Picos de Europa, Spain

This is a change, instead of having sand between my toes I had snow and yes this is in Spain! I did a tour around Picos de Europa National Park in Northern Spain. Picos de Europa means literally the "Peaks of Europe" and the name comes that these peaks where the first sight of Europe for ships who arrived to Europe from America.

From France to Spain and Portugal

Had nice time in France, got my first glasses and when my dentist was done, was time to get further south :)

Noble Val, picturesque mediaeval village

Saint Antonin Noble Val, I love this place!!! Lively mediaeval town in summer, beautiful tiny alleys, craft shops, cafes and restaurants! Long history and many listed mediaeval buildings (like oldest town hall in France) and is today a major tourist attraction. Its sunday markets is something you should not miss! Streets and alleys full of market sellers with fruits, vegetables, art, woodwork, clothes, spices, herbs, cheese..you name it! I spend many days here, enjoying the atmosphere and spending good time with my old Dutch friends, thank you for inviting me,  Hopen om dit opnieuw met jullie, gezellig!

Message on the dog..not in the bottle

This chap gave several times a visit and stayed always couple of hours around. Always alone without his boss. Who is he?

Meymac, Lake Sechemailles

View from my camper

Once again a beautiful camper spot! I have to say that France is clearly the best country in Europe with organized camper stops "Aires". There is ABSOLUTELY NO point to go in a campsite, unless you need some laundry to be done. Germany is also well organized, but their "Stellplatz" I find often too expensive for what they actually can offer or I have come across just wrong places. I wouldn´t mind to pay some euros a day + water, but ten euro is a bit too much. Of course you find also free nice spots there!

Oradour-sur-Glane massacre in 1944

As I am interested from the World War II, my goal was this summer to visit Oradour-sur-Glane where the German Nazis destroyed the whole village and the village was never rebuilt, they built new village next to it instead. Today this place is a memorial Martyr Town.

Warm days in Sancoins

Found again a lovely camper stop next to water in Sancoins. Free stop and campers were parked both side of the Canal de Berry. Met nice people and spend some days in here N 46°49'58" E 02°54'47" .

This Aire was free, water 2 e per 100 liters.

Leaving Finland, arriving in France

Leaving Finland behind and heading to Germany, Travemunde! Last time I drew trough Sweden and Denmark, but this time took a direct ferry to Germany, less driving and having good time in the ferry.

Finland, Summer part 7, friends and parties

My baby Nero  <3! Some of you have been following Nero´s story in Crete and how she got a home in Finland, was time to meet my baby again! She is having such a beautiful life now in Finland with her Spanish brother. It is soooo nice that Nero´s family is giving me always news and sending photos from her life. I should one time make an update just from Nero and tell her news :)

Finland, summer part 6, My dinner in the sky!

My beloved Helsinki, having a Dinner in the Sky! Stunning view to Helsinki from 55 meters high! It was quite an exciting experience and good way to end my holiday in Finland :). Big laugh when I just looked the official site of the dinner in the sky, I found myself in it :P

Finland, summer part 5, Turku

Also to visit Turku from Nuutajärvi, was close, maybe 80 km or so. Turku is the oldest city from Finland and was also our first capital city before Helsinki became a capital in 1812. The governement stayed still in Turku until 1827 when there was a big fire and the city destroyed almost completely and after they also took a place in Helsinki. Unfortunaly for some reason (?) I was not taking many pictures from Turku, but believe me, its worthwhile to visit if you happen to pass by. You can stay with your camper overnight N 60°27'05" E 22°16'39" in here, directly in the center, parking near the cathedral. You have to pay for the parking between 9-18, 0.60 e per hour so 5.60 e a day. From this spot you will have everything nearby!

Finland, summer part 4, Ron Mueck

Mask II, believed to be a self-portrait

Nuutajärvi is not that far from Tampere so was good to go to visit Ron Mueck exhibition in Sara Hildén´s Art Museum. Really stunning work! Ron Mueck is an Australian sculptor, born in 1958 in a German family. This was first time his works were presented in Nordic countries and there was 10 of his works presented. His work is hyper-realistic, like-life figures, but never in an actual size. They are either massive size or much smaller, like miniatures. 

Finland summer 3, Nuutajärvi

For me there is NO SUMMER without Nuutajärvi! I really like this little glass village with a long history. Nice friendly people and you can easily meet the artists themselves in here. You are also most welcome to park for overnight stayes with your camper. Parking is calm and straight in the village N 61°02'33" E 23°26'12".

Finland summer 2, Fiskars

Always nice to spend a day in Fiskars! Lovely little craft village and you can stay over night at the parking N 60°07'53" E 23°32'44".

Finland, summer part 1, vroooooom!

Summer 2016, finally time to do some articles (means its raining out here)! I was thinking to do one mixed article, but found it impossible to choose just some photos, so next days I will share some highlights in our Finnish summer until we get again really up to date! Okay, to the point. Jarno Saarinen Memory GP was held in Ahvenisto and I was happy to be there too!

