Travelog for: Finfin

Hi world,
I'm Finfin female and ready to start my journey.
I love parks and trees and grass and all that grows in summer.
Yes and here I'm with my first log.

Today my Mummy said me that she allows me to start my journey, too.
She waits until my best friend Kasimir tell her about his.
Now I'm sooo happy to start 

Here are my first pictures.

Hi,
it's me again.
Today is eastern and this is our easter-fire.
We've got a lot of fun.
And now I finally know where my next host live: Finland.
Can't wait to see it.

Hi,
so this is my last entry from home.
Today I'll start my way to Finland.
I visit a last time the park beside my home and fly directly in my box.
So next time you hear from me, I'm at the first station of my great trip.
Your Finfin

Hello mom!

Finally! FINALLY someone opened my box, and I could come out off it. There were many creatures waiting for me, and they all said it's nice that I arrived. Mom, I feel very welcome here!
I'm so happy. I'm in Finland.

Everyone said to me: "Finfin is in FIN. Welcome!"    (the national code of Finland is FIN.)



As you can see, there's another toy, who also arrived here today. She is PinkLady bunny.



I got many welcome hugs!!! <3

Here is Mo...



...Sylvia...



...Tokki...



...Porridge...



...Ape Apina...



...and Hipsu



I asked hostmom told me, where I am exactly right now.
She showed me the map of the World. Ooooh, I'm in so North! 



Finland located in North Europe, in Scandinavia.



And here is the map of Finland. Mom, can you see the red spot in Central Finland? There's Jyväskylä, the city where I am now.



And this is the map of Jyväskylä.



I'm so exited to be here! Just can't wait, what I can experience here...

But right now I'm tired after long travelling, so I think it's best to go relax... See you soon, mom!

Hugs,
Finfin
xxx

Hello mommy!

Today was beautiful day, so I was outside. Hostmom showed me this nice town. We visited in the harbour of Jyväskylä.

But hey, mommy!!!! Where are all boats? I can't see any of them! 




Ooooh, there they are.





We all went to see boats little closer. There's me and Sylvia, Mo, Porridge, PinkLady and Tokki.

















The ice looks cool! 












Is there anyone who need help? I'm here! Count on me, the lifesaver Finfin.





Mom, do you like this building? It's cute, isn't it?



Here are some views from the harbour







This is the bridge of Kuokkala (Kuokkalan silta). It starts from the harbour area and ends in the neighborhood named Kuokkala.



Ooooh, what on earth that human is doing?     
It must be dangerous to swinging under the big bridge.



Hih, hostmom told me that it's not a real human. It's art sculpture.
Wow!!! It's the one I never forget.    It's very cool!


This nice sign is in the harbour.
Finnish text means: "Keep the archipelago clean - On behalv of clear lakes/water."
It's nice! 



The harbour area of Jyväskylä is quite pretty, don't you think?
Hostmom told me that the area is even more pretty in summertimes. But I think it's nice at this time of the year,too.

Love,
Finfin
xxx

Hi mom!

I was walking just next to the lake Jyväsjärvi. The lake is quite small, and there's a nice little street for pedestrians around the lake. All these photos are from next to that lake.

I climbed on the birch (koivu in Finnish). Birch is a very common tree here in Finland.





Look mom, how beautiful the nature is!
That white building is one part of the Jyväskylä University. It's the apartment of the math and science. The famous architect Alvar Aalto has designed it.





Hhmmmm...  What is this?



Hostmom told me it's an art sculpture, named Suuri Kompassi (the big compass). Artist's name is Markku Hakuri. And it has made in the year 1991. 







And this is also an art sculpture. The name is Exit. The artist is Reijo Veijalainen, and it has made in the year 2002.



Ooh, even more art!!! 

This one's name is Tähystäjät. The artist is Virpi Lehto. It has made in the year 2002.







It's a nice view...



