No access to internet for a week!  We've been on holiday, kids have winter vacation at school in southern Finland this week and we decided to spend our hols with the girls.   But I start from last week. 

I spent Valentine's Day (last week's Thursday) with my friends Hilkka and Katja, dining at LaFamiglia.  In Finland the day is like friends day more than lovers so this was just right way to keep in touch with good friends.  Katja started maternity leave just week before and I'm just devastated to loose my lunch company!  And with Hilkka we meet just too randomly, pity.  I spent the day in Tampere, by train this time to be able to have the night out.  On the way back I was in a car full of mathematicians or physicist and what a boring trip it was!  They were just talking about derivates or integrals or whatever and not a single flirt in the air.  Am I really that old???  No restaurant in that train either so I had no escape.  But I managed to update my cv on the way, had time to think about my new role and tasks.  Something good!

On Friday last week I tried to get everything sorted out at work to be able to leave for a week.  Meaning calls, calls, calls.  Luckily Nanna called me and persuated to go out for lunch.  Thanks a lot!  Would have been really a hard day without the break.  Lunching with ladies: Nanna, Kata and Varpu is always lovely.  It's been awhile since every one of us managed to get to our regular meetings!  And we always talk real things not just chatting.  Meaning the sorrows and happy events every mother has all the time. 

Managed to leave all work behind and haven't open my mail still!  Couple of phone calls received but not too bad.  So on Saturday first Heini left to Tampere Tracon event.  She wanted to go by train to have time to be with her friends longer.  We left a bit later by car, first to leave Jesse to grandparents and then towards Tampere Art Museum.   There is an exhibition by Finnish Young Artist of the year, Samuli Heimonen.  We have been looking for paintings for some time already.  Lots of big walls in this house and something there to catch the eye is needed.  The art by Samuli was interesting, good and not simple.  After that we had dinner in a Chinese restaurant (something Lotus...), Tuuli's wish.  Then picking up Heini from railway station and heading to Nokia Eden.  But we had to make U turn to get back to Tracon to pick up camera Heini left there (couple of swear words heard).  Eden is a spa so evening spent in the pool.

Sunday started with huge breakfast and then drowning in the pool again.  By midday we were out and heading to a ski resort Sappee.  Driving small roads in beautiful Finnish countryside, small villages and big houses, vallies and lakes.  Sometimes you just pick the right turn and end up to places like heaven.  Ok, sorry maybe this was a little too much.  But we had snow on that weekend... and it was my birthday...  Skiing for two days, weather was perfect and slopes in good shape.  Not too many people and queues were reasonable.  We had rented a cottage for the night, sauna and birthday cake in the evening and we were ready for a goodnight sleep in complete silence in the middle of nowhere.

On Wednesday I and girls went to a cruise to Stockholm.  Couple of days eating, eating more and shopping.  Girly things and girl talk, doing what ever was nice or felt like right things to do at the moment.  Tuuli said that the cruise could have continued forever.  Probably going to be a scock to see the Visa bill... This picture for Ant :-)

Heini and Old Town: