MY TRIP TO FINLAND -
ENJOYMENT AFTER ENJOYMENT
Travelling
Quarantine
Trip to lake
My trip to Finland started in the evening on the 6th of August. I was flying from Prague airport to Helsinki. The flight took almost 2 hours. Around 1 AM I met my friend Hanna and her family.
Be in quarantine is good because I can get to know more about the life inside the family and get to know everybody very well. I can go out during self-quarantine. They showed me the village where I live and also we went to pick blueberries.
On Monday we decided that we will visit a lake that is quite near. The outside temperature was 21°C so, water could have probably 18°C. I couldn´t imagine myself swimming in Finland, but it happened. The water was warmer than I expected.
Kurjenrahka
We visited National Park Kurjenrahka on Tuesday. The 7km long trip was stunning. We saw a lake called Lakjarvi. Then we were walking through swamps, which are typical for Finland.
First day at school
On Wednesday, the first day of school began. School is starting at 8.50, but I arrived around noon since my test result was late. So I was in quarantine longer than others. I'll be studying English, Russian, Arts, and Health Education here. For me, school ends at 3 PM.
Naantali
Naantali is a town in southwestern Finland, which we visited on Thursday. This town is very famous for tourism. In this town, you can see a big harbour. The Muumi island is another reason for Naantali's fame. On the opposite side of the cove, you can see a summer house for the president. From cliffs made of rocks, you can see the whole cove and bridge.
Vepsä
On Saturday, we planned to go to the island of Vepsä with professors and other pupils. This island is near Turku. The only way to get there is via boat. The voyage took an hour. Because it is a small island, hiking around took an hour. After lunch, we had an opportunity to visit a sauna there. The voyage back started at 6 PM.
Wanhat
Wanhat is a traditional dance show at a high school in Finland. It is something similar to prom in the Czech Republic. The class performs Finnish dances, and they will show their performance. The girls are dressed up in long gowns, while the boys are dressed up in suits. Because the first time is for school, and the evening presentation is for parents, the class will dance twice.
Baltic Princess
Baltic Princess is a cruise that sails from Turku to Stockholm. This is a 24-hour trek. Every passenger is required to stay in a cabin for the night. On the ship, there are restaurants, stores, and pubs. Also, there was a band in the evening. There was an option to play Bingo and win some money on Sunday. We returned to Turku in the evening on Sunday.
Horse riding
I tried for the first time in my life horse riding on Tuesday. It was a great experience. For the first part, I was just trying basic commands for a horse. During the second part, I was riding all alone. My horse was calm and easy to ride. Her name was Julija.
Sauna
In every single house in Finland, you can find a sauna. My first experience with a sauna was at my Finnish home. The second time I tried the sauna was at the cottage. We also went for a swim in a small pond. Water had 15 °C, and the air had 16°C. Jumping from the sauna to the chilly water was a thrilling sensation.
Turku
Turku is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. The first thing that we visited were agility competitions. Then we had a nice walk in the park. Also, I saw the university complex and Turkun tuomionkirkko. It is an old cathedral which is situated near the river. Then we had a walk along the waterfront.
Kurjenrahka II.
We returned to Kurjenrahka National Park on Sunday. This time we were walking in a different area of the forest. We hiked for around 6 kilometres around the lake Savojärvi. In the middle of our trip, we had a small snack called Tikkupullat. The weather was great, but we could sense the arrival of autumn. The wind is not that warm anymore.
Camping
I experienced camping in Finland in the evening on Saturday. My host parents and I went to the National Park again. I slept in a tent that was lifted above the ground for the first time in my life. The temperature during the night went below zero, but I wasn´t cold thanks to my heavy camping gear. Our evening snack was salmon prepared Finnish way.
Ruissalo
We went to a place named Ruissalo on September 5th. Turku encompasses it. The weather was pleasant, but the wind was chilly at times. We went to a botanic garden, saw the sea, and enjoyed a hot beverage in a café. Our journey came to a close on the coast.
