From one family to another
With my plan to cycle all the way to Turku from Tampere dashed by my failure to find accommodation between Tampere & Loimaa, I caught a bus to the small town of Loimaa & stayed there for the evening. I didn't know that what started out as a place to stay for the evening became a truly Finnish experience I'll never forget.
After a light breakfast at the Dream Hostel, I packed my gear & cycled to the nearby suburb of Kaleva to catch the OnniBus, a coach to Turku that would also stop at Loimaa. An hour & a half on the road later, I was unceremoniously dropped off at a bus stop in the middle of the highway. Drizzling, cold & not an ounce of people in sight, I cycled to the train station to hopefully meet my host for the evening. This was the only photo I took that day.
I met Helmiina through Couchsurfing.com. She had signed up to the site a few years ago, with the earnest intention to host couchsurfers. Two children on the way made turning down requests an inevitability. But luck shined upon me, as I was their first couchsurfer since & I was eager to be their best behaved one.
At the train station, Helmiina walked me to their home, about a kilometre away from the station. We arrived at their beautiful, 1913-built home where I was introduced to her husband Antti, their children Herman & Fiina, & their dog Kessu (I think that's how it's spelt).
I was given the children's playroom to stay in. With a single bed & surrounded by toys, I was just happy to have somewhere that felt like a home, rather than the sterile white walls of a hostel. Helmiina made us pancakes in the afternoon & afterwards I collapsed in a 4 hour nap. By 7pm I was downstairs & was served a light snack of sandwiches in the evening.
Their majestic hunting dog, Kessu-- who found amazement & curiosity at my crotch
Drawings by Herman & Fiina, wishing me a good night
That evening, Helmiina & Antti invited me to stay another night & to join them at Helmiina's parents cottage to celebrate Midsummer. I jumped at the opportunity & quickly made arrangements with the hostel in Turku to delay my arrival by one day. I went to bed excited at what a Finnish Midsummer was like.
The following day I spent an hour exploring the town. Almost a ghost town, with very few people on the streets due to Midsummer & the poor weather, I took in what I could before returning home for lunch.
The grain silos Helmiina mentioned: This is how you know you are in a small country town
I'm unsure what this building was, but I can only guess it is the town hall or office
For lunch, Helmiina served a green salad & curry-like dish made of chicken pieces, blue cheese, cream & peach, served on pasta. I welcomed a home-cooked meal after living off protein bars, fast food & grocery store frozen meals.
After another short nap, we left for Helmiina's parent's place in the country.
Stunning.
The place was absolutely breathtaking. Helmiina parked the car & we walked a few metres through the woods to the cottage. There I was introduced to Heikki, Helmiina's father where he was assembling a bbq.
The weather was still poor. Drizzling & overcast, I sat down on the porch & sipped a can of Longdrink. After noticing the bbq pieces all packed up, Helmiina admitted that Heikki had given up on assembling it. So I offered to assemble it. We had to eat & if it was anything like Ikea furniture-- how hard could it be?
Helmiina posted this picture up on her Facebook, joking that if I want to stay at their place, I have to work for it!
The bbq assembled-- and it didn't explode or collapse
Heikki is not without his wit. After the sausages were well underway, Antti translated Heikki's remark at the situation: a bbq made in Hong Kong, bought in Finland, only to be assembled by an Australian. I'd add that it was an "American Barbecue" model & also assembled using Swedish instructions. With a firm handshake, Heikki thanked me for my help.
I later met Helmiina's mother, Karoliina; Antti's father, Pekka & his friend Arja. With everyone here & the sauna heated, it was time for the festivities to begin. I followed Heikki & Antti to the other side of the pond to collect birch branches for the sauna.
From the other side of the pond, a serene view of the cottage revealed itself.
The weather was still overcast, but there were moments when the sun broke out of the clouds & gave us some moments of warmth & light.
And so I sauna'd with Antti, eating a spicy sausage & drinking down a Longdrink in the woods of country Finland, occasionally slapping ourselves with the bound birch branches gathered earlier.. When it got too hot we would ease ourselves into the pond, then stand around the porch for another sausage.
After a few more visits to the sauna & pond, we washed & got dressed before heading to the new cottage that Heikki was still building. We ate green salad; potato & egg salad; a ham & cheese pie; raparperi (rhubarb) pie; ruisnappi (rye) crackers with various cheeses; and kääretorttu (swiss rolls).
Over a glass of cognac, I listened as the room filled with Finnish conversation. I reflected on how special an occasion this was for all Finns & how privileged I was to experience such an intimate tradition.
I shared with them the devastating bush fires of Australia, the kangaroo meat that every visitor must try, and the numerous animals & insects that are out to kill you. Heikki told us about a violent storm last year that up-rooted many of the trees outside the cottage, and diligently offered to refill my cup of cognac, to which I quickly (and politely) refused for fear of fainting.
Now I cannot begin to describe how adorable these children are. Herman is about 5 years old, talkative & cheeky, often spewing words of Finnish like a news reporter & helping his mother cook with disastrous results. Fiina, about 3 years old & still between Finnish & baby-talk-- steals chances to take her clothes off, as if she is eager to jump into a sauna. These kids are awesome.
Herman, after eating strawberries
Fiina, also after having eaten strawberries
Fiina with her grandmother, Karoliina
After dinner, we stood on the porch of the incomplete cottage, looked out at the field as the skies cleared & the sun poured over the fields & forest.
From left: Karoliina, Heikki & me
But the night wasn't over just yet. We headed out into the crop field to watch the bonfire under the midnight sun. Trudging through damp earth, a mist began to develop & we caught a glimpse of a white-tailed deer in the distance.
With trash, deadwood & leaves piled up, Herman watched as Heikki doused the pile with fuel. The day's rain made it difficult to ignite the damp wood.
The sun slowly set behind the horizon & I was beside myself of where I was.
From left: Heikki, Pekka, Arja, Herman, Karoliina, Fiina, Helmiina & Antti
We headed back to the cars, tired. This marked the solstice; the days after today will become shorter & shorter until the Winter blankets the days in darkness.
Herman with Heikki, who went to get more petrol for the bonfire
Antti pushing the trolley with Herman & Fiina (hidden) back to the car
The next day, I woke up at 7:30am & had breakfast in the kitchen with Helmiina. By 9:00am I was outside with my bags packed & my bike unfolded. Thankful for the experience & kindness they showed me, I bid Antti, Helmiina, Herman & Fiina farewell & began my 67km ride to Turku. With nothing particular amazing on the way, I took very few photos.
40km into my journey I arrived at a pittstop in Aura for a lunch break & to get some supplies for the road. As I entered into the store, I ignored the beeping of a car horn behind me. Only when I heard "CARLO!" did I turn around to see Antti stepping out of his car, with Helmiina, Herman & Fiina inside. They had travelled more than halfway to Turku to find me & return the one thing I forgot at their place: my wash bag. It was the best surprise of the day. The lengths of their generosity reduce me to a cry baby.
I arrived in Turku without much incident after Aura. Checked into my hostel aboard an old ship & went to bed.
Finally, to my hosts: Antti & Helmiina. Thank you. You have truly shown me Finland & I am humbled by your hospitality, kindness & trust. I can't imagine how I could possibly return the favour to you, but hope I can one day pay it forward. I wish you & your family all the best, & that Herman & Fiina grow up to be as wonderful as the two of you are.
Kiitos to my Finnish family.
