After all those blog posts about my Crazy Chinese Family I want to share with you some place I love to visit. It is the cottage owned by my parents somewhere in the woods of Finland.
In another article I wrote about the weird place called Kammi-Kylä which is just a short distance away from the cottage.
Now then, let’s start with that lovely place. According to urban legend stories told by some of our neighbors the main part of the building used to be a pharmacy in another little village and was brought to the lake some when in the 50’s or 60’s. It is estimated that the main frame was built in the end of the 1890’s but no one is sure about it anymore. The building is actually a log house but due to years of different owners with various taste the outside and inside of the building changed a lot. Nowadays there are at least three layers of different wooden planks of various colors added over each over in addition to at least two layers of planks in the inside of the building, resulting in a stunning 80cm (~31.5in) thick wall in the first floor. Thanks to these thick walls it is also pretty soundproofed, few years back few helicopters flew around the lake and over our cottage due to a rescue mission but my parents didn’t hear a thing. I bet I could be outside and shout my lungs out and no one would notice it inside. The upper floor is a bit different and has no longer a log house structure (damn you unknown previous owner) so the walls are considerable thinner.
Anyways, my parents bought the cottage when I was about six years old and renovated everything over the years to make themselves a new homely home. The lake where the cottage is situated is called “Nummijärvi” which belong to the city of Kauhajoki. Great names for foreigners and I advice you not try to pronounce it because it will most likely sound very very wrong and funny.
In my youth I spent a lot of time there (each summer at least six weeks and several winter holidays) but in the last years I have been just too busy to go there and especially now I have barely visited it with my wife. However this changed last year as we went to China for holidays and we needed a place for our two little bunnies. My parents advised us to take them to the cottage so they would take care of them and even better we would finally be able visit that place again.
My parents-in-law were amazed by the place, the nature, the peace and I bet also by a little boat ride around the lake. They really liked also the possibility of going just into the woods next to the cottage and pick wild blueberries (they seem to love picking berries in Finland). According to them they would love to visit the cottage again but this might take some years as we will move to Germany and it is no short trip up to that house.
This year we will be going again but for longer time, once again because of our bunnies but also because my wife wants to relax a bit as my parents can help out with our baby (and I need to do some repairs on my car, D’oh!)
Do you have any place you love to visit now or in your youth?
Crazy Chinese Family 
With views of the lake like that, I can completely understand why this place is near and dear to your family’s heart. Personally, there is a place along the coast in Canada, close to where my grandparents live that I loved going to as a child (and still do). There is a lighthouse and it becomes a nesting area for several species of birds during the summer months.
Thats sounds wonderful. Speaking of Canada, I know that in Thunder Bay is a relative big Finnish population and I know some Finns living there second to third generation, they told me that so many settled down there because it is similar to major Finnish areas (the nature..)
What a very peaceful place. The cottage looks very well maintained over the years, no hint of dilapidation anywhere nor is it falling apart. I find the fact that it is soundproof very amusing. I’ve always wanted to live in a soundproof place so I can bang on piano and drums at any hour of the day and not disturb the neighbours. I guess the only downside to living in such a lovely place, as you’ve mentioned at the end, is getting there 🙂
My parents got the cottage dirt cheap in the 90’s as it was during the Finnish economy crises. Now after all these years of renovations and ofcourse a stabilzed economy the value skyrocketed. Nowadays they would not be able to afford that place again, so I am very happy that they got it back in the days 🙂
Now that I still live in Finland the distance is not that great, around 360km or something like that but most roads in the end are dirtroads and it takes a loong time getting there then
It looks so nice! My family have a cottage pretty similar to yours and I haven’t been there for 4 years… my grandparents pretty much took over it when my family and I moved to Beijing, but this summer thats where I will escape to for some quiet summer nights 😀
A cottage is a nice place to relax or at least to have some quiet time but I also realized that nearly everyday is work there (chopping firewood, mawing the lawn, repairing something..)
Cool blog 😀 😀 😀
Thx, you got also very interesting pictures on your blog!