My plane landed at one on Friday. First I went for a lunch with my mom, then to queque for my favourite sparkling wine at Alko, and to buy rye bread, cottage cheese, organic juice and milk. On the plane I had tried to remember my door code and failed, but it just came to me when I was standing on my street. The cafe, flower shop and the hairdresser in my building were just as I had left them, but Helsinki looked so pale in the bright spring sun. And the trees so naked!
With the few hours of sleep I had managed to get in one of the quiet seat rows at the Frankfurt airport, I was probably just as prepared as my friends for the vappu evening. Vappu is really one of my absolute favourite holidays. This year’s festivities included checking out how Manta got her cap, fantastic Finnish dinner, and of course the mandatory Otaniemi party. On Saturday I spent four hours in Ullanlinnanmäki in the same temperature as my fridge. At least the sparkling wine was properly chilled…
vappu evening party
First of May at Ullis
A lot of people asked me about my time in Nigeria, and I struggled to put into words the total opposite reality I’ve been experiencing the past four months. Where do I start, when just about everything is like upside down? When what we take for granted is unheard of?
On Sunday we drove to Orivesi, our summer cottage that we’ve been building during the last winter. It’s almost ready,and features a great terrace that I’m just visioning to use for some garden parties. Hopefully at least one next summer!
View from the terrace
I’ve been missing sports in Abuja, and so I went running first thing on Monday morning. I ran past our prime minister’s apartment that seems to have fewer guards than my compound in Abuja, and all the way around Seurasaari (open air museum island), spotting tens of squirrels and the first signs of summer. I was so excited for having a reasonable temperature instead of the constant 40 degrees that I ran almost twice my usual distance.
I’m flying back to Abuja on Monday and strangely already somewhat missing my daily life back there!
