June 29th HOME! Video of the entire trip (in two parts). Not all the little detours onto small roads are included in the route video, but rather the “big picture” of the trip. We covered a total of 16,500 kilometers (10 250 miles) Once we have recovered from the journey, we will write some kind …
June 28 Today I’m writing. I’ve got my headphones on, listening to Simon & Garfunkel. We’re sitting with Eva in the bar of the Finnlines ferry on our way to Naantali, Finland. This morning we left from Anton’s (Eva’s nephew), Carina’s, and Clara’s place after having an excellent breakfast in excellent company. We drove to …
June 26th So, we’ve driven through southern Sweden now. We marveled at the ruins of Per Brahe’s house on the shores of Lake Vättern … and took advantage of the tourist spot’s sanitary facilities there. A Finnish city is named after Per Brahe’s wife! So, which city is it? Think about that! In the morning, …
June 25th It’s so easy to drive here… almost home. Just a few cars on the same road and cheap diesel and coffee! Eva is driving, and I’m writing. If someone had asked me this morning how I slept, I would have confidently said: badly. The strangest dreams woke me up. I was awake at …
June 24th Well, there you have it! The days are starting to get shorter. Soon, Jaakko will be throwing the cold stone into the lake as we Finns say. After next month, the school autumn term will begin, ending with Christmas celebrations. And it’s not that far off now. To celebrate, today I’ll enjoy a …
June 23rd Back in the day, Midsummer was celebrated from the 24th to the 25th of June. Back then, this midsummer festival could last up to four days. Whether the change to the current model was orchestrated by employers’ groups from Eteläranta 10 or by health care substance abuse experts, I couldn’t say. I can …
June 22nd I’ve never woken up in a pub’s backyard on Midsummer’s Day without being drunk or hungover. In fact, I don’t recall ever waking up in a pub’s backyard on Midsummer’s Day at all. But today I did. And I wasn’t alone. Next door, a red camper van and its crew were getting ready …
June 21th You can celebrate the Midnight Sun this way too! At a pub somewhere in southeastern England. Eva had flounder and I had sirloin steak. The good thing was that the side dish consisted of whole boiled potatoes. The fish had been processed so much that it was hard to recognize it as flounder, …
June 20th A day off from vacation.So, I’m at Jette’s doing nothing! Well, not exactly nothing! In the morning, we had a Zoom meeting at 9 AM. An education student from the United States wanted to interview us. We even managed to get Nossim from Tanzania to join for the latter part. These are truly …
June 19th Well, we woke up anyway, even though the chiffchaff was completely silent. The pigeons, on the other hand, were not silent. They seem to have this understanding of the world that the entire creation wants to hear their cooing. You can hear it in the morning, during the day, and in the evening. …
June 18th In the morning, wake-up call out of bedRushing to get dressed, maybe even wash up!In the morning, wake-up call out of bedThe kettle is whistling!We learned that in a basic music course at Helsinki OKL back in ’76. For some reason, it came to my mind this morning in the shower. I left …
June 17th Quiz for readers! What is Ben Nevis? a) A Scotch whisky b) A famous sprinter c) The highest peak in Scotland d) The name of a historical movie Among those who answer correctly, we will raffle off a front-row seat to our next Arusha benefit concert!We’re starting to see a little travel fatigue …
June 16th “Drip, drip, drip, pour, pour, pour, it’s absolutely pouring!” This was a song we used to sing in the baby music class with Elsi! Today it has been dripping a bit and pouring a bit more! But now it’s just windy! Some glimpses of the old familiar sky might even be expected! In …
June 15th In a week, the days will start getting longer! Here on the Isle of Skye, the days are reasonably long already. There’s light until ten in the evening, and in the morning, it’s impossible to wake up early enough to find it still dark. Hooray for the approaching midsummer celebration. Hopefully, everyone stays …
June 14th Today was a travel day. We set off from a rainy Pitlochry at ten in the morning. The weather greatly influenced our route choice. With visibility dropping below safe limits and rain lashing against the windows, it was not advisable to drive on small mountain roads. Out there, you can’t see much of …
June 13th Traveling offers numerous ways to deepen one’s understanding of foreign cultures. You can read histories, visit museums, attend concerts, dine at local restaurants, explore schools, sanctuaries, and participate in ceremonies… and, of course, sample local foods and drinks. An astute reader, familiar with our location, might guess what beverages are produced in Ireland …
June 12th I’ve recovered from the “encounter” with Trump. I’m feeling somewhat balanced, and life is going quite well. In the morning, I woke up to the sound of sparrows shouting. Yes, shouting!!! There were a few of them in the bushes beside the tent, engaging in some sort of furious shouting match with each …
June 11th The Scottish coast is in sight! A glass half-full of lager. The last quarter of the journey is beginning. The final leg with Jette. It’s been quite the trip. Even though we knew each other before, only now can I say that I’ve truly gotten to know my fellow confirmation camp leader. I’ve …
June 10th Waking up this morning was less than desirable. As I was lounging around, I remembered that we were supposed to join a webinar at eight. And it was already past eight. I dashed into Outi’s room to find an adapter (I needed power for my laptop), then I scrambled to find the email …
June 9th We woke up on election day morning in quite good order. Shower and breakfast. Outi’s friend Kieran came to greet us – and there we spent a couple of hours comfortably. There were plenty of stories about fishing, fish stocks, politics, history, and much more. After Kieran left, it was time to pack …
June 8th The village of Dooagh on Achill Island has been our home for some time now. Our host Marie has created a wonderful atmosphere in her house. We’ve felt like we’re in the lap of luxury with top-class accommodation, and we’ve explored the culture and environment of this small village and the entire island. …
June 7th The European Athletics Championships have started. 50 years ago, Finland had historic success. Back then, I used to watch the competitions quite a lot on my home TV. Now, I don’t watch them. Now, I am looking at the landscapes of Achill Island on the west coast of Ireland! Of course, I’m happy …
June 6th D-day! 80 years since the Normandy landings. Landing was delayed by one day because Maureen Sweeney, a weather observer working at the Blacksod lighthouse, reported that the weather in the Atlantic was changing and that there was a storm the next day. All other weather stations had reported that the weather remained favorable. …
June 5th Soon the days will start getting shorter. There are just over 6 months until Christmas! However, it will rain in the morning. And for sure, the tire on the bike is flat! Despite everything, life goes on – and quite well at that! After our morning routines (the tent was packed up in …
June 4th Is it mandatory to drink Guinness in Ireland? I’ve tasted it, but I don’t really like it! I prefer lagers, or Czech dark ales! Today, I might have raised some eyebrows in a local pub when I ordered a lager while others were ordering that dark beer! Or is it stout! Whatever – …
June 3rd Ireland is green. Ireland is really green – and I don’t mean politically, but in its overall color. Now I understand why the island is called by such a color name! As you drive around here, you see all shades of green, and the roads often wind through green tunnels formed by the …
June 2nd The green island’s rounded hills closely resemble our Lapland landscapes. Before I delve into describing those hills in more detail, let me tell you a bit about the journey here. First of all, last night was one of those nights that you don’t reminisce about with children—or grandchildren. I had a milder version …
June 1st The heat doesn’t bother you here. In the morning, it starts off at around twenty degrees Celsius. During the day, the temperature is over 15 degrees. Of course, it’s not over 20! But that doesn’t bother us… in fact, quite the opposite. Heat exceeding 25 degrees is too much. For breakfast, coffee, yogurt, …