Miniexcursion to Raasepori

Arriving in Raasepori I was supposed to get off the train at a very small station... Well, the train stopped but as I couldn't see any "station-like" buildings and no-one else moved to get out, I didn't realize I had to get off the train! I realized when I saw my fiend's blonde hair through the window but the train was already moving... I got off the train ten minutes later and my friend came to get me by car:)

Actually I probably should be politically correct and call the town "Raseborg" in Swedish, and they've also had a consolidation of municipalities. In the town called Tammisaari they also have the last Swedish speaking brigade in Finland, the Uusimaa Brigade. My friend can see the young men running around in their practise and doing push-ups from her balcony!:):) That's not too bad!! :P

We had planned an active weekend: we were going horseback riding on Icelandic horses. It was a three hour ride in a place nearby  called Mustio with two other girls. Here's the link to the stable Hestbakki (note: they will be moving soon to another town!) My horse was called Fjalar, which is an old mythological Norse name. I'm not very experienced when it comes to horses. I'd love to learn a bit more about horses and riding and have this as a real hobby... Here are photos from that trip, horse photos taken with my mobile phone...

We rode on fields..

..forest paths...

..and saw old farm buildings.

Two types of horse power!:)

Afterwards we had lunch in Fiskars, a very lovely place (no English Wiki available)!

We saw the exhibitions in Fiskars.

Fiskars exhibit pt II.

At the duck pond.

Welcome to my friend's house!:) (in the stairway)

Finnish nature in spring, just before the summer.

An old mental hospital and Anemone Nemorosa before going to sleep.

Entry to the mental hospital, apparently built in the 1930's.

Detail of water tower.

Winter in Turku

This winter has been exceptionally cold and we've had a lot of snow in Turku. Now the snow is slowly melting, but I'm afraid the whole of Finland will bee flooded and float away with the masses of water!:/

People have to pass this way on their way to the University.
Good luck with that then... 
(oh, and did you notice that not all of the snow has melt yet?) 

Despite the vast amounts of snow, I've been cycling all year round, all around Turku - and that's because I don't have a car. But alas! Today I noticed that my bike was in a pretty bad shape: the back wheel was wobbly. I made it to work, then to another work place, then to the bike shop - only to find the shop was closed for winter!>:(    - and then to another bike repair shop to leave my poor bike there. Phew. I was pretty mad. This was not the best week for the bike to be broken...


For the time being (a week or so) I will have to get around with this (see photo).
Meet my second bike AKA the bike I forgot to take with me when I moved to my new apartment in November...

Lonely, sad and forgotten.