Linnea 'Ea' quilts...

.... and with it an increase in the outside temperature. Goddess, it's HOT outside. I know, I know - not only could anyone in Turku deduce that from reading friends blogs' and Fb-status updates declaring the same thing - that I shouldn't whine so much about it either. You could whine, or you could do something about it. Like this; I painted my toenails red.  Or, like this; Me wearing a gray knitted cap, and a long red scarf. Yes. I have gone bananas. Or so you would think. But I haven't. Instead, we started to have the ceiling fan in our bedroom on during the hottest hours of the day, as well as during the night. Hence the fancy flamingo outfit above. I don't want to wake up with my shoulders cramping, or head or neck aches. Micke laughed at it first, because he isn't disturbed by the rotating air at all. It's weird to think that 30 years ago most workplaces didn't have and didn't need AC. Now, nearly every place do. We spend more ...

It seems everything from TV, newspapers and friends' status updates on Facebook are all agreeing on something: It's mighty hot outside. Summer in Finland suddenly got warmer: up to 30 degrees Celsius here in the south. And even though every sun-lover is celebrating, I would guess most people find the oppresive heat annoying. If only because I've heard of folks sleeping outside on their balconies or verandas, because their homes are 35 degrees and more on the inside. But what can you do, when finnish houses are built to conserve heat inside (think: scandinavian winter!), aided by triple window panes, heat isolation in celings and walls, and of course radiator-lines under the floors. Me, I been praying for rain. And thunder, because I like the action that brings, but mainly rain. Yesterday, I got my wish, because it rained hard for less than 20 min around noon. Then, it took perhaps 30 min for everything to dry up and go back to "oppressive heat" again. *sigh...

So, one of the reasons I also wanted to visit them for was to be able to take Mom and go browsing for antiques at the Fiskars Antiques Market (see here ). The village of Fiskars is really lovely in the summer, when everything is in full bloom and there's lots of visiting people. Mom and Dad, posing for a pic at one of the ponds with water lilies in Fiskars. Again, why do Dad look so suprised? I took a lot of pictures, mainly because photos are cheaper than buying the stuff itself. These are some of the things I saw: I have this cookbook, but a more current edition than this one (the 1st). 12 euros. Another cookbook, this time in Finnish and with recipes from the chef of Louis XV. 25 euros. Some red kitchen utensils. I loooove red kitchen utensils! Mom bought me one of the timbles for 20 euros. The 3 things above them that look like small pears are actually hollow cloisonné - beads. Mom's friend Birgitta (who we spent Midsummer with! see here ) had an ex-husband by ...

We were invited last Saturday to dinner at Micke's sister's house, and I volunteered o make the dessert. Rhubarb-pie with ice cream is one thing you'll just have to eat when it's summer. No matter what your diet says. Pie dough. I so like these small glassware pie forms. Put in the rhubarb (mixed with some sugar and potato starch). I'm sorry - there's no "done" pie picture, because we ran to the dinner as soon as they got out of the oven. Bummer! I knew there was something I forgot, guess that was it.

If you're spending your "Valborg" in Turku, there are places and events you just "must" take part in. These include: - During April the 30th - Attending the student-picnic. Hearing the Brahe Djäknar choir sing in the Vårdberget-park (Vartiovuori in Finnish), and put on your student cap alongside every other Swedish-speaking student. Attend a Vapp-dinner party. Attend one-three after-parties: preferably at least the one held at Kåren.  - During May the 1st - Attend the picnic in the Vårdberget-park. (Have a roaring hangover from all the sparkling wine and champagne you've drunk). We went to put on our caps at Vårdberget, while the ever so lovely Brahe Djäknar-choir sang songs to hail the new spring. The list of songs they sing is very traditional, and the whole event is both televised and recorded for the radio. [video to come here!] Here's some pictures we took while on Vårdberget. It was quite chilly this year, but I'm so glad it didn...