Summer trip 1 part 2

As from the picture update you can see we chose to stop at ABC, which is a rest stop place here in Finland. They have a place for the children to play, and they offer food and other merchandise. It is good as the offering is pretty similar in all of the ABCs around country. The play ground is a bit better in others, do to space. In some, it is really small and contains just a few toys or mats while in others the playground is really extensive. The reason we chose these rest stops was easy, as not all other available places offer as extensive service from once place. Basically the smaller the children are while traveling, the more suitable ABCs are. 

Our first part of the trip was to travel to Pieksämäki. It took us about 6 hours to drive plus two hours of rest to get to our destination. So on Monday night we arrived at my friends place and stayed there for the night. In the morning I took my friend to see her relatives (they lived close by where I took my niece to camp) and my niece to camp. It took me about 40 mins to drive there and then an hour to drive back. We took a detour with my friend and visited a graveyard where her parents were buried. On our way back we also visited a graveyard where my granny and granddad are buried. I was displeased to see that the grave was not taken care of. I have relatives that live in Pieksämäki and in close by cities. None of them had taken care of the grave. So we agreed with my friend that I would take care of it and but some flowers in it. 

Then in the afternoon I drove us to Mikkeli. My friend went to visit her husband and I met a friend of mine. We spent about few hours in Mikkeli before returning back to Pieksämäki. I had been warned that the tires are quite slippery when wet, so I was already expecting trouble when I had to drive back in rain. The material they have used to fix the road (the patches) were like ice when wet. So let me just say that I was really really glad to be back at my friends home when we got back. I did not like the experience at all. Luckily we did not have much rain before that or after that in our trip. 

On Wednesday I went shopping for flowers and took care of my grandparents grave. We went to Mikkeli again with the same arrangement as the day before. Then in the evening we went to my friends summer cottage (see the pictures for the view) with amazing and tranquil view. We went to sauna and returned back to the city for the night (we were too hasty to go to the cottage and did not think it through as we could have stayed there for the night). The sunset picture is from the way back to the city. 

On Thursday we shopped a bit, took books to day care and visited Nukkekoti (Dolls house) which has a playground for children and where the imagination is allowed to run free. After that I decided to bake a bit for my friend while I could. We received happy news that my friends husband had been relocated back to Pieksämäki, and she did not need to drive to Mikkeli. This was the last day of the trip that I had for myself, as on Friday I picked up my nieces. More of that on the next post. 

Picture update part 1

At ABC Pulkkila on our way to southern Finland

At ABC in Kuopio spending few hours letting my niece play. The road is right next to us.

My granny's neighbours cottage. Or the view from there. Very tranquil. One reason to love Finnish summer.  

On our way home we saw this! Ain't it beautiful?

At Nukkekoti in Pieksämäki.

This is a really good place to take you children to

Just amazing artwork everywhere!

And of course there are puppets everywhere

I also baked a bit. My friend asked me to do something with chanterelle, so I did. This is a pie with chanterelle and cheese and something I am not able to find a good translation to (sulatejuusto).

Chanterelle horn with onion

And of course I had to make some of these. I baked more than just this. About double the amount. My friend is getting older so she likes to be baked for although she is quite capable of baking herself. 

Summer trip 1 part 1

First summer trip is done. I will be updating the events more closely. Now this is just a quick update that all is well and trip was eventful. I am so tried and happy that I do not need to drive anymore. Phew! I left on the second of June and arrived on 13th of June. I drove about 2,500 km total. The last day I drove about 700 km. So there has been lots of driving, but luckily also days when I did not drive.

I did not take my laptop with me, so I have not been on computer the entire time I was away. I did use my phone for internet access, so I cannot say I was totally out of the grid. I did not have time to send anything as it is very slow to write on my phone. Anyways, I am now home, and will next update some pictures from my travel.

Unemployment

I know that for some, it must be really hard to be unemployed. For me it is not such. I feel free-ed. I did not have very nice workplace the last time, so I need some time to relax. I was so close to being burned out, that I actually might have been. So for me being laid off was a blessing. I have been applying for a new job regularly, but so far have not been even asked to come to an interview. It is a bit of bummer I admit, but at least I am able to have some free time before going back to work. 

Money is an issue for many. As I was laid off and did not quite myself, I do get money from my union. It means that now after the employment office has said that they do not see my final month of studies affecting my working ability, I can apply for money. I have saved some money, so I know I can manage until the union pays me. Also I am living with my sister, so I do not have extra expenses. Planning is everything when you are trying to save money. I admit that I did not wish to use much of my savings, but I have had to use some. 

Summer travel part 1

I promised my sister that as I am unemployed and have time, I will be taking my niece for a short vacation. First I will be dropping her off to a camp in the mid Finland for four days. Than we shall continue to visit friends and family until 12 days later returning back home. It is going to be fun! Well for her at least. I will be doing some baking at my granny's neighbors place. She got same sad news (husband was taken to hospital) and some good news (he has awaken), so I am not sure if I will be able to do all that I had planned, as I wish to stay and help her as much as I can. Then when my niece's camp is over I can't help anymore. 

I had planned us to visit more places than we are actually going to this time. One reason being that there is another camp for my niece before mid summer. Other being that the timetable that I have now does not allow me to visit everyone I want to see. They are working during the day and with a little girl the best visiting hours are the days. Have in mind we have to travel too. We are lucky that we only needed to stay in a cottage once during our trip. Otherwise we are staying with friends and family. 

Tomorrow this adventure begins!