What does Turku look like?
Turku, having existed since 1229, holds the title of oldest city in Finland. When I say I’m from Turku, most people react with ooohs and aaahs, expecting to see medieval streets and buildings and castles. So what does Turku look like? Surprisingly, it’s quite modern. Turku burned down several times in the past, so there are hardly any remnants of its medieval past. Most of the buildings in Turku are actually quite new. There are the occasional brick buildings which were built in the late 1800s or early 1900s, but the rest are modern concrete blocks that were probably built from the 1950s onwards. Come take a walk with me down one of the streets in downtown Turku: ***** Do you live in igloos? No, I live in a student housing complex in Halinen called Haliskylä, where I share a three-bedroom apartment with Johanna, a Swedish-speaking Finn, and Katri, an Estonian. Student housing in Finland is excellent. Everything is convenient and well-planned — the Halinen landscape is almost rural with
