On a Big Ferry!

For such a short distance we have dashing ferries - from Turku to Stockholm. At this side of the bay we call them the Sweden boats and on the other side they are called the Finland boats because of their destination. We decided to have an overnight-cruise between the two countries last weekend with the children.

Turku harbour early on Saturday morning

The both archipelagoes are lovely, first with old wooden villas by the sea and then islands where the vegetation gets fewer the more we reach the open sea, until they turn to bare cliffs. 

We got a climps of Mariehamn by the harbour, the capital of Aland islands at a brief stop there and then  the evening lights of Stockholm before taking some passangers and turning back.

Inside the ferry Amorella we had a luxurious buffét-table - this time with a hint of autumn and x-mas menus - and had a lot of fun trying the bingo-game (won a new cruise..), following the karaoke and Isak at the ball pit. 

After the Tax-free-shop we all had a cloud of perfume around us and favourite chocolates for the coming x-mas holidays. 

A ferry over from Nauvo to Korppoo on Sunday morning

When returning in the morning to Turku and on our way to Korppoo a frozen white archipelago was waiting for the home-comers. 

Treasures of a Home

We are carring in boxes one after another - treasures that were carefully packed over two and a half years ago, almost forgotten. Now we are trying to find their places in the new home. This one has always been by my bed.

I have missed them - or more the atmosphere they spread around - of home, cosyness, memories. This is one of my treasures, we call it the Princess Cabinet and it tells you the story from the Orient, of Aladdin.

It is like watching a comic book. Three lockers , the midst behind a door build a sceen.  The snake guarding the gold and jewellery.

Who could they be? Why are they so worried?

Under the lace curtain is someone sleeping...

The Princess

This is a work of an artist from my old home-town, Stina Engvall from Kristinestad. It makes my thoughts fly...

It is said that your home is where your heart is but I believe we need to carry with us some memories and have around us some beaty to feel well, too.

What shall I find from the next box? I haven't seen my cake-forms yet either...

http://www.gottorp.fi/ - Stina's gallery!

Ship - ahoy!

We got curious with Isak when we heard ships and their foghorns from the sea and decided to make trip to the boat harbour of our village. It was a foggy morning and the temperature had gone down five degrees during the night. By bike along the narrow village road it took us only few minutes to cycle there and we were anxious to see some big ships passing through the fairway south.

There was a thick fog to meet us and an empty harbour waiting for the winter. We remembered the lovely summer days running along the wharf and jumping to the warm water, the air was full of laughter and dragonflies. Now it was silent and peaceful.

By the Pellas wharf and our old boat-house we had our small picnic and could see how the eager fishermen from our village were trying their fishing-net.

In the clear water by the shore we noticed some fish jellies slowly floating by - they are harmless but during last summer numerous in our waters. Time stood still when watching their slowly movements.

They cannot survive here because of the winter and ice but will float from south of the Baltic Sea during next summer again.

No passing ship that we could see but these rowing boats in their winter sleep at the beach.

We are ready, mr Frost!

Tonight it will be frost and almost full moon, so it is time to start with hay and cosy nights at the sheep barn. The sheep and Agnes can during days freely graze at the field and try to find the last green.

I have sheared Alli and Salli - still Suklaa left - and got lots of nice soft wool for fulling something for x-mas present. It is always a bit slow project because I have only my kitchen scissors...

Beside our tractor Valmet there is Tuisku, a Norvegian fjord horse

Laara the Dog was helping me to keep Agnes away from the hay barn where I keep my dried branches - she loves them and would eat my whole winter storage!

The sheep barn got a new layer of dried peat underneath and a thick madress of straws above of it. Agnes approved her new bedroom...

Silent November evening

We have been enjoying many warm, windless days now and decided to burn the branches the sheep had already eaten. It was a beautiful calm evening and the fog started to first appear near our home-forest and then to creep nearer across the fields. 

The sheep were curious but Agnes the Goat was careful and stayed beside Isak. 

It has been so warm that the sheep and Agnes have been able to find grass from the field but soon it is time to start with the dried hay after the first frosty nights. They have waken up early - so when I get up and start to light the oven at the kitchen I can see them wandering in the field, though Agnes has also eaten all my herbs and the green leaves of vegetables.

Although the sheep have high respect on Agnes there is one thing that mother sheep Alli is ready to defend and that is Isak. 

The sun was setting and the old granary had fallen asleep. We have no lamps outside yet except old oil-lamps and lanterns - we light them every evening not to get lost on our way home, to dry-toilet or to the old sauna. And then everyone has his own headlamp...

A glad day at the cemetery...

Over twenty people with their rakes were like colourful umbrellas in the autumn weather gathering leaves into huge piles and chatting over graves this morning. It was the annual cleaning day at our local church-yard. After few hours of work together we could enjoy some sandwiches and coffee at the parish house.

We arranged some pretty heathers and junipers at the graves of Pellas anchestors - next sunday it is the All Saints' Day when people light candles at the graves of their nearest and the cemetery becomes a shining see of lights in the November evening.

August was a pilot and the builder of our house and father's grandfather's grandfather to little Isak August, so Isak was there, too, with his own tiny rake - although more interested in the tractor gathering the leaves.

