MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hope this holiday season finds you happy and healthy, and you get to spend time with your family.
We celebrated our Christmas one day early this year, so that we could have an entire day at the house with no packing or driving or moving. It was fabulous. Maddy is a wonderful age for Christmas and was such a delight. Spent the day unwrapping gifts and playing games with her and eating Christmas ham and goodies.
It's hard not to be in Canada for Christmas, but it helps when I have such wonderful little peeps here in Finland to spend my day.
xoxo
Kim
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Butter and Bread Crumbs
Yesterday I made my last trip to the mall for the rest of the year (knock on wood). The grocery store was a madhouse. But I'm happy to report that I have made all my purchases for our Christmas celebration at our house, at Jussi's house, and most of the preparations for when Grandma and Grandpa get here!
I plan on making cheesecake, a Myderwyk holiday tradition for dessert, and found it interesting to locate certain items at the grocery store. I was happy to locate icing sugar, which I'd never purchased here yet. The trickiest part was the graham crumbs, which they don't have here. When I spoke to one of the managers of the store (keeping in mind that we go to a mega-superstore-grocery store in Finland), she said they don't have any such thing but she was aware of what I was talking about. Pointed me to the cookie aisle and said I need to buy digestive cookies and crumble them all up myself. I really hope this works out, I'll keep you posted.
Finland (as well as many other European countries) are experiencing a shortage of butter. I spent several trips to the grocery store frustrated for the lack of butter before I read in the newspaper that it's a growing epidemic. There is more demand and they can't keep up. Now the main problem is that people are starting to hoard butter - of which I am guilty, since I bought four sticks one day when I found some on the shelf. Yesterday I noticed a huge sign saying that there is now a limit of 2 per person, so perhaps next year will be better.
So with my digestive cookies and my butter in hand, I'm hoping my Finnish version of the Myderwyk cheesecake is successful. And that the four of us have a wonderful weekend.
I plan on making cheesecake, a Myderwyk holiday tradition for dessert, and found it interesting to locate certain items at the grocery store. I was happy to locate icing sugar, which I'd never purchased here yet. The trickiest part was the graham crumbs, which they don't have here. When I spoke to one of the managers of the store (keeping in mind that we go to a mega-superstore-grocery store in Finland), she said they don't have any such thing but she was aware of what I was talking about. Pointed me to the cookie aisle and said I need to buy digestive cookies and crumble them all up myself. I really hope this works out, I'll keep you posted.
Finland (as well as many other European countries) are experiencing a shortage of butter. I spent several trips to the grocery store frustrated for the lack of butter before I read in the newspaper that it's a growing epidemic. There is more demand and they can't keep up. Now the main problem is that people are starting to hoard butter - of which I am guilty, since I bought four sticks one day when I found some on the shelf. Yesterday I noticed a huge sign saying that there is now a limit of 2 per person, so perhaps next year will be better.
So with my digestive cookies and my butter in hand, I'm hoping my Finnish version of the Myderwyk cheesecake is successful. And that the four of us have a wonderful weekend.
Finnish Christmas
This is the first year in my 30 years of life that I missed Christmas this year at home. All of my siblings have always been there, so I started a bad thing. Hopefully we don't make this a habit. It was nice that I could Skype with everybody, so it felt like I was there a little bit. Plus I saw a ton of pictures (thank you Adam!) and got a play-by-play from my sister Rose so I have a good idea of what everybody got for Christmas and the cute things all the kids were saying.
I'm excited to experience a Finnish Christmas! Last year we left on December 11 and didn't come back until January 2, so we pretty much missed everything.
Last weekend we strolled through Helsinki, enjoying the Old Student House Christmas Market, the St Thomas Christmas Market, Aleksanderinkatu Street Christmas lights, and the esplanade. Would have been nicer if there was snow instead of rain, but we'll take what we can get.
Maddy is off school now for the next two weeks and is anxiously counting down the days until Santa comes, and also when Grandma and Grandpa come.
As sad as it is to be away from home, I've enjoyed my observations about how the Finns celebrate Christmas so far. It's not as commercialized as it is in North America, so children don't get a zillion gifts. Also, Santa comes on Christmas Eve during the evening, and hand-delivers the gifts to all the children. Trees are purchased and decorated on Christmas Eve morning and the big meal is also on the 24th. So actually Christmas Day is not the main event.
In the grocery store, shelves are stocked with glogi, a Finnish traditional holiday drink, which is served either with or without alcohol. Add raisins and almonds for extra flavouring. There are also a million types of Joulu bread, certain type of rye bread that is served for the holidays.
