We slept until late this morning, it’s so peaceful here at the Finnish summer cottage. After enjoying a brunch of pancakes with strawberries and yoghurt we relaxed on the terrace awhile soaking up the beautiful views.
We decided to take some exercise and go for a walk to pick some berries and mushrooms. Fortunately for me, my Finnish friend is also small and we share the same shoe size meaning that she could equip me with rubber boots for our forest walk. Equipped with a berry picking device ‘poimuri’ and little wooden baskets we set off on our way.
The plan was to try and pick some chanterelle mushrooms and also some blueberries. Our friend had some good ideas of where we might find them. There were plenty of the delicious chanterelle mushrooms to be found so we picked enough for dinner. Moving on to a different location in the forest we looked in swamps for cloudberries but they were not ready but we did manage to collect a bowl of blueberries to eat for dessert. I hadn’t used the ‘poimuri’ device before but they are a really clever invention, all you need to do is rub it along the blueberry bushes and then the berries magically drop off and appear in the container ready to transfer to our little baskets. Whilst walking in the forest I felt myself getting badly bitten, why oh why did I not bother to apply some insect repellent before setting off!
Returning to the cottage I needed to apply sting relief to my insect bites to relieve the itchiness, I was the only one to get bitten! With our produce we then prepared dinner making a delicious sauce using the chanterelle mushrooms to eat with some chicken and then for dessert we ate the blueberries we had just picked served with whipped cream.
We again spent the evening chatting on the terrace, sipping wine and above all enjoying the tranquil Finnish countryside overlooking Lake Saimaa.
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Really rocking those Wellies, Marion. I think the insect bites on visitors and guests as opposed to residents are the bugs way of thanking the cottage owner for bringing in new victims. Ha Ha. The cottage and lake look beautiful. So glad you got this chance to explore Finnish cottage life. Cheers. Allan
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Our friend’s cottage is in an idyllic setting and although the borrowed wellies wouldn’t be my personal choice, they were effective for the purpose of collecting mushrooms and berries.
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That mushroom sauce looks so good! Haha, I always get bitten by insects when I travel, but the rest of my family don’t as much. We’re so lucky. 😂
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Chanterelle mushrooms make a delicious sauce. It’s not fair that we get bitten so much, is it! Thanks for reading and commenting on my post.
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Nice posts! 🙂 Been reading a few of yours now in a row. Looks like fun! I’ve never been to Saimaa though I’m a Finn and I would very much like to see the lakes this country is famous for. (I guess it would require hiring a cottage, hiring a car, etc and so it’s just less expensive in the end to go abroad!) So thanks for taking me along on your virtual visit! It’s been decades since I last picked blueberries or went to a lakeside sauna but now I feel like I was there with you! 🙂
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So lovely to read your thoughts on my posts. I enjoy doing all these things whilst in Finland as life is a little different when we are home in England and the weather isn’t as good as Finland in July!
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I can imagine it’s relaxing! Makes me want to experience some countryside life, too 🙂 Maybe next summer! Happy you enjoy visiting Finland!
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This looks so idyllic.
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It most definitely is, especially when the sun is shining!
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My lovely home country. Finland is the most beautiful in the summer. Enjoy!
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Thank you Evelina! I just love Finland, especially in the summertime.
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Nice share! Loved your terrace sitting pic! 🙂
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Thank you! It’s gorgeous, isn’t it!
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very nice!
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Thank you!
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So nice to read about your trip to Finland, my home country 🙂 The mökki seems very nice and beautiful place! I have also been picking up berries at our mökki. Our grandparents bought from Australia, when they were traveling there, a protective wear which works very well against Finnish insects too 🙂
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Hello Marja and thank you for taking the time to read my posts on your lovely country. I get bitten by insects the world over even if I’ve applied repellent. I should, of course have worn long trousers but when it’s hot I prefer dresses and skirts.
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It’s so pretty there! Your forest gear is so stylish, you should see what I look like when I go there 😛 Long pants are a must because of the mozzies, even if it’s hot out! Although I’m lucky that they always go for hubby instead of me. So great to experience this type of Finnish summer too and you seemed to find quite a bit of chanterelles, well done!
