Favorite places

I would like to tell you about one of my favorite places, the summer cottage. Situated in the Finnish countryside about 11 kms from Siuntio which is located about an hours drive from Helsinki, it is quite simply heaven.

We have two main buildings there, the sauna house and then the old farm house, which we call upstairs and downstairs, on account of the hill which separates the two. The old farm house is surrounded by 12 hectres of forest and has been in the family for over 200 years.It is usually left unused during the wintertime on account of there not being any heating, but during the summer months it is used quite regularly by the family. It is quite an adventure trying to stay there during the winter and I have tried it many times, especially just before Christmas when my brother-in-law and myself go to collect the family Christmas tree. This has been going on anually for the last 15 years or so, travelling to the cottage on the Friday and staying until Sunday morning. We often sit an remember past Christmas', was it cold, how much snow was there on the ground, was there snow at all? The coldest was a couple of years ago, at -25 it took most of the night to get the house warmed up enough to take our coats off, but generally by the time it comes to leave the house is as warm and snug as any modern house.

The cottage in springtime

But it is during the summertime when the cottage comes into its own and you feel as if you are totally cut off from the rest of the world. Surrounded by Forests of Spruce, Pine and silver birch, there is a fine view down to the lake.

A view of the old smithy

The cottage is home to a wide variety of animals and birds including many types of deer, elk and even lynx have often been spotted here.

Come and see Helsinki

Senate Square in the heart of Helsinki

As a kid I always remember January and February as being the time when we would book "THE HOLIDAY". Just after the New Year the brochures wold arrive through the door and the next couple of weeks would be spent trying to choose the place to go. Somewhere different, somewhere exciting, somewhere the beighbours have not been! In those days of the middle to late seventies it was mostly seaside resorts, which is how I came to fall in love with Scarborugh. nowadays people are travelling much further afield, but I bet Finland is not the first place that springs to mind when planning one of the most important times of the year.

Finland sitting between Sweden and Russia, seems to be one of those places where people always would like to see, but never get around to it. I have now been a Helsinki guide for four years over which time I must have met thousands of visitors and I hear a repeated explaination as to why they chose Finland. "When I was younger I worked here for a time", "I visited during my studies", "My neighbour came here a few years ago and highly reccomended it" etc, etc, etc.It is true a lot of people come here with no-expectations, mostly either from Stockholm Sweden and on their way to St Petersburg or the other way and Helsinki is just a part of the tour.Yet time and time again Helsinki suprises, and often people wish they had a longer time to visit. It's clean, very little graffite, uncrowded, everyone speaks English, its feels easy and relaxed. People come to see thedifferent types of architecture, the many park lands or just to wander around enjoying the relaxed atmosphere.Perhaps visiting one of the markets situated in the center, where you can buy fresh Finnish fruit and vegtables as well as Finnish handicrafts. It is quite easy to walk around Helsinki, which is rather a compact little city and can be achieved easily in three hours. If you do not want to walk, you could take a tram, which goes around the city with an hourly ticket. You may wish to take the PUB tram, which serves beer etc, and you could sit drinking your pint while the city passes around you. If it is shopping that you are after, you could visit the design district with its many little streets overflowing with small design shops, or visit the Stockmann's department store. Some want to explore further in-land and visit the wooden town of Porvoo situated about an hours drive down the motorway, or spend some time walking around the Nuuksio National Park which is only half an hours drive from Helsinki and learn about natural Finland in the recently opened Nature centre.

Helsinki Market place

One thinks of Finland and visions of cold wet summers spring to mind, but this is not true, long hot summer days have become the norm, in fact last year we had our hottest day since records began +38 degrees! In the winter we get good snowfalls, unfortunately this year excepted as I look from my office window, during one of the mildest winters on record. But it is not just Helsinki that is worth a visit, Turku the old capital of Finland during the Swedish times, is only a three hour train ride away and if you want to go further, Lapland is well reccomended. Oulu, Tampere and Vaasa are also well worth a look at.

Finns love their sports and so the Olympic Stadium might be right up your street, compleated for the 1940 Olympic games which was cancelled because of the war, the stadium was actually used for the 1952 Olympic games. You can take a lift to the top of the 72 meter tall tower and get a birds eye veiw of the entire city, but if heights are not your strong point, the sports museum is also a worthwhile visit while the rest of the family enjoy the thrill.

