Finland – Page 6 – Blue Moment

Day 132: Diving In

June 28, 2026June 29, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Asikkala, Family, Kiara, Outdoors, Stuart, WaterTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, family, Holidays, Kiara, Outdoors, Summer, Summer CottageLeave a comment

There are many truths about how warm a lake needs to be before it is warm enough for a swim.

Stuart, being South African, thinks 28-30°C sounds about right. Or 25°C with a sauna. For a Finn, that is pure folly.

I am happy with 20°C and 18°C respectfully. But then again, I do not particularly like cold water (for a Finn).

Alanna prefers warmer water too, but anything above 10°C is fine as long as it only comes up to her knees and there is a sandy patch to play in. Swimming requires 18°C or a good reason. And whether something counts as a good enough reason depends entirely on her mood. This spring, she went gor a swim when the sea was barely 13°C.

Kiara doesn’t care. As long as there is no ice on it, it looks good. Above 15 °C, she will happily swim around until she turns blue (and mummi tells her to come out).

In case you were wondering, the lake was close to 20°C.

Day 131: Different Office

June 27, 2026June 29, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Asikkala, WorkTagged 365 Project, Summer CottageLeave a comment

We are in the process of building a separate little building at the summer cottage that, for now, will house a few rooms with proper desks and office chairs. At least for the time being, it is affectionately known as the “Teams Pavilion”.

It’s not quite finished yet, so this week I was still working from the boathouse. It may look rustic and cosy, but after a few hours your back starts complaining. Even so, I think it is a much better place for meetings than the main house, with the girls running around and Stuart workshopping in the next room.

Little back pain is a small price to pay for spending the evenings at the summer cottage. And the girls love spending the days with their mummi.

Day 129: Sausage

June 25, 2026June 25, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Alanna, Asikkala, Cooking, Kiara, TraditionsTagged 365 Project, Alanna, Food, Kiara, Summer CottageLeave a comment

Despite being a foodie, even I admit that frying sausages over the fire is part of summer at the summer cottage.

Day 127: Once You Get Soaked

June 23, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Family, Festivals, Finland, night, Outdoors, People, WaterTagged 365 Project, Activities, family, Finland, Holidays, SummerLeave a comment

I went to my first proper music festival in years – and it was pouring down for most of the day.

But once you get soaked, you do not really get wetter.

The gigs were fantastic, it stayed warm and the company – most importantly my sister, brother-in-law and parents – never let the rain get in the way of a good time.

Great day!

I did feel a little sorry for some of the bands on stage two, which was not exactly waterproof. Unbelievably, most of the equipment kept functioning even through the worst downpour.

Day 126: Late Arrival

June 22, 2026June 22, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Asikkala, nightTagged 365 Project, family, Summer CottageLeave a comment

The more firmly you intend to leave early on Friday, the more likely it is you end up putting out some random fire at work.

Even when we arrive at the summer cottage too late for the girls’ bedtime, driving out on Friday is always my preference. The weekend feels longer, when you wake up at the summer cottage on Saturday.

Being able to sleep in while the grandparents entertain the kids is just an added bonus.

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 119: Herbarium

June 15, 2026June 15, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, FinlandTagged 365 Project, Activities, Children, Finland, Holidays, SummerLeave a comment

When it is not homework, it is fun.

As a summer activity, we are collecting flowers with the girls to press them. With my mum, they are also catching bugs to inpect and draw.

Anything to keep them engaged in reading and writing.

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.