Nature – Blue Moment

Day 201: Progress

September 11, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Espoo, Home, NatureTagged 365 Project, Espoo, History, Home, NatureLeave a comment

About six months after we moved to our house, a new metro station opened 700m away. Since then – over 4 years – nothing has happened in that area as the city plans have been challenged in different courts.

But we all knew that there was no scenario where a metro station this close to Helsinki would remain surrounded by forest and a few old houses. So they have now started felling the trees and tearing down the old single-family houses.

We all knew, except my girls. They are horrified that someone would destroy nature just to build houses. Why can’t they build houses where there are no trees, bunnies or squirrels?

How right they are.

Day 197: The Bugs of Finland

September 7, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Alanna, Animals, Espoo, Makro, NatureTagged 365 Project, Animals, Espoo, Makro, NatureLeave a comment

I have always thought there are really no “cool” bugs in Finland. After a walk with Alanna in the sunny forest, I have to admit: there are. I am just really bad at spotting them.

Day 195: Acorn a Day

September 6, 2026September 6, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Makro, NatureTagged 365 Project, Makro, NatureLeave a comment

Girls’ hobbies consume the beginning of my week – Monday circus school, Tuesday cheerleading and comic club, Wednesday Scouts…

On most days, it is better to wait nearby than drive back and forth. In decent weather, I try to take a walk. And maybe take a picture of an acorn.

Day 189: Spiders

August 29, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Animals, Espoo, Makro, Nature, WildlifeTagged 365 Project, Animals, Espoo, Finland, Makro, NatureLeave a comment

My SLR has become temperamental, working only when it wants to. Therefore I don’t often carry it with me on random walks.

I regretted it bitterly as I stumbled upon a collection of perfect spider webs and the hunter on the prowl.

Then again, if I had been carrying my camera, it’ unlikely I would’ve have seen it. That’s how it seems to go.

Day 186: Return Drive

August 26, 2026August 27, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Alanna, Europe, Kiara, Nature, Outdoors, Stuart, Travelling, WaterTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, History, Holidays, Kiara, Nature, Outdoors, Scenery, TravelLeave a comment

The drive home from a holiday, especially with forecasted rain, is rarely fun.

But when it is, it is a lot of fun.

A morning walk (with a breakfast that, according to Kiara, is worth moving to Haapsalu for), a submerged limestone quarry, an abandoned prison, and a real submarine – a few worthwhile stops. And Stuart drove faster than the wind, as the rainclouds never quite reached us.

And at the end is home.

For good and bad.

Day 184: Unkempt Charm

August 23, 2026August 24, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Alanna, Europe, Kiara, Nature, Outdoors, Stuart, TravellingTagged 365 Project, Alanna, Architecture, History, Holidays, Kiara, Nature, Outdoors, Scenery, Stuart, TravelLeave a comment

Whenever you ask the girls what they liked the best, their standard answer is “everything”. Same today. After some considerable pressure, they concluded their favorite was climbing the lighthouse. And the weirdest playground they had ever visited.

Hiiumaa has great lighthouses. We only visited three – all seven would have felt like overkill. Climbing the Köpu one, with its incredibly steep stairs and windy platform, was, indeed, more adventurous than it sounds.

Stuart’s favourite was the series of abandoned WW2 and Cold War coastal bunkers and military posts in the middle of the forest. The underground bunkers and remaining structures, including a watchtower, were free to explore. One needed a flashlight, good shoes and a real spirit of adventure. They were creepy! And not just for the girls…

And the playground… The random collection of wooden structures, all built by one (sligtly obsessed) man, was quirky and the scale was impressive. Clearly it had been amazing – at some point. However, now they teetered between unkempt-but-charming and unkempt-and-not-safe. The girls had a blast, though, exploring every structure we allowed them into.

My favourite part was all the photos. And the coolest bus stop ever.

Day 183: The Weirdest Cottage in Hiiumaa

August 22, 2026August 22, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Alanna, Architecture, Europe, Family, Kiara, Nature, Outdoors, Stuart, TravellingTagged 365 Project, Alanna, Architecture, family, Holidays, Kiara, Nature, Scenery, TravelLeave a comment

We got an early start today due to a serious underestimation of how early one must book the ferry to Hiiumaa. Luckily, someone had come up with the idea of a few non-prebookable tickets.

But that gave us plenty of time to meander around the southern part of Hiiumaa. A short hike towards the southernmost tip, an old (sill functioning) wool factory, and a playground or two…

We decided to have a quiet evening and braai (BBQ) at the cottage – and luckily we did. The girls loved the place! The cottage looked like a pink Moomin house, with round walls, the main bedroom in a tower, massive cubby beds for the girls and an amazing floating sauna in the little pond. It even had a tiny playground.

The fact that it was totally impractical bothered only Stuart, who was cooking.

Day 182: Sea, Sheep, Skulls and Stones

August 19, 2026August 22, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Architecture, Europe, Nature, Outdoors, Travelling, WaterTagged 365 Project, Architecture, History, Holidays, Nature, Outdoors, Scenery, TravelLeave a comment

Ambling around Saaremaa gets you to some… interesting places.

Sörve Lighthouse and Peninsula were seriously majestic, albeit in a windy, rough and rustic way. But Sõrve Museum, with its three little “military, seafaring and natural history” buildings, was weird – in a good way. The themes were interpreted rather loosely, and included eg., material of Hitler and Occultism, and a wide selection of preserved bird feet.

And then there was the park with more than 300 stone sheep statues with strong political opinions. And the Viking playground. And the stone tree.

Kuressaare castle was cool, but quite ordinary castle… if you ignore the nun, the sceleton and the lions.

Travel diary: Saaremaa

August 18, 2026August 18, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Animals, Europe, Kiara, Nature, Travelling, WildlifeTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Animals, Holidays, Kiara, Nature, TravelLeave a comment

The real post for this day (day 181) was about the fountains. However, I just had to include a “bonus post” for the rest of the day, due to the pure momentousness of it.

The girls met – and even petted – capybaras.

All little girls go through phases. Our girls, especially Kiara, are going through a major capybara phase. Her school bag, pencil case, favourite shirt, eraser… all feature capybaras.

As luck would have it, they are one of Saaremaa Zoo’s main attractions.

Kuressaare, the attractive capital of Saaremaa, was cool. But only “next level” cool.

Whatever that means.