. As the street food trend started sparking interest globally, Callegari wanted to establish something simple, yet creative. He invented trapizzino, of which the name combines tramezzino (triangle-shaped sandwich) and pizza. The crunchy pizza pocket is stuffed with a generous amount of Roman-style main courses such as chicken with peppers or tripe in tomato sauce. The dough is similar to pizza dough, except that Callegari uses sourdough, which has its origins in the breadmaking traditions of Southern Italy. “The ingredients used for trapizzino are completely faithful to Roman culinary traditions, but the product itself is modern,” Callegari highlights. Callegari’s good friend and hugely experienced restaurateur Paul Pansera helped realise the chef ’s innovation into a working business idea. Known for his

CleanTech in Finland

Maria Kalli, Anne Savolainen and Vexve DN300 butterfly valves.

These women export Finnish cleantech to

A selection of pizza al teglia at Pizzarium

passion and vision, Pansera has established restaurant and food trends across Rome. Together, the two gentlemen have introduced the invention to a wider audience and opened two Trapizzino locations in the city. In addition, the concept has been presented at street food events throughout Italy and even in New York. “People all over seem to love it. It’s all about reinventing tradition,” say Pansera and Callegari. This may seem like a small step for the global food scene, but it’s a revolutionary one for the Roman gastronomic landscape. l

metropolis undergrounds VALVES MANUFACTURED IN FINNISH COUNTRYSIDE ARE USED IN THE DISTRICT HEATING PIPES CRISCROSSING UNDER THE CITIES OF MILAN, BEIJING AND PRAGUE. VEXVE HAS DEVELOPED NATURAL RESOURCE SAVING PRODUCTS FOR OVER 50 YEARS.

“O

nce when I was flying to Milan a man started to chat to me about Milan Fashion Week. I had to correct him that I was on my way to Milan underground to see some valves” Vexve’s European and North American Export Manager, Maria Kalli says with a laugh. This completely Finnish company distinguishes itself from other valve suppliers by also providing its customers with the hydraulic control system. This solution eliminates the need to build separate underground chambers for the valve controls. “It is about the quality of products and service as well as know-how that we bring to all district heating customers. The market values a complete package from the supplier,” Maria Kalli says.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Jenna Vehviläinen

Currently based in Brussels, Finnish-Italian freelance journalist Jenna Vehviläinen travels the world searching for fascinating stories to share with the public, and gets some of her best ideas on airplanes.

Andrew Taylor

Andrew Taylor is a Helsinki-based British photographer and sometime writer. Last year his photographs were published in three cookbooks in Finland: Vege! and Richard McCormick’s Pariisi and Barcelona. A few more are in the works for 2016!

District cooling multiplies the market ”The same solutions work both for the district heating and cooling,” states Vexve’s Asian Export Director, Anne Savolainen. Currently the markets for district cooling systems are growing, for example, in Middle East, and there is an increasing demand for Finnish cleantech. ”The operational reliability of the energy distribution networks, energy efficiency, and security are the crucial criteria for both the district heating and cooling. With the right valves and control solutions we help the customer to fulfill these criteria,” tells Anne Savolainen.●

What is cleantech? Cleantech is a technology that promotes the sustainable use of natural resources by developing solutions that incorporate material and energy efficiency, renewable energy and environmental management. PRODUCED BY TAKEOFF CONSULTING GROUP OY

EUROPEAN VOICES BY ALEXANDER STUBB

The next revolution

t the World Economic change the way we manufacture, transForum (WEF) in Davos port, consume, produce, and trade. Think this year, the theme was about it. Facebook does not provide con“The Fourth Industrial tent, Uber does not own taxis (well, not Revolution.” As always, yet anyway) and Airbnb does not own real I began preparing for estate. the annual intellectual training camp in Do you remember life before the smart the Swiss Alps on my Finnair flight from phone? Well, my kids don’t. Their kids will Helsinki to Zurich. probably not remember the time before a This time I did it by reading The Fourth 3D printer provided them with new sneakIndustrial Revolution by WEF founder and ers, self-driving electric cars took them to executive chairman Klaus Schwab, whose school, and all payments were electronic book reminded me how the first industrial and guaranteed through a block chain. revolution, which spanned a century from The fourth industrial revolution will also the mid-1700s onwards, marked the tranchange the way in which we work. Some sition from muscle power to mechanical studies estimate that half of today’s jobs will power while the second industrial revolube taken over by machines by 2030. This tion (late 19th century to early 20th cenwill have far-reaching economic, political, tury) saw the invention of electricity and and sociological implications. We will have the assembly line. to work smarter, not harder. The third At the end of the industrial revoday, everything will WE WILL HAVE TO WORK lution began depend on how we SMARTER, NOT HARDER. in the 1960s manage this huge and has often change, including the been called the computer or digital accompanying moral and ethical issues — revolution because it was catalysed from nano robot surgery to gene manipuby the development of semiconduclation and robot soldiers and the inevitable tors, mainframe computing, personal winners and losers of the transformation. computing, and finally the internet in As always, we can approach the fourth the 1990s. industrial revolution as tech-optimists or Schwab’s argument is that the tech-pessimists. The optimist embraces fourth industrial revolution began at the change and looks for solutions. The the turn of this century and builds on pessimist hits the brakes and reverts back the digital revolution. Characterised by to old ways. mobile internet, smaller and more powThe more technology advances, the erful sensors, artificial intelligence and more emotional intelligence and empathy machine learning, this revolution is unlike come to the fore. The only thing we can’t anything mankind has experienced be is realistic. Why? Because the only thing before. It will change the way we live, limiting this revolution is our imagination work and relate to each other. Artifiand machines. cial intelligence, robotics, the InterWelcome to the future. l net of Things, 3D printing, nano- and biotechnology, new forms of energy, material science and quantum computing are changing the world faster Alexander Stubb, Finland’s finance than we realise. minister, is always curious about new The revolution will disrupt busithings. ness (it already has). It will also twitter.com/alexstubb 60 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

