Category: travels

out there, to work, sometimes to relax, to see the world

medi@terra on multilayering of land

medi@terra on multilayering of land
Originally uploaded by FransBadger.

The tightly packed days of medi@terra/Gaming Realities conference include many interesting presentations about reality and place becoming multiple, mixed, multilayered, hybrid. I’d actually claim that our reality, and lands we inhabit are always this kind of chimeiras; sites half-imagined, half put together by pieces we recognize from elsewhere. Athens is obviously a city to evoke reflections of this kind, pasts, presents and futures colliding constantly on its crowded streets.

gaming realities conference, athens

I will be travelling — to Athens (Greece) this time; this is where the DiGRA Assembly 2006 and Gaming Realities conference is taking place. It looks promising; check out the programme at: http://www.mediaterra.org/2006/en/conference.html

meeting with a baby snow leopard

Baby Snow Leopard, 2

This Saturday we did an improvised trip to the Ähtäri zoo. Generally zoos can be rather depressive places with all those animals kept in captivity, but at least in Ähtäri there is a rather vast forest area to explore (for all those tourists, at least). You can even spend a night with animals, since apparently if you go in and get your ticket before 4 pm, you can stay there as long you want to, eat your provisions, and wait and see how the daylight-shy animals gradually wake up and come out. It was a fascinating spectacle to follow. This shot is a close-up of a baby snow leopard we met (the parents Väinö and Shakira got a litter of two this spring) — a rather playful little fellow, and unquestionably one of the cutest things on earth.

german river valleys


german river valleys
Originally uploaded by FransBadger.

Today we have been driving along the Mosel valley in Germany. Now having a break in the medieval market square of Bernkastel-Kues, an ancient town in middle of fertile vine country. A very warm day!

bouillon and orval


bouillon and orval
Originally uploaded by FransBadger.

This looks like a bit different kind of midsummer. Today, the castle of Bouillon, an impressive medieval ruin overlooking the Semois river. Then to the Trappist cloister of Orval where they make really great beer and nice cheese. I was a little disappointed that after this travel we were not even allowed to the courtyard of abbey, since we were 15 minutes late from their admission to the entrance tickets. In Finland, you can visit a forest or church freely; here, you need an entry ticket to both.

belgian beers


belgian beers
Originally uploaded by FransBadger.

Apart from pils/lager, that has conquered the world, Belgium is one of the places still treasuring traditional fermentation methods and receipes. Today in Ghent; St-Baafskathedraal with the famous Adoration of the Holy Lamb by van Eyck brothers. Now “Keiser Karel” (dark), a “bier van hoge gistning”, the high fermented brown beer. Tasty.

summer solstice in belgium


summer solstice in belgium
Originally uploaded by FransBadger.

It looks a bit rainy at the moment, through the roof-top windows of Brussells. But it is a holiday now, and that counts! 🙂

from wii to mölkky


from wii to mölkky
Originally uploaded by FransBadger.

Multimodal gaming holds the promise of expanding both casual and more dedicated gaming experiences – point that got Nintendo’s Wii lots of attention in E3. But this weekend is for Mölkky, the ultimate realistic game interface.

ice cream


ice cream
Originally uploaded by FransBadger.

Back in Finland: there is a veritable heat wave now going on, which is a perfect excuse to enjoy the first cone of summer!

feeling summer in tallinn


feeling summer in tallinn
Originally uploaded by FransBadger.

This weekend there is a trip to Estonia: Mauri Kaipainen and the IMKE program kindly put out an invitation to come and hear about this new international, interactive media master’s programme. Summer seems to be already reality in Estonia; we are staying in Sausti Manor, and frogs are making conserts in the pond (herons are nesting also next to the manor). Beautiful, interesting and relaxing at the same time.