Porvoo and Loviisa

Porvoo Church

Last weekend, I escaped the heat of Helsinki to the Finnish countryside and visited the small towns of Porvoo and Loviisa.  Though it was hot in both of those towns too -- highest temperature in 75 years! -- it was nice to see more of Finland and experience life at a traditional Finnish summer home.

Loviisa

The weekend started with a car ride to Porvoo, Finland's second oldest town.  The first site of interest was the McDonald's where 3 people were recently murdered.  Quite shocking considering Finland has such a low crime-rate.  However, the murders didn't appear to deter anyone from visiting the drive-through as the place looked pretty busy from a distance.  On a lighter note, I also checked out all of the obligatory tourist destinations in Porvoo, visiting the church that was recently restored after being burnt down by teenage hooligans, the old town lined by cute boat houses along the water, and the famous Brunberg candy & chocolate factory.

I'm a huge fan of samples and definitely had my fill of at Brunberg - truffles, mint toffee bars, chocolate rice cakes, orange chips (not a fan), marmalade candies, and more!  After spending nearly 20 Euros on assorted chocolates (intended to bring back to the States for friends and family), I ended up at a cafe eating a great piece of rhubarb cake with vanilla sauce.

After stuffing myself with chocolates and cake, it was back in the car to head to Loviisa -- the destination for the night.  I've anticipated visiting the Finnish countryside and staying at a summer home since my arrival 6 weeks ago.  My first impression: it's like camping but with a roof and four walls.  The house was so cozy, cute and right on the water with a private dock.  The only thing missing was a toilet with running water and a shower.  I was informed about the outhouse prior to my arrival, but wasn't told how far it was from the house.

With my tiny bladder, I made the trek up to the outhouse more often than I would have liked.  Especially after seeing a mouse along the way.  But, I couldn't muster the courage to relieve myself in the woods (like everyone else) knowing that a clean, composting toilet with toilet paper and view of the forest & water was just a short walk away. 

Swedish pancakes - dessert style

Restroom predicaments aside, I had a great time.  The water was chilly -- a mix of the Atlantic Ocean and fresh water, but it was nice to be one of the only people in the water or on the dock just enjoying the peace and quiet of the woods.  Plus, there was a grill so I ate well!  The weekend menu included garlic-marinated beef, grilled mushrooms stuffed with blue cheese, corn on the cob, a strange but tasty glue-like Finnish yogurt-type breakfast, Swedish pancakes for dessert with all of the toppings for dessert, and of course, the staple of many Finnish meals -- potatoes. 

Late night sunset

Unfortunately, my short escape from the city ended on a less than positive note due to an incredibly long and hot bus ride back to Helsinki with lots of sweaty people and no air conditioning.  And, to make matters worse, my chocolates became really warm and gushy, leaving them looking less than desirable (but still tasty!). 

This weekend will be the true challenge for my bladder and desire for a daily shower as I'll return to the Loviisa summer house for 3 days and 2 nights.  And, it's supposed to be hot, hot, hot -- by Finnish standards at least: in the high 80s with not-so-pleasant humidity and no air conditioning.  Good thing the water is close by.  In fact, it's even closer than the outhouse.