A weekend in Vääksy

A weekend in Vääksy

Last Friday we took a weekend trip to Vääksy. Exploring the village We arrived on Friday afternoon and checked in at Vääksyn Apteekinmajoitus. The B&B is located in the old village pharmacy and decorated in a nice old-timey style. The room was spacious and functional. 

Another Helsinki staycation and wine bar visit

Another Helsinki staycation and wine bar visit

As I’m a sucker for any type of hotel offer, I simply had to book another staycation when Scandic made an offer I couldn’t refuse. So the weekend before Valentine’s day we headed back to Scandic Grand Central Helsinki for a one-night stay. Fast lane 

Christmas in Lapland – part III

Christmas in Lapland – part III

Our prediction for Sunday was spot on and the gondola and slopes were open. Last day skiing On Sunday we got to explore a few more slopes we could reach with the gondola. The visibility at the top was not the best but the slopes 

Christmas in Lapland – part II

Christmas in Lapland – part II

The next day was Christmas Eve which is when Finns typically celebrate Christmas. We didn’t really have any plans to celebrate Christmas except eat some Christmassy foods in the evening. Short day of skiing On Friday there were high side winds so the gondola was 

Christmas in Lapland – part I

Christmas in Lapland – part I

This blog has been dead for months as I’ve been in a COVID funk and not felt like writing on anything travel related. Somehow not having any hope or indication of when I might be able to travel again has put me in a rut. 

Hubby’s birthday dinner at Kuusi Palaa

Hubby’s birthday dinner at Kuusi Palaa

Hubby had his birthday on Monday and instead of a present, I booked a hotel and dinner for us. It almost felt like an extended weekend even though I did some work on Monday morning before heading to the hotel. Renovated hotel Marski The Scandic 

Olavinlinna castle and crepe café

Olavinlinna castle and crepe café

On our last day in Savonlinna, we started the day by touring Olavinlinna castle. We also walked to Sulosaari island that houses the Kalliolinna crepe café. Before dinner, we took a cruise around the city. 15th-century three-tower castle Olavinlinna is a 15th-century castle built on 

Rainy day and ring seal safari

Rainy day and ring seal safari

A shorter post on one of our main activities while in Savonlinna. Thursday kicked off with breakfast that was served at Lossiranta Lodge. The breakfast rooms were unique and cozy and breakfast was nice. Kerimäki Church After breakfast we drove to Kerimäki Church. This church 

Imatra and Savonlinna

Imatra and Savonlinna

After leaving Lappeenranta we headed towards Savonlinna for the second leg of our vacation. On the way, we made a few stops to kill time. Imatran Valtionhotelli and rapids We first stopped at Imatran Valtionhotelli hotel. The hotel is a castle-like building in the national 

Museums and Lappeenranta’s favorite street food

Museums and Lappeenranta’s favorite street food

On our second day in Lappeenranta we decided to visit a couple of museums. The first one was the Wolkoff House Museum. The house is one of the oldest wooden houses remaining in Lappeenranta built in 1826-1905. The house was the home of the Russian