AN HOUR BY THE NORTH SEA

When we were in Denmark, in the middle of Jutland (for our Legoland visit)  a couple of weeks ago we took a drive west to the coast and it's endless beaches.

It was the only moment of our trip (apart from a sudden rain in Copenhagen) that it wasn't super hot and sunny. But sometimes weather doesn't matter.

I remember we've been somewhere around the same beaches with my family as well when I was a kid, in the late eighties. Not sure where we were then exactly, but the sand was white, the wind was hard and there were jellyfish everywhere.

This time we only found one and it seemed pretty much not-that-alive-anymore.

And mini starfish!

You may stumble upon jellyfish at home but along our coasts in the Baltic Sea there aren't really any starfish.

Waiting for the waves.

I collected some rocks and sea shells. You have to do that when you go to the beach.

 Dag then got a little carried away.


All soaked but happy.

 But you can dry yourself in the wind!

Although later having to go home in mommy's clothes he was not that happy anymore.

BLUE, RED, JUMPSUIT

Although I've mainly always been a dress-and skirt kind of girl and I very much going trough a jumpsuit-phase right now. (Even though it means I basically need to get naked every time I have to pee.)

I bought this blue jumpsuit in London and it's comfy like a pyjama. Plus it has pockets!
WIN; oh yes.

PONIES AND BABY GOATS

This summer we have ponies!

And goats!

BABY GOATS. (+ one mom)

And two mini-lambs that kind of look like goats as well.

Lulu, who always follows me around when we leave the yard, was also keen - albeit a little careful - to check out the ponies.

They are not really ours though, but from some farms away, spending summer on our meadows.
It is good for the natural fields to be munched up by animals every once in a while.  Our farm's last lambs left last autumn, so it's also fun for the kids to eye this out instead.

The goats are also rather skilled at eating up this invasive bush that was planted along the road some decades earlier. Munch on, little fella, munch on!

VACATION TIPS : DAYTRIP TO FISKARS

We are still vacationing in Denmark and Sweden. Meanwhile, here's a little tip for a nice summery day trip - head over to Fiskars in Western Uusima/Nyland!

These photos are from our visit there one warm day last year:

Fiskars is an old steel mill town from the 1600's that nowadays is home to many artesans, artists and Finnish design - as you can see from the name, it is also the home of the famous Fiskars scissors. 

The surroundings and buildings are such that they will, at least for a little while, make you envious of the fact that you don't get to live and work there yourself.

What's under the bridge?

(The answer: statues!)

You can mainly just stroll around the lush green areas and pitoresque old buildings and enjoy the atmosphere but of course also shop the local arts, see exhibitions, take guided tours and catch a glimpse of some work in action as well.

There are also workshops for children, and there is a big playground in the area.

(For the slightly bigger kids as well.)

Lunch above the rapid stream!

(This year Dag has been wearing his glasses over his mouth instead; it is his ninja-facemask-sheild-thing...)

We ended the day with ice cream.

Fiskars is about one hour 15min from Helsinki by car. The re are summer busses to Fiskars from the city centre in the weekends.