And as my Finnish language skills begin to improve, I'm recognizing more words and piecing together things. Like the Finnish word Joulukuu, which means December. It literally translates to "Christmas month". Practical.
We are also going to Jussi and Anita's house, our Finnish friends whom we met in London (Canada), to learn more about Finnish holiday traditions.
From my house to yours, I wish you a fabulous holiday with your friends and family, and a peaceful and prosperous 2012.
Hyvaa Joulua. (Merry Christmas)
xoxo
Kim
I'm excited to experience a Finnish Christmas! Last year we left on December 11 and didn't come back until January 2, so we pretty much missed everything.
Last weekend we strolled through Helsinki, enjoying the Old Student House Christmas Market, the St Thomas Christmas Market, Aleksanderinkatu Street Christmas lights, and the esplanade. Would have been nicer if there was snow instead of rain, but we'll take what we can get.
Maddy is off school now for the next two weeks and is anxiously counting down the days until Santa comes, and also when Grandma and Grandpa come.
As sad as it is to be away from home, I've enjoyed my observations about how the Finns celebrate Christmas so far. It's not as commercialized as it is in North America, so children don't get a zillion gifts. Also, Santa comes on Christmas Eve during the evening, and hand-delivers the gifts to all the children. Trees are purchased and decorated on Christmas Eve morning and the big meal is also on the 24th. So actually Christmas Day is not the main event.
In the grocery store, shelves are stocked with glogi, a Finnish traditional holiday drink, which is served either with or without alcohol. Add raisins and almonds for extra flavouring. There are also a million types of Joulu bread, certain type of rye bread that is served for the holidays.
And as my Finnish language skills begin to improve, I'm recognizing more words and piecing together things. Like the Finnish word Joulukuu, which means December. It literally translates to "Christmas month". Practical.
We are also going to Jussi and Anita's house, our Finnish friends whom we met in London (Canada), to learn more about Finnish holiday traditions.
From my house to yours, I wish you a fabulous holiday with your friends and family, and a peaceful and prosperous 2012.
Hyvaa Joulua. (Merry Christmas)
xoxo
Kim
Friday, December 16, 2011
Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe (Interlaken, Switzerland)
What an experience!! While we were staying in Lucerne, we planned an amazing day to go to Jungfraujoch, which is the top of Europe. 12000 feet in altitude!!! We had to get up at 4:30am to drive to Interlaken, which is surrounded by three mountains Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. We took three trains to get up, including the last cogwheel train that actually went through the mountain. It took 2.5 hours each way, but wow, what an experience.
On our descent, we took an alternate route, which let us visit the adorable town of Grindelwald. I love Austria and Switzerland, with the flower pots hanging on every windowsill. Super adorable. It was also neat to hear the cowbells ringing in the mountainside.
It was hard to pack for this day, since I had to have hats and mitts and a snowsuit for Maddy for the top of the mountain, but then shirts and shorts at the bottom where it was a very warm day!
A once in a lifetime opportunity to visit the Top of Europe!
On our descent, we took an alternate route, which let us visit the adorable town of Grindelwald. I love Austria and Switzerland, with the flower pots hanging on every windowsill. Super adorable. It was also neat to hear the cowbells ringing in the mountainside.
It was hard to pack for this day, since I had to have hats and mitts and a snowsuit for Maddy for the top of the mountain, but then shirts and shorts at the bottom where it was a very warm day!
A once in a lifetime opportunity to visit the Top of Europe!
Lucerne, Switzerland
Lucerne was a beautiful stop along our trip!!! We stayed at the Swiss Chalet and ended up getting a double upgrade to a beautiful huge room overlooking Lake Lucerne. It was gorgeous! We spent a day walking around the Old Town, admiring the Lucerne Lion, the Chapel Bridge and the adorable town squares. Lucerne is a very expensive city but it has a fabulous location on the lake, with the Alps in the background. Stunning!!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Vaduz, Liechtenstein
We left Innsbruck and drove towards Switzerland. We actually drove through the tiny country of Liechtenstein, which is only 160 square kilometers with a population of 35,000. It uses the Swiss franc currency and the Swiss police.
Since we only had one afternoon here, we took a small tourist train to drive us around the "hot spots" of the capital of Liechtenstein, Vaduz. There is Vaduz Castle, which houses the prince of Liechtenstein and his family. And a few other important monuments such as the Postage Stamp Museum :)
It was a very hot day, and there were sprinklers and water fountain displays through the pedestrian streets which Maddy (and I) enjoyed immensely. Liechtenstein is a tiny little country but it's neat to say that we were there.
