We are only a few days away from the start of the Asian trip. It's time to reload batteries, spent a bit time with family and enjoy the last winter of the year! ;)
Can you feel the cold already...?
Can you feel the cold already...?
Stroll on a frozen lake
‘Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow’ is pretty much all we're wishing for throughout December before departing the flight up to Finland. Most of the time it works.
It may seem like the darkest time of the year in the north with days being short and light scarce, but what’s lacked in daylight is certainly made up for in atmosphere. Everyone’s putting up lights on their windows and gardens, and not to mention the power of positive thinking- getting a white Christmas. Suddenly the darkest time of the year is transformed into the most beautiful time of the year with frosty nature, stars shining in the cold night sky and festive holiday decorations embellishing houses inside out. It’s no wonder I can’t truly get in touch with my inner holiday spirits until I’ve come home. But it’s not all about the holidays, coming home means also getting to enjoy the real winter and all the activities it brings along. That’s something we both miss a lot living in a big city!
Other than that Christmas is all about enjoying the moment, being close to family, eating well and, of course, taking as many rounds in sauna as possible. There’s not much more that can bring you to the total state of relaxation, is there?
Once again we found ourselves sitting at Orly airport's departure lounge waiting to board. Only this time we weren’t really just two of us, but had Denis’ parents joining us for two weeks of Nordic summer. Till now, they had been following our annual trips to my home via pictures and they were really enthusiastic to find out for themselves how it really is. Long summer nights (although in August the white nights are already gone), endless lakes, forests filled with berries, summer cottages peeking out from the woods all along lakesides and most of all the daily sauna experience- lots of things very different from what they are used to at home or on holidays in the south.
We arrived to Helsinki-Vantaa airport really late (must’ve been closer to midnight) and still had a couple of hours drive to my hometown Lappeenranta. It’s a mid-sized town near the Russian boarder* and lies on the largest lake in Finland called Saimaa- the key ingredient of my town. Because of Saimaa the landscapes around the town are beautiful and offer a lot of activities in summer- and wintertime. Every summer we tend to go to a summerhouse (not too far from Lappeenranta) by the lake and just chill one week doing a whole lot of nothing. Well, that is if you don’t count swimming, going in and out of sauna, picking up berries, fishing, sitting on the dock listening to the quiet sound of wavelets or getting around with the boat or bikes…
This time around on our first days we pretty much went about the town, the harbor and the fortress and took a little cruise on lake Saimaa. It so happened that the weather was really hot for Finland, and we surely took the advantage by going to the beach and having barbeques in the night on our backyard. The major difference when talking about beachis that it isn’t necessarily any public place where we go to, but more like going to any place along the shoreline and pick a spot. It literally is nature everywhere, and that combined with the few inhabitants, you know what you’re in for.
Winter's always been a big part of me and growing up in a northern country does not only teach you to handle the cold but also to love what it has to offer. So it probably doesn't come as a big surprise that some of my favorite hobbies and activities require snow & ice! Every winter for a short period of time I consider us unfortunate not to be able to go ski after work or take a walk in a snowy nature, but then the spring kicks in early and we're all happy again ;). Good thing is that the winter is only few hours train or plane away and this time I took the February just for that- my favorite wintry things to do.
It truly is the most wonderful time of the year! Strolling around city's Christmas markets sipping Glühwein, enjoying the night with some classic seasonal films, watching the first snow to fall, decorating the tree with carols playing in the background, spending quality time with your family and friends, putting up lights all over the place, or just smelling the food from the kitchen...
Being lucky enough to get a couple of weeks off (again!), we were able to head up to Finland to our northern home. Taking the time to chill at the summer house by the lake, go in 'n out of sauna the entire day and just enjoy the great company of family & friends was enough entertainment for our stay.