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Geopolitics is back With commercial and strategic interests converging, the business community’s awareness of power politics is growing more important than ever. TEXT BY JORMA LEPPÄNEN ILLUSTRATION BY TIINA KÄLKÄINEN

fter recovering from the geopolitical shock caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Finnish companies started to re-focus their core businesses. Back then, under the rule of the market economy, power politics was not an issue. For a long time, globalisation represented increasing uniformity and peace even for the leaders of Finland’s foreign policy. One of Sauli Niinistö’s first moves after assuming office as President of Finland in 2013 was to establish the ‘Kultaranta Talks’, an annual forum where experts convene to debate Finland’s foreign and security policy. He surprised the audience by talking about issues that are normally discussed under the headline of economic policy: “During the past 15 years we have witnessed a drastic shift in the balance of power. The West with its huge debts does not pound the chairman’s hammer anymore; the West is under the hammer. This is

62 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

not primarily a question of economic policy; this is a question of power politics,” said Niinistö. A NEW STATUS QUO According to Niinistö, the political picture was constantly changing and nobody could tell where the centre of power would be in the future: “Or maybe the centres of power will vanish, as Moises Naim claims in his book The End of Power.” The political landscape witnessed a further shift when the Crimean crisis began in 2014. Russia had overstepped the limits of commercial diplomacy in pursuit of its geopolitical agenda. This event had a huge impact on Finland’s and many other EU members’ economies. At a recent seminar organised by the Confederation of Finnish Industries, Niinistö again took up the theme of power politics: “Geopolitics is the guiding framework, especially in long-term economic planning.”

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BLUE WINGS

For global businesses, these are challenging times. We are living in many different worlds and value systems simultaneously. The President described how the world’s rising economies were trying to build a new status quo beyond the influence of Western powers. Even the Bretton Woods Institutions were facing tough challenges. The old, unipolar world order was gone and the dividing lines between different interest groups in the multipolar world were constantly shifting. But in spite of the growing list of ongoing and potential conflicts, there is still hope. “For example, climate change is a common enemy that may unite the world,” noted Niinistö. For Finnish companies in strategic industries such as energy and ICT, Niinistö’s wake-up call came as old news. But for many others, including the media, the order of things still seems to be somewhat obscure. Many are too slow to grasp the impact of ongoing and potential geopolitical events, such as the sanctions on Russia or the refugee crisis. IN SEARCH OF A GRAND NARRATIVE Why does it take such a long time to wake up? “Maybe our dream narrative has been too sweet,” says Teija Tiilikainen, director of the Finnish Institute of Foreign Affairs.

In his 1989 essay ‘The End of History?’ Francis Fukuyama wrote: “What we may be witnessing is not just the end of the Cold War, or the passing of a particular period of post-war history, but the end of history as such: that is, the end of mankind’s ideological evolution and the universalisation of western liberal democracy as the final form of human government.” Fukuyama soon expanded his Hegelian line of reasoning into a book that was widely read as the foundation of a final world order. “The geopolitical events of the 1990s supported Fukuyama’s dialectic rhetoric. But history never ended. Globalisation and economic interdependence did not bring unity and harmony to the world,” says Tiilikainen. Today, a host of pressing concerns such as climate change, financial crisis, oil price fluctuation, nationalism, terrorism, the refugee crisis, cyber attacks, nat-

DOING BUSINESS IN A POLITICAL WORLD FINLAND GAINED its independence in the midst of geopolitical chaos in 1917. The self-confidence that made this possible was based on sound housekeeping and positive experiences of foreign trade. Before its independence, Finland had been an autonomous Grand Duchy within the autocratic Russian empire. Prior to that, until 1809, Finland had been part of the Kingdom of Sweden for centuries. Given its complex history, Finland already had a good grasp of geopolitical risks long before 1901, the year when the term geopolitics was coined by the

64 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

Swedish political scientist Rudolf Kjellen. Independent Finland has sought to safeguard its security through a policy of neutrality. During the Cold War era, the need for prudent diplmomacy was well understood by most Finnish companies seeking to balance their risks and rewards: Finland’s survival was at stake, after all. This was summed up aptly by Uolevi Raade, CEO of the state petrol company Neste, in his welcoming address to an American business delegation in July 1965: “... we, as a frontier nation, are fully aware that the

struggle for a higher standard of living is an essential form of our continuous fight for freedom.” The free market economy and international cooperation in the fields of science and technology have been of the utmost importance for Finland during its independence. In a permanent ‘whitewater’ world, today’s Finnish export industries are building their long-term strategies around global megatrends such as green energy and energy efficiency, resource efficiency, water scarcity, the industrial internet, and cyber security.

Sanoma Media Finland / Mediamyynti 09-122 98760

ural disasters, and health concerns have made the world a much more confusing place than it was during the Cold War era. “There were two major fallacies in the Western narrative, both related to the relationship between democracy and the market economy system. Firstly, we believed that the increasing economic freedom of individuals would make them demand more political freedom. Secondly, we underestimated the importance of cultural and ideological questions,” says Tiilikainen. In the People’s Republic of China, the more the growing middle class has gained wealth, the more the authoritarian government has gained popularity. The same happened in Russia. What has been even more perplexing for western observers, President Vladimir Putin’s popularity has not diminished in the face of low oil prices and the western sanctions on Russia. Culturally and ideologically, the East seems to be at least as strong as the West. But is there an Eastern perspective for the world? “Even though the People’s Republic of China may not want to compose its own grand narrative, it has been increasing its influence through strategic and cultural investments abroad,” says Tiilikainen. US policymakers and their counterparts from the EU and the Pacific Rim countries are trying to tackle the Chinese challenge through Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, BRICS, OPEC and a host of other coalitions and organisations only add to the complexity of the political picture. According to Tiilikainen, we are living in an era of many world orders at the moment. “For global businesses, this is the most challenging period in history. It is like living in many different worlds and value systems simultaneously. As President Niinistö says, the principal challenge is awareness. Without thorough knowledge of geopolitical facts, it is impossible to create a good strategy.” l

BOOKS WORTH READING • The End of Power by Moses Naim (2014) • The Clash of Civilizations? The Debate: Twentieth Anniversary Edition by Gideon Rose (2013) •T he Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order by Samuel P. Huntington (2011) •T he End of History and the Last Man (With a new foreword) by Francis Fukuyama (2006) •H andbook on the Geopolitics of Business by Joseph Mark S. Munoz (2003)

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Owls of laughter: close encounter in the capital of cute.

