2014/05/31 – Winter, Spring, Winter,Spring,… in Finland

Dent de Cruet and dents de Lanfon
Dent de Cruet and dents de Lanfon

 

 

When I left France in January after Christmas holiday, it was really nice… not a lot of snow, but nice weather and snow in the mountains. What we did not have at all in Finland until then.

 

 

Well, snow and cold eventually decided to arrive in Rauma… we got -20 degrees and a little amount of snow/frost everywhere for 2 weeks.

Temperature in Rauma
Temperature in Rauma
The yard in front of my building
The yard in front of my building
Streets in Rauma
Streets in Rauma

 

Warmed up streets in Rauma
Warmed up street in Rauma

In Rauma, surprise, the foot paths are clear of snow… not the street, but the pedestrian paths! Well, I thought it was nice for people who don’t wear spikes under their shoes… until I realized that the streets are warmed up!

If this isn’t a waste of energy… and if I hear any Finnish person telling me anything about global warming, I think I have material to answer…

Then, as a duty of living like Finns, I went to the sauna in Lappi with the ice hole again! Which was a really nice time.

Lappi Sauna with the ice hole
Lappi Sauna with the ice hole
Happy in the snow, wearing swimmers!
Happy in the snow, wearing swimmers!
Cold??? Naaa...
Cold??? Naaa…
Hanging around wearing swimmers by -20 degrees...
Hanging around wearing swimmers by -20 degrees…

 

To enjoy a little the snow / ice, I wanted to do walk to the small islands around Rauma, on the ice. But as the cold hasn’t been on for more than 10 days, I wasn’t really sure about the ice layer, and did not want to end up in a hole (without sauna first it would be too cold). So I just walked along the beach.

Rauma beach
Rauma beach
Rauma beach
Rauma beach
Rauma beach
Rauma beach
Rauma beach
Rauma beach
Rauma beach
Rauma beach

Then, spring started pretty early. Kind of… I went for walks around the small lakes, where it was sunny and warm (0 degrees is warm in  February and March). The ice was already melting a lot.

Äyhönjärvi
Äyhönjärvi
Äyhönjärvi
Äyhönjärvi
Äyhönjärvi
Äyhönjärvi
Äyhönjärvi
Äyhönjärvi
Äyhönjärvi
Äyhönjärvi

The first of April, we got a funny prank…well, not that funny… -8 degrees again, and small snow storm…

hahaha so hilarious...
hahaha so hilarious…
looks like April...
looks like April…

Around Easter, the weather started to really look like spring. The days got seriously longer, the sun was really warming up… Finns say that now winter is over and there won’t be snow anymore! So here it is, time to seriously start swimming and not only dipping in Lappi sauna, time for strolls at Yyteri beach…

Lappi Sauna
Lappi Sauna
Lappi Sauna
Lappi Sauna
Lappi Sauna
Lappi Sauna
Turku Cathedral
Turku Cathedral
Turku, park along the river
Turku, park along the river
Lappi Sauna
Lappi Sauna
 Yyteri beach
Yyteri beach
 Yyteri beach
Yyteri beach
 Yyteri, in the dunes
Yyteri, in the dunes
 Yyteri, stroll in the dunes with my mum
Yyteri, stroll in the dunes with my mum
 Yyteri, in the dunes
Yyteri, in the dunes
4:30 in the morning... quite bright already in Arpil!
4:30 in the morning… quite bright already in Arpil!
4:30 in the morning: Sunrise on the east side...
4:30 in the morning: Sunrise on the east side…
4:30 in the morning: Moonset on the west side...
4:30 in the morning: Moonset on the west side…
French readers, this is for you: pronounce what you read! (c'est pas là ?= it's not here...)
French readers, this is for you: pronounce what you read! (c’est pas là ?= it’s not here…)

When beginning of May, suprise again: SNOW!

it has been snowing last night... 1st of May!
It has been snowing last night… 1st of May!
my yard with snow on the 5th May in the morning
My yard with snow on the 5th May in the morning

These were the last days that I saw snow in Finland. Finally! Even though it was a weird winter because we did not have the usual temperatures and a lot of snow, it was long enough… and playing between winter and spring for 5 months is enough!

End of May, we really enjoyed spending some time outside, the days are really longer (sunrise around 04:30 in the morning).
We went playing freezbee and swimming in a lake near Laitila, sun bathing, having a stroll between windmills…

Lake near Laitila
Lake near Laitila
Uusikaupunki
Uusikaupunki

 

Ice hockey game
Ice hockey game

 

I also had a chance to see an ice hockey game in the VIP lounge (with food buffet and drinks)

 

 

 

One day I also decided to cut my hair… which took me a few days then to adjust it properly but it worked (I think).

Hair cutting...
Hair cutting…
Result!
Result!

Eventually, it was time to organize the end of my time in Finland again, as my work contract was ending end of May. I used this opportunity to celebrate my 25th birthday as well (and the 25th +1 etc…).
The party had an aim: finishing all the bottles I had bought during the year…which was a lot!
I tell you before you react on that: we did not finish anything… I gave away some and I am going back home with a lot as well!

All the bottles
All the bottles
Birthday tortilla!!
Birthday tortilla!!
TGV... = Tequilla Gin Vodka
TGV… = Tequilla Gin Vodka
Girls :)
Girls 🙂
Yes it's me!
Yes it’s me!

But I will come back end of July for a week end, because these 2 are getting married and I wanna be part of it!

I will come back for them :)
I will come back for them 🙂

Now it is time to pack, clean up and get ready for a new road trip, back to France!
Thanks for all the cards I got during my stay here!

My postcards wall
My postcards wall

Leaving Rauma on the 2nd of June ; arrival scheduled for the 4th of June evening to France.

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