Sorry for the delay...have got wrapped up in Olympic excitement! Just wanted to share a few pictures from Kaipianen, the hometown of our great friend, Paavo. Who knew that when we met Paavo and Yussi in Cambodia last February, we'd end up meeting again in their home country just over a year later? That has to be one of the best aspects of travelling- keeping in touch with like-minded travelling friends.
The Finns certainly know how to chill out; Paavo had a sauna in his back garden. Upon learning that saunas were a Finnish invention, I asked if every Finn owned a sauna.
'Stupid question-' said Oli, Paavo's neighbour, '- of course they do!'
It was great to learn how a sauna should be taken; here's a quick lesson. You step into a sauna that's set between 65 and 80 degrees celsius; any hotter is uncomfortable and dangerous. After around 5-10 minutes of opening your skin pores, you step out and pour cold water over yourself to wash off the dirt that has been sweated out (lovely image, eh?). Then, you step outside into the fresh Finnish air and let it seep into your newly cleansed pores, taking in the beautiful forested scenery around you (that last bit is a bit more tricky in England, I think). The result? You feel like a new person, ready to take on anything...or drink a Kaaf beer!
In fact, the whole vibe of Paavo's place was relaxed, from his village- with one shop and one bar- to his uber-modern interior decor, to his home-made wood-burning BBQ. On the latter, we cooked elk surprisingly tasty with minimal seasonings! The barbecued rainbow trout was not only one of the culinary highlights of Finland, but our whole trip...we're still talking about it now! Paavo's also inspired us to grow our own fruits, vegetables and herbs when we get our own place; he grew chillis, oranges, oregano, cherries, beans, and much more that I can't remember! That's before you even get to the berries growing naturally in the forest- redberries, blueberries, raspberries...basically, it's a foodie's paradise!
Our Finnish adventure wasn't all lazing in saunas and cooking delicious food. We also went on a road trip around the local forest, courtesy of Oli. Of course, no road trip is complete without a few beers- and these ones even had names! After 'just-in-case' beers came 'road-trip' beers, which were nice predecessors to the 'sauna' beers later! Paavo and Oli took us to a few hunting and nature-watching huts that they had built, giving a great view of the local scenery...and wildlife! We saw an osprey nest on top of a bare tree that Paavo and his dad had helped to maintain for many years. Five minutes later, we even saw the little white osprey himself!
Anyway, that's enough from me; I think the pictures say it all. Thank you Paavo- and Jussi, our other Finnish friend who we shared a few beers and vodkas with- for such a relaxing end to our epic trip- definitely one of the most memorable times. Can't wait for you guys to visit us in London- or to travel back to Finland for more beers and saunas!
The Finns certainly know how to chill out; Paavo had a sauna in his back garden. Upon learning that saunas were a Finnish invention, I asked if every Finn owned a sauna.
'Stupid question-' said Oli, Paavo's neighbour, '- of course they do!'
It was great to learn how a sauna should be taken; here's a quick lesson. You step into a sauna that's set between 65 and 80 degrees celsius; any hotter is uncomfortable and dangerous. After around 5-10 minutes of opening your skin pores, you step out and pour cold water over yourself to wash off the dirt that has been sweated out (lovely image, eh?). Then, you step outside into the fresh Finnish air and let it seep into your newly cleansed pores, taking in the beautiful forested scenery around you (that last bit is a bit more tricky in England, I think). The result? You feel like a new person, ready to take on anything...or drink a Kaaf beer!
In fact, the whole vibe of Paavo's place was relaxed, from his village- with one shop and one bar- to his uber-modern interior decor, to his home-made wood-burning BBQ. On the latter, we cooked elk surprisingly tasty with minimal seasonings! The barbecued rainbow trout was not only one of the culinary highlights of Finland, but our whole trip...we're still talking about it now! Paavo's also inspired us to grow our own fruits, vegetables and herbs when we get our own place; he grew chillis, oranges, oregano, cherries, beans, and much more that I can't remember! That's before you even get to the berries growing naturally in the forest- redberries, blueberries, raspberries...basically, it's a foodie's paradise!
Our Finnish adventure wasn't all lazing in saunas and cooking delicious food. We also went on a road trip around the local forest, courtesy of Oli. Of course, no road trip is complete without a few beers- and these ones even had names! After 'just-in-case' beers came 'road-trip' beers, which were nice predecessors to the 'sauna' beers later! Paavo and Oli took us to a few hunting and nature-watching huts that they had built, giving a great view of the local scenery...and wildlife! We saw an osprey nest on top of a bare tree that Paavo and his dad had helped to maintain for many years. Five minutes later, we even saw the little white osprey himself!
Anyway, that's enough from me; I think the pictures say it all. Thank you Paavo- and Jussi, our other Finnish friend who we shared a few beers and vodkas with- for such a relaxing end to our epic trip- definitely one of the most memorable times. Can't wait for you guys to visit us in London- or to travel back to Finland for more beers and saunas!
Pounding the elk pre-BBQ.
Oli and Patrick.
Cloud-berries- almost exclusively found in Finland.
Paavo and Patrick at a local lake.
'FKK' is apparently the international code for nudist beach...a joke sign painted be somebody!
We kept our clothes on, don't worry...
Inside one of the hunting huts.
Looking for the osprey nest.
There it is!
Post road-trip beer at the local bar.
Getting sweaty in the sauna!
Outside of the sauna.
Last picture before we said goodbye!
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