Stephen's Farewell in Nuuksio

Stephen has had all kinds of parties, birthday, and some smaller farewell parties. This one was a great one, not the typical "let's go to some bar and get stoned", allthough Stephen has become quite Finnish. We started outside my offices in Ruoholahti, and continued with quite a few cars towards Nuuksio.


Some cars went another way to get skiis and snow shoes, but the the target was to get to a place called Kattila, in Nuuksio. I've never been it that area (Kattila), and I should definitely get back there during Summer. A really beatiful place, small lakes nearby, and so on. And we had a nice cottage with a sauna called Green Window booked all for us.


Some people went skiing, other people went walking with snow shoes. Pretty fun, it was the first time for me, and suddenly my 46's looked quite small. Anyway, when the skiing people headed out for the lake, us snow shoe guys headed towards a nearby picnic area. Some of us almost fall into a river, some of the guys skiing had a special technique, but everybody arrived in one piece and OK, some cooler than others. The skiers had done some afterski, so that they would have the strength to come to the cottage.


I have never seen as many camera phones and cameras in phone place, as at the picnic place. And some very imaginative ways of setting up the camera. Anyway, the coffee tasted excellent, and so did the sausages, with mustard. Apparently we also did something close to "eukonkanto" there. The time was running, so we headed back to the cottage.


Then it was time for sauna. It would fit 12 people, but somehow 18 people managed to be there (with their feet, too), mostly at the same time. And then everybody had to go into the water. Of course, we're in Finland! I have to admit that it was the first time for me, but for those who know me for a longer time know why I couldn't try it until now. People got so enthusiastic about it, that in the end they stayed out at the "pier".


After the sauna (where Stephen got his present, a really nice Polar watch), we handed a photo collage to him, with the Lord himself in the middle.