The 72 meter Olympic Staduim tower

The Olympic Stadium

If music is your thing, there are many concert halls to visit around the city, one of the most popular attractions for music lovers is the Sibelius Monument, dedicated to Finland's most famous composer. This monument is visited my millions every year and in the summer time you can usually find students from the world famous Sibelius' accademy playing Sibelius' most famous work "Finlandia" from morning to evening.The monument itself is made from 600 stainless steel tubes and situated in wonderful park land, which is a great favorite for singing Nightingales around mid-summertime.

The Sibelius Monument

So next time you are thinking where to go for "THE HOLIDAY" think of Finland, perhaps we shall meet and I will be able to guide you around this lovely city.

So who is really in charge?

Tufftey (top) and Pickles (below), the real people in charge of my life. Only a year and a half separates them, so they both have the same interests, sleeping, eating and running madly around the house after each other. Here we see Tufftey enjoying the Christmas festivities, while Pickles is planning to attack the Christmas tree.

That is better, a much clearer picture of Pickles. Both came from the cats home as kittens, Tufftey the only boy in a litter of five and the only long haired cat of the litter. Tufftey is the quiet one, relaxed but afaid of the slightest sound or movement. As he has aged, he has become a real baby cat and is often found on my lap. Both are indoor cats, here in Finland it is actually illegal to let your cats outside in town areas. This suits us as we have a couple of busy roads nearby.

Pickles is the terrorist of the family, even from the first day we found him at the cats home. Again in amongst a litter of five kittens, Pickles was definately different from his brothers and sisters. The nurse opened the pen were he was and out shot one black flash, he ran across the room and jumped up onto the window ledge. Still being very small, he did not quite make it and so hanging on to the ledge with his front paws and kicking with his back paws and with a little struggle he finally made it and sat there looking at us. Straight away, we knew that he was the one. It was a week later, when we could finally collect him, and again the nurse opened the pen and out rushed one kitten, straight across the room and into the travel box.

At home you could not have two friendlier cats, they both got on with each other from the moment they met, although Tufftey often gives the impression that he can not believe all the things Pickles gets up too. They both have their different habits, Tufftey always sleeps on my side of the bed, while Pickles always sits with me at the breakfast table in the mornings. Pickles has lots of toys, whilst Tufftey is just happy to watch. Both enjoy dinner time, but will wait for the other to come to the plates before starting and they both talk alot.

The daily routine is very much the same, 6.30am on the dot, it is time to get up whether it be a working day or a weekend, breakfast is no later than 7.00am. If this ritual for any reason is late, then the running around and knocking things over begins until either the Alpha female or myself can take it no longer and have to provide to our lordship's needs. After breakfast it is sitting with Daddy time, Daddy being me. This carries on until it is time to work, and in the true spirit of the word "work", it is time for the "boys" to sleep. Around about 11.30am it is play time or other interesting activities, such as watching the birds and squirrels outside the kitchen window. After this more play and trying to get an extra snack, which sometimes works depending on the methods they can think up. Afternoon nap starts at about 14.00 and goes on until about 17.00, when it is time to remind me that it is soon tea time, which takes place around 17.30. More play and activities follows until the Alpha female returns home and the "Oh we are so hungry, he never feeds us" routine begins. The evening routine is very much like the morning routine, until it is time for bed. Tufftey does a circuit of the house to make sure that everything is in its place, Pickles decides to play one of his noisier games, which consists of chasing a plastic ball around the house, before everyone settles down to sleep. The next morning the day starts much the same as the day before, I would not change it for the world.

My first attempt at writing a blog: Match day

Ok, here we go my first attempt at writing a blog! Everything is quiet in the house, the alpha female, ie: Tuula is in the bedroom watching TV from her new telephone and the cats are not yet demanding their dinner. So here I sit trying to think of something to write,,, better come up with something soon as in just over half an hour the Spurs are on TV. Another must win game against Norwich City. Apparently we have not lost at Norwich for 6 games, yet I remember we always used to struggle there. I've been to Norwich's Carrow Road three times in the 1980's and I think we lost each time 2-1.

Now since moving to Finland back in 1987, I've not been to a game, although as Tottenham are on TV almost weekly, I'm watching them more now than ever before. Tottenham for me came with my first breath, the family on my Father's side came from Tottenham, living within 10 minutes from the "Spurs Ground" as the locals still prefer to call White Hart Lane. I will tell about my "Tottenham family" many times during this blog, my connection to the Spurs. But now time goes on and I need to don my Spurs shirt and light the Spurs candle (to be explained).

Someone recently said, "Every saturday we see them, fat middle aged men all in their favorite team's shirt, all secretly hoping that their favorite team find themselves one man short, the manager looks to the crowd for that needed man, then he sees ME"

Coming up soon...