Midsummer sports getaway at Vierumäki

This year our family decided that instead of experiencing a traditional Midsummer, we would take part in an active Midsummer weekend at the Vierumäki sports academy/facility/hotel. Vierumäki is known in Finland for being a training place for all kinds of athletes, from professionals to recreational athletes, and for providing a nice overall place for sports and outdoor adventures.  We purchased the Midsummer package which included the hotel, food and organized sports activities for the entire family. This would be the true alternative to a classic Midsummer where most folks go to the cabin by the lake, relax and drink all weekend long.

I had no idea what I was getting into when my wife told me that we would be taking part in these organized sports activities.  I thought maybe a few fun games with the children, some Frisbee and perhaps some hikes.  Little did I know what types of physical activities were in store for me.  I consider myself fairly athletic, so I am always up for a little challenge.  We arrived Friday afternoon and had a stretching class that afternoon while the children had some fun activities for their age groups.  Kids' activities throughout the weekend included circus games, gymnastics, urban warfare (think Nerf balls) and orienteering.   Later that afternoon, we finished up the activities by jumping off the dock into a cold lake followed by a Sauna.  That evening featured a more typical Midsummer celebration with a children's band playing along side a bar and the traditional lighting of the bonfire in the middle of the lake.

Saturday was the most intense day with exercise starting early in the morning and lasting till the late afternoon. We started with kids versus adults fun indoor soccer (football) game followed by indoor floor hockey.  The kids beat the adults on most occasions.   Last game was team dodge ball which brought back great childhood memories.  After the morning games ended, my wife and I attended a brutal cross-fit session and then I tried Nordic walking after lunch.  I had always wanted to try both cross-fit and the Scandinavian Nordic walking.  The morning cross-fit session was a brutal workout and now I understand why most of the folks who practice cross-fit on a regular basis are bad asses.  The afternoon Nordic walking session lasted 1.5 hours and by the end of the session the trainer had us running up hills with our poles (walking sticks).  Nordic walking which is very popular in Finland, might look funny, but provides a great arm workout on top of the already great cardio workout.  The poles also provide stability which can help you navigate the rougher outdoor trails.  Just remember to bring your mosquito repellent, because they are vicious in the Finnish forests during the summer time.  By Saturday our family was so thoroughly wiped out from a long day of exercise and activities that we hit the sack by 10 pm.

On Sunday, we had one last exercise session which was core fitness.  This also turned out be a great session, but my muscles were screaming by the end.  I survived the final class which was followed up by a sumptuous lunch back at the hotel.  Our bodies were royally exhausted by the end of the weekend.  Wasn't this supposed to be a relaxing getaway to the lake cabin and sit around drinking and eating weekend?  :)  Traditionally in Finland Midsummer is a weekend of relaxing with good friends by seashore or lake, but we decided this year to try something different and it was a very rewarding overall experience.

The Finnish Easter Experience

Easter (Pääsiäinen) in Finland is a distinctly different experience than what is celebrated in the United States.  The Palm Sunday before Easter the kids dress up like witches and go door to door collecting sweets.   Reminiscent of the trick-or-treat tradition in the British Isles and North America, this practice is believed to be a mixture of Orthodox Easter blessing customs from Eastern Finland with pre-Christian rituals from Western Finland and Scandinavia.  The kids must recite a rhyme in Finnish and they exchange a decorated branch before receiving their treats.  The Finnish rhyme is: Virvon varvon, tuoreeks terveeks, tulevaks vuueks, ison talon isännäks. Vitsa sulle, palkka mulle.

I really enjoy the long Holiday weekends in Finland and Easter is no exception.  Both Friday and Monday are official Holidays, making Easter a 4-day weekend in Finland.  In the United States some people get "Good Friday" off while others just have a normal 2-day weekend.   In Finland, most of the businesses shut down on the long weekend (with exception to Saturday) so many people leave town for vacation.  In Finland most people already get 5-6 weeks of vacation, so these long weekends are a nice addition to the already generous time off policies.  Many folks I had spoken to decided to go downhill skiing in Northern Finland and there is usually still plenty of snow up there at this time of year. 

In addition to eggs and chocolate sweets, traditional Finnish Easter dishes include Ham, Lamb and Mämmi.  Mämmi, a distinctively Finnish desert dish is made from water, rye flour, and powdered rye malt, seasoned with dark molasses, salt, and dried powdered Seville orange peel.  Some are afraid to eat Finnish Mämmi because of it's consistency and dark brown appearance.  It really isn't that scary and besides being kind of thick and filling, doesn't taste all that bad.  It is traditionally eaten with cream and sugar.  Give it a try if you are ever visiting Finland during Easter time.

It recently got a bit colder and snowed a little bit on Palm Sunday and remained cool (25-38 F) during the entire week leading up to Easter.  The Finns said that these brief returns to Winter during Spring are common, and they call them "Takaisin Talvi" or "Back Winter".  Old Man Winter may have reared his ugly head again and placed Spring on hold, but the days are longer, the sun is out and the snow has almost all melted.  You can definitely feel Spring in the air, and now I am just waiting for the warmer barometer to stay longer.

The Finnish Christmas experience

I spent my first Christmas ever away from my family and friends in the Bay Area.  While this was bittersweet, I welcomed the Finnish Christmas experience.  The Finns do celebrate Christmas a little differently from what we are used to in the States, but overall they practice many of the same traditions.  One almost "sure thing" that normally occurs in Finland is a "White Christmas".  However, they must have known I was coming from California, because it has been nothing short of near record warmth.  There was no snow in sight for Christmas in the Southern Finland area, in fact the 2 days after Christmas have been 46-49 degrees Fahrenheit.  That might not seem exactly balmy, but in Finland which is about the same latitude as Alaska it is downright hot for this time of year.  

Most Finns get their tree on the day before Christmas and many of them just cut a tree down in a local forest.  In Finland there is a law that all forests are public, even if someone own the land, others may roam freely across, picking berries or even cutting trees down.  Of course this is different from owning a house  with yard.   Also in Finland, I have not noticed the overblown ostentatious lighting systems in people's yards that you see all over the Bay Area.  People seem to keep their lighting down a minimum, that gets back to the fact that people in Finland are never trying to stand out above the rest.  Showing off is a language that they don't seem to speak.  

The Finnish traditional Christmas meal consisted of a salt-cured ham, potato, carrot, liver and rutabaga casseroles.  Also, carrot, beet and pickle salad (yum!), smoked salmon, Karelian pies and rye bread.  For me,  Finnish food has been an acquired taste, but I think I am slowly getting used to it. They have two spices in their vocabulary, that is salt and pepper.  The main day of Christmas in Finland is Dec. 24th, this is the day that most families open their gifts.  Also many families either rent a Santa or their dads dress up in Santa suits and deliver the gifts early evening on the 24th.  December 25th, traditionally known as Christmas day in the States, is merely a day of rest in Finland, as is the 26th another Holiday in Finland.  Stores are essentially closed on both the 24th and 25th and open for limited hours on the 26th.    People are not known to have those lavish American style huge Christmas dinners in Finland.  They normally prefer a small celebration with immediate family and they do take their relaxing seriously.  Christmas to the Finns should not be a place to get stressed out about going to 3 parties and preparing loads of food for everyone.  Overall, though I missed my large family celebration in the Bay Area, I actually liked the mellow Christmas experience just being around immediate family and taking the time to really relax.