Helsinki

After we landed, we rested a bit and then took a walking tour around the hotel. Our hotel was near the Baltic Seq, which unbeknownst to us, is a freshwater or brackish sea. It freezes over, though an ice breaker can get through it. The next morning we took a bus tour of downtown Helsinki. The architecture is not particularly notable, although we did comment that most of the buildings are only 4 or 5 stories high. In the downtown, a few skyscrapers exist, but they are rather new. The area resembled those of the other eastern bloc countries, which makes sense since Finland was under Russian occupation until 1917. We learned about Finnish women being the first to get the vote (also 1917), about World War II and how Russia took some land after the war ended, and about several other wars. But this very peaceful group of people tries to avoid war and stay out of Russian politics. Many other cities have more spectacular sights to see, but Helsinki has a certain feel of peace and tranquility that many lack. I could return here - not for the architecture but for the more easy pace and friendly people.

OOPS! Left out London!

Our final stop on our Ireland trip was a delightful stop in London to see Trine's family. And what a lovely visit it was. The home is absolutely beautiful, and it even has an aquarium inside. We were able to take a nice walk, visit the bakery Velvet (the owner made a cake for Meghan Markle), have a nice meal, and enjoy being with Trine's family.

The First Northern Lights

I knew, from my trip to Iceland, if we were seated on the left side of the airplane, we would have a chance to see the aurora. I decided that no matter what, I would stay awake to see if they showed up. Before about 10:00 p.m. I began to see a green haze in the north, and it soon turned into a full-blown aurora. I grabbed Rick and Brianna to come to our side of the plane to see it, and we were all treated to a show, just in case we wouldn't get to see them. Pictures from the plane are not great, but I got lucky with a few. Hoping we get a chance to get some better ones.

Headed to Finland

After we returned from Ireland, I received a brochure from the KSU Alumnae Association about a trip to Finland. Although I had said we were done traveling, we saw the beautiful pictures of the Northern Lights and we were sold. Luckily, Brianna and Rick Gaskill decided to come with us. A trip made much better very quickly. As we approached departure date, I began to check the weather. It was a bit shocking to see that Helinki's temperatures were about -20 F, and those in Lapland were reaching -40, day after day after day. Concern about the clothing we were taking was increasing, but then the temperatures began to moderate. Helsinki warmed up to between 11 and 18 F, Lapland about -10. Much better. On Sunday, February 22, the four of us loaded into Jarred's Suburban and went to the airport. Although we had a slight delay in Dallas, we had a very pleasant flight, and by noon on Monday we touched down in cloudy, snowy Helsinki. After transferring to our hotel and resting for a few hours, we were on our way to learning about Finland.

Final Thoughts

Ireland is a lovely country with lovely people and an interesting history. I want to return to try to determine if Thomas was indeed one of the first Orangemen, but until then, I will continue to wear orange and love the experience we had.

The Spitjack

I had made reservations at the Spitjack, a highly recommended restaurant in Cork. It was hard to leave the Hayfield Manor for any restaurant, but we did, and it was worth it. I had the Porschetta pork belly, and oh my, was there a lot of it! It is a specialty that takes 48 hours to cook, and they frequently run out . . . and with the portions they serve, I see why. It could have fed two people, and Don had to eat some of mine. The apple and sage puree underneath it added a very rich taste to the meat - something I could not have predicted. Don had the pithivier, which is chicken enclosed in a puff pastry. He thought it was good, but he was glad he got to taste my pork. Do you know what a spithjack is? It is a historical mechanism, used before electricity, that uses weight (similar to a cuckoo clock) to turn a piece of meat over a fire. And now you have learned something today!

Cricket

When we first arrived at Trinity College, we looked down upon the pitch, and lo and behold, a cricket match was going on. We had no idea what we were watching, so we found a seat, looked up Cricket rules, and familiarized ourselves with it. This game has no physical contact - or little anyway - and lots of pitching and hitting. It appears to us that only the pitcher really gets much exercise. The fielders run a bit, and the batters run a bit, but the pitcher's arm must last a long time. We hear that games can last for days, which would be very boring. And the game is not the most action-packed thing in the world, but it is very popular in India and at Trinity College.