So we had Mid summer here over the weekend and it was spend down at the families summer cottage in Sundom. Copious quantities of alcohol was consumed and washed down with some truly amazing meals. I didn’t get out and fish as much as I would have liked but still caught 17 pike and a couple of Perch for a few hours on the water.
Friday morning was spent nursing the mother of all hangovers from the previous evenings festivities. Friends had arrived by boat to the island to celebrate Per Eric’s 50th birthday and brought with them a considerable amount of Pontikka “Moonshine” which we all got stuck in to…. I have to admit after a couple of Rum n cokes, Beers, Ouzo’s….. Moonshine was the last thing I should have been drinking but it had to be done.
Anyway Finland is steeped in traditions ….many of them from Pagan times. In Southern Finland they burn huge bonfires at midnight over mid summer, while on the West coast they erect Birch crosses or sometimes just have a birch tree shoved in the front of the boat. These are erected to wish and hope that crops, flowers, trees will do well over the summer. Anyway many of these traditions as everything else, slowly disappear so its nice to see that some people like Per Eric still keep these going….It was a struggle mind but well worth the effort though.
Salmon was smoked in the smoker and tuna stakes cooked on the Barbie over the weekend and a damn good time was had by all. Thanks for a fantastic weekend Tarja & Per Eric.
2 comments:
Wow, that Tuna looks good enough to eat off my screen...
Birch is the national tree of Finland and is essential to the traditional sauna - the wood burns even when damp and you make a "saunavihta" or bundle of leafy birch twigs to beat over the back of the person next to you (we say that it stimulates the blood flow but it is also just good fun.)
Thanks for that,Having lived here for 5 yrs I sauna regularly but find slapping oneself with birch twigs a bit to over the top for my liking.
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