Christmas Day in Finland, is a time for rest and relaxation. Books brought by Santa Claus are read and food left over from Christmas Eve is eaten. It is not until St. Stephen's Day (Boxing Day), December 26, that visits are made to friends and relatives.
Greg and I decided to break tradition and go and visit his Finnsih friends Make and Anni with their two children Oli and Kaisa.They have a summer cottage not far from Kuopio where we celebrated Christmas Eve.
It is a very beautiful place that seems more isolated than Raili & Junnu's place. 
As we were driving over to their place it started to rain. This gave an awesome mirrored effect to the frozen lake that was near their cottage.
Junnu and his pimp daddy outfit.
Before their dinner took place I was given a tour which included a look at a cellar, which is pretty much a place cut out of the side of a hill.
They also had a very old type of sauna called a smoke sauna.
Today most saunas are heated by electricity or wood, but this sauna is heated by the smoke. The savusauna (smoke sauna) is a special type of sauna without a chimney. Wood is burned on a particularly large stove and the smoke fills the room. When the sauna is hot enough, the fire is allowed to die and the smoke is ventilated out. The residual heat of the stove is enough for the duration of the sauna. Glad they didn't want to use it because I didn't really want to get all smokey and black.
Now back to the cottage where I found some pretty interesting decorations.
As we were driving over to their place it started to rain. This gave an awesome mirrored effect to the frozen lake that was near their cottage.
Junnu and his pimp daddy outfit.
Before their dinner took place I was given a tour which included a look at a cellar, which is pretty much a place cut out of the side of a hill.
They also had a very old type of sauna called a smoke sauna.
Today most saunas are heated by electricity or wood, but this sauna is heated by the smoke. The savusauna (smoke sauna) is a special type of sauna without a chimney. Wood is burned on a particularly large stove and the smoke fills the room. When the sauna is hot enough, the fire is allowed to die and the smoke is ventilated out. The residual heat of the stove is enough for the duration of the sauna. Glad they didn't want to use it because I didn't really want to get all smokey and black.
Now back to the cottage where I found some pretty interesting decorations.
The Christmas tree was simple and plain but very pretty. 
And here we have the Christmas, Moose...? 
hmm...
hmm...That didn't bother me as much as the stuffed squirrel and ferret that was on top of the TV. 
Not sure if these were pets at one point in time or if this was some avid big game hunter's killings?? Proof of his life and death decision, Man versus Beast, and the man won against all odds.
Before the sun set it snowed and the frozen lake was covered with a light layer of snow that was really beautiful
Not sure if these were pets at one point in time or if this was some avid big game hunter's killings?? Proof of his life and death decision, Man versus Beast, and the man won against all odds.
Before the sun set it snowed and the frozen lake was covered with a light layer of snow that was really beautiful
Late into the night Anni told me to go outside to "listen to the quiet darkness". I bundled up and went outside alone ready to hear nothing but silence yet it was not quiet at all!
In fact it was rather loud and a little scary. It is hard to describe what I heard but it made goose chills go up my body.
I went running in to tell them that the night was NOT quiet and that it was making freaky noises. They started laughing and they told me that the ice must be moving and when it does it makes noises. Huh? Ice makes a noise?
Well, I went out on the Internet and found someone in Minnesota that recorded the sound of ice on a lake, and it makes a freaky noise. The exact noise I heard, this is EXACTLY what it sounded like .... so click on the item below and listen because I think it is cool.
2 comments:
Hello. This post is likeable, and your blog is very interesting, congratulations :-). I will add in my blogroll =). If possible gives a last there on my blog, it is about the Aluguel de Computadores, I hope you enjoy. The address is http://aluguel-de-computadores.blogspot.com. A hug.
andrea, I guess I missed reading this post from awhile back. Things are so different there....wow. Stuffed squirrels for knik-knacks. I can just picture Biskit and Cookie stuffed on my bed after they die! (oh...that makes me sad.)
ha.
Kath
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