Well hello everyone!
I was planning to do a post earlier this week on the last dog competition, but I figured you might all be tired of dogs. So instead, I waited for this weekend which brings my wonderful time spent at my second host family's summer [winter] cottage.
If you thought my first host family's summer cottage was beautiful, wait till you see this. Of course they are both beautiful in their own way, but this one really had that rustic, yet cozy cottage feel. But, the best way to show you all of this isn't through words (although it could be but I now speak very simple/baby English nowadays), it's through pictures instead!
Walking to the cottage from the other side of the sea. Their cottage is on an island in the more northern part of Turku.
Luca helping carry the supplies!
View of cottage from the sea.
Walking up the many steps to the cottage.
Inside the kitchen/dining room/ lounge area.
Same room, facing door which leads into the bedrooms area and living room.
View from large windows in front of the cottage.
Old corks used in the earlier days to float the fishing nets. Now used as decorations.
Oldest cork they found. From 1896!
More windows and decorations. Must be a sailing family.
Living room area and bedrooms.
Outside on the half-wrap around porch.
So this cottage is made in three parts. Two large rectangular rooms connecting to the large, triangular shaped space. Originally it was only a side part which they bought and have now added the larger room and extra living quarters. It took them ten years to completely finish the cottage, porch, dock, steps, sauna, etc. and it is now one of their favorite places to go.
In the winter they spend their time either in the sauna/avanto (hole in the ice you dip yourself into after sauna), cross country skiing, ice fishing on the sea, and just relaxing by the fire inside. In the summer the day is spent swimming, tubing, more sauna/avanto, hosting family parties, and again just relaxing away from the bustling city they call home.
So when we first got there we unloaded all our things and were back outside filling buckets of water (from a pump) for drinking water, cooking, and most of it for the sauna. Then we went inside to warm up with a nice cup of hot cocoa.
Then we were off again to hike our way up the hill to get an extraordinary view of the archipelago from above. Then we worked our way to the ice to dig out an
avanto (hole in the ice) for sauna and swimming!
View of archipelago from top of a hill.
But of course, these pictures do no justice. You would have to go and see for yourself!
Starting to cut the avanto!
Host mom Eija cutting the ice.
Host dad removing the cut ice.
The finished product! A classic Finnish Avanto complete with a ladder.
Sauna from above.
Sauna from below.
This sauna is a wood stove sauna, unlike the home sauna's which are electric. The difference is quite large when comparing the difference in humidity and heat. The wood stove sauna produces both more humidity and greater heat. It is also much easier to breath in the wood stove sauna due to the increase in humidity. However, it does get hot very fast, which is why the avanto is a great idea.
After making the avanto we went inside to warm up and wait for the sauna to heat up as well. Then we went to sauna and the avanto!
Warming my frozen toes by the fire!
Waiting for the sauna to warm up and my toes too!
Kaisu, her best friend Maria, and I in the avanto!!!
At first I wasn't looking forward to going from the extreme heat of the sauna into the freezing cold of the sea. However, the feeling after you get out of the avanto is exhilarating! Of course it is cold when you are in the water but once you are out you are not cold or hot anymore. I can't even begin to describe the feeling, you will just have to do it for yourself!
After doing this multiple times we went back inside for a delicious dinner of smoked salmon (which they made at their cottage) and roasted vegetables. It was an amazing end to a fantastic day at the summer/winter cottage. I slept like a baby on this peaceful island and woke refreshed and ready to spend another amazing day at the cottage.
Since we were leaving around four o'clock that evening, we spent the better part of the day relaxing inside and packing our things to leave. We went to sauna and avanto again just before lunch and came inside to eat delicious homemade pea soup. After lunch we got bundled up to go for a walk on the ice and check out the ice fisherman bringing in their day's catch (or lack there of) of fish!
Walking out onto the sea.
Old couple we met reeling in their days catch of fish.
Got one!
Looks like they caught some perch and some mackerel.
Transportation on the ice.
Man's wife holding line so it doesn't sink into the opposite hole while he is pulling in the fish.
Wooden sticks which stick out above the hold in the ice holding the net inside the water.
Man's wife pulling the line which pulls the net back into the water.
Net going back into the water.
So if you don't understand this ice fishing system from the pictures, let me explain. I don't know what it is called, but it consists of four or more holes in the ice, all connected to a net in the water. On one of the end holes is where the net is pulled out to get the fish caught in the net, and on the other end of the ice holes is a red string. When pulled, this string pulls the net back under the water to catch more fish. Simple as that! I hope that was a good explanation... Anyways, of course there were people sitting around ice holes with their poles and tip-ups, but this is a more professional way. This way allows them to sell some of their fist to stores, markets, people, etc. while having enough for themselves as well.
After our walk on the ice, we made our way back to the cottage and got ready to leave. Overall, it was an amazing weekend at their summer/winter cottage. Lucky for me, they plan on going again in about three weeks! I had such a wonderful time and can't wait to go back!
If you were wondering what I have been up to since now and my last post, well that would be school. The period has changed in school which means I have all new classes. This period, or the fourth period, I have Health, Short Math, English 5, and Art History. I purposefully put myself in a math class so I can freshen up my math skills for college this year. I hope it helps! But, overall I really enjoy my new schedule and the brains I finally have to use in them.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this blog! I wish you all could have been with me this weekend it really was an amazing time! I hope all is well for you back home! I hear the snow is gone, or close to it. Not here. It's as snowy as ever and with temperatures ranging from 0-25. Last week was the worst. For five straight days it was BELOW zero outside. My breath froze into ice on my scarf! But that week ended and brought comfortable temperatures of 20-25 for this weekend. Mother nature must have known the avanto was cold enough after sauna and we didn't need the deathly frozen air as well!
Well, I don't know what I will blog about next but I'm sure it will be about some great adventure I am having here! Oh and I have news! I just got acceptance from the head President of Rotary here in Finland to go to Spain! (Which if some of you don't know was my first choice for this exchange year. Finland being seventh... ha!) It looks like all my dreams are coming true! My host sister Saija asked me to come with her! She is going there to visit friends since last year she spent a year in Madrid studying economics in the university. We are leaving for Spain in April and will spend a week in Malaga and Cordova during the Easter holidays. I cannot wait!
That will be a blog post to look forward too I dare say.
Talk soon!
Love,
Karlee
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