Have you ever missed a city so much that it causes you heart ache? When the little things you run into during the day seem all to remind you of the place where you would currently want to be the most? When the songsplayed in public places are the ones which you used to hear in your favourite city? At the moment my feet are going all over the world, but I think my heart was left on the way a while ago.

Let me tell you something about it.

My favourite city in the world has a huge park in the middle of it. In addition to that park there are green areas all over it. Areas where people are spending nice summer days having picnics with their friends and families already in early April. The gardens are taken good care of and everyone respects the order in them. All the garbage for example is carefully recycled into its places. Near those gardens there are castles. Castles that have given their names to the city districts. All with their own history and important people. I used to live near one of those castles and enjoy my Sunday walks in its garden.

This city used to be divided into two with a wall: East and West. Nowadays the wall does not excist anymore, but you may still feel it. Both sides have their own charecters that you get to know by only spending some time in it. I can not say which one I like the best, but I learned to know the west better by living and working there.

A river runs trough this city, giving the element of water to it, while it is located quite far from the sea.  Along the river the citizens have created peaceful beach clubs and cafés to spend a summerday relaxing in comfortable beach chairs, sipping a cold drink. The most common drink in the city must still be beer like in the whole country. It has also own beer label and even flavours that you may taste in all of its beer gardens.

I have often said that this place has everything. Although it has over 3 million people living in it, you can easily get into places without constant rush hours. Local transportation is well-planned, going everywhere you ever need to go with smooth transfers in the keypoints. In almost every district you may find shopping centres that has your favourite stores in it. In every of those there are nice cafés and Italian ice-cream bars offering delicious treats and light lunches. Public toilets can also easily be found in everywhere you go and there are people constantly taking care of the cleanliness.

The city offers lives and possibilities. With its quite low pricelevels it attracts youngsters from other European countries, who want to try their wings and live by doing what they really want to do. There are more artistic people there than in the whole country. It is also good place to families, when a three-room-appartment can be rented with a lower price than a studio in Helsinki. Multicultural athmosphere can be experienced in the streets and in a huge selection of shops, restaurants and clubs of all categhories.

I miss the city in spring, when sun starts to shine and jackets can be taken off already in March. 

I miss the city in summer when it never sleeps and everyone in it are in a good mood.

I miss the city in autumn, when the days start to be darker and the history of it comes alive. 

I miss the city in winter, when christmas is definately all around and the athmosphere of  multible christmas markets is touching everyone even visiting for a few days.

I miss having breakfast in one of the cities many bakeries, where all the young and the old come to have their coffee and treat at all times of the day. I miss the smell of the bakeries taking over the streets every morning around 5am lasting till the evening. I miss the announcemets in the subways telling in local language where the train is going for the 12th time during the same distance. I do miss the feeling that I have something to do even though I wouldn't have anyone to share the moment with. There was never a dull moment in this place.

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