Then we continued on our journey with a beautiful drive to Lucerne, Switzerland.
Since we only had one afternoon here, we took a small tourist train to drive us around the "hot spots" of the capital of Liechtenstein, Vaduz. There is Vaduz Castle, which houses the prince of Liechtenstein and his family. And a few other important monuments such as the Postage Stamp Museum :)
It was a very hot day, and there were sprinklers and water fountain displays through the pedestrian streets which Maddy (and I) enjoyed immensely. Liechtenstein is a tiny little country but it's neat to say that we were there.
Then we continued on our journey with a beautiful drive to Lucerne, Switzerland.
Innsbruck, Austria
After our crazy schedule in Salzburg, we drove to Innsbruck. We had an amazing hotel location right in the Old Town, overlooking the town tower and the Golden Roof. We enjoyed walking
through the Old Town and seeing all of the architecture and really nice shops. The streets were lined with wrought iron signs that added a neat touch.
In the afternoon we went up the Hafeleker mountain, where we had gorgeous views of the city and the Alps. We also had a wonderful lunch of schnitzel and beer.
I love the picture of Maddy and Andrew overlooking the mountains. My peeps are pretty darn cute.
through the Old Town and seeing all of the architecture and really nice shops. The streets were lined with wrought iron signs that added a neat touch.
In the afternoon we went up the Hafeleker mountain, where we had gorgeous views of the city and the Alps. We also had a wonderful lunch of schnitzel and beer.
I love the picture of Maddy and Andrew overlooking the mountains. My peeps are pretty darn cute.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
The Sauna Experience - retold by Andrew Conley
Well, it was the end of a long week and all I wanted to do when I arrived home from work was to relax my aching muscles (after a 12 km run) in the sauna and drink a cold beer. In hindsight, maybe drinking beer in a hot sauna is not the best way to rehydrate yourself after a run. Well,
whatever. So, after saying hello to my beautiful family, which could have been the last time I saw them alive given the evening's later events, I proceeded to go into the sauna and get set up (i.e. getting my steam water, pillow and foot rest ready).
The current temperature in the sauna was a modest-to-warm 68 degrees celcius with a relative humidity of 23%. After only laying down for a few minutes, I wanted to know what we were having for supper as I was hungry and thinking about bread, pasta, milk and sausage. But, to my surprise and astonishment, the sauna door ceased to open under the strength of one of my world-renowned solid door pushes. Bewildered, I wondered who would have designd a sauna with a door that had the ability to randomly lock itself with people on the inside. For such a
progressive society, the Finns really dropped the ball on this one. Initially, I was level "2" scared (i.e. mostly embarrassed). After trying to turn the handle unsuccessfully for a couple of minutes and realizing it was no hope, I started to scream for Kim who was in the other section of the house. After a few minutes of no response, I approached level "4" scared as the sauna temperature was now approaching 80 degrees (i.e. fairly concerned about my well-being). Then
I began to scream even louder and didn't worry about the possibility of the neighbours hearing me, hence enhancing my embarrassment.
Then, Kim came into the sauna area and after I explained the situation, she turned off the
sauna so I wouldn't roast to a crisp; albeit a well-flavoured and tasty snack. However, if Kim were not home and I was in the sauna alone (i.e. my mistress was also away for the weekend), I would have approached level "7.45" scared (i.e. starting to defecate myself, but hoping I wouldn't since I was stuck in an enclosed and very hot space). But, I was just thinking as I wrote this that there is a thermostat inside the sauna so I suppose if I was stuck alone and I wasn't completely panicked from fear, I could have reduced the thermostat to a lower survivable temperature of 30 - 40 degrees. Actually, I don't know how low the thermostat goes in a suana as no one would go in a suana at less than about 55 degrees celcius, so this may be the low end, but still very dangerous temperature if stuck for a long period of time. I had a bucket full of steam water that I could have survived on for a while for hydration, but I was hungry and thinking about fresh bread.
By the way, I resent my wife's comment referring to me as a dumbass. The outcome of this
incident (i.e. door lock breaking down into the locked position) was a completely unrelated and random consequence of my own actions (i.e. closing the door to the sauna, which is a daily endeavour for most Finns). But, we can discuss this more thoroughly later Kim (maybe during next week's dialogue night). I routinely do dumbass things, but I don't classify this as one of
them.
