Patti Smith, Tallin, Estonia x

What a way to end four months in Finland...sailed to Tallin and met Patti Smith....she played with Jesse and Jackson, her son and daughter and dedicated her song Wing to Malika.  The best of times and now back in Banff, Scotland xx

Wing: Patti Smith
I was a wing in heaven blue
soared over the ocean
soared over Spain
and I was free
needed nobody
it was beautiful
it was beautiful

I was a pawn
didn't have a move
didn't have nowhere
that I could go
but I was free
I needed nobody
it was beautiful
it was beautiful

and if there's one thing
could do for you
you'd be a wing
in heaven blue

I was a vision
in another eye
and they saw nothing
no future at all
yet I was free
I needed nobody
it was beautiful
it was beautiful

and if there's one thing
could do for you
you'd be a wing
in heaven blue

and if there's one thing
could do for you
you'd be a wing
in heaven blue

and if there's one thing
could do for you
you'd be a wing
in heaven blue

Mama Crane and her three bairns x

My mother received this rather wonderful and unusual leaving present today on the eve on our Finland departure.  My mother's maiden name was Crane and she has wanted a tattoo of the Crane bird for a long time.  During our time in Hameenlinna she became very friendly with a wonderful lady called Paivi, whose daughter Sade is one of Finland's most famous tattoo artists. 

The three birds represent of course myself and my two brothers, Connor and Matthew.  There are no other wee grandbairn birds as my mother is not sure how many she will end up with!  At the moment she has four; Malika, Ameenah, Fearghal and Nora.

Such a wonderful leaving gift from the super talented Sade.  Here is a link to her website:  http://www.sadesonck.com/

What is the most unusual leaving present that you have received?

final day in the summer cottage

 

What an immense penultimate day at my dear friends summer cottage....fetching well-water for the sauna, lake swimming, grilled sausages, bitten alive by ten thousand mosquitoes...We will miss Finland dearly x

 

 

Turku with Malika and Ameenah x

 

We spent three nights in Turku last week en-route to Moominworld and I absolutely loved it....Brave architecture, the beautiful River Aura, the awesome Turku Castle....

 

Turku Kaupingkirjasto (City Library) is incredible and has one of the best children's sections in Europe....this is housed in the new section and was designed by AKMM Architects.  Malika loved impro dance sessions outside!

 

 

 

 

 

 Knitting a giant snake in the childrens area

 

The outdoor summer courtyard is wonderful and has a charming Italian restaurant...

 

 

 

 Ameenah's outfit matches perfectly with the cow!

 

Downtown Turku

 

 

We spent a morning in the awesome Turun Linna (Turku Castle); Malika LOVED dressing up as a maiden

 

 

and I LOVED dressing up as a knight!

Ghost-making workshop

 

Always running in different directions...

 

 

 

 

 Medieval stone steps + 30 degree heat+one buggy=pure dead mentalness

 

the grounds are beautiful and the jasmine flowers delicous

 

 

 

 

Making banana clover soup

 

 

 

on the banks of the River Aura

 

 

 

 

 

 The Turku Cathedral and the view from our wonderful Air B and B, the best one so far in Finland

 

white nights at 11.30pm

 

 

 

 

A famed local industrialist left all his money to renovate these wooden buildings so long as they were used by students at Turku University....We loved staying here....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aboa Vetus is an incredible museum of archaeology of medieval Turku...very child friendly, hands on and a wonder for archaeology geeks like me...

 

 

Wonderful trip xxx