Family and friends, peace and quiet – these are the most important reasons I want to go back to our house in Finland every summer. When I travel to Finland, I go home – but I also go home when I return to my new home country, England. Between the two countries, I am always going home.

Landing near Tampere in Finland.

I am 100% biased and completely unable to look at our holidays in Finland with any kind of critical eye. I love our time in my home village, spending time with family and seeing friends I have had since I was a little child and visiting places that conjure up many lovely memories. Yes, they might be viewed through rose-tinted glasses, but that’s fine. This is when my loved ones and I wind down, relax, do what we want and pamper ourselves with delicacies we have missed.
This and next week’s post will be pictures from our time in Finland … normal blogging routine will resume in a fortnight.

One of the first things I do when I arrive is to pick a bunch of flowers to take to my lovely aunt and uncle (the corn flowers I did buy, they are unfortunately no longer easy to be found)

When we can, we time our visit to include the weekend of the summer fair in Kristinestad (white building top left is my high school, Kristinestads Gymnasium)

Broiled vendace … one of my favourite fish dishes.

Wood chip baskets – Finns make whatever they can out of wood, there’s plenty of it!

As soon as we can, we dust off the old bikes and cycle through the wonderfully peaceful countryside …

… past many, many potato fields …

… oat fields …

… bright yellow rapeseed fields…

… wheat fields …

… and gorgeous summer blossoms. Life is good!