Signs of spring

Yes, it's true: spring has finally started to arrive in Finland. And while you still wouldn't want to go out without a coat and all the winter accessories (scarf, gloves, etc), the weather feels completely different than it did a few weeks ago. It's been above freezing most days (+1 to +5 in Eurotalk) and that, combined with the longer hours of sunlight, has caused major melting to go on.

There is a dam by my house (that's actually a really neat old power station) that people have been flocking to to watch the water rise. It's pretty impressive (and a little scary).

The water was overwhelming the floodgates and coming up through the boards above the spillway.

And down the stairs.

And of course, being Finland, there is no regulation about where you can and can't go, so you have to just use your own judgement. But this makes me nervous:

We had a little Easter potluck with the Americans here.

These Mignon eggs are a Finnish Easter specialty. It's a real egg shell that's filled with chocolate-hazelnut nougat. There's a real art to shelling them too.

Now that the snow is melting, it's actually possible to go into the woods without snowshoes (although in places the snow is still over my knees, as I found out the hard way). These pictures where all taken around my campus.

Finnish birders

Living roof?

Pussy willow