Tenala - Berries & Mushrooms

About 1 hour drive from Helsinki to grandparents place. Stayed for a day picking blueberries and chanterelles (yellow mushrooms). From the berries granny made a MOST delicious blueberry pie, these are the things I miss from home while being in China. 

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3 - Ready!

This place is so peaceful and I spent all my childhood summers here while parents were at work. 

Storm caused a lot of trees to fall, this one just leaning on the hills and still continues to grow

Counted it to be over 200 years old

Ekan

Favorite hobby as a kid, chopping wood

Rock painting on rainy days...

 

Stones from all over the world - Always when a family member travels somewhere you bring 1 back

Old poster I suddenly remember on the shed behind the house. Never really understood what it said when I was a kid. Have to check online if I could find this weirdo movie.

 The characters seem awesome...

Grandpa always used to build small wooden houses for the birds so that they would not have to endure rain and be more safe as well. In the autumn it was always time to empty then and see what kind of nest was in them.

Some "retired" bird-apartments

Mitt Nya Land / My New Country - Making a TV Serie

A few month ago I got an email from a friend of mine saying that they are looking for Finnish-Swedish people living abroad to film a 8 episode TV program. After 2 interviews I was chose to be the representative of the program to be made in China - Beijing. 

Green-screen for animation, will post this video later!

The first part of the episode was shot in Finland. My daily life back home and my family. Too bad most people were on vacation so none of you guys back in Finland had the chance to join this :(

We did a 11 hour filming in Tapiola, at my parents place and grandma's summer cottage in Tenala. In September there will be a longer shooting of 5 days in Beijing! Program will air on Swedish and Finnish Tv in March, more updates on that coming later and I will post related materials for promoting this show these incoming months. For 1 hour filming there will only be about 1 min of usable material so it will be a long 5 days here! To see more details about the TV serie, please click HERE

Outdoor part

 Interview 

Unable to upload

Been trying to make some posts from China but for some reason I cannot even upload pictures with the VPN at the moment, don't know why.

Posts will come when I can add pictures again...until then, wait wait...

By the way Shanghai is 30 degrees, sunny and the sky is blue, never seen it so beautiful here before!!!

Sveaborg - The old fort

While Finland was under Swedish rule in 1749 Sveaborg Fort was build. The reason for building this gigantic fort just outside Helsinki was the growing expansion of Russian troops and navy. But the fort was never used to much because the commander of the fort surrendered to the Russians 1808 before the fight even startes. This is why it is in such great shape. Nothing has been destroyed from the old day. Today the island is still used as a Naval Academy by the army. 

King's Sword Quarters 

City walls

Getting to Sveaborg is only by boat. There is a tunnel going under the sea but it can only be used for ambulances, police and people who live on the island. Very limited houses there and if you want an apartment on this place there is a que for about 5 years at LEAST. The ferry ride takes about 15 minutes and leaves from Kauppatori. 

Some guy was parachute gliding in the wind, looked really fun as long as no unexpected wind throws you into the cliffs by accident. 

Flyyyyyy

There are a lots of old cannons build in in the 15th century that still stand untouched here. Huge ones!

Would not want to be in the way for this one

Nope, no more cannonballs, just empty bottles. 

Viking Line also runs past the island. It is a very narrow but deep passage. Viking Line goes between Finland - Estonia and Finland - Stockholm. 

Sveaborg actually looks like a hobbit land since the grass has been growing on the old cellars and storage houses. 

The only submarine Finland ever had is here for display. It's rather small and was mostly covered by trees so could not get a very good picture of it. The Submarine is called Vesikko and was paid for by the Germans 1930. The idea was to create new submarie technology and try it here in Finland. Vesikko was a prototype and additional 44 submarines like this were created in Germany later. Vesikko shot down a Russian transport ship in 1941 but that's pretty much everything it has sunk during it's "career". 

All bigger ships leaving Helsinki pass this island either on the west or east side. Sunset here is always great to watch with a beer and good friends!

Jet Line returning from Estonia....

Ainola - Järvenpää

Drove by a place I've been wanting to see for a longer time that has to do with the Finnish history. A place called Ainola which is the home of Finland's most famous composer: Jean Sibelius. Jean Sibelius was also native speaking swedish like me and wrote Finland's national anthem. Ainola means in Finnish "Aino's" place which refers to his wife who lived her whole life here. Her name was Aino. The house was build in 1904 and became a museum 1974.

The full 9 yards

The sauna

 Water

 Storage

 Back yard

Jean Sibelius is buried next to the house with his wife. An imporant part of Finnish history was written in this house!!

Helsinki + Kouvola

Our whole PXP office from Kazakhstan and Europe was gathered together for the first time in Helsinki! Was really great to finally meet everyone. Weather was also perfect for a few beers in beautiful sunny Helsinki! They made a old ship into a restaurant and shop. The ship is called: Relandersgrund and is located by the presidential palace just next to Katajannokka. Great place to sit for a beer or 2. And the shop downstairs offers all kinds hand made things and design articles.

Inside the ship - The shop

Kazakhstan 

Also went for a quick sightseeing round in the center. The old Tsar that ruled over Finland when we were part of Russia back in the days stands in front of the church. 

Had to stop the car while driving home and take a picture of the setting sun in front of Nokia's headquarters. Can actually see the sun-rays rising from it!!

Keilaniemi

And some ducks were also taking an evening walk on the street :)

Setting off to Kouvola! Thank you Eemeli for hosting the awesome smoke sauna evening! The pond that fills itself was also great. Never seen anything like that before. Just 1 hour drive outside Helsinki city and you get to a place like this...

The natural Pond