Somero Summer

End of school year service at Somero church

A couple of years ago my family and I spent the summer in Ecuador on a human rights project. Knowing little about Ecuador before I went, I expected the weather to be hot and to come home in August with a tan. As it turned out, it rained every day of the six weeks that we were there, and at the same time I was getting texts from friends in Finland saying that it was 30 degrees celsius in the shade.

Lucie at her summer job in Kiljava

Much as the family enjoys travelling, we decided that from now on we would spend our summers in Finland, come rain or shine, and leave the travelling to the colder months.

So far this year we have been lucky. It's still only the first week of June but the weather here at the moment is warmer than in southern europe.

Schools in Finland break up at the end of May and stay closed until mid August. Last Saturday was the traditional church service to celebrate the end of the school year and there was immediately a different atmosphere around town as there are suddenly children everywhere enjoying their summer freedom.

Our house is different too over the summer. Lucie is off in Kiljava on a summer job for several weeks and Cameron will go camping at least once.

On Sunday I sat on the beach in Sääksjärvi along with several hundred other people who had the same idea.

In a country where the winters are so long, the Finns make sure to benefit from every minute of sun during the summer months. The children are off for ten weeks and most working adults have at least four weeks holiday, the vast majority of which is spent outside.

Over the next few weeks many Finns will be doing all the things that Finns do in the summer. Eating new potatoes and fresh strawberries, going to music festivals, visiting markets and summer cottages, barbequeing in the garden, sauna and swimming in the lakes...and most importantly remembering to treasure the freedom of being outside in shorts and sandals instead of snowsuits and boots.

Somero also comes to life as thousands of Finns come here to spend several weeks in their summer cottages....so you know what I am going to say next. If you are looking for somewhere to visit over the next few weeks I know a place you'd be very welcome....