5 things...

Friday 28th December: Travelling to Helsinki Our journey to Japan began on Friday 28th December 2018 in Manchester airport. We boarded the 5.50pm flight to Helsinki excited to be spending a night in Finland before heading to Tokyo. We landed at Vantaa airport in the freezing cold, surrounded by thick snow. I've always loved the snow in Finland. It makes everything look picturesque. We headed to Espoo and met the family and had a sauna before bed. We got up early the following morning and took Gapu and Reku for a walk to the nearby forest. We came across another dog, a chocolate lab, who's owner told us he was from the same guide dog school as Gapu and Reku. We then went to Sello to buy a few bits and pieces before our flight in the afternoon. It was nice to see the Christmas lights and decorations were still up. We had lunch, packed our bags and headed for the airport. We took the train and got through security very quickly. Our 9.5 hour flight was delayed so we found

One of my favourite things to do when visiting my family in Finland is taking the dogs for a walk around the Espoo neighbourhood. When I first went to Finland I met Gapu (9) who was a permenant member of the family and Vauhti (3) who was being trained to be a guide dog. Vauhti would go back to the guide dog school for periods of time and then spend time with the family the rest of the time. Vauhti Vauhti passed the guide dog training test earlier this year and was subsequently homed with a visually impaired person. If the dog does not pass the test after a year, they are not taken on as guide dogs and are homed with families. The family has worked with the Guide Dog school http://opaskoirakoulu.fi/?lang=en since 1999 when they adopted their first dog, Cola. Cola Reko and Gapu With the recent addition of Reko, a white Labrador to the family, I thought it would be nice to look at how my Finnish family got connected to the Guide Dog school and ended up givi

Last night we arrived in Finland for a short break and to catch up with friends and family and just enjoy being in Finland during Autumn. I can already notice a difference since we were last here in July. We missed seeing the first snow of the season by a day, so we've arrived in a wet and windy Finland.  I can't wait to take in the beauty of this country at this time of year and take lots of photos! I've been in desperate need of a break from work and the every day routine that can take over life. 5 things I'm looking forward to doing in Finland... 1. Visit Tampere We stayed in Tampere, the 'Manchester of Finland' last January and had a great time eating munkki and exploring the city. 2. Eat Cinnamon buns and drink coffee We plan to visit some of our favourite coffee shops and indulge in some cinnamon buns and musta kahvi whilst in Helsinki. Cafe Succes and Carousel are top of our lists! 3. Go for long walks with the dog Nothing beats a nic

Last year I enrolled to the Manchester Suomi school and started to learn Finnish twice a month. The class was mainly filed with English people with Finnish partners. I'd picked up one or two phrases from my partner and his family but still struggled with the language. I decided to try a new way of learning. Using post-it notes and a sharpie, I decided to label everyday household items to try and learn a few words around the house. So far, so good. I'm getting there and starting to remember words. I'm going to change the words every few weeks and try and expand my Finnish as much as possible. We're heading over to Helsinki in a week's time so hopefully I'll get to practice some of the words and phrases I've learnt.

So I've been visiting Finland for almost two years now and it's safe to say it's now my second home. I fell for the Scandinavian way of life as soon as I landed. Taking in a deep breath of fresh Finnish air as you step off the plane is an invigorating experience. While I'm still finding new places to visit in Finland, I spend most of my time between Espoo and Helsinki whenever I visit there. Over the last two years I've found many interesting places that are now regular stops when in town. I've decided to list my top 5 favourite things to do and will maybe add a second part to this post in the future. 1. Löyly Sauna www.loylyhelsinki.fi/en/front-page/ After spending a few days in Finland I quickly realised how important saunas (pronounced 'saow-na') are to the Finnish. Most, if not all, homes in Finland have a sauna and there are still a few public saunas left to experience. The first time I experienced Finnish sauna, the heat li