Surprise visit to Finland!

In the end of March I visited Finland. It was only a trip for a weekend but still I am more than happy that I was able to make it. The trip was a surprise for my family as only my sister was aware that I'm coming. I could not sleep well for a couple of nights before the trip as I was just thinking how everybody will react seeing me in Finland. This was the first time that nobody was picking me up from Turku ( as nobody knew ;)) so I needed to take a train. Trains are very expensive in Finland but luckily I was able to find good tickets. As I arrived to Tampere my sister picked me up from the station and it was time to surprise everybody else! The surprise was successful as nobody had even thought that there would be possibility that I could be in Finland. Happy reunion with family!

There were few things I wanted to do while in Finland (except spending time with family), enjoying the nature and eating wings plus some other real Finnish food. Luckily I was able to do all that. The weather was beautiful for the whole trip so that it was easy to spend time outside. We went to a lake in our town and enjoyed the nature and sweet-bun-on-a-stick. Sweet-bun-on-a-stick is like the traditional Finnish sweet bun but it is baked on campfire. It is great snack while hiking or spending time in the nature. Specially when I do not like Finnish sausages that are just full of flour. On Sunday I had the opportunity to go to my favorite restaurant in Tampere, Hook with by brother. Hook is known for their wings and their decor is just awesome with all the pirate things.  

Before the trip it was hard to think what to bring with me. At the time it was already relatively warm in Poland and I was just using my Converse shoes, however for Finland I needed to take my winter boots that were in the closet already. I also took my winter jacket. It was good to have it in Finland but when coming back to Poland I was way too hot. It can be said that the spring is officially in Poland! Terrace season is open and flowers blossom. Today +23 degrees ;)

-Camilla

What do I miss from Finland? Top7

I bet there are some things everybody are missing from their home country if they live abroad. I don't know the next time I will be visiting Finland so maybe I feel a bit home sick and sentimental about everything related to Finland. I'm even planning to order a package online full of Finnish treats!

So, What do I miss from Finland?

1. Family and all my friends and loved ones. 
People I miss the most! I think this is quite obvious remark, but it is the truth. I can try to cook something Finnish here, but I can not spend all the time I wish to with the people that I miss. I'm happy that it is possible to stay in touch via skype, facebook, whatsapp... but it is still different when you are not able to hug and to be honest I'm not the best person to stay in touch via internet. That is why I really appreciate my friends who get that. When we are able to see each other again it feels that we just saw yesterday.

2. Sauna
The warm relaxing feeling without any stupid restrictions like: you can not throw water or there is a maximum temperature that is not enough or you can not bring children to sauna. I have tried sauna here a couple of times but it was like torture as I couldn't throw any water. The sauna was so dry it was almost impossible to breathe. Never again! I miss the normal Finnish sauna.

3. Food! For example: rye bread, black sausage, carelian pie, different milk products, liver casserole (maksalaatikko), hot wings.....
There are many kind of foods that are not sold here or I'm not able to prepare them on my own. Also our oven is the size of a microwave so that I'm not able to prepare everything I wish. I miss Finnish supermarket and all the products (just not the prices!). Before Christmas I'm planning to bake many Finnish treats, for example cinnamon rolls, gingerbread's and maybe even Christmas tarts.

4. Candy, specially all black candies! 
I can get good chocolate and normal candy from Poland, but salty licorice and salmiak! I also miss normal candy by weight, there is something similar in Poland but everything is always hard and dry and the selection is not as good. I can not wait to order my package!

5. Drinks, like glögi, longdrink(lonkero) and different kind of ciders.
I want glögi for Christmas, I think there is something in Ikea but the selection is not as good I could hope for. Lonkero is a soft alcohol drink sold in Finland, I don't like it so much anymore but as I don't like beer I hope to have bigger variety of choices. The same goes for ciders, in Poland you can find only a couple of brands and couple of tastes where as in Finland there is a plenty of different kind of tastes.

