World through Sunflower Eyes

Nature and sport activities are a good combination to clear your mind and notice how you are just a small part of the ecosystem. You must always try to look at things on a slightly larger scale - realize that everything you are feeling or is happening right now is not necessarily the truth, and things are constantly changing. This long Easter weekend has been a perfect occasion for that. Another great source of energy is time spent with your friends and family. Instead of heading to a restaurant, cooking together can be so much fun. Have you ever tried to enjoy Fazer's Mignon eggs melted? And if you are not familiar with this Finnish Easter delight, you have certainly missed something. It is not an ordinary chocolate egg but a real eggshell filled with delicious almond-hazelnut nougat. For melting the egg, place it in the oven of 80 degrees of Celsius for about 15 minutes. Once the eggshell starts literally sweating, the filling has ...

In my last blog I wrote about Rome. But luckily in Finland you can enjoy few Italian delights as well. My number one restaurant for an authentic Italian pizza is Pizzabistro Marco Polo in the city of Vaasa. The carefully selected authentic Italian ingredients guarantee the taste and quality, not to mention that it is made by Italians. I absolutely love the variety of options in the menu. You can choose among pizze bianche or pizze rosse, that is between pizzas with or without tomato sauce. And the best news is, you can have the pizzas also gluten-free. My absolute all time favorites are the classic Regina Margherita, Deliziosa and Diavola. And to finish your experience, you must taste their home-made Italian icecream. The white chocolate and liquorice are among the flavors I especially love. The place itself is small and cosy with truly Italian atmosphere. The service is excellent and you always feel yourself welcome. Whenever I go to visit my family and friends in Vaasa,...

Whenever I need some peace of mind, I head to my family's summer cottage by the sea, near Vaasa . There is no place like it, truly unique. It is my favorite place in Finland for a get-away, and I have spent some of my most precious moments there. The place surprises with its remoteness and beauty. It is also the best place for some zen moments and to reflect your life on your own or with a dear friend. This summer we ended up celebrating a bit belated my friend's birthday at the summer cottage. It was a great way to spend some time together and enjoy the Finnish sauna and swim in the sea. According to my goddaughter the place only lacks a bigger wooden dock to have a salsa party - but maybe we get it done one day... But we have been practising salsa and bachata there, me ending up doing the male's part. This summer, my favorite bachatas can be found in the latest release, Golden, ...