Camino friends

Hi-
I am in Denmark visiting two women I met on the camino last fall. I have been here almost a week. Even though I only knew them for a few days in the fall, I feel like I am with old friends. Yesterday Pylle started talking to me in Danish!
I am happy to be in these small towns and visitng with the friends, family and neighbors of Luna and Pylle. On Monday we had the sommerfest party. Usually, they have a huge brush pile and put a witch on the top of it. Then they light a fire. The witch is suppose to represent all trouble and evil (we've heard this before). Anyway, they say they are sending her to Germany. It was way too windy to light a fire so the witch and the brush are still waiting in suspension and Germany has fewer troubles to deal with for the time being. Actually, maybe that is why they won their football match against Turkey last night.That, and the fact that they are really good players.
The weather has been so cold. Especially Monday night. It is like early April or early May in Minneapolis, if the sun shines and you are out of the wind , it is perfect. Otherwise, not so much. I have spent many hours hiding from the wind and reading in Pylle's garden. It is wild and colorful. I love it. Whenever I travel I say - when I go home I am going to do this and this and this. Well, I hope I tend to my garden and make it more wild and colorful.
Luna's son had his last exam on Tuesday. It was an oral exam for an English class. He was to talk about the dust bowl and the depression and the migration of farm workers to California, John Steinbeck and the Grapes of Wrath. It was great that I was there to talk with him. When you look at it, English is confusing. He passed and graduated.
When Pylle gets home from work ( she is teaching and school is still in session this week) we are going to Christiania in Copenhagen. It is a hippie village in the heart of Copenhagen that was taken over 40 years ago by a sit-in at a naval facility. There are thousands ( or hundreds, I'm not sure now) of people still living there, freely except for the open drug part. In Copenhagen last week, a young Italian asked Pylle how to get to Christiania. She told him, and said he would smell it when he was close. He eyes lit up knowingly. But Pylle said "Don't buy anything. There are lots of police and they all look like me." He thanked her.
OK. I am off to the garden. My book is finished so I am going to find a Danish book with lots of pictures in it. I am going to Berlin tomorrow, visiting another camino friend. Life is really good.
I love you and think of you every day. I'll be home for fireworks. Who wants to come over for a picnic?
Mom/Nonna/Mary

Copenhagen and Luna

Yesterday I arrived in Copenhagen and was met at the airport by my friend Luna, one of the two hippie danish women I met when I was on the Camino. She and her friend Pylle and I spent a few days before Santiago together. We have hardly emailed since then, but when I mentioned that I was going to be in Europe, Luna said I had to stop by.
So there she was, at the airport, waving a small Danish flag. It was as though I saw her yesterday. We both teared up and hugged and laughed about how imporbable that we were together again. Just the incredible magic of life.Today Pylle is meeting me at the hotel for a day of sightseeing and Luna is picking me up at 5 to go to her house for two days.
It is summer soltice and lucky for me I have been invited to a midsummer picnic at Luna's house. That is Monday night. I can't wait to meet her friends and family, tó stay at her home and walk in her garden and to be at a picnic. Her great talent is bringing people together.

I didn't say much about Stockholm. It is beautiful. I went to a million museums and missed two I really wanted to see. The countryside is beautiful too, much like Finland. I took a boat from Tallin and on arrival into Sweden, it went through the archipeligo outside of Stockholm. First there were a few small islands, then small islands with trees, then with red houses etc.
The people in Stockholm were friendly and helpful, from bus drivers, to ticket sellers to the hotel staff. Like New York in that big friendly way. I had a great time. I'd go back there again. There and Tallin, Estonia. It is a gorgeous town, the old part. It's medieval walls and towers are intact for some unexplanable reason, considering how many wars have been fought there.
I don't know about Copenhagen yet. So far all I have seen is a big pedistrian walk, surrounded by the Body Shop, Ben and Jerry's, and Gucci, Royal Copenhagen etc. It's like an outdoor version of the mall of America. After today, when Pylle shows me around, I will know more.
I hope you are all good. I am looking forward to being warm again, so I hope there is a hot summer waiting for me.

