HDRI II Stories: December 2013

20 December 2013

Pekka, Spain: Final thoughts

Now my time in Spain has come to an end. Another edition of the newspaper is out and in two days I´ll fly back to Finland. We had a full week of work and got everything done just before our deadline.

Looking back at these eight weeks here, it has been an amazing adventure. Working at the paper has been very interesting and rewarding. I´m lucky to have been able to work with such skilled professionals here at the paper and have had the privilege to meet a lot of different people on assignments and also on my free time while traveling around Andalusia.

It would be great to continue working here, but I´m also very anxious to get back home just in time for christmas. Below are this weeks pictures, though some of them will be published next year.

Peace.

Belen

CAC Mijas

Christmas lights

Ferrari photoshoot

Guide students

Jump

Leif Ericsson

Lonely

Magnus Lillkvist

Mijas Natural

Padre

Picasso carving

Saddle

Sandboat

Winter priest

13 December 2013

Pekka, Spain: One week left to go

Seven weeks behind, one more to go. In Finland I spend a lot of my time photographing in ice halls, so this week I had a small thrill of taking pictures in a local ice hall in Benalmadena. Which was nice, as I did not even know, that there even was an ice hall here!

Living in Fuengirola is pretty easy going. As you can get most of your basic services in Finnish or English. Of course that isn´t always the best or most economical way to do things, especially if you want to save a little money or learn the local ways and maybe some language and culture in the process. I learnt Spanish for one course back in high school, and that wasn´t a big help for me now as I flew in. But I´ve tried to improve my Spanish by just boldly going to the locals and talking with them.

The general rule in travel applies very well here, communicate with a smile and you will be received well. As long as you are open minded, try to remember the words and are willing to learn, you´ll get along here nicely. After many weeks, I can´t say that I manage fluently in Spanish, but I´ve picked up a good amount of words and phrases.

This has been a busy week, many long days - but once again, lot´s of nice people and many interesting places to visit and photograph. From figure skaters to priests and fire artists.

Balance testing

Fire art

Ilmo Valjakka

Miia Paukkunen

Mijas Natural

No more construction

Picasso stone carving

Fire art

Police problems

Porsche

Privado

Puente Nuevo

Pujerra

Ronda sunset

Sea wall in Puerto Banus

Sleeping buddies

Steps down

Street market

05 December 2013

Pekka, Spain: Life in Spain

As I´ve now lived here in Fuengirola for six weeks, I´ve gotten a small glimpse of what life on the Costa del Sol is like. First of all the weather, this autumn has been the warmest in 20 years time. So warm in fact, that the first four weeks of my stay felt like july in Finland. But for the past two weeks we´ve had spanish winter here, which means sun, a bit of rain and very cold nights. So I´ve a had a lot of use for my winter jacket and gloves, and the electric powered radiator in my apartment.

Second, the cost of everyday living is less expensive than in Finland: food, drink and public transport are cheaper. Which are all good things for a student on a budget. On the other hand internet access and phone calls are expensive, at least if you are living here short term.

In my next blog I´ll continue with the topic of life in general in Spain. This past week was a thrill, had an amazing road trip with my friends and got to photograph some very nice people for the newspaper.

It seems like the Costa del Sol grows on people, the sun certainly has it´s effect on the Finns. More sun, more happiness.