Friends, Food And Fun

We really had a great time in Finland. One of the high points was that I actually spent the first night away from Fräulein since she was born!

"She was almost two years old!" I hear you saying. Yes, that's true. But we really had had neither the chance nor the need to do this earlier. 

But now I had a great reason to leave Fräulein with my mother for two days. I was going to meet my friends from the university after a very long time. Yay!

On Saturday morning, I left Fräulein sleeping and took a bus to Helsinki. For the first 15 minutes of the bus ride I felt a bit funny, but after that I was so distracted by the other passengers and looking forward to meeting my friends, that I did not worry about Fräulein at all.

In Helsinki, we ate chocolate for lunch at Chjoko. It was a nice brunch, but having eaten breakfast five hours earlier, I might had been a good idea to eat something 'real' before all the sweet things...

Afterwards, we checked into our hotel suite and, well, what do six ladies in their thirties normally do when they see each other after a long time? :)

We enjoyed dinner at Farang. Now I know the difference between a restaurant and a good restaurant! The food was marvelous and the waiters (which were many!) were genuinely nice and helpful. It was just the perfect way to eat great food and to spend time with a group of friends. Unfortunately I don't have any photos to show you - I was too concentrated in enjoying the company and the food to take any.

Before heading back to our suite, we had some drinks at the lobby bar. But as most of us are mothers of small children, the night ended already at midnight (although there might have been some gossiping talking going on after the lights went out...).

But how about Fräulein? I only sent one SMS to ask how everything was going and apparently she hadn't asked about her mum even once! After some consideration, I decided that was a good thing. Fräulein and her grandmother had spent a lot of time outdoors. And the best part: they had baked buns!

On Sunday morning, I had breakfast with my friends at the hotel and then we all went to our separate ways. I had such a long bus ride back to Western Finland (not to mention the fact that the bus broke down and we had to wait for a replacement), that Fräulein had already waken up from her nap when I got back there. We were both overjoyed at our reunion and she very proudly presented the buns she had baked!

These are the buns Fräulein had baked especially for me and Herr Welle.
Unfortunately there is no cue in this photo to tell you how HUGE they were!

All in all, what a nice weekend for both of us!

*****

Suomi-lomamme aikana vietin ensimmäistä kertaa yön poissa Fräuleinin luota. Tapasin opiskelukavereitani Helsingissä. Kävimme syömässä suklaabrunssin Chjokossa ja illallista Farangissa - molempia voin suositella tämäntyyppisten treffien ohjelmaksi! Pienten lasten äiteinä päädyimme aika ajoissa unille, mutta hyvin saimme juoruttua päivitettyä kuulumisemme.

Samaan aikaan Fräulein nautti äitini täydestä huomiosta. Tyttö ei ollut yhtään kysellyt perääni, enkä ihmettele, sillä Hammu oli keksinyt kaikkea mukavaa puuhaa, kuten pullien leipomista. Sunnuntaina jälleennäkemisemme oli riemukas ja Fräulein esitteli leipomuksiaan ylpeänä. Mahtava viikonloppu molemmilla!