Family is a very big thing here, although I am sure this can apply to most countries. My host mum has 4 siblings and that makes for a pretty big family. Her parents and youngest brother live in the most amazing house in the middle of a forest, about half an hour from where we live. It's a traditional style wooden house with I think at least 3 floors - sauna in the basement, natually - and a huge expanse of woodland they own right beside the lake. There is another tiny sauna right beside the lake's edge, several cottages hidden among the winding paths through the trees and even a couple of tiny wooden toilets tucked away. I left them to go canoeing/ sauna in favour of a wander back along the paths and off them, including returning to a cluster of rocks which stretch out a little way onto the lake and provide the most beautiful view of the landscape.
Well I am going to do a separate post about the forest so let's get back to family.
Despite all the older children now nearing 40, an elderly brother of host mum's father attended dinner with us and I noted that an entire collection of Moomin mugs lined the wall, with one allocated to each family member including grandchildren. That's a lot of family! I sampled some more delightful and traditional Finnish food, including a mushroom and cabbage pie, gingerbread cheesecake with lingonberry topping and a variation on the Karelian pie. I know the Finns had no access to spices for a long time but why does their food have to be so bland?
The family is clearly very close. There is a big family get-together next weekend. Photos of all the children and grandchildren can be found all over the house and there are some very old looking toys in the playroom, not to mention the set of trapeze-like bars hanging in the main room. Although I could understand little of what was said during our visit, it's clear that the bonds between family members are extremely strong.
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