Vacation Trip to Lapland & Kuopio

The Temple is currently closed for 2 weeks, so all of us missionaries have time to participate in some extra-curricular activities.  We spent a week up north, driving up to Kemi with Evan and Rhea Racker, a missionary couple who are completing their 2-year mission in about 10 days, and then working our way alone back down to Helsinki over the week, by bus and train.
Kemi is in Lapland and home to Matti and Darla Helske and their 4 boys and 1 girl.  Their son Paul served in the Madrid, Spain mission with us.  It was just awesome connecting again with him and getting acquainted with his dad, Matti.  We spent 3 days with them, then south to Oulu for a day, and then on to Kuopio in the center of Finland for 3 days.  
Kuopio was my first city as a young missionary, and holds a lot of wonderful memories for me.  Following are a few pictures from our trip; hope you enjoy, and of course, as you all know, the pictures never do justice to the experience.  So take my word for it, it was magical.  Lapland was spectacular and Kuopio was better than my imagination could have wished for.

Matti Helske, holding the 5-mark note given to him in 1970 by President Orval Nelson at the Oulu District Conference.  Matti, 12 yrs. old at the time, was given the money by Pres. Nelson to start his mission fund.  He served a very successful mission later but saved this note from Pres. Nelson.  I was at the meeting in 1970 and sang, at Pres. Nelson's request, the song, "I Am A Mormon Boy"

With Matti and his son, Paul, who served with us in Madrid, Spain.  Matti lost his arm in a hunting accident about 10 years ago.  Their family are AVID outdoorsmen, and Matti hunts moose in Lapland every year.

One of Matti's businesses in Kemi.  This one makes high quality winter hats and also warehouses his very extensive gun inventory.  He's a registered gun dealer and sells high-end rifles and scopes

Inside Matti's warehouse/factory where the people are making the hats, made out of superior merino wool and gore-tex.

Hats are all finished by hand.  We saw them for sale in the shops in Rovaniemi, at the Arctic Circle (the real one, not the fast-food store).

The Kemijoki river, the largest river in Finland.  It flows out of Lapland into the Gulf of Bothnia, between Sweden and Finland. The river was like a glass mirror, and at points, over a kilometer wide.

Sight-seeing in old Kemi.  An old church from the 15th century, surrounded by a cemetery, about which Paul told us some really creepy stories.

Old wooden Lutheran church in Kemi near the river, Kemijoki.

Inside the old wooden church.  The birch wood made the most delicious smell.  We were all alone, so Vivienne and I sang a hymn.   Nice acoustics.

Another shot of the Kemijoki at sunset.  We were grilling sausages at a family member's home who lives right on the river, looking back towards the spot of the old wooden church. In the foreground the wooden steps from the family sauna into the river.

Authentic Lapland clothes on display in the museum in Rovaniemi, the largest city in Lapland, and located right on the Arctic Circle.

Taken at Santa's Village at the Arctic Circle.  The temperature was a balmy 10 degrees C.  posted behind us.

Reindeer hides for sale inside Santa's Village.

Train station at Kemi.  I love these old wooden train station buildings.  They haven't changed in nearly 50 years. 

Took the train from Kemi down to Oulu and had lunch at the wharf in this old building, called "The Pancake House". The pancakes were amazing.

The Kauppahalli, or Market Hall, in old Oulu, with the famous "little fat policeman" statue out front.

Inside the Kauppahalli.  These were the centers of commerce in the old days, especially during the winter when the outside market was cold and full of snow and ice. Little shops selling every kind of food imaginable and fish of all kinds.

Snellmaninkatu 32-A, Kuopio.  My first home as a missionary. Our room was the top floor, 3rd window from the corner to the right.  A lot of things have changed in Kuopio, but it was such a wonderful feeling to walk down this street and see this building still standing.  Sweet memories to once again stand in this place.

In Kuopio in the water tower restaurant overlooking the city, which, as is the case with many cities of Finland, is surrounded by lakes and forests.  The rotating restaurant was built in 1965, and Viv and I and Grandma Rogers ate here when we visited Finland together in 1976.

Our meal in the water tower restaurant.  My "goat's cheese" was served on a plate of wood and cost as much as Vivienne's "child" plate of chicken and potatoes with salad and tomatoes.   She definitely got the better deal

View of Kuopio from the water tower.  The clouds were passing by below us, unfortunately the glass reflection affected the quality of the picture, but like I already said, the pictures can't do justice to the scene.

The lake in the center of town.  Shot when we were walking back to our hotel from the Church after Sacrament Meeting.

The street from the hotel to the church, located just around the corner at the top of the hill.  I have many memories of riding my bike down this road in 1968.  Very fast.  I was 20 years old and invincible back then.  Fall is my favorite time in Finland.

In Porvoo with the Alhovuoris

July 30, on a Saturday, we traveled to Porvoo, Finland to spend the day with Samuel and Päivi Alhovuori.  Samuel was a missionary with us in Madrid, Spain, and while he was serving with us his girlfriend, Päivi, was serving a mission in Sweden.  After returning they married, just this past spring, and Samuel is now in school in Helsinki and Päivi is working with a law firm.  They both speak excellent English.  We spent a delightful day with them in Porvoo.  Our apartment (and the Temple) are located in Espoo, just west of Helsinki.  By bus and train, it takes about 1 1/2 hours to get to there.  Porvoo (Swedish: Borgå) is a city and a municipality situated on the southern coast of Finland approximately 50 kilometres (30 mi) east of Helsinki. It is one of the six medieval towns in Finland, first mentioned as a city in texts from 14th century, and is the seat of the Swedish-speaking Diocese of Borgå of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

The municipality's official languages are Finnish and Swedish. In 2014, 64.6% of the population spoke Finnish as their mother tongue, while 30.1% were Swedish speakers. There are 2 official languages in Finland: Finnish and Swedish.  It's a long story, so I won't bother you with it in this blog. 


