Country No.72 holds an extraordinary place not just on the map but in my heart. Finland is where my Mum was born. Being half-Finnish, my sense of curiosity about my heritage always lingered. It's funny how a sense of belonging can sometimes be found in the very place where our loved ones took their first breaths. It definitely provided some insights into my demeanour and with a new affection and understanding for my Mum.
It has been a long time in the making. We have made several attempts to visit, and they just didn't come about, but this time was a success, and it was even more special to have my Mum and Dad by our side.
Let's start from the beginning. We arrive in Helsinki, and the first sign we see as we walk off the plane is a typical conversation with a Finn, basically all one-word responses. This is very enlightening, and I am starting to understand my conversational skills already!
Riihimäki, Finland
Family whisked us away to Riihimäki, where my Mum was born and my family reside; it is only a 40-minute drive, but within 10 minutes of leaving the airport, we were stopping for coffee and cake at the gas station, something the family likes to do, so we took the opportunity to taste our first Pulla (Cardamom bread) from Finland, what we called Coffee bread growing up and loving our visits to Grandma and Grandpas for the delicious treats.
We were back on the road, and the first thing we did was visit the supermarket. This is not your typical grocery store, but one where you can buy all your groceries, produce meats, and household needs; it was enormous!
Once we were stocked up, we were in the apartment the family kindly offered for us to stay and settle in; it was tucked away from the city centre in peaceful surroundings.
The next evening, my Mum's cousins hosted us for a BBQ, which we were very excited about—a home-cooked meal! Johanna, Antti, and their precious children were an absolute treasure, making us feel at home and nourishing us with delicious food and joyous company. We soon became fast friends, and as we were leaving, the kids were just as heartbroken as we were; it was a pleasure to be around such a warm and loving family.
The evening was spent going down memory lane, viewing old sepia photographs from Grandpa's side, seeing Mum and the family growing up, and meeting Grandpa's side of the family. It was lovely to put faces to names and meet all the young ones.
The region we were in for the evening was named Pöyrynkatu, actually after my Great Grandfather; my Mum's maiden name is Poyry; he was a stone mason and involved with building many structures in the area and putting it on the map; a plaque is still there to honour them.
Riihimäki is home to The Finnish Glass Museum, so this was on the sightseeing list for the next day. The museum focuses on glass design and the history of glass, and it has been operating since 1981 in a renovated glassworks. The museum presents the history of glass dating back over 4,000 years and the 300-year history of Finland's glass industry. The collections consist primarily of Finnish household, design, and art glass from the 18th to the 21st century.
Wayne was afraid as soon as he heard this was on the agenda, especially with me being in such close proximity to so many glass displays; he couldn't wait to tell everyone how much havoc I would cause with my clumsiness. He was right, of course, and a few minutes in, I tripped over a stand holding a glass sculpture; although I was lucky, it was so significant and stable that we averted a catastrophe!