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I realised I should have worn trousers but when it’s so warm and sunny I didn’t other to change. Never mind! Chanterelle mushrooms are my summer favourite and they were easy to spot in the forest. Sorry to read you have heavy rain now, it’s actually quite sunny here but the predicted heatwave hasn’t arrived yet. Hope it improves for you later on.
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What an amazing morning apart from insect bites. I love that view and that invention for collecting berries – wonderful.
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What a lovely, positive message to read just before bedtime! Thank you and I do hope you can fit in a visit to Finland some day! Now for a bit more Olympic viewing with my cup of tea!
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Oh what a beautiful place next to nature!
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Thank you! It is truly idyllic especially when the sun shines! Thank you so much for taking an interest in my posts.
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It just looks so incredibly beautiful there. Berry picking sounds interesting although I’m sure those mosquitoes would have munched on me too, they seem to love me too!
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It’s annoying how some people get bitten whilst others you have been out with all the time aren’t troubled!! Still. we can get bitten locally so it’s not just a Finnish problem. One of the places I acquired most bites was in the Scottish Highlands, they were vicious! Finnish summer cottages are idyllic and our friend’s one even has a dishwasher and other mod cons!
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I seem to attract all the mozzies in a 3 mile radius too, and the Highlands are the worst! I can still remember very vividly a trip more than ten years ago where I spent the whole night in the tent tossing and turning because of the hundred plus bites that were itching so badly (I had to count them!). I think my tent mates were nearly as irritated as me…
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Sounds sooo enjoyable!
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Absolutely lovely, and free food, too!
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The chanterelle looks wonderful. I haven’t seen poimuri device before. What a clever idea!
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Thanks Keng for reading my posts and your interesting observations. Chanterelle mushrooms are absolutely delicious and if picked fresh and without cost, even better! The ‘berry picker’ is really useful. I’ve now seen them in one retailer in the UK (Clas Ohlson) but that’s all and they are in fact Swedish!
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Wow beautiful place,sure that u had a gud time:)
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It was truly delightful and the sun shone most of the time as well. Thanks for reading and commenting on my post.
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Wow it looks beautiful there!
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Thank you Jessica, it really is beautiful and such a tranquil setting too! Thanks for taking the time to read more of my posts and it’s lovely to receive your nice comments.
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I like chanterelle very much. but never picked, always bought. I guess the freshly picked one is more tasty.
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Well, the freshly picked ones are definitely the freshest but I don’t think there’s much difference taste wise to ones bought on market stalls and shops. Thanks for reading and commenting on my post.
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I have to get me one of those berry pickers! I got badly bitten in Sweden, despite wearing insect repellant, so you have my sympathies.
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Hi Hayley! I always get bitten irrespective of whether I apply repellent or not but although annoying the mosquitos don’t spoil my holiday. Thanks for reading and commenting on my post.
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Sounds so lovely! Very good article, loved it
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Oh thank you so much for the favourable comment – it’s so encouraging. The cottage is beautiful and I such an idyllic situation.
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Ooh that cabin looks really lovely!
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It really is Alice, sublime views and equipped with all mod cons too! Thanks for reading and your nice comment.
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Would love to go to Finland at some point, it looks so beautiful!
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I do hope you get an opportunity to visit Finland Alice!
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Chanterelle mushrooms are one of our favourite types, great to see you enjoy them so freshly foraged! 🙂
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They really are delicious and quite expensive to buy at home in the UK. Thanks for reading and commenting on my blog – it’s most appreciated!
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How nice to read Your experience by the Lake Saimaa at a summer cottage. You saw, that in Finland everyone has a friend in summer – mosquito (Finnish saying). 🙂 I do not suffer from the bites of mosquitoes, but my wife, yes.
Happy weekend!
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Good Morning Sartenada, Thank you for your recent comment, it’s most welcome. The insects are a nuisance but they don’t spoil my travels. It’s so strange that some of us are affected and others not. Lake Saimaa is truly beautiful. I hope you both have a relaxing weekend with some sunshine. A heatwave is forecast here for next week – let’s see what happens!
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Thank You. Please send some sunshine and warm to here. 🙂
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What a lovely place to have friends. Very good organising.
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Thanks Coral, it really is beautiful in the Finnish countryside.
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