One thing every self-respecting Finnish person does in the summer time is spend some time in the country side, preferably at the family summer cottage. My yearly pilgrimage to the mother land must also include a trip or two the summer cottage. It's literally a summer cottage (I've actually never been there in winter), and in true Finnish tradition, it has no modern luxuries, i.e. no running water. This is part of the charm for the Finns, as the lack of amenities forces you to slow down, to live a more simple life, and really get back to the basics. It's good for the soul to take a break from the news, the social media, the constant compulsive need to check emails, etc.
And since I got to this down time mode and restricted myself from cellphone, camera, etc, I don't have pictures of the forest trip, or the blueberries I picked, or the pie I baked, nor the mushrooms the kids picked, or the quiche my mom baked with the mushrooms. You just have to believe me that we all thoroughly enjoyed being in the forest and then utilizing our pickings for our delicious nourishment.
