I am told we will celebrate with a big bonfire. My son-in-law Jared would like that. I've seen big piles of brush, awaiting the match. More telling, are the crowded supermarkets and signs in stores telling customers those stores will be closed early today (Friday) and for the rest of the week end. Many people begin their month long holiday this week, like my friend Anne's husband, Saku, who will be joining us at his in-law's summer house today. This is their twins' (Aleksi & Jenny) first Juhannus. I wonder if there will be a special toast "kiipis" for them?
I've spent the last two days with low-key shopping and eating out. Rauma is pretty easy to find my way around. I am still walking, although I took the bike for a "spin" on Wed. evening towards the harbor. I didn't go very far, fearing I'd get lost. I keep forgetting that it NEVER gets dark & I can't really get lost here.
But I'm not having any trouble sleeping, thanks to my handy little satin "sleep" mask.
Yesterday I walked to the Post Office which is part of a shopping center complex around a large grocery store (one of the K City Market chain.) There is a florist, a pharmacy, a bank, clothing, fabric & household goods stores as well as the P.O. I was so taken by all the neat stuff that I didn't notice it was raining until Anne called me. She picked me up and we went to the bus station where she dropped off a parcel to be shipped. We used to do that too. I remember my mum shipping stuff at the bus station when I was little in Canada.
Because of the rainy weather, we went back to Anne's house & baked cookies (chocolate chip, yum!) and planned our trip to St. Petersburg. We ordered Russian "rubles" at the bank where Anne's sister, Mina, works this summer. We looked on-line for prices to gauge how much money to take. I'd like to go to the ballet. It looks like this time of year (because of the tourists?) only Swan Lake is playing. Of course, very classic, but a bit boring!
We took the twins with us to dinner (although they already had eaten) at the Buena Vista, Kanalinranta 5, a nice, but casual place in downtown Rauma. It had a "toy" corner set up for children that Aleksi & Jenny took to right away. With a play kitchen and lots of toy trucks, it kept them busy while we ate, at least, our salads. I have noticed that more places here are really "child friendly." It is very nice for families. Anne told me that the last time they were there (recently) she noted one of the wooden high chairs was broken and she had told the management. This time she brought some wood glue with her in case they hadn't fixed the chair, but they had!
Planning a quiet evening again at the B&B, my peace (at the computer) was disturbed by a fire alarm. Eventually, several young men drifted out to the lobby. None speak Finnish (or English) very well. No fire trucks arrived. So, I called Jussi the proprietor again. He told us how to turn off the noise and detect (on the control box monitor) which room had set off the alarm. Apparently, it was the smoke alarm in #23. A contingent of curious young men set off for that apartment at the end of the offending corridor. Those occupants had been cooking something smoky. Duh. This place really does remind me of a college dormitory, with its mostly youthful contingent of engineers that work at the nuclear power plants near here. Friendly, but just a bit dorky. No surprise there.
Spent the rest of the evening reading the Margaret Atwood novel The Year of the Flood that I borrowed from the Rauma library. Tomorrow, the seaside summer house & Juhannus...
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| 2011 Juhannus Fire at Anne's Parents' Summer House |
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