Regarding our feeble escape attempts. I tried pushing the door with 100% of my strength with
absolutely no success. But, it was hard to get any leverage because the sauna oven was located directly across from the door so I couldn't post my feet against the wall without frying my skin to a crisp. This particular sauna door in very thick and solid wood, and it is framed very tightly into a very thick and solid wood frame. It was good craftmenship to allow very little heat from
escaping the sauna. It is as solid (if not more) as any external door of any house in Canada. And, it is not like the movies, where one solid kick is able to break down a door with ease. We had no key for the door, and the actual key-hole was empty anyways so it wouldn't have helped anyways. I tried body-checking the door with 67% of my strength but the door was not budging. Again, my momentum was limited in the tight space of the sauna, so I couldn't get a decent run at it. I seem to be making a lot of excuses, but these are simply the facts and nothing but the facts, so help me God.
Kim took pictures of the door frame from the outside of the sauna and placed the camera
under the small space at the base of the door to let me see, but the hinges were receded back into the interior of the solid door frame, so we could not access them. I thought about trying to remove the actual frame from the interior of the sauna but I didn't have a screwdriver big enough (or enough torque) to unscrew the giant bolts holding the interior frame into place. After a few other fruitless efforts, we decided after an hour of my naked ass being stuck in the sauna to phone the locksmith. The first locksmith said it would be a 2-4 hour wait (not acceptable). The next locksmith was able to come after another 90 minutes. So, Kim passed me my iPOD and I listened to documentaries on CBC radio podcasts as I ran on the spot, did some push-ups, sit-ups, dynamic squats, calf raises and lunges and planned my next running race, since I never let an opportunity for hot sauna, confined-space, high-humidity training pass me by. Or, maybe I just had a nap in the sauna as I waited for my saviour. I can't exactly remember.
If I had been left alone in the sauna and it remained on and I had to escape or meet certain
death overnight, I do believe that I would have been able to break down the door. Although, I'm sure that I would have been very banged up as a result and probably scalded, but at least I would be alive. I think repetitive full-burst body slams would have eventually broke the frame and brought down the door, but I didn't have to resort to this option unless absolutely necessary.
The locksmith came and actually struggled with the door handle locking mechanism for quite a while, they can usually get into any door in only a couple minutes. But, it took him about 10 minutes. Fortunately for that dude, Kim had already gave me some shorts under the door so
he didn't have to see my jiggly bits. Although the door did not have an actual lock, the inside of the door closing mechanism actual broke apart inside the door in the closed position, so the handle was no longer actually attached to anything so it could not function to unlock the pin of the door anymore.
So, I was finally released in time to eat some very cold dinner, which didn't quite taste
as good as the meal I was picturing in my head when laying in the sauna
death-trap.
We paid the locksmith ~400 dollars for his 15 minutes of work and we moved on with our
lives.
The End
whatever. So, after saying hello to my beautiful family, which could have been the last time I saw them alive given the evening's later events, I proceeded to go into the sauna and get set up (i.e. getting my steam water, pillow and foot rest ready).
The current temperature in the sauna was a modest-to-warm 68 degrees celcius with a relative humidity of 23%. After only laying down for a few minutes, I wanted to know what we were having for supper as I was hungry and thinking about bread, pasta, milk and sausage. But, to my surprise and astonishment, the sauna door ceased to open under the strength of one of my world-renowned solid door pushes. Bewildered, I wondered who would have designd a sauna with a door that had the ability to randomly lock itself with people on the inside. For such a
progressive society, the Finns really dropped the ball on this one. Initially, I was level "2" scared (i.e. mostly embarrassed). After trying to turn the handle unsuccessfully for a couple of minutes and realizing it was no hope, I started to scream for Kim who was in the other section of the house. After a few minutes of no response, I approached level "4" scared as the sauna temperature was now approaching 80 degrees (i.e. fairly concerned about my well-being). Then
I began to scream even louder and didn't worry about the possibility of the neighbours hearing me, hence enhancing my embarrassment.
Then, Kim came into the sauna area and after I explained the situation, she turned off the
sauna so I wouldn't roast to a crisp; albeit a well-flavoured and tasty snack. However, if Kim were not home and I was in the sauna alone (i.e. my mistress was also away for the weekend), I would have approached level "7.45" scared (i.e. starting to defecate myself, but hoping I wouldn't since I was stuck in an enclosed and very hot space). But, I was just thinking as I wrote this that there is a thermostat inside the sauna so I suppose if I was stuck alone and I wasn't completely panicked from fear, I could have reduced the thermostat to a lower survivable temperature of 30 - 40 degrees. Actually, I don't know how low the thermostat goes in a suana as no one would go in a suana at less than about 55 degrees celcius, so this may be the low end, but still very dangerous temperature if stuck for a long period of time. I had a bucket full of steam water that I could have survived on for a while for hydration, but I was hungry and thinking about fresh bread.