66 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

Owl play in Tokyo

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY TIM BIRD

s world capital of cute, Tokyo is the spiritual home of all things bright and cuddly. Visit Yoyogi Park on a Sunday, for instance, and you can lose yourself in a fantasy Cosplay world of pink and frills. The latest cute trend follows up on the popular cat cafés, havens of purring calm across the city. Owl cafés, like their feline predecessors, are hyped for their therapeutic potential, as places where urban stress is cured, at least temporarily. Staring eyes from perches in every corner of the room greet visitors, almost exclusively young girls, to the Ikefukurou Café. You help yourself to a cold drink and tour the birds, which duly hop onto your hand and even your head (the management is “una-

ble to discipline owl’s dropping”). The owls, which at least to the untrained eye represent a wide variety of species large and small, are beautiful. “Owl cafés are becoming more popular because people are looking for some healing feelings,” says owner Mari Hasegawa. “Like people, the owls have different personalities.” But shouldn’t owls be allowed to fly around at night, not tethered on perches? “The owls are specially bred and have a less stressful life here than they would in the wild. The first thing they saw when they were hatched was people, so that’s what they are used to.” Ikefukurou Café is located in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district. By reservation only: ikefukuroucafe.com

Beak performance. Owl therapy is the latest fad in Tokyo.

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FEBRUARY 2016

BLUE WINGS

NEW WAYS WITH WOOD Crafty entrepreneurs are bending Finland’s traditional source of wealth into exciting new shapes and applications. TEXY BY SILJA KUDEL PHOTOS BY VILLE PALONEN

dam Rowe emerges from his workspace shaking dust from his hair. Smiling, the owner of Laser Cut Studio holds up a pair of plywood earrings he has shaped into diamonds for up-and-coming fashion label Uhana Design. “I’ve cut thousands of these. There’s a special satisfaction in working with wood. It has warmth and a story – and I just love getting covered in dust,” he says. Rowe represents a new breed of digital artisans combining classic crafts with 21st century digital technology. A high-powered beam of light cuts the wood with a precision impossible to achieve by hand. The technique is energy-efficient and generates less waste than other forms of woodcutting. The laser cuts by vaporising, leaving nothing but a wisp of smoke. BURN BABY BURN “Birch smells great when it burns,” says Rowe. A sweet aroma fills his 100-square-metre Helsinki studio, where shelves are laden with engraved wooden iPhone covers, chopping boards, signs, and business cards. Anyone can walk in and have a product laser-cut with any design of their choice – quickly and affordably. “We do everything from one-offs to large runs of thousands. About 90 per cent of our customers walk in with a ready design. The remaining 10 per cent want ‘something’ and we design it for them,” explains Rowe. Last summer the Flow urban music festival asked Rowe to create a sign for Lonkero gin long drinks. “They wanted a perfectly shaped profile that could

68 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

hold a real can. Only a highly skilled woodworker could pull off anything similar, but we nailed it digitally,” he says. Rowe describes himself as “open to anything”. “I was once asked to engrave the face of Finnish icehockey legend Timo Jutila on some sausages,” he chuckles. “But given the choice, I’d rather work with birch.” TREE-HUGGING LONDONER Birch has always intrigued Rowe, a furniture design graduate from south-east London. “It behaves predictably, yet it’s challenging. There are hidden knots that add character to the design. And it’s so iconically Finnish,” he enthuses. Rowe moved to Finland four years ago after founding titiMadam, an acrylic jewellery business. He sold the company in 2012, finding wood a more satisfying material than plastic. “I moved to Finland for love – of birch. My father was a furniture maker, and he sourced his birch from the same Finnish supplier as I do today. It’s convenient living in a country that has the best birch in the world,” says Rowe. Laser Cut Studio has a global following on Instagram, but Rowe has made a conscious choice to keep the business local. “Our whole philosophy is about making distinctive, sustainable products with a Finnish identity. One of the reasons I left London was because everyone there is chasing money 24/7. Here in Finland it’s not just about profit; it’s more about creative freedom – and having a life,” he says.

ADAM ROWE

A cut above: Adam Rowe is a wood artisan whose chisel is a high-powered laser beam.

• Digital artisan, ownermanager of Laser Cut Studio • Furniture design graduate and founder of titiMadam • Born in London, resides in Helsinki • Wood tip: “To really understand Finland’s connection with forests, you have to experience a proper Finnish summer cottage: chop firewood, heat the sauna, and be part of the forest around you.” lasercutstudio.com

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BLUE WINGS

Artistry afoot: Marita A cut above: Adam Rowe is a Huurinainen wood artisan became whose chisel is a a shoe designerlaser “by beam. high-powered accident” after first studying international politics.

MARITA HUURINAINEN • Creative Director of Designium Group • Designer of WAVE sandals and the WILD ethical fur collection • Born in Ilomantsi, resides in Helsinki • Wood tip: “Two wooden attractions I love in Helsinki are Café Regatta by the sea and the allwooden Chapel of Silence in Kamppi. No religious ceremonies are held there: it’s meant for anybody looking for peace of mind.” maritahuurinainen.com

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WALKING ON WAVES

ossing long braids over her shoulder, Marita Huurinainen cuts a striking figure from top to toe as she enters her showroom on Helsinki’s North Esplanade. This applies particularly to the toe part – her sandals are real

eye-catchers. WAVE sandals have attracted a fan base among women who appreciate individualistic design. Avant-garde footwear is seldom strong in the comfort department, but slip on a pair of these beauties and you’ll find them remarkably foot-friendly. “Traditional Scandinavian wooden shoes are made of a hard, heavy block, but these are lightweight, ergonomic and resilient. Sceptics wonder how such a crazy shape can be comfortable – until they try them on,” says Huurinainen. She stumbled onto the design “by accident” at design school. “I never actually meant to design a shoe. I was playing with basic shapes – circles, squares, and triangles – searching for the perfect combination of function and beauty. The circle gradually transmuted into a curlicue heel.” The heel is like nothing seen before in a shoe. It curls backwards like a rolled lion’s tongue, defying what many imagined could be done with wood.

NEVER SAY IMPOSSIBLE “It was hard finding anyone to manufacture them. I approached shoe workshops and even a ski factory, but nobody had the tools. They said it was impossible. I said ‘Look, I made the prototypes by hand, it’s not impossible’,” says Huurinainen. The heels are shaped using a combination of steaming, heat, and electricity. They are manufactured at two specialised workshops in Finland from locally sourced birch wood. Comprising about 20 models, the collection now also includes cherry, rosewood, and coloured birch variants. “Working with wood is an amusing challenge, as you don’t ever have complete control. You have to negotiate with the material,” she says. WAVE sandals were the launch-pad for Designium, a design group also comprising Huurinainen’s WILD ethical fur collection and the WAVE clothing label. “But the wooden sandals still define my brand. They’ll be launched in the US this season, and we’ve newly signed a deal with an agent in Japan,” says Huurinainen. Wood remains an enduring source of inspiration for country-raised Huurinainen, who hints that we can expect a “new wave” of wooden sandals coming soon: “Get ready for something geometrical.”

