THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE

BY JANET STEINBERG

                   “The fundamental things apply, as time goes by.”                                                       Casablanca-1942

Clocks make a statement.  You can be transported back in time or catapulted into the future just by looking at a clock.  Timepieces, differing around the world, can range from medieval to modern...serious to quirky.  They may be works of art, set a mood or give a feeling about their location, their customs or their people. 

On Old Town Square in Prague, Czech Republic, The Old Town Hall’s medieval Astronomical Clock (Prague Orloj) puts on an hourly show known as The Walk of the Apostles.  The show, that never fails to draw a large audience, features miniature figures of the Apostles—plus a skeletal representation of Death—who strikes the time every hour on the hour. The mechanical clock and astronomical dial date back to 1410 and has been repaired many times over the centuries.  The clock’s 600th anniversary in 2010 was celebrated with a light show on the face of the clock tower.

PRAGUE’S ASTRONOMICAL CLOCK

HELSINKI, FINLAND: FINNTASTIC!

BY JANET STEINBERG

Tervetuloa  Helsinkiin.  (Welcome to Helsinki.) 

Helsinki, located on the southern coast of Finland (called Suomi by the Finns), has had more than its share of press since the Helsinki Summit.    However, prior to its recent political exposure, this handsome "White City of the North" has long been an under-the-radar destination.  Nevertheless, it is one city that is truly worth getting to know.

Helsinki lies very close to 60° North Latitude.  This explains its abundance of light in summer months and the fact that around June 22, the night lasts about 1 hour 20 minutes.   Finland's unique culture and way of life can be attributed to its geographic location sandwiched between East and West.  For more than half a millennium, Finland was part of Sweden. After which time the Grand Duchy of Finland was established within the Russian Empire.

 A CAFE UNDER THE MIDNIGHT SUN