Freezing February

I needed to take some time off after my latest theater project. Therefore I didn't really feel like writing about it either. I'm sorry for the silence. 

My boyfriend Mitch was wishing for an experience of  "a real winter in Finland". You should be careful what you wish for because you just might get it. Mitch surely did...

The whole February was steady -25 degrees Celsius. And I got totally fed up with freezing my butt off every single day. But Mitch was having a blast of it and went and bought himself a humongous furry hat.

I was pondering what to show to my alpine guy that would appear to be special in my country. So finally, I chose to drive up to Oulu to visit our dear friends Jari and Eija there. Now I hear all the Finns going lilke "Whaat? Why on earth out of all the possible options?" Bear with me, I'll tell you. -Because it's white and flat there! Little bit different from the mountain region =).

Eija and Mitch and The Big White.

We had very little freetime before starting the rehearsal period of Hilda in Tampere, but couple of days trip to Oulu was well worth it. On the way up there we drove through the thickest and meanest snow blizzard I've seen in decades. Far-out experience... Mitch was thrilled.

We had the nicest time with Jari and Eija and got to see the exhibition Eija put together around Robert Walser (more about that in the next post). Some sightseeing and some sampling of local culinary specialties. Especially cold smoked reindeer was a success. Always yummy.

The Streets of Oulu

Frozen nose hair and sugarfrosting
Couple of days in Parola after Oulu were fast gone, but the weather was breath-takingly beautiful. Literally so, since the air was freezing! You experience this instant tingling feeling inside your nose as soon as you stick it outside =).

Clear skies...

... and long shadows.

I was really admiring the details The Frostman had created on our common landscape. Everything was sugarfrosted and fluffy-furry-looking and covered with billions of tiny stars! Everything looks like you would want to pet or stroke it, but if you do it's gone. So delicate.

Closer nature -

- frozen nature.

Just frozen
About the time we spent in Tampere, I don't have much nice things to say. We worked too hard in too difficult circumstances and did wayyys too long hours with mostly inadequate equipment. So better say nothing then. Frozen.

The only times I managed to see something visually nice, were the short 15-minute walks early in the morning from flat to the theater. Homebound after midnight there is not much to take in...

Central square church in pastel colors.

Smokes of Tako.

One rare Sunday we had off. But even then we coulnd't manage longer than a half an hour walk in the city before the feeling is gone from fingertips and toes. So we went to a shopping mall eventually to defrost =).

Water is exhaling on Sunday afternoon.

"Hyvä ruoka - parempi mieli"
On the off-side of our project the time in Tampere was pretty allright. We catched some cool bands playing live at Telakka and met some of my old friends. Telakka is definitely one of my alltime favorite places in Tampere. Been that for years already and probably continues to be so to unseen future.

We also managed to squeeze in a dinner in the viking restaurant Harald, which has quite deliciuos, albeit prizey menu. Full tummy and happy mind. "Hyvä ruoka - parempi mieli (Good food - better mood)".

Looking from this angle -no regrets.