Scandinavia

When we arrived in Simo, Pekka was already there. The holiday cottage in Simo is more than just a cottage, it's more like an estate. There are a number of building amongst which, of course, the house itself and the separate smoke sauna. We will sleep in a separate guesthouse. Next to these buildings there are a number of sheds present on the premises. There is also, as in Oulu, a playhouse in which Ciska had a great time. And all is near the Simo river. Pekka showed us around and when everybody had arrived we had something to eat. After dinner, Pekka, Kaarle and Arjan went to the tennis-court. Their neighbours own the tennis-court, but it is partly build on their property so they are allowed to use it. After that, Pekka and Arjan went into the sauna. Pekka had started the fire about five hours ago, so there was already a nice warm temperature inside. After about half an hour we moved out and the ladies went in, including Ciska and Hilleke. It was midnight already and it is still light outside. We are rather northerly already, almost near the Arctic Circle and the sun hardly sets here this time of year. The ladies stayed a bit longer in the sauna as it had cooled down a bit already. And while they were enjoying themselves, Pekka and Arjan started a post-sauna tradition. First they drank a Finnish lager beer to compensate for all the body fluids they lost and then an English ale that went together with the tasting of a number of Scottish malt whiskies. Ciska and Veera were the first to return from the sauna. Ciska again said she didn't like the warm room and she never wanted to go to a sauna again. Well, that's also what she said the last time and she went in again. After Ciska returned we took her to bed, around 1 am. We went sometimes later, around 1.30 am, and it was still light outside. Luckily the room in which we slept had only two small windows. Too make it a bit darker, we put a mattress and a wooden board in front of them.

The next day we slept late, we had breakfast around 11 am. After breakfast we decided what to do today. Pekka went cloudberry picking and we, together with Aura and the children, went out to explore the surroundings. Susanne stayed in Simo. We went to visit a museum and a number of other sights. At a supermarket we did some shopping for making a cake. Today, the baby is exactly one month of age, reason to eat cake. Pekka had bought a salmon for dinner and he prepared it over a fire. The fish was really very delicious and we all enjoyed it very much. Before dinner Pekka had again kindled the sauna, so in the course of the evening it was sauna time again. The men went first as the women didn't like a very hot sauna. So when Pekka and Arjan returned and started their post-sauna ritual the ladies went in, including Ciska. She now starts to like it; she stayed in the whole time. Afterwards they all, except Hilleke and Aura, went for a swim in the river. When everybody had returned in the house we had something to eat including the delicious cake, before we all went to bed.