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PLASTIC-FREE FUTURE

he world’s biggest rubbish dump floats in the Pacific Ocean from near the Californian coast as far as Japan. Most of this cloudy soup consists of plastic, a material that never biodegrades – it merely breaks down into smaller pieces. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is among the reasons why the European Union made the historic decision to clamp down on the billions of plastic carrier bags that are choking our oceans. By 2018, no more lightweight bags are to be given out free to shoppers. Plastic is unsexy, but we still need to carry our groceries somehow. Paper bags are clumsy, so what’s the alternative? A Finnish startup believes they have found an answer. “Paptic® is the solution to a plastic-free future,” says Tuomas Mustonen, CEO of a startup that has invented a revolutionary softwood-based alternative to plastic. The patented technology was developed as a spinoff of a long-term research project at the Technical Research of Finland VTT, where Mustonen formerly worked as sales director. Realising they were onto a winner, he and two partners set up Paptic last April. Mustonen explains the concept as he presents the demo line. “We added a new component to the process: air! Tiny air bubbles are the carrier medium enabling the production of Paptic.” The resultant product is thinner and more durable, bringing paper closer to plastic. “This is a radical improvement. We have created the next generation of paper,” he says.

PERSONABLE LOOK AND FEEL Off the web rolls a material with a soft texture that is warm to the touch. It is neither smooth nor glossy like plastic – quite the contrary. “We were a little nervous when we showed the first prototypes, so we were delighted to discover that people actually like the wrinkly look,” says Mustonen. 72 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

Aside from having a personable look and feel, Paptic is 100 per cent recyclable, 70 per cent renewable, lightweight, and durable. With plastics in crisis, it is exactly what the planet doctor ordered. “We are seeing a major drive to reduce plastic consumption. Adidas has announced that it will stop using plastic bags. Even Lego is investing one billion Danish kronor in sustainable materials. Paptic is a direct response to what’s happening in the market,” says Mustonen. Mustonen sees boundless applications for Paptic, but initially plans to focus on carrier bags. The first commercial versions will appear in Seppälä boutiques and Body Shop outlets in Finland early in 2016. With the green wave gaining momentum, Mustonen believes now is the perfect moment for Paptic’s breakthrough. “A century ago we lived from the forest, but then along came the IT boom. Now we’re returning to the forest armed with new digital know-how, which is fostering exciting new forms of bio-economic innovation.” l BEHIND THE SCENES

Silja Kudel Ex-Sydneysider Silja Kudel is a Helsinki-based journalist, arts editor, and culture vulture with an incurable case of travel fever.

Ville Palonen is a photojournalist who loves adventures and the great outdoors. In between spotting orangutans, tigers, and whale sharks, you can find Ville at his studio in Helsinki.

TUOMAS MUSTONEN • CEO of Paptic, makers of a woodbased alternative to plastic • M.Sc in paper physics and MBA from Aalto University, former sales director at VTT Technical Research of Finland • Born in Äänekoski, Finland’s biorefining capital, resides in Espoo • Wood tip: “My absolute favourite summer activity in Helsinki is the Linnanmäki Amusement Park and its famous wooden rollercoaster, a classic since 1951.”

Wood you believe it: Tuomas Mustonen presents the demo line that produces an evolutionary new wood-based plastic substitute.

paptic.com

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DESTINATION TENERIFE

Tenerife has plenty of hiking trails, which are well marked so a map isn’t necessary. But carrying a water bottle even for a short hike is!

S F T

s to ur flie fo r i na outh d to n i F S an fe eri week once n e T a rth the es No m i e f t ng . eri uri n Ten eek d easo s w r a te om win nair.c n fi

74 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY VILLE PALONEN

FIND YOUR BEST HIKE IN

mystical Tenerife T enerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, is famous for its beach resorts – but it is also a great destination for anyone who enjoys rugged mountain scenery. By rental car it takes only 90 minutes to reach Teide National Park, located in the highlands. The national park is dominated by Mount Teide, a volcano that rises 3,718 metres (12,198 feet) above sea level. The last eruption was more than one century ago, yet the landscape still bears the scars: petrified lava flows and sharp volcanic rocks resemble the surface of the moon. The majority of tourists visit Teide National Park dur-

ing the day. For those who want to experience a vivid sunset and do a bit of star-gazing – not ruined by light pollution – plan an overnight stay at Parador de Las Cañadas, the only hotel in the highlands. If a more basic option is preferred, there is a trekking hut on the higher slopes of the mountain. Hiking trails are abundant, and there’s even an exciting activity for thrill-seekers: just catch a ride up to the park, take in the stunning scenery, and then ride down to the base by mountain bike. The curvy asphalt road ends in Los Christianos, one of Tenerife’s coastal tourist hubs, roughly 50 kilometres away. l

EASY WAY UP

ROUGH ROCKS

MAGICAL FOREST

Mount Teide (3,718 m) is the highest point of the Canary Islands. The majestic volcano was regarded sacred by the Aboriginal Guanches, and today it is celebrated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Conquering Teide doesn’t require trekking experience: there’s a cable car (teleférico) that carries passengers almost to the top in just a few minutes. Tickets (27 euros) can be bought online in advance.

Roque del Garcia is the second most popular attraction (after Teide’s peak) in the national park. Take note though, early afternoons are notably busy with selfietaking tourists. A great way to see the rock formation is to to hike the two-hour loop trail. The reward is well worth the sweat: breathtaking views and a glimpse of gallotia galloti, small lava lizards.

The neighbouring island of La Gomera is just an hour’s ferry ride from Tenerife. The island paradise is famous for its fantastic hiking routes. Nothing beats a trek through the vast Garajonay National Park with its legendary dense laurel forests and misty trees that look like they’re wearing moss jackets. A side-trip here is a truly memorable adventure for the entire family.

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BLUE WINGS

FINNAIR NEWS

FEEL FINNAIR Finnair has 24,500 + Instagram followers! Tag @FeelFinnair or #FeelFinnair to share your photos.

