#EASTERNFINLAND14

This summer all our further-away gigs were concentrated to the east of the country.

Late in May we drove out to perform our cabaret show at a private motorcycle event held at mansion.

With a rather fancy atmosphere at our backstage.


And some yellow widow to go along.

We also managed to 'throw our winter furs away' -as one says in Finnish, referring to the first swim of the season- at that trip.

In July we performed at a motorcycle festival at an island in the Imatra river. No swimming this time though, as the current there is deadly.

As you may recall from my post about the trip, we got to stay at the art nouveau hotel downtown, that I remember admiring in my childhood.

And we got to take that swim on our way home instead, when stopping by my grandmother's cabin.

In August we headed further away, seven hours up all the way to Nurmes in Northern Carelia, performing our burlesque & rock n'roll combo with Sweet Jeena & Her Sweethearts at a rockabilly & car show. Here the guitarist Risto is happily posing with our patch in his jacket.




We stayed in one of these traditional Carelian timber lodges.

(On a side note I can add that during the trip I stuffed myself with local treats like pirogs and barley bread and so called "home ale" which made me look like I was four months pregnant in the end.)

Northeast in our country. Huge woods and big lakes.

Lake Pielinen is beautiful!

Getting ready in our room.

Backstage at the venue, House Bomba, a huge traditional timber lodge.

Jeena's pre-show preparations.

Leaving back home for another gig we had in Helsinki the next day. One of my "Skoda -ads" again... It really is amazing how much we manage to fit in this car.

The next week it was time to make another seven hours drive, this time to Iisalmi, performing with the same set up at yet another motorcycle event. (The theme for this summer - motorcycles and going east!)

Most of the road is the same as to Nurmes and this time we had more time on our hands so we managed to stop at this big statue park/shop in the middle of nowhere that we wanted to see.

Something about that huge Elvis is calling out to me; I can picture him in the middle of the field by the road among our lambs. But for now he will remain with the huge chickens, cherubs and what-nots in Juva.

Our stage was at a truck. And this time our 'backstage' was a little different...

Well, we did have an indoors one as well. In -of course- a timber lodge.

And then it was, once again, showtime!