By the way, I resent my wife's comment referring to me as a dumbass. The outcome of this
incident (i.e. door lock breaking down into the locked position) was a completely unrelated and random consequence of my own actions (i.e. closing the door to the sauna, which is a daily endeavour for most Finns). But, we can discuss this more thoroughly later Kim (maybe during next week's dialogue night). I routinely do dumbass things, but I don't classify this as one of
them.
Regarding our feeble escape attempts. I tried pushing the door with 100% of my strength with
absolutely no success. But, it was hard to get any leverage because the sauna oven was located directly across from the door so I couldn't post my feet against the wall without frying my skin to a crisp. This particular sauna door in very thick and solid wood, and it is framed very tightly into a very thick and solid wood frame. It was good craftmenship to allow very little heat from
escaping the sauna. It is as solid (if not more) as any external door of any house in Canada. And, it is not like the movies, where one solid kick is able to break down a door with ease. We had no key for the door, and the actual key-hole was empty anyways so it wouldn't have helped anyways. I tried body-checking the door with 67% of my strength but the door was not budging. Again, my momentum was limited in the tight space of the sauna, so I couldn't get a decent run at it. I seem to be making a lot of excuses, but these are simply the facts and nothing but the facts, so help me God.
Kim took pictures of the door frame from the outside of the sauna and placed the camera
under the small space at the base of the door to let me see, but the hinges were receded back into the interior of the solid door frame, so we could not access them. I thought about trying to remove the actual frame from the interior of the sauna but I didn't have a screwdriver big enough (or enough torque) to unscrew the giant bolts holding the interior frame into place. After a few other fruitless efforts, we decided after an hour of my naked ass being stuck in the sauna to phone the locksmith. The first locksmith said it would be a 2-4 hour wait (not acceptable). The next locksmith was able to come after another 90 minutes. So, Kim passed me my iPOD and I listened to documentaries on CBC radio podcasts as I ran on the spot, did some push-ups, sit-ups, dynamic squats, calf raises and lunges and planned my next running race, since I never let an opportunity for hot sauna, confined-space, high-humidity training pass me by. Or, maybe I just had a nap in the sauna as I waited for my saviour. I can't exactly remember.
If I had been left alone in the sauna and it remained on and I had to escape or meet certain
death overnight, I do believe that I would have been able to break down the door. Although, I'm sure that I would have been very banged up as a result and probably scalded, but at least I would be alive. I think repetitive full-burst body slams would have eventually broke the frame and brought down the door, but I didn't have to resort to this option unless absolutely necessary.
The locksmith came and actually struggled with the door handle locking mechanism for quite a while, they can usually get into any door in only a couple minutes. But, it took him about 10 minutes. Fortunately for that dude, Kim had already gave me some shorts under the door so
he didn't have to see my jiggly bits. Although the door did not have an actual lock, the inside of the door closing mechanism actual broke apart inside the door in the closed position, so the handle was no longer actually attached to anything so it could not function to unlock the pin of the door anymore.
So, I was finally released in time to eat some very cold dinner, which didn't quite taste
as good as the meal I was picturing in my head when laying in the sauna
death-trap.
We paid the locksmith ~400 dollars for his 15 minutes of work and we moved on with our
lives.
The End
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Do Guys Dig Chicks with Scars?
So I've had a lump in my chest for a few years and it's always freaked me out a little bit. You could move it around, it didn't hurt, and it didn't seem to change shape or size. I had figured that it was nothing, but with my family history of cancer, I didn't want to take any chances.
A while after it appeared, I had gone to my doctor in Canada to check it out. She said it was a benign cyst, a collection of cells, and that I had nothing to worry about. When I asked her if they would cut it out, she said no.
Now that we live in Finland, I was curious to see whether I'd get the same response. So a couple of months ago, I had a consult with a doctor who checked it out. He said it was nothing, but judging from my family history and the fact that it worries me, he would book an appointment for me to have it removed!!! Yippee, point for Finland.
Four needles and five stitches later, I am lump-free! I'm just hoping that Andrew is one of those guys who dig chicks with scars :)
A while after it appeared, I had gone to my doctor in Canada to check it out. She said it was a benign cyst, a collection of cells, and that I had nothing to worry about. When I asked her if they would cut it out, she said no.