COMPILED BY KATJA PANTZAR

Top 3 Lapland destinations ROBERT SMITH

Ivalo, Finland’s northernmost airport, lies near the resort village of Saariselkä, which is great for skiing and hiking through the rugged nature of Urho Kekkonen National Park, one of the country’s largest protected areas.

Like a local Growing numbers of travellers want more from their vacations than simply a destination: they want to practice yoga at sunrise on a beach, learn how to cook regional cuisine, or watch their children play soccer with the local kids. In response to this trend Finnair’s tour operator Aurinkomatkat (Suntours), together with customers, have developed six new vacation experiences for 2016. Each is tailored around a specific theme ranging from Wellbeing to Family Holidays, and Like a Local. “Customers really value locality and ELINA SIRPARANTA

unique experiences when they go on holidays,” says Pekka Antila, Aurinkomatkat’s head of product and production. “People want to spend time with the locals, living like locals,” he says. For example, on Aurinkomatkat trips it is possible to learn the secrets of making local food by taking a cooking course taught by a local restaurateur – or his or her grandmother, who may have provided the original culinary inspiration. More information (in Finnish only) on the six different packages can be found at: aurinkomatkat.fi

Stopover Finland Together with Visit Finland, Primera Holidays Finland, and the Finnish tourism industry, Finnair is working on a new programme that provides year-round opportunities for travellers stopping off in Finland for a few hours or days. Stopover Finland comprises 50 easy packages and experiences –from the Midnight Sun to forests, lakes and saunas, as well as a large selection of art and design events. The programme will be launched globally in 2016 with a focus on the growing number of Asian passengers travelling via Helsinki to Europe. visitfinland.com/stopover visitfinlad.fi

76 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

RAIJA LEHTONEN

Kittilä is best known for the legendary Levi ski resort (and a lively nightlife), which hosts world class ski competitions including the Alpine World Cup. KAISA SIREN

The official capital of Finnish Lapland, Rovaniemi doubles as the region’s business and arts hub, with an array of culturally significant buildings including the museum and science centre Arktikum.

AITOJA PAIKALLISIA HETKIÄ JA AUTENTTISIA ELÄMYKSIÄ Löydä salaisia rantoja, viihdy pienissä ravintoloissa ja yövy paikallisten pitämissä tunnelmallisissa hotelleissa. Tutustu uuteen Paikalliseen tapaan -lomakokoelmaan aurinkomatkat.ﬁ/lomakokoelmat

FINNAIR NEWS

BABY BAGGAGE Regardless of travel class, an infant’s baggage allowance includes one piece of baggage weighing a maximum of 23 kg, as well as a folding stroller and safety seat.

COMPILED BY KATJA PANTZAR LAURI LAUKKANEN

New A350 Signature menus

Finnair crew tips

Pure Finnish flavours and teamwork are the ingredients of the new onboard menu created in cooperation with Finnair and Kari Aihinen, executive chef de cuisine at Savoy, one of Helsinki’s top restaurants. The menu, titled ‘From the North’, is part of the Signature series of menus by award-winning chefs and is served in Business Class on intercontinental flights through spring 2016. ‘From the North’ begins with an amuse-bouche of cold smoked salmon and cauliflower-dill tapioca and garden salad, followed by starters such as marinated lavaret, aquavit-seasoned fennel, and vendace roe mousse. Main courses range from grilled zander Grenobloise and potato purée flavoured with cod, garlic and thyme, to slow-cooked reindeer entrecôte, roasted celeriac and dark sea buckthorn sauce. Rounding out the meal are desserts that include a selection of cheeses from small Finnish producers, port wine jam, and other delicacies. Naturally, the entire affair is paired with Finnair’s award-winning wines. finnair.com

Flight attendant Niina Kätkä shares her tips on the best child-friendly destinations in Europe.

Top 3 places to travel with kids

At Saariselkä in Finnish Lapland, kids of all ages will be blown away by Finland’s longest sledding hill. The whole family can enjoy a smoke sauna and the most courageous ones can take a dip in the icy cold water at Kiilopää’s sauna world. Vienna’s Natural History Museum offers an exciting place to visit for little explorers. If you prefer live animals instead of fossils, be sure to visit Schönbrunn Zoo, which happens to be the world’s oldest zoo still in existence. To avoid crowds, visit Disneyland Paris in April. The weather is often very pleasant and little ones can enjoy the theme park without spending the whole day in a queue.

2 Kari Aihinen, executive chef de cuisine at Savoy, has created Finnair’s new Signature menu.

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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 FREQUENT FLYERS FINLAND IN FIGURES FEBRUARY 2016

BLUE WINGS

FLY FINNAIR TIPS FOR TAKEOFF

FINNAIR

TRAVEL TIPS

in a nutshell

MIRJA KUOVI Manager Passenger Services at Product Development and Ancillary Business, began her career with Finnair in 1989.

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

“Sports holidays are around the corner. Make your departure even smoother by paying for excess baggage in advance online or via the Finnair app! Many types of sports equipment can be carried as part of your free checked baggage allowance as long as the weight is max 23 kilograms. But remember to pack your sporting equipment appropriately to avoid damage (or lost parts) during transportation. And did you know that at Helsinki Airport you can check-in your baggage for the next day’s flight already the previous evening between 6-9 pm? Then all you need to do is go directly to the departure gate the next morning. Happy landings – also on your skis!”

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.

SAFETY

IN YOUR POCKET THE FINNAIR MOBILE APP is available for iOS and Android devices. The app provides up-to-the-minute flight information and e-boarding pass storage. Check-in on your mobile to avoid the queues, upgrade your travel class and view Finnair Plus point balances. Simply log in with your Finnair Plus member ID. Go to finnair.com to learn more and see all the features.

80 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

SAFER JOURNEY 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

Business class passengers on longhaul flights can now enjoy “From the North”, a Signature menu prepared by Kari Aihinen, executive chef de cuisine of Savoy. His dishes fuse elements of traditional Finnish cuisine. Served onboard until spring 2016.

EAT WELL

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 beverages. Try our new cucumber drink – it will keep you hydrated during the flight! 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.

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.

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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BLUE WINGS

FLY FINNAIR ENTERTAINMENT

BE ENTERTAINED AND CONNECTED

WHAT’S PLAYING

Finnair’s inflight experience has come a long way. Experience the Nordic Sky entertainment system now on Finnair A350 XWB aircraft.