August's father was taken abroad by the English navy during the Crimean War and never returned home. August as the oldest son had to take resposibility of the household and over 10 sisters and brothers. He had fallen in love with Cecilia as a young man but she would not have him - he had too much to take care of already. So she married another pilot and moved to Utö island, but her husband drowned. August tried again and asked her to marry him - and she said yes. They got two daughters, bought the pilot estate from the king of Russia and began to build a new house for them, our house, in 1870.  

August, Uno and Cecilia. August is here wearing his medal from the tzar of Russia after piloting his ship in the archipelago. Uno was the grandson of August and Cecilia, raised up at Pellas.

The church of Korppoo island is a medieval grey-stone church with special painted decorations on the inner ceiling, originally a catholic church. It has a peaceful atmosphere even if it is in the middle of the centre by the main road. From the grave stones you can read many special names that the sailors and sea-captains in the families brought with them from the seven seas, Atlanta, Oseania...    

Sateenkaaritaikaa

It is said that you shouldn't be aftaid of the dark but the shadows, but I prefer light and colours. Life gives us the dark shades, grey days - life should be nothing but beige. White rooms are for me like touched by the Queen of Winter, frozen to death. Is a white afraid of life? At least sticky fingers. I want to choose life. I am sitting here and developing my ideas about designing. I haven't though found a name for my philosophy yet...

Sanotaan, ettei pimeyttä kannata pelätä vaan varjoja, mutta minä kammoan tummuutta, harmautta, valjuutta, beigeä elämää – ja seinää. Uskon, että ne räsymaton tummat raidat suo meille kyllä elämä itse, mutta varjoja vastaan voi nousta. Valkoinen on taas kuin lumikuningattaren kuolinkosketus – pelkääkö valkoinen elämää? Ainakin tahmatassuja! Haluan tunnustaa väriä. Kehittelen tässä sisustusfilosofiaani, mutta en ole vielä keksinyt sille hienoa nimitystä…

I found soul-mates for example from an English William Morris who had inspired this wall paper of Tapettitehdas - a paper that will decorate our living-room. According to him the beauty in the living and in the whole surrounding was important to the well-being. 

Sielunveljiä kyllä löytyy kuten englantilainen William Morris. Hän perusti hengenheimolaisineen Arts and Crafts –liikkeen, jossa käsityötaiteella korostettiin kauneuden tärkeyttä niin kotona kuin puutarhassa. Samaa virtaa löytyy ruotsalaispari Karin ja Carl Larssonin kodista. 

Haluan kertoa värein. Mietin auringonkiertoa, huoneiden kokoa ja tarkoitusta, kun piirrän hahmotelmiani rakennustelineiden keskellä. Kuistilla olkoon ikuinen kesä. Eteinen saa olla lämmin ja valoisa rutistus: Ihanaa kun tulit! 

In kitchen it is adviced sometimes to use the colours of nature and food. At our home the old kitchen cabinet made by a local craftsman decided the colours used. Kitchen walls will be covered by this rustic country-style wall paper by Tapettitehdas.

Keittiön ruuanlaiton paletti löytyy vanhoista kaapistoista, jotka saavat palata seisomasijoilleen. Vihreä kamari henkii luonnon rauhaa, ja siniseen uneen on turvallista nukahtaa. Siellä missä viipyilee pohjoisen hämärä ja iltahetki, tuodaan aurinkoa. Päiväkirkkaat huoneet kestävät viileämpiä sävyjä. Missä uhkun burgundinpunaista ja hehkun oranssia? Piirrän ja mietin.

Ennen vanhojen tapettiriekaleiden peittämistä puukuitulevyillä kurkimme kerrosten väliin ja ammennamme rohkeutta koreista väreistä. Luotsitilalla oli ollut varaa paperoida tiuhaan uusia tuulia. 

Before covering the walls with wood fibreboards we were inspired by the old wall papers on the walls. You could see from the many layers that the ancient pilot estate owners had afforded a new wall paper quite often. 

This is the most special of the old ones, a knight on his horse. Does anyone recognize it?

Me annamme Williamin köynnösten kiertyä salin seinille Morris & Co:n 150-vuotisjuhlankin kunniaksi kotimaisilla vuodilla. Hengittävät ja paperiset tapetit on jyskytelty painolaatoilla vanhojen koneiden voimin. Muuten aiomme tarttua suteihin ja kuvioida itse. 

The wooden fibreboards had to be painted first - here with a bit burgundy red - then papered  (makulatuuripaperi) and the gaps between the boards especially. Then the paper could be painted or the wall-paper set on it. We used an old-fashioned wall-paper paste that you mix yourself, the most eco-friendly and healthy choice.

An old way to immitate the marble wall was to splatter 2-3 colours of paint with a bunch of sticks. Here I have tried on our utility room walls - on rosa bottom with a dark red, black and white. Other rooms we are planning to decorate with stencil paintings. 

Helpoin on roiskemaalaus tiukalla ranteella ja vanhalla luudanpalalla. Sablonit kopioidaan ja vuollaan kalvoille, ja kuvion osat töpsötellään väri kerrallaan. Kalvoja siirretään liitumerkkien ja luotilangan apuja seuraten kattolistalta kohti lattia. Mutta mitä kirjoittaisin kattoon, ja olisiko ruutulattialla hauska hyppiä?

http://www.clg.se/start.aspx - Carl Larssons home museum in Sweden

http://www.morrissociety.org/ - about William Morris in England

http://www.tapettitehdas.fi/ - Finnish traditional wall papers