Happy August! I hope you had a fantastic July. For me, it feels like this summer is really flying by! A lot of July was spent vacationing in Finland, which I’m really grateful for, so I’d like to share some of my July (vacation) highlights with you.
Travel
🛩️ I’m not a big traveler and by that I mean I don’t like traveling and getting there, I get annoyed and stressed when things don’t go as planned, and over the last couple of years, Things haven’t always gone as planned (our flights to Finland were canceled with one day’s notice two years in a row by Finnair). This year, everything went pretty well (no cancellations – phew!) and our long plane + train trip (departure from home at 5 a.m. and arrival at 10 p.m. at our destination in Finland) did not Was stressful at all.
Since we’ve been traveling all day and I know the food offerings along the way are never as good or interesting, I usually take food home – this helps me use food from the fridge that would deteriorate in our absence, so I tend to do a nice omelette wrap to take with me to eat during the trip (in this one I used Parma ham, beetroot, roasted tomatoes, lettuce and broccoli seeds). It really keeps me full for a long time.
đźš„ Looking forward to getting home is always a good feeling. Seeing the green forests below as we approached Helsinki from my window seat on the flight, then watching the beautiful lake scenery from the train is always very exciting, and finally the view of Olavinlinna Castle, which is 500 years, which tells me that I am at home!
Did you know that a big part of happiness comes from being excited? When you get excited every day, not just for big things but also for mundane everyday things, like your meal or a cup of tea, nature, birdsong, a houseplant, waiting for the next episode of your favorite TV program…, you are living a truly happy life.
Lakes and saunas
🌊 The main attraction of a vacation in Finland, besides spending time with family and friends, is always the lakes! I never tire of the blue, clear and fresh waters. So having a beach and the magnificent Saimaa right in front of our apartment is pure luxury! We bathed twice a day, morning and evening, in the cool waters (18°C). Some days I swam a little longer, like 300-400 meters, which isn’t that long but adds to the total movement. This is definitely my favorite activity, and even better when combined with a 70°C sauna.
Exposure to cold and heat creates a stunning contrast and has great health benefits. and they will make your body work a little harder for you in the long run.
Bike
🚵🏼‍♀️ There was a lot of cycling as cycling was our means of transportation in the city. Great way to get around, and especially easy in my small hometown where there are bike paths everywhere and very little traffic. I also took a city sightseeing boat tour with yoga on board one morning which was fabulous. The moving boat (and focus point) definitely challenged my balance, but was saved from any bad falls and all was well when we returned to port. Unfortunately (so not really a holiday highlight but it could have been a lot worse) I then went and fell down our (motionless!!!) staircase (I missed the step somehow, doh!) and I sprained my ankle which is always healing, but after the initial excruciating pain it wasn’t too bad and I could still walk and cycle. Holiday saved, phew!
I can’t imagine a vacation without moving my body, and movement is definitely one of my top recommendations for you too, so take advantage of everything that is available to you during your summer vacation.
Create memories
🌅 We were lucky with the weather, it was nice and warm most of the time. We had beautiful sunsets and sunrises, breakfasts on the balcony, lunches and dinners in town with friends and family. There was also art, music and culture in good measure. We visited beautiful old buildings and art exhibitions, saw the Don Giovanni opera at the castle, attended a very entertaining solo guitar concert, boarded a restored museum ship that remained at the bottom of the lake for 70 years before being raised. out of the water and saw a fashion show by a Finnish fashion designer.
Very special things that made the vacation very memorable.
I saved the best for last – The 3 F’s!
But the most important thing was, as usual, the 3 F: Family, friends and food!
đź«‚When you can connect with your loved ones and people in general on vacation it makes it even more special. And wherever I go, experiencing local cuisine and experiencing culture through food is always at the top of my list. Of course, having grown up in Finland, Finnish cuisine is nothing exotic to me but it is special since I only eat it once a year. More or less daily, I devour wild and cultivated berries, foraged chanterelles, sourdough rye bread, fish and fish eggs local lakes and many delicious local dishes. I gave up the strictly gluten-free dietand I felt good about that, and I also had regular treats like ice cream and desserts and even beer (after a sauna of course!), without the guilt. Stress eating is not allowed into my vacation and I keep strict rules outside of my free space. I’m here to relax, have fun and experiment. But most of the time, what goes into my body on vacation is still very healthy and nutritious, so my body has the resilience to accept occasional “insults.”
If you stick to an “80/20 approach”with 80% of the time eating in the healthiest and most nutritious way possible, then you can really enjoy foods/drinks that are delicious but aren’t always as nutritious or particularly healthy. It is about build a resilient body so that when you want to get started, you can, without facing consequences.
As a side note, Finnish restaurants and bars are excellent at offering gluten and dairy free options (in some restaurants all menu items are gluten and dairy free by default) and non-alcoholic drinks (I had a good ‘no-groni’, or negroni without alcohol, one evening), and it also helps when you have a mother who is an excellent gluten-free homemade pastry chef (even at 83!).
Relaxing rather than stressing about food is one of my best health tips, while also avoiding overcomplicating things.
We wish you a relaxing, enjoyable, memorable, delicious and healthy vacation, wherever you are, away from home or at home.
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