Espoo – Blue Moment

Day 150: With Just One

July 16, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Architecture, Espoo, Kiara, NatureTagged 365 Project, Architecture, Espoo, Kiara, Nature, SummerLeave a comment

Alanna started a week-long Animal Camp today so I got to spend a whole day with Kiara, just the two of us.

It is true that twins rarely get enough individual attention. We try, but…

Many parents of singletons admire how nice it is that the girls always have someone to play with – a home-bestie, as the girls call it. But it is also obvious how excited they are when they get äiti all to themselves. And I keep admiring how easy it is when you just have one wish to fulfill at any given time.

We had a good day: we sewed, did the groceries, read, and before picking Alanna from her museum farm camp, we popped into an old tavern (now a coffee shop) with a beautifully preserved courtyard and garden.

Just the two of us.

Day 149: Beliefs

July 15, 2026July 15, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Alanna, Espoo, KiaraTagged 365 Project, Children, LearningLeave a comment

There is a fine line between creating a magical childhood and ensuring your children know what is real.

For example, how do you explain that dinosaurs were real, but dragons are not? That blue whales and giraffes exist, but unicorns are imaginary? That bats are real, but vampires are not.

We have spent time explaining that bears can sleep the whole winter, that caterpillars can dissolve into soup and emerge as butterflies, that geese can navigate across continents, and that some lizards can grow back their tails.

But humans can’t learn to fly.

Day 147: Evening Ride

July 12, 2026July 12, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Espoo, Outdoors, SportTagged 365 Project, Activities, Espoo, Outdoors, Sport, SummerLeave a comment

Our electric bicycles are among the best investments Stuart and I have ever made.

We’ve done fantastic tours with the kids sitting in the back and one of us towing our luggage in a trailer. In addition to shorter trips, such as weekend in Porvoo, we’ve toured the Finnish archipelago, Åland, and Sweden – our longest tour yet. We planned it for 450km, but ended up doing 600km instead.

Now that Alanna and Kiara are riding their own bicycles, the distances are shorter and we are prioritising trips closer to home. Even so, after a long day in front of the laptop, a quick 20-25km ride still feels amazing

Day 145: Big and Small

July 11, 2026July 11, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Espoo, Kiara, Outdoors, SportTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Children, Espoo, Kiara, Outdoors, Sport, SummerLeave a comment

After work, I took the girls for a swim. The hot weather is about to turn, so felt like the thing to do.

While getting ready, Kiara fussed about her swimsuit, her hair and her swimming bag. She wanted to look cool in case she saw her friends.

When we got to Oittaa, she spotted the Angry Birds playground. Luckily, at that moment, the playground and splashing in the water still felt “cool” enough.

I wish I would convince her that there is plenty of time to be big yet.

Day 143: Tenacity

July 9, 2026July 9, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Espoo, Kiara, Outdoors, SportTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Children, Espoo, Holidays, Kiara, Outdoors, Sport, SummerLeave a comment

I admire children’s dermination to have fun once they decide they are going to have fun.

I took Kiara and Alanna to a nearby sports-focused amusement park today. The temperature climbed above 30°C and the park had practically no shade. Even so, we stayed for more than 7h and tested every climbing, jumping, pedalling, lifting, shooting, running and balancing activity available. Considering the park has more than 30 different jumping castles alone, that was no small feat.

Most of the other kids gave up, and by late afternoon only a handful of the hardiest ones were still around.

At the endof the day, we popped into a nearby supermarket, bought swimming costumes to all three of us and went for a swim. Lake water has rarely felt so good!

Day 141: Beaching

July 7, 2026July 7, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Espoo, Kiara, Outdoors, Sport, WaterTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Espoo, Finland, Holidays, Kiara, Outdoors, SportLeave a comment

We are still not beach people. But Matinkylä Beach is exactly the right distance for a family bike ride on a hot day.

The kids spent about 15 min in the sea. Even though they love swimming, the salty water seems to take away half of the fun. But they did spend the next 2h climbing, running and playing.

The best thing about cycling to the beach is that 90% of the sand falls off on the way home.

Day 124: Sunset in Hannusjärvi

June 20, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Espoo, Nature, Outdoors, WaterTagged 365 Project, Espoo, Nature, Outdoors, SceneryLeave a comment

It is impossible to take a picture of a sunset without it looking fake. I still keep trying.

Day 123: Seaside Picnic

June 19, 2026June 19, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Espoo, Family, Kiara, Outdoors, Stuart, WaterTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Espoo, family, Food, Kiara, Stuart, WineLeave a comment

Food tastes better when eaten outside.

The nearest “beach” to us is just a quick hop away. It’s a secluded little strech of sand, and you can’t get there with a car. Consequently, it is often pretty quiet.

With the weather being great, we went for a picnic on a whim. We grabbed whatever we fancied from a store and cycled to the “beach” for a few hours of games, snacks and scenery. The girls even waded to the water, but it was still way too cold for a swim.

Best night of the week.

Day 122: Finnish Baseball

June 18, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Espoo, Home, Kiara, Outdoors, SportTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Children, Espoo, Home, Kiara, Learning, Outdoors, Sport, SummerLeave a comment

As a kid, I loved Finnish baseball (pesäpallo). It’s quite different from American baseball – most notably, because you pitch the ball up, not across.

So, when I came across a set of used pesäpallo equipment for kids at some sale or another, I did not hesitate for a second.

The girls’ success rate of actually hitting the ball is still low enough that we can practice in our backyard. I do not expect that to last long.

I would still love to pick the sport back up myself, but unless you are part of a fairly serious team, you can only really play in summer. And in summer, there is so much else to do.

Day 113: Opposites

June 8, 2026June 8, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Espoo, JohannesburgTagged 365 Project, Espoo, JohannesburgLeave a comment

Moving from Johannesburg to Espoo transfers you to the opposite end of the spectrum in almost any criteria imaginable for comparing cities.

Some contrasts are obvious. Johannesburg has more than twice the people of entire Finland, and around 20x Espoo. In Espoo, kids can walk and cycle safely to school, whereas in Johannesburg… not so much. People smile to strangers in Johannesburg, but in Finland… not. And then, of course, the weather is just a little different.

In summary, Finland excells at fundamentals, but Johannesburg is amazing at everyday luxuries: easy outsourcing, endless restaurants, beautifully maintained gardens…

In Johannesburg, you may go to sip coctails on a beautiful terrace on Sunday. In Finland, you likely go for a hike in a forest.

It’s easy to dismiss basics when they are well cared for. But the lack of them makes yor life difficult. Just consider the multi-hour blackouts that regularly plague Johannesburg.

But occassionally, I just really miss the luxuries.