Here we are in the garden of the home of Johan Ludvig Runeberg, the national poet of Finland and the author of their national anthem, Maamme (Our Land).

Porvoo was founded in 1340.  Let's just say it's an old city.  And the old town, along the water front, has been preserved pretty much as it was in the 16th and 17th centuries.

We arrived in old town about the same time as a rain storm.

The central point of the old town is the medieval Porvoo Cathedral, or Tuomio Kirkko.  We were not able to go inside because a wedding was in session. For those who know my penchant for old churches, you know I was very disappointed, but for those who know Vivienne's aversion to "one more old church", you know she was relieved.  I would have wanted to spend an unpleasant (for her) amount of time inside.  She's given me permission to go back by myself sometime, which I might do, especially if there's a musical event going on that I can attend. I mean, you know, this thing has been standing for over 600 years!!!

One thing we both agreed on was the marvelous Brunberg Chocolate Factory.  Oh my goodness.  It might be the best dark chocolate I have ever tasted.  We were lucky enough to find some at the local market here in Espoo, and I always try to have some on hand, because, as you know from Harry Potter, there's nothing like dark chocolate to help you out when things are a bit rough. We were not the only tourists for which this was a popular destination.  It was shoulder to shoulder inside, but worth it.  Finns love their chocolate and Brunberg has been making great chocolate since before Utah was admitted to the Union.

We found another chocolate factory, which also makes its own ice cream.  Samuel had been telling me about a flavor he like called licorice.  They had some.  I tried it.  It must be a Finnish thing.  I haven't bought any since. But their little chocolate shop was really awesome.

Here inside we watched them make chocolate.  Like the note on the window says: "Bean to bar!"

Outside the little chocolate shop.  The chocolate is fabulous, but I can't recommend the licorice flavored ice cream.

Roto Country Manor, July 4th

On Monday, July 4th Pekka and Anna Roto invited the American Temple missionaries to come to their country manor and celebrate with them and enjoy sauna on the lake.  They were the previous Helsinki Temple president and matron.  I took over 80 pictures, but relax, I've narrowed it down to 15.  Each has a great story, which I won't bore you with, but I'll try to just touch the highlights.
First, about the country manor.  The main house was completed in 1897.  As I remember, it sits on about 20 acres, and a more beautiful piece of earth you would be hard pressed to find.  The oldest house, where the original family lived while the "manor" was being completed, was actually started in the 1700s and served not only as their home, but also as the county courthouse.

The Manor House.  Completely modernized on the inside; all original out the outside.

The original dwelling, used for living quarters while manor house was being built.  Served as county courthouse.  All original except the roof and lean-to on the right.  Older than almost everything in the U.S.  Weird to walk through it and sit on its benches, etc.

The barn. This was amazing.  Built of stone with walls over 3 feet thick.  When I asked why it was built that way Brother Roto said the livestock was the most important thing and they had to be protected against the harsh winters if the family was to survive.  Some of the stones weigh well over one ton.  Part of it has been made into an awesome smokehouse now.  It also houses the machinery and all the wood used for burning in the home and in the sauna.

The smokehouse.  Brother Roto is preparing our smoked salmon that was fresh that day.

Some of the fields surrounding the manor.  Gardens of all kinds for fruits and berries and vegetables and flowers also surround the house.

More than 3 large raspberry patches around the house.  Berries were just getting ripe, not quite ready to pick.  Of course they grow wild in the forest as well.

The strawberries were also just coming on.  He had several patches of well cultivated, mouth-watering berries.

Outside main doors to the manor.  Great porch for unloading dirty shoes/boots and wet clothes before entering the house.  Sign over door is the date manor was completed.

The salmon after being smoked.  

Upstairs in the manor house,  Lots of bedrooms and studies, and bathrooms.  This one was built for the grandkids with a 1/2 size toilet.  What a great idea!

Looking at the lake and sauna (you can just make out the sauna roof down by the lake) from the loft of the manor house, and some of the gardens.  The land on the other side of the lake is now in perpetual trust and can never be developed.  Pretty sweet view.

Looking from lake at the sauna and manor house in background

In the sauna.

We jumped in the lake from the sauna.  Then we sat on the porch.  Then we went back in the sauna.  Then we jumped in the lake.  Then we sat on the porch.  Then we.........you get the idea

Pekka and Anna Roto.  Both retired doctors.  Celestial people.

Gorcery Shopping in Finland

Yes, we love grocery shopping in Finland:

From left to right: 1) Viili, a sort of clabbered milk that wiggles and slides off your spoon.  We love it. 2) Pulla, a delicious bread made with rasins and cardamom, braided and baked.  Comes in all sorts of flavors. 3) Pommac, a mixed fruit, slightly sweetened, carbonated beverage.  Tastes great any time but especially right after sauna. 4) In the center of the picture, licorice flavored ice cream.  Only in Finland.  5) Sauna makkara, or sausage.  Also comes in spicey hot varieties, different kinds of meats and other stuff.  The sacred sauna sausage. Decadently delicious. 6) Hot Finnish mustard.  It makes sauna makkara mouth-wateringly scrumpious.

Biking in Espoo

Took another little bike ride after our shift in the Temple today.  These paths are everywhere, I mean like hundreds of kilometres in every direction.  Today I went for 22 kilometres on paths like this.  Passed a few lakes but forgot to stop and take a picture.  If you like bike riding, you really need to come and visit us next summer.  I'll show you around.