Now that we live in Finland, I was curious to see whether I'd get the same response. So a couple of months ago, I had a consult with a doctor who checked it out. He said it was nothing, but judging from my family history and the fact that it worries me, he would book an appointment for me to have it removed!!! Yippee, point for Finland.
Four needles and five stitches later, I am lump-free! I'm just hoping that Andrew is one of those guys who dig chicks with scars :)
Dentist
Healthcare in Finland is public and free, similar to Canada, and overall we've had a good experience with them. Generally when you have an appointment, you pay a flat "appointment fee", which is usually around 22 euros ($30) and everything else is covered by the government.
The dentalcare in Finland is quite similar, actually, as most employers do not have a specific benefits package. Finland does offer a private care, for those who choose to do so, but of course you would be paying more money.
A couple of weeks ago, I had an appointment for a suspected cavity. It turned out to be nothing, as apparently I have recently begun grinding my teeth due to stress in my sleep. However, I got my bill this week and wanted to share with you the results.
Unlike the healthcare, which is a flat fee, you pay at the dentist for the services that are rendered. But it's awesome how cheap it is.
To inspect my teeth, they charged me 9,60 euros. For an x-ray, they charged me 6,20. And for other expenses, they charged me 6,20. For a grand total of 22,00 ($30). Now imagine how much it would have cost for a dentist and a dental hygienist to inspect my teeth and x-ray my teeth and discuss a course of action if I were in Canada...
The dentalcare in Finland is quite similar, actually, as most employers do not have a specific benefits package. Finland does offer a private care, for those who choose to do so, but of course you would be paying more money.
A couple of weeks ago, I had an appointment for a suspected cavity. It turned out to be nothing, as apparently I have recently begun grinding my teeth due to stress in my sleep. However, I got my bill this week and wanted to share with you the results.
Unlike the healthcare, which is a flat fee, you pay at the dentist for the services that are rendered. But it's awesome how cheap it is.
To inspect my teeth, they charged me 9,60 euros. For an x-ray, they charged me 6,20. And for other expenses, they charged me 6,20. For a grand total of 22,00 ($30). Now imagine how much it would have cost for a dentist and a dental hygienist to inspect my teeth and x-ray my teeth and discuss a course of action if I were in Canada...
Nudity? No problem!
So we've been living in Finland for over 1.5 years, and generally it's been an easy transition. There were no major culture shocks when we came over here....
Until this week.
Two of my girlfriends were taking their kids to the Makelankatu swimming hall in Helsinki (public swimming hall) and invited Charlie and I to come along. Since we had not gone to this pool before, we decided we'd try it out.
Picture me, carrying a sleeping Charlie in his car seat, a diaper bag and a bag full of our swimming gear, struggling to open the change room doors with all of my gear and then boom, walk into a change room where literally there are naked women. EVERYWHERE! No shame. No hiding. No backs are turned. Boobs and butt everywhere. Of all shapes and sizes.
As I got Charlie and I dressed (of course me hiding in the corner trying to put my swimsuit on as quickly possible), an old woman came from around the corner and had the locker next to mine. Butt naked, looks straight at me and says "anteeksi" (excuse me in Finnish) and then bends over to put on her underwear with her wrinkly droopy bum in my face.
We proceeded to the showers, where you have to of course shower before you get into the pool. I was receiving so many strange looks from all these women because I was showering with my swimsuit on.
I had known the Finnish culture was more relaxed about nudity, because we've heard that all Finnish families sauna together in the nude. Mother, father, brother, sister, neighbours, etc. And by no means am I trying to come across as judgmental or horrified. I think it was my first culture shock in this country, as I was very uncomfortable with all the nudity.
But maybe that's just me.
Until this week.
Two of my girlfriends were taking their kids to the Makelankatu swimming hall in Helsinki (public swimming hall) and invited Charlie and I to come along. Since we had not gone to this pool before, we decided we'd try it out.
Picture me, carrying a sleeping Charlie in his car seat, a diaper bag and a bag full of our swimming gear, struggling to open the change room doors with all of my gear and then boom, walk into a change room where literally there are naked women. EVERYWHERE! No shame. No hiding. No backs are turned. Boobs and butt everywhere. Of all shapes and sizes.
As I got Charlie and I dressed (of course me hiding in the corner trying to put my swimsuit on as quickly possible), an old woman came from around the corner and had the locker next to mine. Butt naked, looks straight at me and says "anteeksi" (excuse me in Finnish) and then bends over to put on her underwear with her wrinkly droopy bum in my face.
We proceeded to the showers, where you have to of course shower before you get into the pool. I was receiving so many strange looks from all these women because I was showering with my swimsuit on.
