We got back from Stockholm to a special treat with our Finnish moms: they had set up the kitchen at the public library downtown for us to have a traditional Finnish cooking lesson. After donning our booties to keep the kitchen floor clean, we dove into a busy afternoon including potato peeling, taste-testing, and a marathon pulla-making session. The exact methods that have been passed on to us are secret, but we plan on making lots more pulla when we get home. At the end of the evening, we sat down to enjoy a delicious dinner cooked by our Finnish moms with a little help from us. 
The end of the weekend brought an even more enjoyable treat: a Sunday trip to Ritva's summer house on an island in the middle of a lake on the outskirts of Jyvaskyla. We got to the island via rowboat, courtesy of Ilpo (also known as Mr. Ritva). The house was a charming log cabin with a small sunroom, cozy living room, kitchenette, and beds upstairs in the loft. We spent the afternoon relaxing, taking an authentic sauna, and laying out by the lake. We also enjoyed eating sausages cooked over the fire and celebrating the birth of Ritva and Ilpo's first grandchild. We now completely understand why the Finns escape to their summer houses during July; the scenery was beautiful, the weather amazing, and the company enjoyable, as always.
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