stockholm

Hi
I think I might change the name of my blog to sauna diaries. What a great place to people watch. I suppose that's a little voyeuristic, but we are all doing the same thing I am sure. There is probably a russian woman, right now, writing in her blog about the white haired american woman who kept trying to talk with her.
So, last night I went to the sauna and there were 4 russian women seated on the upper benches. Two, about 60, very solidly built, had on white bras and underpants. I have never seen such tiny bra cups on such large women. ( When I got back to my room, I drew a picture. I will show it to you so you can see what I mean.) A third woman was wrapped in a towel and the youngest, was in a blue and white polka dotted bikini. They had been there a long time and were soaking wet and laughing and talking. The blond in white was the funny one, they others were crazy about her. The black haired women in white would say something and the blond would take off talking, talking talking. They'd laugh and laugh. The woman in the towel was more shy. The young woman said few words but was clearly having a good time. When some went to cool off in the showers, I tried to talk to the one left. I don't know when I will give this up. For some reason I think if I use words like house, and yes, and live, and hot, I will be understood. I found out they were Russian ( yes, of course) and that they live in Moscow. More than that, I found out how easy they were in their bodies, what good friends they were, and how happy the young woman was to be along.
( Later, in the elevator, I tried to talk to chinese women about how to use the security card. I think I scared them. )
As you can tell, the hardest part of traveling alone for me, is not being able to chat. There are so many crazy, beautiful, interesting things going on around me and I have to keep it to myself. Until I talk with you, of course.
Stockholm-
I am trying to get my bearings. Yesterday I just took the metro around to see that I could get back and forth. Today, I will go to the castles, churches and museums in the old town. Tomorrow, I plan to go to an architecutre museum, a Nordic design museum and the modern art museum. I need to take a ferry to do that. Then it's copenhagen.
I am happy, healthy, rested and hoping for more saunas. I am really looking forward to seeing my family. I think about you all the time. Erika and Alison, you are good role models for me. When I start to get scared about where I am or what I should do, I remember that you traveled alone often. And I think what would they do? Talk to you later.
I love you.
Mom' Mary, nonna

Helsinki goodbye and hello

Hei
I am at the airport hotel in Helsinki. Last night was our farewell sauna because the rest of the team left for Minnesota early today. They were so fun to be with and such a good Rotary team I am really proud of them. It is not easy being an adult and having your life planned for you. But they were really good guests and took care of each other at the same time. I really had no work to do. Shhh. Don't tell Rotary that I was unnecessary.
Now, I'm off on my own. I will walk around Helsinki today, people watch, look at beautiful Finnish design and then tomorrow I take a boat to Estonia and stay in Tallin. The next day I board another boat at 6 pm and take it to Stockholm. We land in Stockholm at 10 am. It is light all night now, the sun rises at around 3am I think, and sets after 12. I think being on the sea in this light will be really good. I have not planned much, I want to just try to get lost and discover things along the way.
I am traveling light now. I have mailed two boxes of Rotary meeting clothes, presents from my host families and Rotary people, and anything else I didn't want to carry anymore. I sent my very heavy computer with Patti, Julie and Kari. They are all taking pieces of it to share the load. I am grateful to them for taking it, but not feeling too guilty because I have had it for the last month. My last host laughed when he carried it and asked what man told me it was portable.
By the way, I love Finland. It is beautiful and gentle. People seem relaxed and spend time with their families. (There are 5 million Finns and they own something like 2 million summer cottages.) They talk about how much they love to cross cuntry ski in Lapland in the blue/grey winter daylight. I'd love to come back in the winter, like April perhaps, and see Lapland.
OK, that's all for now. I'm going into town. The desk clerk told me to take bus #351 N or T, I'm pretty sure.

salo

Hi-

It has been a long time since I have written, at least it seems so to me. It is my turn to write the team blog tonight, so I won't talk about the detail of this day. I only wanted to say how good this trip has been for me. For some reason, I didn't imagine being on a boat in the sea when I imagined this exchange. But there is no doubt, that aside from meeting some really good people, being on boats has been my favorite part. We have been on boats 5 times I think. The first was on a rainy day that turned so sunny on a river near Vammala. That was the day that I realized how beautiful the Finnish flag is.

The next boat we were on was when we went out to pick up the herring, that day was sunny the whole time. And, we had an accordian player playing. He played tangos and gospel music and Finnish folk songs. ( It will be a surprise to some of you, but I never mentioned my short time playing the accordian. I felt that keeping quiet about that showed self control and a lot of wisdom.) The next time we were on the sea was when I got a chance to sail a beautiful boat that was a replica of the wooden boats used for delivering mail and animals and everything else in the islands. The boat was 11 meters long and the mast 10.5 meters high. We needed to take it under a bridge that had a half meter clearance. I almost brought it under the bridge, but got nervous when I saw how little room there was for a mistake. But I loved that boat.

On Sunday we went in a power boat to an island that was a leper colony until the 20's I think and then had a mental hospital until the 80's or something. That was creepy, but the island was so pretty.

