A Little Piece of Paradise

This weekend was my last in Savonlinna :( Very sad, I know. It's been a weird feeling, trying to get my last moments all summed up, taking more pictures in my head of everything I want to remember.

One of those things is the beautiful summer cottage out by the lake. Many people in Finland have a family summer cottage that is further away from cities, and an escape into nature. Leena and I have visisted hers a few times (where we made the snowman). It is on a beautiful lake with wooded forests surrounding it, about 10-15 minutes drive from town. Leena's parents owned the property when she was growning up, and they would spend their entire summer there, and then move into town when it was winter. They even kept horses! When she and her siblings got older, the land was separated out, so now there are several cottages for those siblings on that lakeside.

One of the most wonderful things at the summer cottage is the architecture that Leena designed for it. Eastern Finland has a strong "Karelian" history. Karelia used to be on the far Eastern side of Finland but was taken by Russia after the Finland-Russia war, and many of those Finns moved into what is now Eastern Finland in order to not be under Russian rule. As such, they had to leave their homes, histories, and homeland. Among the older generation here especially, this longing for Karelia is very strong.

Traditional Karelian Orthodox style church

Some of the culture includes the architecture, music, dialect, food (riisipirakkas), and dress.

My absolute favorite! Made with rice

At this cottage there is a little retreat to paradise. The little sauna at the end of the dock.

I can't put into words how nice it was to spend an hour or so chatting in the sauna, and when it got hot, just stepping outside to dry and cool off. Surrounded by such beautiful nature, looking out onto the frozen lake and in such wonderful company, it was really a beautiful moment that I will remember forever! Coming to the cottage for the sauna is like a retreat and a place to "become one with nature." 

It's a little surprising to me how well I've adapted to the Finnish culture while here. Sauna has become very important to me, and my endurance for it has grown a lot. It's so relaxing and refreshing, and it helps calm my mind down. I also have loved all the food, learned some of the language, and learned to appreciate aspects of Finnish history, like Karelia. I think that Finland will always have a little piece of my heart, and this cottage retreat and sauna is part of that piece!