Walking on water (actually ice), riding on water (ice), dipping into it (icy!), watching some big guys fight on ice, cruising on ice, following Bigfoot's tracks, and . . . attending a snow show – all with makkara, makkara and more makkara...
Finally, finally, on this unusual winter, the lakes by Jyväskylä iced over thick enough in late February. We made it to Lake Jyväsjärvi one day after school when the sun was out surprisingly bright, all day. We walked on the snow by the slippery ice trail and shot photos.
On Saturday, March 8, we went back. At the Kota, a Sami style teepee structure, we rented new style kick sleds that looked like scooters with runners. Lake Jyväsjärvi has an ice trail that you can skate or kick-sled on. We made two fast two-kilometer loops on the trail, ran into some acquaintances and ended up in the Kota to roast some makkara in the fireplace.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=C-WmJIOZD4c&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=TfwULtZNu90&feature=related
On Tuesday, March 18, a friend introduced us to another activity that has become an obsession for so many Finns, avantouinti, swimming in a hole in the ice. We went to a pond, about one kilometer from our house. By the pond, there's a cabin with two saunas, one for men, another for women. There's also a large room with a fireplace and a little café. All this is run by volunteers who love avantouinti. We stayed in sauna long enough to feel really hot. Then we march down to a pier with flip flops and towels, lowered ourselves into the avanto (the hole) by using steps, dipped in, got out . . . and didn't feel cold at all. With towels around us we marched back to the hot sauna. It was such an invigorating feeling that I ended up going back to avanto four times. After the last trip, we put on clothes and entered the café where we roasted makkara. We had bought beer for the adults and a bottle of Jaffa, Rafael's favorite Finnish soft drink for him. We even roasted some squeaky cheese that we ate with cloudberry jam, for dessert.
It really isn't that cold!
. . . some more makkaraa . . .
From the avanto experience, we rushed to the playoffs between Tappare, the Tampere team and our own JYP– Jyväskylän Pallo – the local hockey team that had made it this far in the National League. The arena was packed, sold out, and we had standing room only tickets. It was my first professional hockey game ever, and in my opinion, it seemed like circus, very entertaining. By the end of the second period, I was able to follow the game. JYP secured their win in the third period, after scoring two more goals. We were so excited that we walked home in a mild, snowy night.
JYP won!
On Good Friday, we made it to our family's summer cottage, near my hometown, Paltamo. After the road was nothing but a huge snowdrift, I got on skis and Rafu on uncle Antti's snowshoes. Then we followed Bigfoot's tracks down to the river that hadn't frozen over. Kitro was really beautiful with white snow all over. It's hard to believe that the snow will be gone in a few months, and that the place will be all lush and green.
Obviously a Bigfoot!
the steps from the sauna to the river
The next excitement on ice happened in Paltamo, on Easter Sunday. A friendly, recently retired biology teacher was kind enough to take us on a skidoo trip on the Lake Oulujärvi. He is used to entertaining Southern-European high school exchange students, and based on that experience, was quite worried that we wouldn't dress warm enough. We almost did. It wasn't a pretty day; grey with wet snow falling occasionally, but the activity was so exciting we forgot about the weather immediately as we got cruising. Raimo took us to his cabin on a near-by island. Rafu who had been traveling in a sleigh, got a quick lesson on how to maneuver the skidoo, and off he went . . . on the huge lake. Raimo, a gracious host, had brought along makkara. He turned on his gas grill, and we had a chat about life in my alma mater high school, etc. We found out an Italian connection; his son lives in Firenze, with his Italian wife. It's a small world! When Rafu finally got too cold to ride, I got my turn. Freedom . . . a vast lake with no one, but three deer in tandem, running from one island to another. I enjoyed the thrill of speed on endless, white surface of the frozen lake . . . it would be easy to get hooked on this!
Lake Oulujärvi
Rafu cruising on the lake
Raimo, the skiidoo racing, makkara roasting Biology teacher
Rafu got to take another spin before it was time to return to the mainland. Raimo refused any payment for the adventure, and once again I had the pleasant chance to thank another friendly Finn and realize how lucky we are that kind, generous people are so easy to encounter in my homeland.
Kiitos Raimo seikkailusta – Thanks for a real adventure!
After Easter, we had to catch a play . . . acted in the snow . . . with a bundled up audience. It was a tragicomic story of a day in a shy, butterfly collector's life. During the intermission hot chocolate spiced up with a choice of liquor or liqueur was served with . . . you guessed it: roasted makkara!