Nahkiaiset
This is even for humiliating first-year students at school. We are in our third year here, but we have also taken part in this tradition. Students were had to wear trash bags for the whole of the day. Then there were numerous competitions, such as popping a balloon between two bodies. At the end of the day, they swore that they would uphold the school's standards and pass on the tradition to those who would come after them.
Kotiseutumuseo
On the 15th of September, we visited a historical museum with old Finnish buildings. Unfortunately, we couldn´t go and see inside the buildings. But the weather was warm so we could spend some time just hanging out at the areal.
Turku castle
On the 19th of September, I had an option to see the Turku castle. The castle dates back to the 13th century. It is situated on the banks of the Aura River. In Eastland, this building served as a stronghold and administrative centre. During the reign of Duke John of Finland and Catherine Jagellon in the mid-16th century, the castle was at its peak. Because there were few people in the building, the atmosphere was fantastic, and we were able to do a tour without a guide.
Turku Day
There was an event in Turku called "Turku Day" on Sunday 19th. On that day we decided to visit an art gallery and historical museum. We spent almost the whole day in Turku. I went to a facility that used to be a jail but is now apartments. We saw a variety of exciting locations, and it was good to just hang out in a city for a day. Our trip ended with fireworks above the Aura River.
Uusikaupunki
Today, September 25th, we went to a town named Uusikaupunki. It's a small town. Old mills and churches were among the sights we viewed. The goal of this excursion was to see a floorball game that was taking place at the time. The final score was 9:3 in our favour. The weather today heralded the advent of warm autumn. The temperature was 16 degrees Celsius.
Tammisaari
We planned a trip to Hanko for September 25th, Saturday. We chose to stop in Tammisaari/Ekenäs on the way there. It is located in the southern part of Finland. The population of the town is bilingual, with the majority speaking Swedish and the minority speaking Finnish. Helene Schjerfbeck, a well-known Finnish modernist painter, spent many years of her life there.
Hanko
Hanko is a port town on the southernmost tip of Finland's continental territory. This town is 130 kilometres west of Helsinki. It was quite warm outside. I didn't think I could notice a change in the climate (temperature) between my hometown and Hanko. Villas from the late nineteenth century might be seen there. Finland was still a Grand Duchy under Russian rule at that time. These villas are now commonly used as a resort to stay for the night.
Tampere
On Monday on the 27th of September, we decided to make a trip to Tampere. We were travelling by train, so it was my first experience with public transportation here. Everyone on the train was silent except for us. We spent the whole day in Tampere, which is the third biggest town in Finland. We saw three churches and then visited Näsinneula, which is an observation tower. It was amazing to see the whole area of Tampere from height 120m. Lunch we ate in the marketplace, which was hidden in the middle of the town in one big building.
Exam week
For every student at lukio (Finnish high school), the exam week already ended. I also tried to write one exam here in the Russian language. The whole exam system is on computers. Every student needs to log in using their full name and also their student ID number. You can leave after an hour and a half of an exam, which takes three hours. You may think that it´s possible to cheat when it´s on computers, but you are wrong. The whole system doesn´t allow you to use something different from the Internet than what is in the system.
Helsinki
We made a trip to Helsinki on Saturday, the 2nd of October. We were travelling there by train. The first thing that we saw was the Oodi library. I was shocked to see that this library had more than just books. Also, you can find musical instruments, copiers, PlayStations etc. Then we walked along Esplanadi, which is a street with expensive shops, to Market Square. Then we visited the beautiful Helsinki Cathedral and the Senate Square. We decided to visit Natural History Museum. Also, we wanted to see Temppeliaukion Church, but unfortunately, it was closed.
Erasmus Day
On the 5th of October, there was an Erasmus day in our school. We (exchange students) had to create a presentation regarding the project. The topic of the speech was about what we had learnt about our home country, Finland and ourselves as well. After the presentation, there was time to have cakes and something to drink. I was shocked that also newspaper reporters were here and they wanted to have a small interview with us.
MOIKKA!!
Unfortunately, my trip to Finland ended on the 7th of September. The whole stay was amazing, I´m gonna miss Finland so much!
Kaipaan sitä niin paljon!