I had known the Finnish culture was more relaxed about nudity, because we've heard that all Finnish families sauna together in the nude. Mother, father, brother, sister, neighbours, etc. And by no means am I trying to come across as judgmental or horrified. I think it was my first culture shock in this country, as I was very uncomfortable with all the nudity.
But maybe that's just me.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Salzburg, Austria
The next place we visited was Salzburg, which was the setting for "The Sound of Music". We had a very jam-packed schedule in Salzburg, as there were so many things to see and do! We visited Hellbrunn Palace, and went on the Trick Fountains tour where water spits out of hidden spouts all over the palace grounds and surprises visitors. We toured through the Old Town of Salzburg and visited the Hohensalzburg Fortress upon the town hill to view the city at sunset. Salzburg is the birthplace of Mozart, where you can also visit the home where he was born.
We took cable cars up the Untersberg Mountain and did a hike to reach the summit. It was picturesque!! We also went on a salt mine tour, which was very interesting. Maddy was excited to wear coveralls, mandatory for all visitors.
To top it all off, we visited Eagle's Nest, which was a gift to Adolf Hitler. We learned about the Eagle's Nest on "Band of Brothers" and thought it would be fun to visit. It was weird to ride in the same elevator that Hitler once rode, but what was more exciting was the bus ride to get up to the Eagle's Nest. What a nailbiter!! Once at the top, we had a 360 degree view over the Alps and it was spectacular!!! The Eagle's Nest is now a teahouse and cafe but the view was the highlight by far.
It was a busy few days in Salzburg but wow, it was an amazing city along our travels!!!!!
We took cable cars up the Untersberg Mountain and did a hike to reach the summit. It was picturesque!! We also went on a salt mine tour, which was very interesting. Maddy was excited to wear coveralls, mandatory for all visitors.
To top it all off, we visited Eagle's Nest, which was a gift to Adolf Hitler. We learned about the Eagle's Nest on "Band of Brothers" and thought it would be fun to visit. It was weird to ride in the same elevator that Hitler once rode, but what was more exciting was the bus ride to get up to the Eagle's Nest. What a nailbiter!! Once at the top, we had a 360 degree view over the Alps and it was spectacular!!! The Eagle's Nest is now a teahouse and cafe but the view was the highlight by far.
It was a busy few days in Salzburg but wow, it was an amazing city along our travels!!!!!
Driving through the Austrian Countryside
Luckily Andrew has co-workers that have lived all over Europe and were able to recommend the most scenic drives to get between stops. We took a scenic route from Vienna to Salzburg and it was really great to drive along the Danube River (just a few short weeks before Andrew's parents took a river boat cruise down the Danube River!).
Lots of hills, beautiful prestine lakes, and castles perched up on the hillside. My favourite memory of driving through Austria was the beautiful red flowerpots hanging in all the windowsills. You know, what you see on tv? It actually does look like that!
We took a wonderful detour to Stift Melk Abbey in the little town of Melk. We saw a replica of this building at the Mini Europe in Brussels and were interested in seeing the real thing. An amazing 900-year old monastery, with the highlight being the Abbey Church and library. It was a fabulous stop and a beautiful drive towards Salzburg.
Lots of hills, beautiful prestine lakes, and castles perched up on the hillside. My favourite memory of driving through Austria was the beautiful red flowerpots hanging in all the windowsills. You know, what you see on tv? It actually does look like that!
We took a wonderful detour to Stift Melk Abbey in the little town of Melk. We saw a replica of this building at the Mini Europe in Brussels and were interested in seeing the real thing. An amazing 900-year old monastery, with the highlight being the Abbey Church and library. It was a fabulous stop and a beautiful drive towards Salzburg.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Vienna, Austria
From Slovakia, we drove to Vienna and stayed there a few days. We had gorgeous weather and enjoyed visiting St Stephen's Cathedral, MuseumsQuartier, and the Imperial Palace. Vienna has been linked to such people as Beethoven, Mozart, and Sigmund Freud.
I took Maddy to the Butterfly House while Andrew explored the National Library, although she was petrified of the butterflies (?). We walked through the Volksgarten, enjoyed beer and wiener schnitzel, and got lost in the maze and labrynth at the Schonbrunn Palace. A vibrant and interesting city on our travels.
I took Maddy to the Butterfly House while Andrew explored the National Library, although she was petrified of the butterflies (?). We walked through the Volksgarten, enjoyed beer and wiener schnitzel, and got lost in the maze and labrynth at the Schonbrunn Palace. A vibrant and interesting city on our travels.
