Coffee in Härrstrom

Pic 1 Åbacka home in Harrstrom
Pic 2 Oldest fishing house in Harrstrom
Pic 3 Windmills in Harrstrom
Pic 4 Original bridge in Harrstrom
Pic 5 Davis's fish
Pic 6 Caroline's Harrstrom sweater


On Tuesday afternoon, we were invited for coffee at Caroline Åbacka's home in Harrstrom, a small village near Korsnas. Caroline is a lifelong friend of Lena's and was one of the girls I knew when I was here as a teenager in 1976 and 1980. She and her husband live on his family's old homeplace and they have restored the 1920's house of his grandparents. When the house was built in the 20's an additional part was added from another house making it quite large. They have done an excellent job in modernizing the interior but keeping the original feel to it.

The Åbacka's have a fox and mink farm, raise long haired cattle, and farm land as well. When I think of Finland, they are the 'typical Finnish family' in my mind. Caroline made a delicious cake and blueberry pie for our coffee. Caroline modeled a sweater she had knitted for her 40th birthday. It is in a pattern which is unique to Harrstrom. It is special to have a sweater like this because it cost so much to have one custom made. Each village or town has their own pattern or designs and colors to represent their community in sweaters and traditional costumes. And the people who make them are very few. We visited and looked at an atlas to find where some relatives live in Florida and Tennessee so they can stop and visit us for a while some time when they come to the US! Caroline is also a trained florist and has some beautiful flowers and plants in her yard. The kids fished from the bridge with Caroline's daughter, Felicia, who is almost 12. Davis caught a nice sized fish (but I don't know the name of it!)

We took a little drive to see some of the historic places in Harrstrom-the old windmills, the old bridge, and the oldest house in Harrstrom. We had a very nice afternoon!

Last Days in Korsnas

Pic 1-Bo, Lena's husband, making some yummy waffles for a late supper.
Pic 2-Ralf showing us one of his baby silver foxes.
Pic 3-Boat building in Korsnas.

Our time in Korsnas has come to end but with no less busyness than the rest of the trip. On Saturday, we all went to visit my grandmother's sister, Maj-Len, and to give her one of the birdhouses the kids built at the museum last Sunday. Her husband is a boat builder and we got to see his shop with some boats in progress. Then, my Aunt Viktoria took us out to a very nice waterside restaurant in a nearby village called Molpe for a Midsummer Day's lunch. On Sunday, we were back to Susanne and Harry's in Edsvik for a lunch with her two older sons, Robert and Ronald, and their girlfriends. We had cucumber soup! which was fitting since they are the ones who grow the cucumbers. Then we went to return the car which had loaned to us to Åsa and visited again with her family including Anna, Ralf, Tildy, and Johnny. Ralf took the boys and me to see his mink farm and he also raises silver fox for the fur business. Later we went to Lena's villa for a late dinner of Svenska pleta, waffles, and pankakor. Yummy! Monday we began to pack to leave Korsnas and the kids rode their bikes to the villa. Later Mom and I joined them with a pot of chili for supper and left over pankakor. Yummy! Tuesday we finished packing and had a nice afternoon at Caroline Åbacka's home in Harrstrom, another village not too far from Korsnas. (I'll tell more in the next entry about Harrstrom.) Lena made the kids a dinner of their choice for their last night at the villa--Finnish spaghetti with brown sauce topped with ketchup. They love it!

On Wednesday, we left Korsnas about 10:30 a.m. going to Vasa to catch the train to southern Finland to two of my grandmother's nephews, Lars Erik and Johann, in an area called Ekanas. We have too much luggage and it was difficult moving it all to the next train when we had to change. We arrived in Helsinki about 5 p.m. and drove to Ekanas about 75 kilometers away. I'll fill you in on our time here as we go along, but it is less than a week before we return to the USA. It is hard to believe that 5 weeks which seemed so long in May has been as quick as it has been.

Land of the Midnight Sun

Picture 1 A boat marker on an island near Jakobstad about 9 p.m.
Picture 2 Austin on the rock outside Lena's house at 10:30(posed)
Picture 3 Austin on the rock at 11:30
Picture 4 Dramatic midnight sky on Midsummer Eve (Davis took this picture)
Picture 5 Early morning about 4:30

Since we arrived in Finland on May 28, we have had sunlight for basically 24 hours a day! With Midsummer Day, or the first day of summer, or the summer solstice having just passed yesterday, I thought I would share a variety of pictures with you to show you how bright it is during the evening and night.

A white night is when the sun does not sink below the horizon and is an arctic phenomenon. Of course, this is due to the earth's position in relation to the sun--the northern hemisphere receives more direct sunlight because it is tilting toward the sun. At the Arctic Circle, which is only a few hundred miles away to the north, the sun stopped rising or setting on June 6 and will stay above the horizon until July 7 when it will set for the first time in 31 days. It is hard to imagine until you experience it.

I have stopped the kids several times at 9 or 10 p.m. and said 'think about how bright it is now and what time it would be at home if it were this bright.' For instance, we have just come from the villa at 10:30 p.m. and it looks like 6:30 p.m. at home would look because the sun has dropped below the trees. At 9 p.m. you still need sunglasses outside in direct light because it is like 4 p.m. I have been awake at 4 a.m. and can clearly see my watch with the blinds closed. At 6:30 a.m. it looks like 10 a.m. It is incredible. I cannot say to the kids 'Come home when it gets dark'! We make them come inside so they do not wake the neighbors at 10 or 11 p.m.

Of course the opposite is true in winter. Only 5 or 6 hours of daylight and then it is not high above the horizon...in other words the sun is not overhead.

Enjoy the pictures.

