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| Some places we visited with Erica |
Co-operating with Lions continued when Vimpeli opened doors to Italian Erica 5.7.2009
Vimpeli is not very rich of sights or an exciting place to live, but still Erica has surely got an idea of what it is to be Finnish. For the first days we drove around Vimpeli and checked the only local so-called "sights"; baseball game (which Vimpeli won, of course), Lakeaharju (skiing resort) and the caves of Pyhävuori. The first baseball game was a creepy experience, we happened to witness a loss of life. The local beach got also explored. We went shopping to Seinäjoki, visited our summer cottage, went to sauna, swimming and golf (Amateur-Pro Heikkilä also succeeded in hitting Erica by golf club, trying to teach the proper back swing), and of course we also cought some Finnish nightlife. The first weekend included a night in Seinäjoki during "Tangomarkkinat" (=Finnish tango festival). We had problems in finding a company of our age, the options were teenagers or pensioners.
Next week we headed for Riihimäki where we stayed for 3 days. Laura and German Frederik were there with us. It was a fun 3 days, speaking nothing else than English. We experienced the sights of Helsinki, of some of which where new to me, and of course we done some shopping. I was a tourist just like Erica and Frederic, and Laura was our guide, since she lives so close to Helsinki. The second day we spent in Linnanmäki amusement park. It was fun, but I still don't find those rides thrilling. Third day we checked the "sights" of Riihimäki - a swamp area and a tower caffee. A very fresh driver (=me) got through her mission admissibly. The last weekend we spent in our cottage and in warm atmosphere in Kaustinen, even the temperature was only few degrees in the night. The nightless night is also explored when coming home a little earlier than 5 in the morning. Even the average age in Kaustinen Folk Music Festival is around 40, we managed to fing a good company in a "beer tent" and in mysterious "Klubi". Erica got a chance to speak Italian when we met an Italian guy, Pietro, who is spending his summer in Vimpeli just like Erica. Last day we went to baseball game and to sauna and grilled some sausages (maybe 10th time in past few weeks). It's a pity that Erica hasn't still learnt the rules of Finnish baseball. At least she didn't know which one won the game after listening music with Pietro for the whole game. We also managed to spot the Finnish tango-hero Jari "Jarska" Sillanpää with his unbelievable dance moves in Saarikenttä (=baseball stadium).
So the Finnish culture is undergone, with it's good and bad sides. It has rained, it has almost been frost, but the Finnish summer heat is also experienced. Erica has tasted some traditional Finnish foods, like onion herring, the Karelian roast and rye bred, and she hasn't complained about them. The Italian pasta has also smelled in our house. Next summer it is my turn to find out what Italy has to offer.