Bratislava, Slovakia
From the Bone Church, we continued on our way to Bratislava, Slovakia. We only stayed here for the afternoon but thought it would be a neat stop and wasn't too far from Vienna. Bratislava was a bit intimidating since I watched the movie "Hostel", but it was very cute. The Old Town Hall was nice, as well as the monastary, the Bratislava Castle, and the shopping pedestrian zone Korzo. It was also full of statues, which was neat for both adults and kids.
Maddy really improved her climbing skills on this trip, here is an example of her climbing on the wall overlooking the city from the castle grounds.
Maddy really improved her climbing skills on this trip, here is an example of her climbing on the wall overlooking the city from the castle grounds.
The Bone Church, Czech Republic
From Prague, we drove towards Bratislava and stopped in Kutna Hora. There is a church called "the Bone Church", which is full of an estimated 40,000 bodies. The well-known story of the Bone Church in Kutna Hora is that in the 13th century, Jindrich, the abbot of Sedlec monastery, returned from a visit to Palestine with a pocketful of soil and sprinkled it on the cemetery surrounding the Chapel. This direct association with the holy land led to the graveyard becoming a sought after burial site among the aristocracy of Central Europe. At the time of the thirty years' war in the 17th century, the number of burials outgrew the space available, so the older remains began to be exhumed and stored in the chapel. They had to do something with all of the bones, so the church hired a local woodcarver to decorate the chapel with the bones and create a reminder of the impermanence of human life and inescapable death.
There were giant piles of bones stacked neatly in each of the four corners of the church. In addition, there was a giant bone chandelier and a coat of arms, not to mention many other decorations around the church.
When Andrew told me this was our stop along the way, I was a bit apprehensive. However, if you get past the mortality of it, it was actually pretty cool.
There were giant piles of bones stacked neatly in each of the four corners of the church. In addition, there was a giant bone chandelier and a coat of arms, not to mention many other decorations around the church.
When Andrew told me this was our stop along the way, I was a bit apprehensive. However, if you get past the mortality of it, it was actually pretty cool.
Prague, Czech Republic
From Berlin, we took a scenic drive along the Elbe River to Prague. There was quite a difference as soon as we left Germany, as the road infrastructure was not nearly as smooth. However, we drove through some really cute towns.
Prague was our favourite city by far. The entire city is full of buildings with amazing architecture. Every single road was gorgeous, every building was spectacular. I believe my favourite part was the Old Town Square, with the Astronomical Clock and the tower. We visited Prague Castle, which is this giant castle on the hill overlooking the city. We stayed in the Jewish Quarter but also walked through the Old Town and the Lesser Town. Charles Bridge was nice too, but I'm sure Andrew's favourite part was the Victoria Secret photo shoot we stumbled upon on the side of the bridge.
We enjoyed some great food. Andrew ordered a pork knuckle and it arrived on the table on a spit. It was so much meat, he actually sweated meat out of his pores. I tried dumplings. We also had this wonderful dessert made at these tiny stands called trdelniks, which is a dough baked on a spit covered in cinnamon and sugar and nuts. Delicious!
We enjoyed a river cruise and also walked up Petrin Hill to a tower that looked exactly like the Eiffel Tower. We also took Maddy to a House of Mirrors, and was amazed at how easily she got through the maze.
It was a beautiful city and we were glad we were able to visit Prague. One of the favourites, it will be hard to top this one.
Prague was our favourite city by far. The entire city is full of buildings with amazing architecture. Every single road was gorgeous, every building was spectacular. I believe my favourite part was the Old Town Square, with the Astronomical Clock and the tower. We visited Prague Castle, which is this giant castle on the hill overlooking the city. We stayed in the Jewish Quarter but also walked through the Old Town and the Lesser Town. Charles Bridge was nice too, but I'm sure Andrew's favourite part was the Victoria Secret photo shoot we stumbled upon on the side of the bridge.
We enjoyed some great food. Andrew ordered a pork knuckle and it arrived on the table on a spit. It was so much meat, he actually sweated meat out of his pores. I tried dumplings. We also had this wonderful dessert made at these tiny stands called trdelniks, which is a dough baked on a spit covered in cinnamon and sugar and nuts. Delicious!
We enjoyed a river cruise and also walked up Petrin Hill to a tower that looked exactly like the Eiffel Tower. We also took Maddy to a House of Mirrors, and was amazed at how easily she got through the maze.
It was a beautiful city and we were glad we were able to visit Prague. One of the favourites, it will be hard to top this one.
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