Gardens, Roadtrips and Parties

(<-- so trailer trash I know!) The awesome news of the week is that our garden actually looks like a garden as opposed to construction yard and gravel. And it comes just in time cuz the weather has been great this week. Unfortunately our garden is more of an evening garden which means that Samuli can't really enjoy it since he's asleep. Now there are of course weekends when he's not working, but our weekends are so full for June.

Rocky Flowers for the Lazy Gardener

It began with this weekend which was graduation weekend in Finland. On Saturday we drove 180 km to Mänttä and back for my parents friends son's graduation party with my mum, bro and Samuli. It was kinda a weird party because most of the people were relatives of the family and we didn't really know anyone and they all seemed to be the silent Finnish type. All sitting solemnly and eating with occasional murmur in hushed voices.

Splattered Bugs on Windshield

On Sunday Samuli and me drove to Helsinki for my cousins birthday/graduation from secondary school party. That by the way was a 356 km drive (ugh in hot Car from Hell with broken gear box). It was a small party with just my mum, Sam and me, more like family lunch. My aunt made good salmon and salad and I got to laugh at my cousins so all in all a fun afternoon.

Tower Rest-Stop

On the way back we stopped at this rest-stop that I have wanted to stop at since forever! It's a very basic kind of rest stop with just a toilet and some picnic tables but on top of a rocky cliffs edge next to the motorway is a tower you can climb up (see pictures... duh). I love weird roadside attractions (reason why I adored American Gods) and although nothing like House on a Rock it's as good as it gets in Finland.

Up a sloping path...

...And then some spiral stairs...

...And you have a severe case of vertigo...

When I got to the top and looked down I got really scared. I mean the tower was weirdly built so that when you looked down you felt like you were actually hovering above the parking lot. I mean look how small Car from Hell looks! Plus Samuli thought it would be funny to shake the tower which really really really freaked me out. I mean I am just awful with these things.

Not at all Happy Face

Vertigo aside it was worth stopping since there were some nice views of fields... and motorway.

Evening Sun on Motorway Oddity

Pathway up to Tower

Artsy Piece Commemorating Those who Built the Motorway
(with weird embedded penis like rock)