You Know You Are in Finland.....

...when you wake up in your friend's house who is in a really good mood - and on asking why, you hear her saying "Because I've just looked at the barometer and it's really warm today!" at which point you realise that it's actually minus ten.

(Admittedly better than the forecast, which was minus twenty, but still not exactly "warm" - except if you live in northern Finland, when it actually is.) 

...when you spend breakfast having a debate with everyone at the breakfast table about precisely which berries are in the homemade juice that you are drinking. I got the strawberry straightaway. Minna got the raspberry, but sadly we both missed the rhubarb. Can't get it right all of the time. Great juice though.

...when you go to the supermarket and you see your friend's boyfriend doing his shopping (and still looking manly) despite carrying a wicker basket, because only stupid people use carrier bags anymore. (Sensible, but less likely to be seen in Northern England)

....when you spend the day out, arrive home at seven o'clock and the first thing you do is go and warm up the sauna. Because it's Saturday night and that's just what you do.

... and when you can write this post on the blog and be certain that every Finnish person reading it will know exactly what I mean.

Winter in Finland. Snow, Saunas, Skiing, Salmiakki and...well you can guess the rest. No better place to be. Got your passports out yet?