Today we went to another island, on a ten passenger boat that is an old taxi kind of boat that runs among the islands The weather was cool, cloudy and the seas pretty rough. I am still rocking back and forth in my head. It looks to me like the computer screen is moving back and forth, back and forth... I love that feeling. It tells me that I was really on a boat. There are 60,000 islands in the archipelago, some tiny, others big enough for more than one town. Some are connected by bridges, others by a five minute ferry crossing. When you look out, especially today in the gray weather, you see one island and then just behind it another until they get smaller and more misty in the distance. There are red summer cottages up a bit from the sea and right at the water, close to the dock, is a smaller building for the sauna. Today was the last day to be on the water in a boat that is small enough to let you feel the water. I have had my last sauna followed by a dip in the sea. This is all coming to an end. Saturday the others on the team leave for the US. I will stay in Helsinki for a day to go to the art museum and look around. Then I am going to Estonia for a day, and then to Stockholm. I am taking a big boat to both of these places, but I don't think I will feel like I am on the water. I don't know though. It will be my first experience with a cruise ship. I was going to do these things with a woman from Finland but that fell through. It's good though. By now I am looking forward to being on my own. Picture me sitting on the deck, in the sunset, gazing out in peace and quiet. I won't have to say one word. I can even be crabby if I feel like it. Perfect.

The family I am staying with is making cooking noises in the kitchen. I should go see if I am eating again today. I don't know. It is 9pm. Maybe.

Later, I will do the team blog. See you there.

Mom, Mary, nonna

xoxoxo

Vehmaa

Hieveryone,
today was a beautiful day. we are staying at the yara guest house, a big house on the baltic sea that is owned by a some big company. the view is beautiful. it is great to have a restful place where the team and i can be away from our guests. they are great, but having privacy is always good.
this morning we were picked up by three people. They drove us to cabin where a man took us out on an old fishing boat. we were in the archipeligo off the sw coast of finland. the boat captain, an accordian player, four finnish rotarians and the four of us were the passengers. as i sat on the boat, in the morning sunlight, listening to accordian music,watching swans, and sea gulls i felt so grateful for this trip. i didn't expect that much finland. i don't know why. it just isn't a distination place. but it is really stunning. the farmlands,the seacoast, the red farm buildings, all of it is so pleasing to look at. people are always trying to show us the best they have.
anyway, after about an hour of boating we pulled along side a platform with a net in the middle of it. a man was standing on the edge of the platform and he gathered up the net and scooped out herring into a bucket. we took it back to the cabin to grill. the captain of the boat showed me how to gut the herring with my thumb and finger. it wasn't creepy at all. it was grilled in olive oil and salt. the taste of the herring, one hour from the sea, was delicious.
after that snack, we went to a restaurant and had a full several course lunch. from there we went to one of the women's "farm". it is a 700 year old manor house. it is filled with antiques. (the team pointed out to me that this woman was dripping in diamonds, including one implanted into her tooth. somehow i missed all of this.) anyway, the house has been in her family all this time. she showed us her family tree. charlemagne was one of her uncles a few generations back. the place was gorgeous and interesting. she was fun.
(now, the team is in the tv room, watching american idol. all i can hear are comments on who is hot and who looks terrible and who can and can't sing. it's more fun to hear this second hand i think than to be in there.)
back to the story...
after cake and coffee at the manor house, the men drove us to a granite quarry, just for fun. it had a big no tresspassing sign on it. then we stopped at an old church with way too many war heros buried in the cemetary. how did they do it, the finnish? two brutal wars in four years ( 80,000 men died in 8 months between novemeber 1939 and may 1940), and then occupation for years and years.
back in the van, the men in the front, we in the back. the men started singing. they had beautiful clear voices. we asked what they were singing. they said love songs. then one of the men said "finnish men are so romantic" and started laughing hysterically! they were great to be with. it's like this all the time. we meet wonderful people and then we say goodbye.
tomorrow should be another good day. no slide shows. just walking through the town and going to the bonk museum, which appearently is a museum of make believe inventions. i'll let you know.

