Travels to Joensuu

The beautiful dinner Junnu and Marita served. We had salad, several kinds of smoked fish, and traditional Karelian Pastries

I left my house at 1pm on Friday and I arrived in Joensuu around noon Sunday. I did spend last night at hotel by the airport in Helsinki, so I technically have not been traveling the entire time, but all the same, I will be happy to not be on an airplane again for a couple of weeks. Please forgive me any typos and/or being completely nonsensical as I am still quite jet-lagged and am still figuring out this keyboard.

My journey here was fairly non-eventful with the exception of a short time during my layover in Manchester when I had to talk an elevator with no lights down to a small room to wait for a bus that did not seem like it was ever going to come and I was afraid that I was in a Harold Pinter play. Thankfully this has not proven to be the case.

The Joensuu Airport

Junnu, his wife Marita, their three children, Joel, Elina, and Jalo, and their turtle Hermes have all been incredibly gracious hosts so far. Apparently they called around to a couple places that usually have chickens to see if we could schedule a visit, but it is too early in the year for them yet, so I will have to be chicken-less for a few weeks. I have faith I will survive though.

It is quite cold here (46 degrees Fahrenheit) but the sun is out from before 4am to after 10pm. We had a nice walk around downtown Joensuu and the fish market, and then went to a cafe out by the lake to have a drink.

Finally got the Hukkalas! The Finnish flag is not
traditionally flown, but it was today in honor of'
Finnish soldiers who fought in WWII

I brought Junnu's children some camo Tractor Supply hats.
 Very American.

Hermes the turtle