Such is life in the winter wonderland – which is almost over. Today's temperature in Jyväskylä: + 14 C. The sun rises at 6.33 AM and sets at 8.08 PM. Today we had 13 h 34 min of daylight . . . and a long dawn and dusk on top of that.
On Saturday, March 8, we went back. At the Kota, a Sami style teepee structure, we rented new style kick sleds that looked like scooters with runners. Lake Jyväsjärvi has an ice trail that you can skate or kick-sled on. We made two fast two-kilometer loops on the trail, ran into some acquaintances and ended up in the Kota to roast some makkara in the fireplace.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=C-WmJIOZD4c&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=TfwULtZNu90&feature=related
On Tuesday, March 18, a friend introduced us to another activity that has become an obsession for so many Finns, avantouinti, swimming in a hole in the ice. We went to a pond, about one kilometer from our house. By the pond, there's a cabin with two saunas, one for men, another for women. There's also a large room with a fireplace and a little café. All this is run by volunteers who love avantouinti. We stayed in sauna long enough to feel really hot. Then we march down to a pier with flip flops and towels, lowered ourselves into the avanto (the hole) by using steps, dipped in, got out . . . and didn't feel cold at all. With towels around us we marched back to the hot sauna. It was such an invigorating feeling that I ended up going back to avanto four times. After the last trip, we put on clothes and entered the café where we roasted makkara. We had bought beer for the adults and a bottle of Jaffa, Rafael's favorite Finnish soft drink for him. We even roasted some squeaky cheese that we ate with cloudberry jam, for dessert.
It really isn't that cold!
. . . some more makkaraa . . .
From the avanto experience, we rushed to the playoffs between Tappare, the Tampere team and our own JYP– Jyväskylän Pallo – the local hockey team that had made it this far in the National League. The arena was packed, sold out, and we had standing room only tickets. It was my first professional hockey game ever, and in my opinion, it seemed like circus, very entertaining. By the end of the second period, I was able to follow the game. JYP secured their win in the third period, after scoring two more goals. We were so excited that we walked home in a mild, snowy night.
JYP won!
On Good Friday, we made it to our family's summer cottage, near my hometown, Paltamo. After the road was nothing but a huge snowdrift, I got on skis and Rafu on uncle Antti's snowshoes. Then we followed Bigfoot's tracks down to the river that hadn't frozen over. Kitro was really beautiful with white snow all over. It's hard to believe that the snow will be gone in a few months, and that the place will be all lush and green.
Obviously a Bigfoot!
the steps from the sauna to the river
The next excitement on ice happened in Paltamo, on Easter Sunday. A friendly, recently retired biology teacher was kind enough to take us on a skidoo trip on the Lake Oulujärvi. He is used to entertaining Southern-European high school exchange students, and based on that experience, was quite worried that we wouldn't dress warm enough. We almost did. It wasn't a pretty day; grey with wet snow falling occasionally, but the activity was so exciting we forgot about the weather immediately as we got cruising. Raimo took us to his cabin on a near-by island. Rafu who had been traveling in a sleigh, got a quick lesson on how to maneuver the skidoo, and off he went . . . on the huge lake. Raimo, a gracious host, had brought along makkara. He turned on his gas grill, and we had a chat about life in my alma mater high school, etc. We found out an Italian connection; his son lives in Firenze, with his Italian wife. It's a small world! When Rafu finally got too cold to ride, I got my turn. Freedom . . . a vast lake with no one, but three deer in tandem, running from one island to another. I enjoyed the thrill of speed on endless, white surface of the frozen lake . . . it would be easy to get hooked on this!
Lake Oulujärvi
Rafu cruising on the lake
Raimo, the skiidoo racing, makkara roasting Biology teacher
Rafu got to take another spin before it was time to return to the mainland. Raimo refused any payment for the adventure, and once again I had the pleasant chance to thank another friendly Finn and realize how lucky we are that kind, generous people are so easy to encounter in my homeland.
Kiitos Raimo seikkailusta – Thanks for a real adventure!
After Easter, we had to catch a play . . . acted in the snow . . . with a bundled up audience. It was a tragicomic story of a day in a shy, butterfly collector's life. During the intermission hot chocolate spiced up with a choice of liquor or liqueur was served with . . . you guessed it: roasted makkara!
Such is life in the winter wonderland – which is almost over. Today's temperature in Jyväskylä: + 14 C. The sun rises at 6.33 AM and sets at 8.08 PM. Today we had 13 h 34 min of daylight . . . and a long dawn and dusk on top of that.
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