And here's more art. This one's name is Kakophone.
The artist is Harald Karsten. It has made in year 2002.



"HELLO MOMMY, CAN YOU HEAR ME?"


There's nice buildings, and so funny small trees (the small ones!) in front of the building.



This is quite cool bridge!  The white building is one part of the Jyväskylä University.



I'm on the bridge now. This is the one view from that bridge. There's little part of the city center and the harbour of Jyväskylä, and the bridge of Kuokkala.



Just in front of the Jyväskylä University building there's this art sculpture. This one's name is Hyöky. The artist is Kimmo Schroderus. It has made in the year 2006.







And what are those weird white things there? Ooh, more art, offcourse. I should know that... 
The name of this art sculpture is Weimar-Chicago.
The artist is Jaakko Valo. And it has made in the year 1991.



Mom, look!!! Another bridge!
Well, this one is quite small one... but cute!



Mommy, I got new friends!







How cool!  The footprints of those wild ducks! Have you seen them before?



Me and other TVs Tokki, Mo, Porridge, PinkLady and Sylvia were all watch them very carefully.




bye for now,
Finfin
xxx

Hello again mommy!

Guess what? Hostmom just told me, that I can come with her for a little journey. Hostmom will go visit her parents in North Karelia, Eastern Finland. It's over 300 kilometres away from here. 

I can see the other side of Finland, and I will spend the next few days there!

So, because we will leave tomorrow morning, I decided to pack.

Hmmmm... what should I take with me? 



a toothbrush, a mirrow, clothes..... hmmmmm.... 



Ok, things are packed now. I'm ready to go!




Hugs,
Finfin
xxx

Hello mom,

I had a nice weekend. I was in a village named Ilomantsi, in North Karelia, Eastern Finland, visiting hostmom's parents and her godchild.

In Ilomantsi there's living about 5 000 people, and there's many sub-villages there. There's also the easternmost point of Finland, and the easternmost point of the continental European Union in Ilomantsi. This village located so east, that it shares about 100 km long border with Russia.

Well, here I am, in front of the house of  hostmom's parents.



After long drive a car, we were so hungry. So, we decided to cook. And I was there helping to barbeque! Yummy! 



There's sausages, beef, chicken and apple slices...



...and offcourse some salad, too.



...and for dessert BIG sized pancakes (in Finnish: lettuja).



It was really good!!! And I ate a lot!!! 


After eating I had enough energy to help changing tires of the car. There's no need to use winter-tires anymore, it's already time to use summer-tires.

















That was little dirty work, so we all went to wash ourselves. Look, I am in the sauna. This is very Finnish thing.  There's so warm and relaxing!!! Awww!!! I'm in heaven!!! It's so nice to become clean again.





Look mom, I met so many new friends!!! Many toys of hostmom's godchild came to meet us and play with us. It was really fun! 



Look, I met other ladybugs there! 







We were sailing!







And we had a party!









This instrument is kantele. It's the national instrument of Finland. More infos about kantele you can found for example from here: (click). I want to mention that kantele exist also in Finland's national epic Kalevala.





Then hostmom showed me this village, Ilomantsi.

the main street



the town hall of Ilomantsi



a small park



a dog statue in the park



lots of trees!



pitkospuut (a way for pedestrians to be able to walk through the swamp)



I found a small bird's nest there!



The small ladybug was our guide and she showed us places of Ilomantsi. We all followed her.







The evangelic lutherian church of Ilomantsi. It has buildt in 1796.











Some nice landscapes







The lake is still frozen and there's snow on the ice.







This is the swim hall of Ilomantsi.



Spring is here! Look, those little soft round things in the branches, they are in Finnish pajunkissa.





Awww! I'm chilling in the sun! 



This place called Sankarihautausmaa. It's a cemetery for those people who fighted in war many many years ago on behalv of Finland. 





Hostmom told that there was a storm last winter, and the wind was so strong that some of these big spruces fall down then. And guess what? I am sitting right now on the root of one of those fallen tree. It's quite big, isn't it?





