Europe 2010 July Part 1

Vantaa, Helsinki, Varkaus, Savonlinna, Tampere, Hämeenlinna, Pyhtää, Karis, Fiskars: Finland

Östhammar, Stockholm: Sweden

July

Thursday July 1

Did the laundry and housecleaning. Left around noon to get Ken & Rita's Finnish Passports at the Police Station at Vantaa Airport. Parked at the first parking lot we saw. Went into the terminal and asked where the Police Station was. It, of course, was at the other end of the terminal. Vancouver Airport is compact compared to Helsinki's. It seems you have to walk for a mile to get to anything. As we arrived, Rita noticed that she had forgotten her passport pictures in the car. As it turns out they take the pictures right there for €10. Ken & Rita had paid €16 at the shopping center. Rita decided to have new pictures taken instead of walking back to the car.

The Passport and picture cost €70. I don't exactly understand why they need two passports, but then again, I don't have a split personality. Rita, I can kind of understand, she can use it to accessorize. Red passport, to go with warm colored clothing, blue to go with the cold colors. Ken is another story.

Arrived at the Cumulus Kaisaniemi, the hotel we had booked for the night, at around 15:30. It is East of the railway station. There was no parking at the hotel and couldn't find parking anywhere nearby. Drove around, got back to the hotel and let Raija and Ken out at the front entrance. Drove around again, and Raija and Ken were waiving to us to park on the sidewalk. Checked in, took our luggage to our rooms and then drove to the parking lot with Ken. We had to make a U turn, which is legal in Finland, and finally we were able to park. It is a humongous parking lot with underground driveways that are miles long. We drove in approximately 200 meters North of the hotel, and we came up on the elevator, after we had parked the car, about 300 meters South.

Cleaned up and went to the restaurant Iris had booked, for the family reunion. The restaurant was at the far end of a park about one kilometer from the hotel, beside the railway tracks North of the Station. We arrived around 17:00.

It is an old restaurant, built in the 1800's. Some of the relatives were already there, some arrived later.

We had an absolutely wonderful time. The wine was flowing and the people were absolutely wonderful. Petri ( I hope I spelled it right) had ordered a Finish liquorice liquor for all of us. I finished mine, and then Rita's. This gave me so much courage, or should I say it made me so drunk, that I made a speech to thank everybody for taking the time to come to the dinner and for many of them to meet us for the first time. I know this will sound unbelievable, but after I finished my little spiel, Ken stood up and gave a speech also. He had missed his calling in this life. He should have been a motivational speaker. I was so shocked that I didn't even have the sense to take a picture of it. I know it's hard to believe, I should have proof, but you will just have to believe me.

After dinner we walked (I staggered) to the newspaper, on the other side of the railway station, where Petri  works and he gave us a tour of the newsroom.

After the tour, just like in 1998 when we were in Helsinki, Heidi led us back to the hotel. Didn't even consider inviting her for a drink at the hotel, as we had done in 1998. I was loaded and fell into bed.

Friday July 2

Had breakfast around 7:30.

After breakfast Rita went to Stockmanns to buy some reindeer handled cheese cutters. I went with her part way with some of our luggage and put them in the car. She returned with the cheese cutters plus a new coat that she absolutely loves. I'm not sure whether it will go with the blue or red passport, but she is good at color coordination, she will figure it out. We were in terrible shape after the night of partying, but managed to leave the hotel just before noon heading for Varkaus.

Packed all our luggage to the car and tried to get out of the parking lot. We had paid €22 for parking at the hotel, put the ticket I had received at the hotel into the slot, and it was rejected. Tried several times, nothing. Ken went to ask the attendant what the problem was, but he had left his booth and there was a sign that he would be back in ½ an hour. When Ken came back to the car I hit the help button on the machine, and a little while later the attendant answered. Told him about our problems and finally we were able to get out. Drove underground for at least  2 kilometers, and finally we were back at ground level.

Varkaus is a four hour drive from Helsinki and we took a couple of technical breaks. We stopped at Mäntsälä, had lunch.

Here is Rita posing with her new coat.

 Raija and Rita went across the street to some vendors who were selling vegetables and fruits and bought some peas (As Ken pointed out and corrected my spelling, not pees. Although, they have been known to buy a pee or two once in a while.) and strawberries.

We then stopped in Kuortinkartano at a strip mall for another technical break.

