Finland - Around town

Friday 10th June 2011

Goodbye Italy

Leaving Rome

After flying low over many lakes, we landed in Tampere on June 10th at 8pm.

Finland's forests and lakes

The sun was still shining three hours after that so we had time to look around our lakeside hotel.

By the lake

Saturday 11th June 2011

The next morning we caught a train to Hämeenlinna, to Kirsti Erkki and their grandson Joona.

That evening we met Yke, Kirsti's youngest son at our hotel in Helsinki. He can certainly wear a hat in style.

Sunday 12th June 2011

Helsinki

I went to the Cathedral to Mass the next morning, leaving Ben to sleep. He was to meet me later. He went to the Russian Orthodox church as I had marked the wrong one on the map. He enjoyed all the colour and splendour but wasn't too keen on the music.

Russian Orthodox Cathedral

The waterfront was busy with a wooden ship gathering and the weekly Summer markets.

Wooden ship gathering in Helsinki

Lunch at the quayside markets

We also enjoyed a quiet evening in the park, first trying our cameras on the highly photographable Sibelius Monument.....

Sibelius Monument

....then walking along the seafront in the long afternoon.

Baltic shore

Monday 13th June

Uusikaupunki

We arrived by bus in Uusikaupunki. Pekka and Sirkka were there to meet us and take us straight to Pakkahuone for coffee and a munkii (doughnut).

Stright to Pakkahuone, our special cafe

Our flat is just like home, with everything we could possibly need, even a computer.

Internet at last

and all the comforts of home.

Living Room

Thursday 16th June

Tapio and Irmeli share a bike with me so we visited them for afternoon tea in their garden.....

Irmeli

Tapio

and salad and coffee at Pakkahuone.

Sat 18th June

Pekka and Sirkka have been married 45 years and the family gathered to celebrate. We were delighted to be invited. A very small ferry took us to The Yacht Club which is on a nearby island in the Archipelago.

Ilmari, Aleksandra and Miranda

Sirkka, Mirva and Ben

The Family

...playing

...happy

...wonderful friends

After the feast, we all went home to Harmovaaras to enjoy music with the family.

Matti and Mirva singing

.....Aarni .listening

What a great day.