Finnish food at its best!

This is now my second week. I have done so much already and still have so much to look forward to. I did feel a bit homesick last night but I think a lot of that was tiredness. It was great to speak with everyone back home on the phone. I also went out for a short walk and passed the local Baptist church. There seemed to be people inside so I went in - there was a 60th birthday party going on but the Chairman, Pauli, showed me into the church.

My second spring 

It was good to walk in the sunshine and to see the daffodils and tulips. I have commented to several people,that I am really lucky as I am having two springs this year!


Today I spent the early part of the morning thinking and planning some ideas for our presentation in Berlin - this is really bringing out the competitive spirit in me and I really want our 10 minutes to be memorable (for all the right reasons!).

Pirjo picked me up at 11.15 and we drove to the Nasinneula Tower. It is a revolving restaurant set amongst a dophinarium, aquarium, planetarium, domestic animal zoo and amusement park.

One of the funfair rides

There are 2 sheep if you look hard enough !

By the dolphinarium

After a short walk around we went up in the lift to the restaurant. The viewing gallery is 120 m high and the restaurant 124 m.

We walked around the lower level - the viewing gallery and then went up to the restaurant. It offers some fantastic views over the whole area:

The amusement park below

Can you spot the train Rob?

A close up of another train!

Pyynikki area 

The tower I climbed yesterday

You will see that I saw the forest where I was yesterday and the tower. Pirjo told me that the newspapers reported there were 9,900 women at the run yesterday!

We then got down to the serious business of eating! Pirjo was there but she really doesn't like having her photo taken.

 I selected the Finlandia menu:

Funnel Chanterelle Soup

Slightly salted whitefish

Sorbet

this was really refreshing

Reindeer from Kaldoaivi

Sorry Rudolph but it was delicious!

Local cheeses:

A soft Finnish cheese like brie and a smoked cheese with cranberry and blood orange

Sea Buckthorn two ways with white chocolate and strawberries:

It was almost too beautiful to eat!

I was not familiar with the Sea Buckthorn and I've just looked it up:

Common sea-buckthorn has branches that are dense and stiff, and very thorny. The leaves are a distinct pale silvery-green, lanceolate, 3–8 cm long and less than 7 mm broad. The plant is is dioecious, with separate male and female plants and the male produces brownish flowers which produce wind-distributed pollen. To bear fruit, therefore, both male and female plants have to be panted together. The shrubs flower in May and the emale plants produce orange berries 6–9 mm in diameter, soft, juicy and rich in oils which ripen in September and October. The fruit is ripe from late September

The Sea Buckthorn

Pirjo told me that she has a male and female bush in her garden - the male bush is quite tall whereas the female is shorter and wider!!! I have also just read that the berries are a strong laxative!!!!

Having managed to eat all of this I then moved to the relaxing chairs and sat admiring the view and letting my stomach recover - but what a fantastic meal and so amazing to have such quality Finnish cuisine.

We then went down to the amusement park and much to my amazement I agreed to go on a ride with Pirjo. She had wanted to go on the chairoplanes but decided it might not be wise as she was wearing a skirt. So we went on the "Wiking" - a Viking long boat that swung from side-to-side. It was great fun!

We then came back to my flat. Pirjo had mentioned that the shops were open until 6pm so I thought I would go straight into the centre. I caught the bus and found the shopping centre we had visited, even though I had forgotten my map! Unfortunately I found out that the shop actually closed at 5 so I only had 30 minutes. However, I managed to buy a couple of presents to take home - hope you like what I have bought for you, Helen!

When I came back to my flat again I heard cheering and remembered that the ice hockey was on again. Unfortunately Finland lost to Russia yesterday 6-2 so would not be in the gold and silver medal play-off. I put the TV on and have been watching the bronze medal match. Again Finland were really unlucky and lost to Czech (I think republic) 3-2.

I shall now have a quiet evening doing some more work on our presentation and writing some more postcards home, ready for another great week here in Tampere. I certainly don't think I'll need to eat until tomorrow!