Elämä on ihanaa

Halloween with Eppu and Kate

Well, we love Halloween and this has become the traditional famioly party at our house. Every year I get mom to get some more things for me, from the UK and leave her some cash to get something else for the collection.

After 2013 Halloween, I think from the list she has given dad and her have out done themselves! I can hardly wait for 2014 Halloween!!!

I love this party though, making some fun things, allergy friendly foods (there are a few of us) and some healthy and unhealthy combinations.

I have also been leaving mom cash to get the kids some fancy dress stuff as well, they are all at the age where it is awesome to dress up. This year we decided that we would make them a candy hunt outside with an orienteering map, some torches and a goody bag of candy for when they had finished hunting.

Normally around 16 of us turn up for this, it's also a good time for people to check out the renovations in our house. Good day which continues as long as possible before everyone leaves wondering if we can out do this next year. We can of course!!

Eppu being a big kid loves this celebration, he named all the foods in Finnish and gave them creepy names so the kids would giggle at eating stuff like "witches fingers".

Mom and Dad's May and Autumn Visit

Both mom and dad's lone visits were pretty relaxed this year. We got mom her birthday cake when they came in May at my work, a surprise. Then when dad came for the wedding week and we went to my work for food with the wedding party we once more ordered dad a cake he didn't know. We also as an additional surprise ordered my grandad a birthday as well and took that back to Tampere with us.

Mom loves to visit Cafe Laurell, lovely little cafe if you visit Hämeenlinna ever, I recommend you visit there. You will not regret it and it does take away savories and cakes. I also have a fond memory though I think it was their May visit where we went to the market in Hämeenlinna center and we bought some stuff where I got to order weird stuff in Finnish. They were pruod, we got what we wanted, everyone was happy!!

Everytime mom and dad visit they ask to go to this cafe, live music, lovely cakes and food and not too badly priced.

http://www.laurell.fi/index.php?section=1

this was my trip to UK in 2013

Mom's girly birthday cake

Mom likes cakes incase you haven't noticed already

She has that same cake this isn't the same visit as the other photo

Hämeenlinna castle. Dad loves castles so we thought we would take them

Canada Business Trip September 2013

Business trip. September 2013. Clean Energy Conference.

Photos from our 22km walk

Canada was a place I loved as soon as we goto Ottawa. It looked pretty similar to Finland, forests, lakes, bogs, green, you get the image.

Aira and me also found an awesome petshop and I got Ebby some proper grooming things that mom couldn't find in the UK. I also got them a few catnip toys.

Ottawa is a tiny city which only really contains parliament buildings, it is not somewhere I would revisit but the size of Canada there is no need to go to the same place twice!!! We walked around it in one day, most of the city viewing was over in a few hours.

Being in Canada was weird as it's like the UK where people want to talk to talk to you while you shop. The hotel we stayed in was also a old people's home and that was far too weird, won't be staying in that chair again!

Conference went as well as they can go! It was a good few days. We tried eating local pizza but it was too garlicy. The food at the conference wasn't allergy friendly so I spent the time buying cheese and eating the junk food I took with me. Thoroughly, loved the time there though!!

The honeymoon

As I had a business trip less than 2 weeks after the wedding we decided to take a later honeymoon in August. So after months of planning and deciding where we would like to go and where could we get connecting flights too. The countries were Italy, Switzerland, Croatia, Hungary, Germany and Austria. The cities were Rome, Naples, Venice, Geneva, Dubrovnik, Budapest, Berlin, Vienna.

I know these catch up posts have been mostly pictures though there is not much I can blog about, they were happy times but the photos are much better <3

Venice was my favourite place, it was a lively city, food was expensive but there was so much to explore. Naples was the worst choice, getting to Pompeii was so expensive we didn't bother, we stayed in the old city which was rougher than a badgers arse. Italy I loved, allergy friendly on a whole for me at the minute, olive used even in pizza so I looked normal! Great place, though the locals were a bit rude especially in airports. I have Italian friends who are nice but maybe that's why they left! haha.. who knows, I can only give you my own opinion on what we experienced.

Dubrovnik is lovely, it is expensive to get on the wall but a must. I am a massive Game Thrones Fan so I had to go and see it. It is very busy there in peak season, no where to be alone or relax but a few days doesn't drive you too crazy. Be prepared to carry your bags up hundreds of step stairs.

Geneva, very small great place for a do nothing break, we did. Very expensive to eat here.

Budapest, second visit. I love this city it's so vibrant, alive all hours, lite up at night, beautiful architecture and very cheap! perfect weekend break.

Germany, Berlin is my first proper city visit in Germany. I have to say I loved the city but the restaurant we went to wasn't good so then we found a pizza plan at night.

Vienna, was pretty but too big to get any idea of it for a 2 day stay, would return it's pretty!