Forest

Okay so as I mentioned before, host mum's family lives in the middle of this amazing forest. Finnish forest is totally different from British. The trees were all tightly packed skeletal pines or silver birches, and I enjoyed a magical moment when leaves began fluttering down like confetti in the wind. The silence too is incredible. If you go quite far there's no sound at all, aside from your own footsteps or branches moving in the wind. 
Now Finnish forest ground is pretty bad. Since it's so wet this time of year the grassy areas are really spongy and squishy, and beneath the trees it was worse. The ground is littered with rotting wood, twigs and lots of moss clumps. Full of mushrooms. Words cannot describe how many damn mushrooms there are. I pass many on my way to and from nursery during the week but there are literally thousands in the forest. The conditions are perfect for them and it's amazing the variety too... tiny white ones, big red ones with white spots, even an orange cluster! Shame I don't like mushrooms.
I also sampled some lingonberries off the bush. These are tiny red berries with a decidedly sour and slightly bitter taste. Delicious with meat or cheesecake! But not as they are, trust me. 


I kept thinking as I walked through the forest that I was going to get charged by a moose or a crazy man, but you really are totally alone. I was some distance from the rest of the family and no one was in the cottages - this is where various members of the family spend their summers. So if you get totally lost it would take a while to find you! I felt very inspired I must say.