Trip to Helsinki on May 1-2

Tour for English Communication Club’s members to Helsinki, Finland – May 1-2, 2008 Here I’m representing you the prelimnary programme of our second trip to Helsinki on May 1-2. ATTN. We have 1, may be 2 vacant sits on a bus at the moment. So please hurry to make a dicision about taking part. I have to book a hotel latest on Wednesday, April 2, and need the prepayment from you on April 1 (Tuesday). During the tour we do not only visit a foreign country, get acquainted with it and different places of interest there, BUT also SPEAK ENGLISH ALL THE TIME and meet people from LOCAL ENGLISH SPAEKING CLUB and SOCIEITES, and that gives a possibility of self-growth and development while practicing English. The first trip was very succesful (read the report on http://encc.ru/our-trips/, the pictures are in http://vkontakte.ru/club786158) The next trip coinsides with one of the largest holidays in Finland – May Day. The Finnish name for May Day, "Vappu", originates from Catholic St. Walpurgis, whose commemoration day was celebrated on the 1st of May and it is a festival of spring since medieval times. May Day celebrations begin on May Day Eve. In Helsinki the statue "Havis Amanda", which lies near to the Helsinki market square, receives her white student's cap at six o'clock, at the same time as people put their caps on. This has been a tradition since 1932. The celebrations begin and soon a carnival like atmosphere spreads among the normally quite and reserved Finns, who enthusiastically chat and raise their glasses together with persons they have never met before. May Day markets are full of knick-knacks, serpentines, flowers, whistles, May Day whisks, balloons and masks for children and childlike adults. Sparkling wines flow and there is spring in the air :o) We can see the May Day Festival, meet the Morris dancers and witness the dancing! Here you can see some information about this traditional English dance and people, dancing it in Helsinki. This group is supported by Finnish British Society. Then we could walk around the city, visit the markets and different places of interest. On day 2 we could visit Didrichsen museum, located not far away from Helsinki and see famous exhibition of one of the greatest sculptors of the 20th century Henry Moore, an English sculptor. We can have a guided tour there in English (read more here http://www.didrichsenmuseum.fi) We might also attend the FinnBrits’ Folk club on May 2nd. But it may be in the evening (I’m finding it out at the moment), which means that we will be home early in the morning on May 3. The preliminary price for group of 6 is 135 euros per person. The price includes: A minibus at our disposal for 2 days Overnight at a hotel in Helsinki Guided tour in Didrichsen museum Please register on encc.ru@gmail.com or by phone 8 904 644 5550