We finally arrived in Varkaus around 17:30. Tulikki was out shopping and Raija tried to phone her. Walked to the back of the house, and the neighbors two little dogs started barking. After a while the neighbor lady came out and we told her that we were looking for Tulikki. She immediately phoned on her cell phone. A minute later Tulikki pulled into the driveway.

Had dinner and sat in  the backyard until we decided to go to bed around 19:30. We are further north now so the days are even longer.

Saturday July 3

Just published our web, and decided to Google the Opera Festival in Savonlinna. It is an open air opera festival 1½ Hrs. drive from where we are. The price €275. I think I will go and have a shower, since I need one anyway, and sing some opera to myself. Just in case you want to Google Earth us, we are staying at Raija and Rita's cousin Tuulikki's house. Tuulastie,15,Varkaus,Finland 

We finally left the house at noon.

Tuulikki drove us around town. First we  went to her son, Tomi's house. He works in Thailand and comes back to Finland once or twice a year. He is on holidays now, however him and his family are touring Finland, and they weren't home.

Then we went to Lasse's (her husband) grave. He is buried on the grounds of a large Lutheran Church here in Varkaus. There are no head markers or anything, just a little plaque on a granite column with all the other people who are buried in the graveyard.

While going to the graveyard Tuulikki mentioned that they had lowered the speed limit in Varkaus from 50 to 40 km/hr and Lasse was caught going 50 after the change. The fine €1000. I told you, Finns don't fool around when it comes to money. I think I will pack away my lead shoes until we get back to Canada. She was driving so slow that I felt like getting out of the car and passing her. There was hardly any traffic in Varkaus and nobody minded her speed.

From the church we went to the golf club that Lasse help to establish and had lunch.

After lunch we went to a small shopping mall looking for candle holders for Raija. We all walked out with nothing in our hands. That is everybody except, can you guess? R__a.

Our luggage is already overweight and we still have four flights to go on. We will have to discard stuff never mind buying more.

Came home had dinner. Ken and I watched Germany (4) -Argentina (0) game, had a few glasses of wine and went to bed.

Sunday July 4

Woke up this morning and looked out the window. It looked like another beautiful sunny summer day in Varkaus. Started doing my regular early morning things, which I will not elaborate on. Turned on the computer, went down to make coffee. Happened to look at the clock in the kitchen. It was 2:15. Went back to bed.

Our plan for the day was to go to Savonlinna. There is a castle there which is used as a concert hall-opera theatre. I had read about it on our last visit to Finland, however we never found the time to go there in 1998.

Had breakfast and left the house at 10:00. Tuulikki had a sore knee and decided not to come with us. Went to the nearest gas station and tried to fill up the car. It rejected my credit card. These Finns are pretty smart, if they don't take your money, you know that you don't have any. Ken tried his card, it was also rejected. Went to another gas station, with an attendant, and we were able to fill the car.

As soon as we left the gas station the ladies wanted to stop to buy some water. Why they didn't buy it at the gas station is beyond me. Drove to  Rantasalmi and stopped at a restaurant beside a gas station, where the ladies bought water. Then on to Savonlinna which is a 1½ hour drive from Varkaus.

There was a Tori (market) on the way to the castle, so we parked and looked around.

Left the car there and took the ½ Km walk to the castle.

It was closed. The theatre was being set up for a concert that evening. Walked around inside the castle, and although we were told that we were not allowed in the theatre, we sneaked a peek. We were shooed out of there by a young woman. Ken and I told her that we were opera singers, but she was a true Finn. Didn't even attempt to crack a smile.

Decided to have lunch on our way back to the car.

Went down a different street than the one we had come on.

Looked at the menu in front of one of the restaurants. The price for a lunch, starting at €20 ($25) a plate, going up to €35 ($45). We decided we weren't that hungry and went back to the lake bank where we had noticed some outdoor restaurants. The prices were more reasonable so we decided to eat there.

Everybody, except me, ordered "Taste of Finland". Fish, mushroom pate, and lamb. I ordered reindeer. When Raija found out that it was "Baby Lamb" she wouldn't touch it. Rita and I, even though I don't like lamb, finished it off. Paid €16 ($21)/ meal with beer.

Arrived back at Tuulikki's house in Varkaus around 17:00.

We had phoned ahead, as she had asked, that we were on the way. She had prepared a Lake Salmon dinner for us.

Before dinner, Raija decided to walk down to the lake. She had been advised to wear rubber boots, by Tuulikki. There is a poisonous snake in Finland, and sink holes towards the lake. It's not advisable to veer off the foot path at the back of the house, especially without boots.