This is the orthodox church of Ilomantsi. It has buildt in 1892. It's the most biggest wooden orthodox church in Finland, and it is dedicated to the prophet Elijah.









After long time for walking outside, I need some sleep.










Love,
Finfin
xxx

Hey mom!

Today we got company. A cute frog Telie arrived here from Luxembourg.



We all gave Telie a group hug as a welcome.



And here we all are: Ape Apina, PinkLady, Hipsu, Telie, me, Sylvia, Mo, Porridge and Tokki



Telie showed us some pictures of Luxembourg. I think it is a beautiful country.





Hugs,
Finfin
xxx

Mommy hello!

Guess what? There was an envelope today, too! And there came a cute teddy bear Ronja from Germany from that envelope. There's starting to have so many TVs here right now. But I think that the more, the more fun we all have! 
We gave a group hug to Ronja as a welcome.

Love you mommy,
Finfin
xxx

Hey mommy!

In the morning I watched through the window, and I noticed there were so many clouds in the sky. Everywhere looks blue and gray, and that was so sad...

I was thinking that there must be at least one way to feel better, and bring sunshine and happiness inside. So, I decided to make a sun myself. Maybe my sun will bring some light here...

And I did it! 

Others did, too!     

And it worked, we all feel much better now.

xxx
Love,
Finfin

Hello mommy!

The making own sun was really powerful thing, because in the afternoon it was sunny weather outside! How cool! We had sunshine inside and outside, too!

In the first photo there's a white house, where my hostmom is living on the second floor. 

Because it looked so nice outside, I went there, and relax in sun bath. 

Look mommy, so much of snow has already melted away. Spring has come, and snow is dissapearing really fast. And the ice on the lake is melting, too.

Yeah, summer will come soon! 

xxx
Hugs,
Finfin

Hey mommy!
Smile, please!
Say cheese!
Thanks! 


xxx
Finfin

"Hi mommy! ... Hello! ... Are you there? ... It's me, Finfin, I'm here.

Wow, this macine is amazing! I can chat with you, even though I'm so far away from home. It's so nice to talk with you, mommy! Hostmom told me this small macine is a phone, and in Finnish it is puhelin or kännykkä.

Well, let me tell you something, mom. Today was quite boring day, just because it was raining outside during the hole day long! So, I couldn't go outside to play or see places at all today.  We all were inside and tried to think something nice things to do. But guess what? None of us has any idea, and it made us all very sleepy. And we went to sleep... Quite boring day, isn't it?

Hmmmm, nothing else to say for today. I hope tomorrow is the better day, and fun.

Bye for now, mommy! Love and kisses!
Finfin"

Hey mom!

Today was much better weather outside than yesterday, so I went to outside to play in the evening. It was really fun!



I was in the playground to have some fun time there. The place's name is Eilan puisto, and it's located very near of hostmom's home.



I was swinging. It was really fun! 





Others came, too! 
There were Ronja, Telie, Mo, Sylvia, Porridge, me, Tokki and PinkLady.



Then I was swinging in other swing!



I was in the same side of the swing as Telie, Sylvia and PinkLady.



Then we all decided to go to slide.
First must climb the stairs...



...and then it's time for the funniest part!







We decided to slide all together in the same time. Oh, how crazy idea! 
But before that, we must climb the stairs once again.



Paikoillanne, valmiina, hep!
(Ready, steady, go!)










It was fun! 



Look, mommy! We all are having really much fun together!





Look mommy, I'm here top of the bird! 



Others came, too. We wanted to go flying...



As the way back inside, I saw some real living birds there. And there were so many of them! Cool!  (Mommy, just take a look at the photo very carefully. Can you see those white spots on the ground? Yes, they are birds!)



While walking back inside, hostmom took some other photos, too.











It was a really nice day! 

Love,
Finfin
xxx