ON SCREEN

NORDIC SKY, the redesigned state-of-the-art inflight entertainment system available on A350 flights, offers passengers individual screens with audio and video on demand throughout the cabin. The onboard Wi-Fi portal connects to your personal devices and gives you access to finnair.com and Finnair services including pre-order shopping. The homescreen display shows the main stages of the flight, guiding passengers from departure throughout all stages of their journey, informing them in advance when meals will be served, when rest lighting will be activated, and when passengers can make purchases from the inflight shopping service. Would you like to know more about your destination? Nordic Sky offers travel tips and goodto-know information to make your landing even easier. Here’s how to get started: 1. Turn on your Wi-Fi enabled device in flight mode and enable Wi-Fi. 2. Join the Wi-Fi network “Nordic Sky”. 3. Open the browser of your choice. 4. Start exploring.

The Nordic Sky entertainment system and Wi-Fi keep you entertained and connected throughout your journey.

PICK OF THE MONTH Action adventure

SPECTRE A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organisation. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind Spectre.

82 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

Latest films and TV series

MOVIE GOOSEBUMPS. A teenager teams up with the daughter of a young adult horror author after the writer’s imaginary demons are set free on the town. MOVIE LEGEND. The story of identical twin gangsters Reggie and Ronnie Kray, two of the most notorious criminals in British history. MOVIE OUR BRAND IS CRISIS. A group of consultants, tasked with getting an unpopular president re-elected, track down a maverick political consultant.

TV SERIES PROJECT GREENLIGHT. The series chronicles the search for a first-time director and explores the filmmaking process.

TV SERIES THE MYSTERIES OF... A Jane Doe is found in Times Square with no memory and mysterious tattoos on her body.

RADIO NEW YORK NEW YORK. Get into an Empire State of Mind with tunes by those that know the place best. Enjoy more music at mixrad.io.

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, a USB port is located in the seatback monitor in Economy class and directly from the seat in Business class.

FLY FINNAIR INFLIGHT SHOPPING

LOVE IS IN THE AIR Surprise a friend, loved one or even yourself this month! Here are our latest gift ideas that will surely put a smile on someone’s face. And remember — the Nordic Sky Wi-Fi portal onboard the A350 gives you direct access to pre-order shopping.

CALVIN KLEIN ETERNITY NOW FOR MEN EDT 50 ML Available in pre-order shopping catalogue FINNAIR €46.00MADE EXCLUSIVE IN FINLAND

PRE-ORDER before your next flight

LIMITED

CITY PRICE

-60%

STOCK

M&M’S AIRPLANE DISPENSER Available in pre-order shopping catalogue €17.50 MADE FINNAIR EXCLUSIVE IN FINLAND

FINNAIR

EXCLUSIVE

LIMITED

STOCK

CITY PRICE

EVI BRACELET Available in pre-order shopping catalogue MADE IN FINLAND €42.00 HOUSE OF ELLIOT CELIA NECKLACE Available in pre-order shopping catalogue CITY PRICE CITY PRICE €89.00

-50%

MADE

IN FINLAN

CITY PRI

-60%

STOCK

CHUPA CHUPS MINNIE MOUSE SUITCASE Available in pre-order shopping catalogue €9.90

Pre-Order

-60% -50% HOUSE OF ELLIOT

-60%

-40%

LIMITED

MARC JACOBS DAISY SORBET EDT 50 ML Available in pre-order shopping catalogue €59.00

LIMITED

CITY PRI

-50%

VALENTINO DONNA EDP 50 ML Available in pre-order shopping catalogue FINNAIR €69.00 EXCLUSIVE

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.

STOCK

Pre-Order

CITY PRICE

-40% PRE-ORDER

for stress-free shopping Ordering in advance is always a good idea.

Pre-OrderYou 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!

CITYwww.finnairshop.com PRICE

-40%

FEBRUARY 2016

BLUE WINGS

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 company has also signed the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles in 2011.

PLEASANT TRAVELS FOR ALL MATKA (translated as “Trip”), Finland’s annual travel fair and the largest travel event in Northern Europe, was held in late January in Helsinki. This year’s fair, which welcomed tens of thousands of attendees, included Pink Island, a dedicated area to members of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) communities. Finnair was one of Pink Island’s main corporate partners. “Equality and non-discrimination are among the cornerstones of Finnair’s business; we welcome all passengers on our flights regardless of age, gender,

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 one, five or ten euros. Finnair also collaborates with many other environmental and humanitarian organisations.

84 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

ethnic background or sexual orientation,” says Kati Ihamäki, Director of Corporate Sustainability at Finnair. “We actively work with our staff, customers and stakeholders to promote equality and non-discrimination, and report on this work as part of our corporate responsibility efforts.” Finnair has assembled an internal equality group. Among its goals are to work with authorities to prevent discrimination, promote equality in business and customer service, and develop a comprehensive plan to ensure equality in employment.

Members of Finnair’s frequent flyer programme can donate points to the following charities at pointshop.finnair.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 • The Baltic Sea Action Group • Hope

IN AUTUMN 2015 Finnair received the first of 19 forthcoming Airbus A350 aircraft, which cut back on fuel consumption and emissions by 25 per cent.

FINNAIR is one of the first airlines in the world to receive an IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) certification; this environmental management system is designed to assess an airline’s environmental management.

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 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) 2014 A List for its efforts to reduce emissions and slow climate change.

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 requirement and hold a biometric passport, may also use the automated border control upon departure. This service is available for Australian, Canadian, Japanese, 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.

FEBRUARY 2016

BLUE WINGS

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), formerly Flybe Finland, 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. Border control

FINNAIR TRANSFER SERVICE TRANSFER SERVICE desks in Helsinki Airport T2 terminal are ready to help you with any inquiries related to your connection flights. 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 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 station by two lifts. Escalators will open during spring 2016. Passengers can also walk to the Tietotie entrance, where the walking distance from Terminal 1 is about 350 metres and from Terminal 2 about 700 metres.