6. Easy instructions how to do things, for example for university
I feel that in Finland I was always able to find easy instructions how I should do something and here I just should know. Not any official infos about anything, everything I have learned about the whole university system is from my friends. We are now having a separate classes for writing thesis with our supervisors. At the same time I know that in Finland you could have a separate class for research, for writing and meetings with the supervisors. I miss this feeling that I know everything!

7. Nature
We live in the city so that it is hard to find a place just for yourself. I miss everything clean and green. I have grown up in a place where the nature was always close, just to go out for a walk in the forest and barely see anybody else. Playing in the forest and building some shelters, climbing to trees.... Maybe I wouldn't do the same things anymore but I miss walking alone, being able to pick berries and mushrooms.

There is many more things that I miss, the list could probably be endless. Even when I miss many things from Finland that doesn't mean I wouldn't be happy here. I feel happy and that Wroclaw is my home now. I could also make a list why I love my life here, but for now, feeling a bit sentimental about Finland list about the things I really miss felt more suitable.

-Camilla

Trip to Stockholm! Part 1

We had a family gathering in Stockholm for this weekend. We traveled to Stockholm from Poland and my family from Finland. It was great to see my family and have a small vacation at the same time with the people that I love. It is so important for me to see my family and just know that they are always there for me, willing to travel just to spend a couple of days with me. (Crying a bit now...)

But yea, our travel to Sweden didn't start in the perfect manner. Our flight was leaving from Katowice early in the morning. We bought tickets to the train just day before and there were no seats anymore. We also bought bus tickets from the train station to the airport. When we got to the Wroclaw train station, we noticed that the train is 35 minutes late. We were supposed to hop in to the bus just 30 minutes after the train was supposed to arrive. We got to the train and luckily we got seats so that I was able to sleep a bit. Eventually the train was 40 minutes late and we missed the only bus to the airport. We checked from the web that taxi would cost 160zl..... Way too much.... We got an idea and for the first time we used Uber. That costed only 89zl (a lot but not as much as the taxi....) We got to the airport on time just with one experience more. The Uber car was brand new and clean, the driver was driving very well compared to some carzy taxi drivers in Poland, it was a good experince and I can see myself using Uber again sometime.

Our flight was on time and we landed to Skavasta (still 80min bus drive to Stockholm city). In the city my family came to the bus station and the family weekend was ready to start, everybody at the same time at the same place!

Just days before we arrived to Stockholm there was a huge snow chaos. Some flights were cancelled and it was almost impossible to move by any transportation. I'm happy that this didn't influence our trip and the situation was already under control. In the old town we saw that the road was closed for a while as the workers were cleaning the roofs of the buildings and pushing the snow to the ground. The snow is so heavy for the buildings and also if it would fall on its own it could be very dangerous for the people walking down on the street.

We all have visited Stockholm many times before. It is quite common to take a ferry from Finland to Sweden and stay in the city at least for one day. There were still things we haven't done before when it comes to sight seeing. In my next post I will write about the things we did and saw, with some tips and my favorites!

-Camilla

8 things to do in Finland during the summer!

Sometimes I feel that staying in Finland is a different reality for me. Two months past so fast even when I was missing Poland. 

Me at my mums birthday

1. Spend time with my family

 It is important for me to spend time with my family when I'm able to do it. 

2. Enjoy the nature

Everything seems to be so clean and pure. I don't miss that so much while in Poland, but when I get to Finland, I need to get to the forest and just walk.

Mustamakkara

3. Eat Finnish food

I love to eat all the things that I can not find from Poland (or things that only grandma or dad can cook). Favorites 4ever mustamakkara (black sausage) and wings. :D

4. Work

Summer is the time to earn money for the next school year.

5. Spend time with my friends

It is important for me to see my friends, I always have a great time with them. Unfortunately I feel that I didn't have enough time this summer.

6. Sauna

Relaxing in sauna. Best is when there is also a lake and you can just swim and go to sauna and repeat for hours.

7. Road trips! 

Different kind of nature, more people to see... Perfect!

8. Shop Finnish design to bring  back to Poland

I didn't buy almost anything for myself, but a lot of things to our home. Finlayson, Iittala.... It is a great reminder about everything during the winter.

-Camilla