By Belinda (with help from Monty Python) Finland, Finland, Finland The country where I want to be Pony trekking or camping or just watch T.V.” And its this outdoor life style that makes it such a great country to visit Leaving Santa’s house and the arctic circle we initially planned to stop early so we could do slow cooked lamb dish for dinner, however nowhere was proving suitable to stop. It was raining and unpleasant so we just drove on, the lamb would have to wait. In the early evening we found a larger lay-by on the road suitable for us to pull off and free camp for the evening.
The next morning we woke to a spread of traditional Finnish delights, open rye sandwiches with cold cuts, cheeses & rollmops, yogurts with fresh berries and delicious rye tarts with a rice & potato filling (Karelian pies), on to which we added salted buttered eggs. The breakfast was so good we ended up stopping the next day to buy our own supplies. Thanks so much Siri & Ilpo for a wonderful time. Eating breakfast or dinner or snack lunch in the hall (fall) Finland, Finland, Finland Finland has it all We drove into Jyväskylä, the home of famous Architect, Alvar Aalto, a bit of a legend when Pete was studying. Pete was keen to see the University and visit the museum dedicated to his works. The museum was small but very interesting, even from a non-architect point of view! I’m still sure one of his vase designs was in my Mum’s cupboard whilst I was growing up (sadly I’m sure it isn’t there now). (Note from Pete, I cant believe my mother-in-law had anything that cool in her cupboard ;-) ) We reached our campsite on the southern shore of Lake Saimaa. Lake Saimaa is the largest lake in Finland and the fourth largest freshwater body in Europe. It has a shoreline length of 8,500 miles, which is the longest lake shoreline in the world. I was starting to think how the landscape really reminded me of Russia, it had such a similar look and feel. I have to admit, I was really surprised to learn how close to the Russian border we were.. In fact, the Campsite at lake Saimaa is just 30 mins from Russian border, and reminded us how far we have come and how far we still have left to go. You're so near to Russia so far away from Japan Quite a long way from Cairo lots of miles from Vietnam We were on our way to Helsinki when I read about a small town, Porvoo, worthy of a visit, so the guides said, just outside Helsinki. I had seen a few thumbnail photos on the web but it hadn’t prepared me for what to expect, another charming old town with colourfully painted timber buildings, cobblestone streets and an unpretentious atmosphere. It was one of those great finds. We walked around admiring the buildings and small streets, dodging tourists from a cruise ship that had taken a day trip from Helsinki. I love that feeling when you discover an unexpected gem like this. We arrived in Helsinki early in the afternoon and found a campsite close to the city area, with a metro stop right outside the gates, a perfect location. We went exploring the nearby area, bought a few supplies for the van then spent the evening lazing around and catching up on our blogs. Dinner that night we went traditional Finnish with open sandwiches and our recently purchased delights.
In the last few days Helsinki’s new library had won the award for ‘Best Library in the World’, the latest amongst many accolades that had been bestowed on it, so Pete was keen to visit.
There was a coffee shop on the curvy balcony, not only an interesting design (don’t fill your coffee mug too full), but with a great view. They do have books - yes books! I learnt there are libraries in each community and are extremely popular and well frequented. In fact one problem they encountered when they first opened was that people would visit the library, borrow a book, but return it to their local library... leaving the main city library short on books! As we strolled trough the city centre we were surprised by the sheer number of tourists, our local friends had all commented on the increased tourism over the past few years. You're so (you were) sadly neglected And often ignored A poor second to Belgium When going abroad (but not any more) In the afternoon, we decided we had to do the ‘in thing’ and have afternoon tea at Ekberg Cafe. An establishment that has been going since 1852. We sat and had a coffee and their traditional cakes - Napoleon and Thousand Leaves. As you do!
Through Scandanavia ‘share ride’ electric scooters are a popular method of urban transport and we had been wanting to try them so we took the opportunity. They were a lot of fun and surprisingly I stayed upright! When we parked them up 15mins later we discovered that it had cost 12euros! We also discovered our love of walking!
We took the ferry to Suomenlinna. An inhabited sea fortress built on 8 islands. With many walking trails, museums and cafes. I had just expected 1 fort on one small island. Apparently Suomenlinna was shaped by three historic eras when it helped to defend first Sweden, then Russia and ultimately Finland. It was originally built midway through the 18th century, when Finland was part of the Swedish kingdom and in 1991 was designated as a UNESCO world heritage site. That evening we caught up Razi and Anna at Teurastamo, a former abattoir precinct that has been redeveloped into an arts and restaurant space. There were a couple of alternative theatrical events happening in the centre square, very hip. We had cocktails at the Helsinki Gin Distillery. OMG great local gins! Then on to B-Smokey, a local smokehouse that specialised in ribs, wings and pulled pork. After a great feed, we wobbled back to the Gin house for a final nightcap. By then the long day of sightseeing and second hand stall selling was taking its toll and we sadly parted ways. Yet another amazing display of hospitality that has made our trip so memorable. We are so privileged to be able to have several friends in various countries over here that have been making our trip special.
We do try to learn a few words of local language in each country we visit. Finland with one of the best... Kalsarikannit! Which, apparently translates to “getting drunk at home in your underpants!” Thanks again Razi and Anna! We crashed into bed with an early start to catch the ferry to Tallin in Estonia. Finland Finland Finland The country where I quite want to be Your mountains so lofty Your treetops so tall Finland, Finland, Finland Finland has it all Finland has it all.....(Fading) (Apologies to Monty Python)
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