86 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

34 35

SHOP

32a

31a-e 30

31x 31

Security control

SHOP

Border control

SHOP

LONG-HAUL AREA NON-SCHENGEN

Bo con

TRANSFER SERVICE 3

2ND FLOOR 36

FINNAIR LOUNGE FINNAIR PREMIUM LOUNGE 37

2ND FLOOR

37a-d

GROUND FLOOR

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

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 is available free of charge. An eService Bar is located across from gate 21. 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

LOST AND FOUND Restaurant & Deli Fly Inn

26 SHOP

SCHENGEN AREA

SHOP

GATE AREA

Security check

25 TRANSFER SERVICE 2

SHOP

23 SHOP

FINNAIR LOUNGE

Security

order ntrol

CHECK-IN 240–270

SHOP

FINNAIR check CHECK-IN/ SERVICE DESKS 201–232

GROCERY

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)

3RD FLOOR

PHARMACY TOURIST INFO

1ST FLOOR

SHOP

19 18 17 16

TRANSFER SERVICE 1

CHECK-IN 101–114

GROUND FLOOR BAGGAGE STORAGE

LOUNGE TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF! As a Finnair customer, you can buy access to the Finnair lounges in both the non-Schengen area and Schengen area for a reduced price when your flight d eparts during off-peak hours. To get the discount, your flight must leave between 6 am–3 pm or 6:45 pm–midnight (nonSchengen area); or between 10 am–3 pm or 7 pm–midnight (Schengen area). You can buy lounge access in advance via Manage Booking or by contacting Finnair’s customer service. You can also buy lounge access with Finnair Plus points!

Security check

GATE AREA

2ND FLOOR

SHOP

1ST FLOOR FEBRUARY 2016

BLUE WINGS

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

Distances km

Great Circle Estimated Distances Flight km Times

Flight Times

1525 02:35 2722 03:45 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 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 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 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 2397 03:25 1865 02:55 2668 03:45 382 00:55

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

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 2015 AND 2016

Atl Oc antic ean

TÄHÄN KARTTA

8 WINGS 88BLUE BLUE WINGSDECEMBER FEBRUARY2014 2016

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-D

tov-

Ros

Heraklion

Medit erranea n Sea DECEMBER 2014BLUE BLUE WINGS89 8 FEBRUARY 2016 WINGS

rctic

Arctic Ocean

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

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 SEOUL 7050 08:40 SHANGHAI 7410 09:05 SINGAPORE 9272 11:30 SVALBARD 2015 03:10 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

FLY FINNAIR IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Agadir

Taiwan

Pacific Ocean

Indian Ocean

DECEMBER 2014 BLUE WINGS 8

FLY FINNAIR FLEET

AIRBUS A350-900 (NEW IN 2015) Number 2 + 17 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 7 Seating capacity 266/263/257 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 136–209 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 110–165 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 105–138 Length 33.8 m Wingspan 34.1 m Cruising speed 840 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 11,900 m EMBRAER 190/170 Operated by Norra Number 12/2 Seating capacity 100/76 Length 36.2/29.9 m Wingspan 28.7/26 m Cruising speed 850 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,300 m

92 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

FLY FINNAIR FLEET A350

IT’S HERE! AIRBUS A350 XWB – A NEW SENSE OF FLYING The most significant way to reduce your carbon footprint from flying is to fly with modern aircraft.

UP TO FOLLOW THE STORY

Share your A350 experience:

reduction in:

Fuel burn

FEEL THE

XTRA SPACE 5.61 METRES WIDE CABIN

FUN FACT Ambient mood LED lighting creates 24 different s cenarios from a choice of up to 16.8 m illion different colours. The lighting can be customised to fit the time of day, destination or season!

I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY to test the A350’s Business Class. Even after 5 hours I didn’t have enough time to use all the features included in the Nordic Sky entertainment system. The interactive flight map worked like any good tablet. I was able to zoom so close that I saw my own house. At the same time I was able to plan my trip with the information provided on the sights and cities. The system includes multiple flight cams and a timetable for the flights meals, etc. With this new system, there is no way to get bored! Travel blogger Jerry Savolainen rantapallo.fi/pakoarjesta fi-fi.facebook.com/PakoArjesta @pako_arjesta.blog To share your Finnair A350 experience email: shelly.nyqvist@sanoma.com

Pasi Salminen/24h Photoservice

CO2 emissions

▶a350.finnair.com ▶on Twitter #A350Finnair ▶on Instagram @feelfinnair

From Facebook: Lion dancers wish passengers a happy flight at Helsinki Airport before the departure to Beijing. The city is Finnair’s third A350 destination in Asia.

FINNAIR’S ECO-SMART Airbus A350 XWB aircraft take over Asia this winter. Book your flights and enjoy the next generation of travel! SEE THE SCHEDULE a350.finnair.com

FEBRUARY 2016

BLUE WINGS

FLY FINNAIR FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAMME

JOIN NOW Big benefits for frequent flyers

FINNAIR PLUS PROGRAMME allows you to earn points when travelling with Finnair or a oneworld airline and from services provided by many Finnair Plus partners. As a Finnair Plus member you can also benefit from many valuable offers and 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 EARN POINTS when flying Finnair scheduled and leisure flights. Points can also be earned on oneworld scheduled flights. As a member you also receive points when purchasing products and services from any one of our Finnair Plus partners. USE POINTS to purchase Finnair award flights, pay for additional baggage and upgrade your Finnair flight from Economy to Business Class. You can also use your points for oneworld flights. Points are valid currency in the Finnair PlusShop online and you can use them to pay for services and products from Finnair Plus partners. Read more about our partners on page 96.

94 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

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

GOOD TO KNOW! As a Finnair Plus member you can use your Finnair Plus points to purchase award flights. Immediate family and persons in the same household may also purchase award flights using your points. There are two ways to purchase award flights: by using points only, or by using a combination of money and points.

With a Finnair Classic award, you pay with a fixed amount of points depending on the destination and pay necessary taxes with money. With an Any Seat reservation, you may use a combination of money and Finnair Plus points to purchase your flight tickets. When booking, use the slider to decide how many points you would like to use. finnair.com/plus

FLY FINNAIR FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAMME

KIDS

FINNAIR PLUS MEMBERSHIP

These are some of the benefits you receive as a member. For more information go to finnair.com/plus.

