Nauvo, Finland – The grandparents have arrived! And look where we are! We have rented a house on the island of Nauvo (Nagu in Swedish) in the Turku Archipelago. An awesome 20,000 islands and skerries make up this chain, although…
Aalto Center
Seinäjoki, Finland – Aalto keskus means Aalto center. In Seinäjoki, it refers to the cluster of civic buildings — town hall, library, theater, church — all designed by Alvar Aalto. (This definitely a candidate for inclusion on the Alvar Aalto…
Pakka Adventure Park
Kalajoki, Finland – Imagine a treetops obstacle course, with tight ropes, slack lines, rope ladders, hanging bridges, zip lines, and all manner of challenges. That’s what you get at Pakka Adventure Park. These types of outdoor adventure parks are opening…
Lohilaakso Fish Restaurant
Kalajoki, Finland – If you like the idea of sitting at a pond-side picnic table and feasting on freshly smoked salmon that you caught yourself, here is a place that you can do it. Even if you don’t know how…
Lapland Specialties
Kalajoki, Finland – This is as far north as we’re going to get on this trip. So this is my best chance to sample some Lapland specialties at Ravintola Pihvitupa. We started with smoked reindeer soup, followed by Finnish squeaky…
No Crowds
Kalajoki, Finland – One of the things I love about Finland is that there are no crowds, anywhere we go. I have written about this before, but it continues to astound me. This is one of the best, most popular…
Goodbye to Åland
Åland, Finland – Today we said goodbye to Åland and our sweet little farmhouse here. We loved the island life! Next stop: Kalajoki on the northwest coast. Here is a pic from the long haul north. P.S. Photo taken at…
Lumparby Ollas
Åland, Finland – Here in Åland, we are staying in a farmhouse in the tiny village of Lumparland. There is not much here, save a church, a food market and the delightful and dangerous Lumparby Ollas Cafe. Several things to…
Stallhagen Brewery
Åland, Finland – In 2010, wreck divers salvaged old bottles of beer and champagne from a 19th-century shipwreck off the coast of Åland. Scientists analyzed the contents and local Stallhagen brewery re-created the historic beer. For those of us who are…
Mariehamn Maritime Quarter
Mariehamn, Finland – The capital of Åland, Mariehamn is a seafarer’s paradise. The waterside Mariehamn Maritime Quarter has long been a center of boat building. Nowadays, the atmospheric quay has ship-building workshops alongside art galleries, cafes and local boutiques. You…