Nuuksio

In the midst of nature: from Winter 2009

When you take your camera for a walk metsässä (in the forest), you don't always end up taking pictures of what you might expect.

So we are walking in Nuuksion Kansalaispuisto (Nuuksio National Park) where we are staying for the weekend - in a better than average lakeside mökki (cabin) - with Bore and her American friend 'Saab'. We figure we should go for a walk and enjoy the snow and light, both likely to fade; so we set off down the track hoping to link up to the 'proper' walking trails, talking about the climate here and in the northern states, buying flying squirrel poo on the internet, (mis)identifying animal tracks and (if you are Konna) trying to do penguin impressions... so generally enjoying walking in the woods.

After trying a couple of turns we end up following this car width track for about 30 minutes until we reach a dead end with a small hut and a big red phone mast. Well I guess that's what you get if you want good 3G mobile coverage, but still...

Winter 2009 photo album

Hauskalta juhannukselta mökiltä

NnneeiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeEEEEE - [WHACK!]

...whawaszat...?
Just another mosquito. Go back to sleep.

Sunnuntai paisti (redux)

sometimes it's not stressful to have a lot on your plate...

Well we got my Sunday roast this time (the full works: roast beef with red wine and mustard gravy, yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes and parsnips, cauliflower, sprouts and carrots with white sauce) for my birthday weekend after all. Not that I really needed it after Ravintola Kuurna last night (which I recommend to anyone in Helsinki by the way) ...but anyway. 

'This seems very complicated food' said Hiiri. 'Not really' I thought. 'But what am I going to eat next Sunday if your not here to cook?' asked Hiiri.  Next weekend Konna and I are off to Vieromakki mökki for Bore's birthday, so no strange British cooking for her next week.

I also have my level 1 Finnish exam on Tuesday. Already. So I should be revising the local cases (inesiivi, illatiivi, ellatiivi, adessiivi, allatiivi, ablatiivi), verb types, vowel harmony and consonant gradation (hard to soft: eg. kukka - kukat; katu - kadulla; kenka - kengat; etc) and about twenty other things. Instead I'm going to this award winning film. Well I do need to balance out going to see this one (organised by SAFA-hesari) on Friday after all.

We'll be right back after the break...

Mini-mökki, Vaasa

We're off again - to Kesälahti then Koli for a couple of weeks of mökki (cottage) and camping - so probably no more posts for a while... Unless we find a campsite with wireless Internet! (And even then no pics as we'll be working off my iPod). But before we go we've been literally inundated with requests - okay just the one then - to know a) how to pronounce Hölynpöly; and b) how to leave comments...

a. My best representation is "Herlewen-perlew"; but any better suggestions welcome

b. Just click on the 'comments' link at the bottom of each post. If we don't go mökki höperö in the meantime, I'll catch up with them when I am back!