FINNAIR PLUS TIER BENEFITS

BASIC Up to 40,000 tier points

SILVER 40,000 – 90,000 tier points or 24 scheduled flights

GOLD 90,000 – 150,000 tier points or 54 scheduled flights

PLATINUM 150,000 tier points or 92 scheduled flights

• F lights awards •A dditional baggage charges with points*

• One extra piece of baggage free of charge*

• Special baggage free of charge *

• Special baggage free of charge*

• F innair lounge access*

•W aiting list priority based on tier

•P riority Lane*

•P artner service purchases with points

• 1 0% discount on normally priced tax-free purchases outside of the EU*

• T ravel class upgrades* • Finnair and oneworld Business Class and Frequent Flyer lounge access + 1 guest

• T ravel class upgrades* •D iscounted travel upgrades for family members*

• 1 0% points bonus*

•P riority Lane* • 1 5% points bonus* • 1 0% discount on normally priced tax-free purchases outside of the EU*

• Finnair and oneworld Business and First Class and Frequent Flyer lounge access + 1 guest •N o expiration on award points during tracking period • 1 0% discount on normally priced taxfree purchases outside of the EU*

* Finnair flights (AY operated and AY marketed)

Finnair Plus oneworld Basic --Silver Ruby Gold Sapphire Platinum Emerald

Kids get points, too! Children aged 2–17 can join the Finnair Plus Junior programme. The points earned can be spent on flight awards and exciting product prizes.

•P riority Lane*

• 2 5% points bonus*

EQUIVALENT ONEWORLD TIERS

JUNIOR

Combine your Finnair Plus membership card with a credit card and you can earn Finnair Plus points on all your purchases. Read more: finnair.com/plus

DID YOU KNOW? USE OUR ACCRUAL calculator to check how many Finnair Plus award and tier points you can earn from your travels. If your travels include transfers, please use the multiple segments function. You can add up to eight segments into the calculator. USE OUR REDEEM calculator to check how many points you need to buy a flight award with Finnair or from other oneworld partners. You can find both calculators at finnair.com/plus

FEBRUARY 2016

BLUE WINGS

FLY FINNAIR PARTNER BENEFITS THIS MONTH

MORE THAN 200 PARTNERS For your benefit As a member of our Frequent Flyer programme you can earn and use points when purchasing services and products from our world-class partners around the globe.

Finnair Plus members can use points for purchases at any Stockmann department store in Finland.

A PERFECT PAIR HAVE YOU ALREADY ACTIVATED YOUR STOCKMANN LOYAL CUSTOMER CARD? As a Finnair Plus member and a Stockmann Loyal Customer, you can earn at least one award point for every euro you spend. To collect the points, remember to show your Stockmann Loyal Customer card when making a purchase, or log in as a customer to Stockmann.com and shop online.

Not yet a member? Find out how to join on the previous page.

Activate your card now stockmann.com/finnair

EARN 1,000 POINTS Hotel Hullu Poro has been a holiday legend for more than 20 years and is filled with something suprising each time you visit. Rooms to suit all tastes, a versatile selection of restaurants, relaxing wellness services — a great recipe for a great stay. Finnair Plus members earn 500 points per regular priced night. But as a special offer from now until April 30, members will earn 1,000 points per regular priced night. Please remember to present your Finnair Plus membership card when checking in.

96 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

· Airlines · Travel · Credit card · Insurance · Restaurants · Shopping · Wellness · Golf · Entertainment · Charity · Leisure time For complete listings and more information: finnair.com/ pluspartners

FLY FINNAIR PLUSSHOP OFFERS THIS MONTH

SHOP ONLINE wherever you are! The Finnair PlusShop stocks a wide selection of brand products, including Finnish design items, and delivers around the world. To order, 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! As a Finnair Plus member, you can choose a new offer every time you have 1,000 Plus points.

LÉKUÉ BREAD MAKER + SILICONE SPOON €37.90 Member offer €25 + 1,000p

All this and more from:

finnairplusshop.com

KALEVALA KORU SNOW FLOWER PENDANT & EARRINGS, SILVER €148 Member offer €89 + 1,000p

MARIMEKKO OIVA MUG 4 DL, 4 PC €58 Member offer €45 + 1,000p

IITTALA KAASA FIRE PLACE, 255 MM, CLEAR €321 Member offer €235 + 1,000p

BRIO RAIL & ROAD DELUXE RAILWAY SET €248.50 Member offer €195 + 1,000p

FATBOY® JUNIOR BEAN BAG Several colour options, €175 Member offer €119 + 1,000p

FEBRUARY 2016

BLUE WINGS

FINLAND IN FIGURES

DID YOU KNOW? Population: In 2014, 33 per cent of all entrepreneurs were women.

FINLAND

ECONOMIC STRUCTURE

IN FIGURES

Employed persons by industry, 3rd quarter 2015 (per cent of total)

AREA • 390,920 sq. kilometres, of which 9% is fresh water; land area is 303, 909 sq. kilometres. There are 188,000 lakes. 6% of the land is under cultivation. Forests (mainly pine and spruce) 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 2014: 205 billion euros, the annual change in volume -0.4% nnual inflation rate as of •A October 2015: -0.3% • Currency: Euro

Construction and energy 8%

Miscellaneous services

14%

34%

Manufacturing

14% 4% Agriculture

10%

15%

Financial and business servces

Trade and hotel

Transport and communications

Gross domestic product per capita 2014* (EUR)

47%

Other manufactured goods

23%

Forest products

15%

Food prod. and textiles

15%

Nominal

Adjusted for Purchasing Power Standard

73.500 46.200 44.400 37.600 35.400 34.900 32.200 27.400

49.000 34.300 34.100 30.200 34.000 30.000 29.400 27.400

Foreign trade 2014 exports by products by activity: 55.829 MEUR (per cent of total) Chemical industry products

23%

Forest industry products

20%

Other industries

18%

Metals and metal products

14%

Machinery and equipment

13%

Electronics

12%

*preliminary

MONTHLY TEMPERATURES IN HELSINKI 2014

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

Mean˚C -5.9 0.2 2.1 5.9 10.6 13.5 20.1 17.9 13.0 6.7 3.2 0.1 Max˚C 5.6 4.7 10.9 19.9 26.3 24.4 29.6 28.4 20.3 14.7 10.3 5.5 Min˚C -18.2 -7.6 -8.3 -4.5 -1.2 3.5 11.1 9.6 0.4 -3.8 -2.4 -15.7

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

98 BLUE WINGS FEBRUARY 2016

Metal and engineering products

EXPORTS BY PRODUCTS

GDP

Norway Denmark Sweden Finland Germany UK France EU27

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% speak Finnish; 5.3% Swedish; 1.3% Russian • Religion: 74% Lutheran; 1% Orthodox; 24% census register or unknown • 81% of the population aged 25 to 64 have completed upper secondary or tertiary education and 37% have university or other tertiary qualifications.

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