September 4, 2017
Far
Finland
We studied Finnish all year. We saved money for longer than that! I have always wanted to travel to Finland, to see the place where two girls, who had a fairly profound influence on me when I was young, grew up. Raija lived with us when I was ten. Leena when I was thirteen.
Here's some of what we saw (and, yes, we stayed in log cabins, and took saunas--some of us were even brave enough to jump in the freezing lakes [naked]--and we ate pickled herring)!
Forest everywhere:
Places where people pray:
Castles:
So many lakes:
Finnish flowers:
We even stopped in Reykjavik, Iceland:
And visited Estonia for a day:
And tried to take a family photo (third time's a charm).
We realize how fortunate we are to be able to safely travel across the world and see these beautiful things, and travel safely home again. I had very few expectations of the trip, and came away feeling like the people who live there are pretty fortunate! (Of course we visited there when all was warm, and blue, and lush, and friendly...) If you've ever been to Finland, I'd love to hear a story or two of your time there.
Cheers, friends!
Published: September 4, 2017 | Filed under: Far
How splendid!! Such a treat. And I adore your family photo series. :-)
Glad you liked the photos! It's amazing, though, how I missed some really important shots--like my lovely sister-in-spirit Raija and her husband, who welcomed us to their home... I suppose some things are meant only for personal memory :)
The photos are beautiful, thank you for sharing! It looks like it was a wonderful trip. So glad you finally got to live your dream.
Such sweet words, Karen. Thank you...
Wow...what vivid color houses in Iceland; Finnish stonework has awe-inspiring heft; and thank you for the pictures showing "where people pray." Doesn't it call us back to the very essence of being human? Crying out for an audience with the Majestic Glory, lighting more candles to show our need, shuffling up a bit closer to the divine presence. And oh my, aren't the lakes beautiful! Did you row on quite a few? I hope your trip will yield another book about a beloved Saint. We need more reminders of those who fervently love our Lord and spared no personal expense in so doing. Thank you for letting us see glimpses of Finland, Estonia, and Iceland with you!!!
Yes, book ideas swirled all through my mind during this trip. I didn't do any writing, which was lovely for my family, but the lakes and the green and the forests and the islands certainly get the imagination moving!
a dream come true! I am so very glad! I find that Europe (for me Holland) is a very beautiful place, more so than here, but it was wonderful that we could at least visit, right? God bless you!
Thank you, Elizabeth!
Hi Jane, Never have been there. Your photos look incredible! Thanks for sharing.