We went into town to get some fresh food and came upon a cute, little bakery! We had wild, local blueberry rye pies and a sparkling raspberry water. The pies seemed more like a cookie than a pie. The crust was earthy and chewy. We both agreed they tasted like blueberry Nutrigrain bars, but fresher and better.  

   

Yum! We love American Pekoni😉 

 

 

We love Finnish korvapuusti! We bought them at the convenience store, and they’re still so good! I heated them in the microwave and tucked butter into every spicy swirl -just like mom and dad taught me😊  
 

i did some research and decided to make some traditional Finnish meals, including Kaalikaaryleet – stuffed cabbage leaves. I stuffed the blanched leaves with a mixture of ground beef, jasmin rice, onion, minced cabbage, garlic, allspice, nutmeg, and an egg to hold it all together. I sautéed each little bundle in butter until golden, then baked them uncovered with some cabbage cooking broth, cream, and some golden syrup. I served them with lingonberry jam, mashed potatoes, and fresh shelled peas sautéed in butter. Mmmm!  

   We both liked the stuffed cabbage. I think I would add a lot more spice next time, but it was still good. 

We slept in and luxuriated in a completely open schedule. Adam brought me coffee in bed at noon. No plans. No place to be. Perfect! 

Finally, at about 2pm, we decided to have breakfast. I made potato hash with new potatoes, red bell pepper, and onion. I fried a couple eggs, toasted some bread, voila!  

 

We had a wonderful day at Villavarpa! We played cards, read, drank champagne… You know the usual rustic lake cottage stuff. It’s so relaxing here! Adam heated up the sauna, and gathered birch branches while I made dinner. 

I made a simple green salad with a Dijon vinaigrette and Tartiflette, a French dish of poatoes, carmelized onions, bacon, white wine, and cheese. I couldn’t find French reblochon, so I used Finnish Lappi cheese. So delicious!  

    
 

 

  
 The Finnish sauna experience is awesome! Sauna is a lifestyle here. Everyone goes to sauna, preferably everyday. It is considered very healthy. We did some research, so we would get it right. You begin by heating up the sauna to 60* Celsius. You fill the water tank so it gets nice and steamy, and to take a hot shower (the only way to shower at VillaVarpa). Adam gathered young birch branches so we could dip them in cool water and whip each other to “enhance circulation”.  I really liked that part😎 After lounging in the super hot sauna until you can’t handle it anymore, you jump into the cold lake. What a refreshing shock! Again to “enhance circulation”. Drink a beer. Repeat. Typically Finns sauna for hours. We lasted a little more than an hour😊

   
    
 

It’s a good thing they have rubber boots, because it’s sloshy out there! It quit raining and the sun came out, so we went for a hike. What a beautiful place! When we got in, I “needed” a little something. I reached for a Keksi-toffeesuklaa, of course😌 I would call it a Twix, but they call it a Keksi-toffeesuklaa. We can agree to disagree.  

 

We made it to the quaint, quiet Villavarpa! It’s a beautiful little cottage on a lake somewhere in Finland 😊 

We didn’t get in until almost 3am… So we’re off to a late start today. Why not eat a good ol’ fashioned breakfast?! Eggs, bacon, toast, coffee, and apple slices. Mmmm….