The Traskvik Villa

Picture 1 Austin on the inflatable alligator (about 9 p.m.)
Picture 2 Davis and Jessico in inflatable boat
Picture 3 Ralf,Anna, and Mom looking over pictures
Picture 4 Fun in the hot tub

On Thursday, June 19, we had another family cookout at my grandmother's nepthew's, Ralf's, villa. His daughters, Åsa and Erika, visited my mom about 3 years ago. When I was here in 1976 and 1980, Ralf, who is a few years older than me, had a motorcycle and would give us rides around Traskvik. A lot of good memories there!

Åsa was our hostess for the evening and she did a fantastic job of preparing a meal for us...all of our favorites--grilled hamburgers and chicken, corn on the cob, watermelon, and a table full of other delicious foods. We really appreciate all the effort that is made for us at these gatherings...it makes us feel really at home and welcome. For dessert, my grandmother's sister-in-law, Anna, made us Svenska pleta, Swedish pancakes, with strawberries on top. Absolutely delicious!

Ralf arranged for a portable hot tub to be set up as well as a large tent with long tables for dinner. We enjoyed the hot tub and sauna. The kids played around the dock and eventually tried paddling a large, inflatable alligator and boat. They would get wet and then run warm up in the sauna or hot tub. It was a great eveninging and we hated for it to end. More memories with the Traskvik family!

A Midsummer's Day Eve

Picture 1 Adult table for Midsummer feast
Picture 2 Grilled bananas wrapped in bacon
Picture 3 Kids table for Midsummer feast
Picture 4 Cousin Ida with Midsummer wreath and boyfriend, Miakel
Friday, June 19, was Midsummer Eve, the night before the longest day of the year. We had a wonderful day at the Holti-Andersson villa in Korsnas. The kids played along the shore, made boats with sails, sharpened sticks to make arrows/spears for bows, and watched Ida make a Midsummer headpiece. She also made a birch arbor over the steps-entrance to the villa which is traditional as well. The weather was partly cloudy and breezy which made it a little cool but pleasant.

Another tradition that the young girls practice on Midsummer Eve is placing 9 different kinds of flowers under their pillows and then they will dream of the man they are to marry. If Jessica did, she is not telling!

The food was wonderful--grilled bbq chicken, pork tenderloin, and salmon, several salads, herring and caviar, boiled new potatoes and new to us, bananas wrapped in bacon and cooked on the grill. (You should try it!) Wonderful desserts, too.

We were a big group--the 5 of us, Lena and Bo's family and Ida's boyfriend (5), Mats and Britt's family from Jakobstad(5), Lena and Mats's mother, Aunt Viktoria, and Lena's friend, Caroline and her husband Mats. I knew Caroline from my visits before and it has been good to see her again.

We ate, played, and visited to welcome in Midsummer Day, the longest day of the year, and the first day of summer!

Happy Birthday, Austin!

Wednesday, June 17, was Austin's 10th birthday and he celebrated it in Finnish style. My cousin, Lena, and her daughter, Ida, sang a song to him which is sung to wake up children on their birthday in Finland. He thought at first they were singing 'Happy Birthday', but then they explained.

Although Austin spent part of his birthday following us around shopping, he did get to pick the meals throughout the day. For breakfast, his grandmother made Svenska pleta, or Swedish pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon. For lunch in the city, we all ate a great McDonald's lunch, and for dinner, he chose good old American tacos. But then came more birthday celebration.

Before we left the US, I told him he was going to get a big surprise for his birthday (because I got it on my birthday when I turned 12 and 16 in Finland.}! He begged me to tell him what it was; he asked his cousins through email; he asked his grandmother and great grandparents but no one would tell him what it would be. So now it was time!

Instead of birthday spankings for the number of years you are, in Finland, they throw you up in the air and say 'hurrah' for the number of years you are and it is usually a surprise when it happens...and Austin was no exception! He absolutely loved it!

Then Lena made him a traditional Finnish birthday cake which was absolutely delicious. It was homemade chocolate (not from a box] with very thin layers. In between the layers was bananas and strawberries and then a little strawberry juice with added to the layers. Instead of frosting, real whipped cream (not cool whip) was used. Around the top of the cake were rows of sliced strawberries, and in the circle was crushed chocolate and toffee. It was heavenly! Of course, Austin blew out the candles, but then a few trick candles reignited!

He also received a few presents: a Finnish soccer ball, some lego models, a coffee cup with the famous Finnish cartoon character on it, and some money (Euros and dollars).

I am certain Austin will always remember his Finnish birthday when he turned 10 years old. Lena, Bo, Ida, Viktor, and Viktoria made it very special for him...Thanks!

Fishing and Waterparks

Picture 1 Cousin Åsa with daughter Tildy at the water park
Picture 2 Davis and Austin in the hot tub
Picture 3 and 4 Austin down the water slides
Picture 5 Davis with the big catch of the day
Picture 6 Jessica baiting hook for Isak
Picture 7 Cousin Viktor showing how to catch a fish

Davis, Austin, and Jessica have had a great time on the trip with all the different cousins they have met. On Friday and Saturday, our cousin Victor who is 16 took them on a short boat ride to a dock area where they could fish. On Friday it was not so successful with only 5 or 6 fish caught. But on Saturday, they caught 67! Half of them were too small and the other half were not the right ones to eat. But a few good sized ones were caught and a lot of fun was had by all!

On Monday, another cousin, Åsa (who visited my mom 3 years ago) took us to a nearby town and to the water park called Tropicale. (The weather here has turned wet and cold-45 F and rainy for the last two days.) Some of the waterpark is inside so we were able to swim and play in some very warm water, and the air inside is warm as well. The kids had a very good time!