Had a few glasses of wine. Talked about the sunlight in Varkaus. They don't see the sun for a couple of months, after Christmas the sun starts to come up over the horizon. Rita, Raija and Tuulikki talked about family history, in Finish. Ken and I couldn't understand a word. but knew that the conversation was getting overheated. Ken got out of there, followed by me, around 21:30.  Rita came to bed soon after.

Monday July 5

This time I woke up at 4:00. Decided it wouldn't be worth while to go back to bed, since I usually wake up at 5:00 anyway.

Although Tuulikki has a beautiful house, there is only one bathroom. One toilet and one sink upstairs, one shower outside the sauna downstairs, no bathtubs. I can have it all to myself early in the morning. Since Tuulikki sleeps downstairs, I can't use the shower until she gets up.

Wrote Sundays blog before anybody was up. Couldn't publish it until Raija and Ken got up. The only internet connection is in their bedroom. Once they get up I will look for a hotel room in Pyhtää. Our plan for the day is to drive to Tampere to visit Annikki and then to head to Pyhtää, where Raija and Rita's father's family is from. We are going to look at Fransillanmäentie (Fransilla highway) in Pyhtää.

Left Varkaus at 9:00.

Arrived in Tampere around 14:00. Raija had phoned Rosemarie to look up some hotels for us in or near Pyhtää on the internet. Raija was trying to phone one of the hotels, but she couldn't get through. Decided to go to visit Anikki and phone the hotel after the visit, to make reservations. Annikki and Markku were waiting for us. Peka, another son joined us a little later.

Markku had prepared a wonderful Finnish lunch fore us.

Had lunch and then Anikki's youngest son Harry came. He intends to come to Canada to ski in the winter. Exchanged email addresses gave him our address and then we left for Mikkola, Rita and Raija's mom's ancestral home.

Now I'm no Willie Shakespeare so I find it hard to express the joy Raija and Rita had in visiting this place, but I will try.

"Friends, Finn's, relatives lend me your ears. Raija and Rita were ecstatic."

Markku brought a picnic basket full of Finnish food. Piirakka's, fish cakes, Pulla and of course coffee. The Finn's apparently are the biggest consumers, per capita, of coffee in the world. Rita and Raija literally ate it up.

Took the coordinates of Mikkola on my GPS.  61°32.279'N 23°11.032'E . Just copy and paste it into Google Earth. The resolution is not good, but at least you know where it is.

Talked for a little while said our goodbye's and headed out for Pyhtää. It is about 2½ drive from Mikkolla and it was already 17:00 when we started out. Good thing we weren't able to reserve a room near Pyhtää because we were tired and only made it as far as Hämeenlinna.

Looked for a hotel with the GPS and found a Cumulus hotel in the middle of the city. Had dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Ken and I had a hambourger, Raija had pasta, Rita was the only one who had Finnish food. Fried Baltic Herring.

Tuesday July 6

Woke up at 5:00, Rita at 6:30. Amazing. Rita has been getting up early in the morning lately. Let me repeat myself. Amazing.

Skyped with Rick around 6:45 our time 20:45 Monday, Vancouver time.

Left for Pyhtää around 10:00. Drove for about ½ hour when the gas low warning went off. Drove for about another ½ hour and decided to fill up close to Loviisa. Pulled off at a Neste Gas station. The place was a  hole in the ground, literally. They were putting new tanks into the ground. Drove back to the highway and continued for another 15 minutes, muttering to myself about Finns, which I made sure my traveling companions heard. Why don't they cover up the signs when there is no gas there. Pulled in at another Neste. It was only for trucks. Drove all the way to Pyhtää and found an ABC market, restaurant, gas station and filled up.

Then we decided to look for the Fransila family graves. Found one with the GPS, it was about 5 Km back on the highway. Looked around, didn't find any Fransilas. Started driving back to Pyhtää to a graveyard we had passed on the way to the gas station. Found Eija's garden.

In the Pyhtää graveyard I came across Erkki Fransila at the bottom of the picture.

Looked around some more and decided to go towards Fransilla highway and search for more graveyards. Just as we were passing the ABC, Iris phoned that she had arrived and was in the graveyard we just left. So we turned around and went back. Rita and Raija's grandparents are buried there. Their name was Blomqvist, which nobody had mentioned. We had walked right by it looking for Fransila's.

 

 

Then we went to another graveyard, towards Fransila highway, from Pyhtää. The GPS didn't show this graveyard. Found some more graves there.