by the way, i haven't found a way to use spell check on this so, sorry.
more later. i love you guys and talk about you all the time.
mom/mary

leaving Pori

Hi all,
Tonight is my last night in Pori and the last night with Krista, Mikko and Petteri. They have been gracious hosts and I have felt so at home here. It is sad to say good-bye. They are expecting a baby soon, in less than one month. I don't know if I would have been so generous under the same circumstances. Mikko works at a combine and harvestor manufacturer and showed me the line of equipment they make. It looks just like John Deere, even green. Krista is a college professor. She teaches culture and marketing to business majors. She has over 100 students in four sections. Yesterday I commented on how beautiful the church is in town. She said "Mikka and I were married there. My parents also, and their parents and grandparents." Four generations, one church.
Today Julie and I were on the radio. We were interviewed along with Kari, our man in charge. it was fun to be a celebrity. Tomorrow we go to Ramula, which I think is another historic town. It says visit old Ramula as one of our activities, so I'm only guessing.
Have I told you how much and often we are being fed? It seems constant. We have breakfast, go to our first appointment where the company or host has coffee, sandwiches, pastry, juice for us, served in beautiful china and crystal. This happens three times a day. And of course, there is lunch and dinner. The bread is fabulous, as is the herring and cheese.
What we have seen of Finland is really beautiful. The sky seems big, the landscape is flat where we are, the sky bright blue, the towns clean and green. The buildings are not tall, 3 stories is high. It seems most houses are red or yellow, wooden, with siding running vertically. The trim is white.
That is about all to say tonight. It's time for my sauna and bed. Goodnight.
Love,
Mom

the first week

hello everyone-
it has been one week since we arrived here and it has been full. we have an official team blog at www.mntofinland.blogspot.com and I won't repeat everything here. I just wanted to say hi and tell you a few more personal thoughts.
our schedule has been non-stop because each rotary club that has us for one or two days, wants to show us everything about their town and share their lives.
For me the one of best days was the day before yesterday. We had a really interesting tour of a valve factory. It was spotless and beautiful. It is hard to imagine, i am sure, but really, everything from the valves to the furniture to the lighting was gorgeous. then, after lunch, we went for a long boat ride on a big river full of small islands. we were in the town of vammala. it rained at first, then the sun came out. the blue and white of the clouds, the wake and the water plus the finnish flag was beautiful. for the first time, i felt finland.
i am touched by the stories told to us by the 60 year old people whose fathers or uncles were in the winter wars against russia. my host kari stopped to show me the headstones of the "village's heros from that war". i think there were 50 or 60 in a row all with a date of some time in 1940. to have such things in this tiny village and many many others, must change the nature of life there. i have no idea how that feels. it is also interesting to hear the love/fear relationship with russia. the russians are buying everything in finland- houses, hotels, cabins, farms, businesses. they have more money than they know what to do with. on the other hand finland needs the commerce.
our friends did not want either sweden or russia to win the world cup. they were all cheering for canada.
the saunas have been great. we go with the women in the home and sit and tell stories, laugh, and then go into the freezing lake, one at a time. whoever is next to go in, holds the towel for the person in the water. when the women have finished the sauna, the men go in. all of the saunas have been wood fired. they prefer the soft heat, what ever that is. but i love the smell, so i agree, wood is best.
we are eating constantly. coffee and danish, coffee and sandwitches, lunch ( meat and potatoes) light dinner ( not that light). all of it is delicious.
people say finns are serious and shy. that is not our experience. they laugh, and hug and help each other. it feels like a close community. of course, we are in smaller towns, and everyone is in rotary and they probably went to school together. but life seems relaxed.
one of the difficult things is that the sun is up all the time! right now at nine, it looks like 5 pm. at midnight these days, the sky is pink with the setting sun. i woke at 3 yesterday morning and again the sky was pink with the sunrise. we are very short on sleep. we are almost one month from the longest day.
the three women i am traveling with are great. the rotarians like our presentation, we do it better each time. we have a short introduction in finnish which also softens up our audience.
i am staying with a family tonight with a small boy, like Oscar and a young couple like Erika and Benji. petteri is playing with trucks in the living room. he loves volvos too.
goodbye for now.
nonna/mom/mary
xoxoxox

hello from Finland!

hi everyone

here we go again-- a new keyboard and very little time. so far this has been wonderful. we stayed at the summer home of a rotarian. they had a beautiful, scandinavian style house, with sauna on a lake. our hostess , who is my age, jumped into the lake after the sauna and of course i decided - if not now, when- and followed her. it was shocking and fabulous. my team members had to follow us to save face. we laughed and warmed up and went into the lake again and again. saunas are great. it has been very dreary, rainy, and today bright and cold. everyone is so nice- really gracious to us. it has been fun. tomorrow we give our program for the first time- a little in finnish, many pictures of mpls and hopefully an entertaining program. we are picking up more finnish. the town we are in is tiny, but has many civic activites and parks for the citizens. this morning we visited the biggest recycling center in finland. ok. off to the next visit- an old cinema.
i love you.
mom-nonna-mary