Travelog post for: Wavy Gravy

Hi Mom!

We have been studying and studying day after day. So yesterday my host said, we have earned a day off. So we spent a day in Loviisa. Loviisa is a small town about 80 km from Lahti.

Quote:

Loviisa, an idyllic old port town between Porvoo and Kotka, is less than an hour's drive east of Helsinki. The Swedish King Adolf Fredrik was very fond of the town and named it after his wife, Queen Lovisa Ulrika. The coastal town of Loviisa has a rich history. The bilingual town has a remarkable main square surrounded by the 19th century stately stone houses and just near the centre, you will find the old town districts with their wooden houses, sandstone and cobblestone streets. On the western side, you will find the bold neo-gothic Church.

First we went to visit Bonga castle. It’s not really a big castle, but very nice (they even have a ghost)  . In Bonga, there is atelier of famous artist Riitta Nelimarkka. It was not allowed to take photos inside, but at least you can see me at front of  castle. You can also see Loviisa’s church in one photo.

Quote:

Riitta Nelimarkka is a distinctive and versatile artist whose repertoire includes textile art, graphic art, animated films, paintings, artist books, photography and extensive exhibition entities. Bonga Castle is a 2000 m2 patrician castle from 1906 and has been renovated to the original 1920 classical style. The gallery takes up 1/3 of the castle and shows the most essential part of the artist production. The spacious gallery is filled with light and vibrating colours.

Then we went to see historical houses of Loviisa. It’s an annual event. There are lots of beautiful old buildings in Loviisa, mostly small wooden ones. Once a year owners of those houses let tourists to see their gardens and even take a look inside houses. Susanna and I agree, that we don’t take photos inside anybody’s home, but you can see me outside few houses. There were also small markets and flea markets everywhere. We walked all day and have so much fun.

Now back to our studies. Take Care Mom!

Hugs and kisses from Wavy