Thirty countries together with Kuksa and my camper

A video from my 365 days, where is Kuksa today? Unfortunaly the quality is not there if you watch it in full screen, since the limits to pose a video is maximum 100 Mt. For me this is good personal souvenir from a whole year photo project <3

Now Kuksa is having 30 countries burned marks on it, means countries where Kuksa and my camper have been touring. See all the photo of the day in HERE!


Thank you Europe and Morocco <3, now we are in France and will go next to........?

Hill of Crosses, place for peace and power

Hill of Crosses, I just found this place magical!!!! Located in northern Lithuania near Siauliai. Standing upon a small hill are many hundreds of thousands of crosses that represent Christian devotion and a memorial to Lithuanian national identity...

Lithuania and straight on to Vilnus

Hello Lithuania! I had only two absolute goals to do in Lithuania (I am sure it deserves more!), meet my Lithuanian friends who I met in Crete and to see Hill of Crosses and first the road was bringing to Vilnus. 

Few days in the nature

After many visits and some city days, was nice to drive back to the nature. Just driving through Warsaw, did not have the feeling to visit this city now. Even I looked from internet in advance for a parking to stay with reasonable price. No. Now we needed some countryside air! 

Auschwitz-Birkenau - The death camps

Arbeit macht frei - Works gives you freedom

This entrance has become worldwide known - it leads to the largest nazi German concentration camp and death camp - AUSCHWITZ.

Wieliczka Salt Mine

Wieliczka salt mine just beside Krakow was quite interesting place to visit. It is protected by Unesco like the old center of Krakow. And only 80 km from there you have Auschwitz-Birkenau! You can very easy spend quite some days on that neighbourhood..

Welcome to Poland

 Welcome to Poland, Rzeczpospolita Polska!

Mountain time! A date with Tatra mountains

Tatra or Tatras mountains are a mountain range between Slovakia and Poland and this was a place I wanted to see. They are also the highest mountain range in Carpathian mountains with highest peak at 2655 meters.

Arriving to Slovakia

Leaving Hungary and to get to Slovakia you need to pass again Danube river, this time by bridge.

Countryside air in Hungary Nagysap

Hey!!!! We are in the countryside running, so happyyyy :)

City life in Budapest

Discover Budapest with a rental bike...

Arriving to Hungary and Camping in Budapest

Again border change done, Hungary calling!

Goodbye Greece - road to Bulgaria and Romania

Arriving to Bulgaria from Greece.

Ferry Chania-Piraeus and the way to Thessaloniki

It was time again to leave this beautiful island behind us. Saying goodbye to my very own family in Frangokastello was very hard and emotional, with the mother Sofia we changed plenty of tears. They have been so nice to us and I will miss all of them. Saying "taleme" means in Greek "See you". We used to say taleme avrio, see you tomorrow, but now it was just "taleme"...

Last days and visits in Crete!

Goodbye tour in Crete and of course one more time a flat tire. This was fifth time in Crete that I got one!

Agiofarango Gorge with friends

Me and my doggy, a handmade gift from one of my previosly unknown blog reader from Lithuania :), THANK YOU!

Heraklion and bead shopping!

A day in Heraklion and doing last bead shoppings! In the end of this posting you can read where to buy your beads in case you make also jewelries and want to do some bead shoppings in Crete.

Nero´s last days in Crete and new life in Finland

We decided to spend Nero´s last week with us in Triopetra Beach in southern Crete. Fabulous weather and excited times since we knew we would meet Nero´s new family soon! So I had time to make some little souvenirs too.

What´s happening?

Our days have been plenty of things, so my blog has been on a tiny break! Sea, city visits, food, cooking, menu, jewelries, photographing and many more things, so the life hasn´t been quiet at all, certainly if you have two dog buddies with you, it never gets boring!

I totally agree with!

Nerolla on passi!

Eilen tuli reilu kymmenen päivää täyteen leikkauksesta ja palasimme Neron kanssa Rethymnoniin eläinkääkärille, jossa Nero sai sen oman passin:)

Kaupungista maalle

Torstai, eli päivä Neron leikkauksen jälkeen, oli luvassa muutaman tunnin kaupunkierros, kun molemmat koirat jäi ystäväni hoitoon, sopi mulle! Hieno keli vaellella Rethymonin vanhassa kaupungissa, käydä kahvilla ja oluella, toki tärkeintä tälle reissulle oli löytää Nerolle kauluri, kun semmoista ei mukaan sattunut eläinlääkäriltä edellispäivänä..

Tyyni ja aurinkoinen päivä pienellä pilvihötöllä!

Nero eläinlääkärillä

Eilen olikin jännittävä päivä monelle ihmiselle ja tietenkin Nerolle itselleen, sillä eilen oli Neron sterilisaatio! Jännää tämä oli myös Neron uudelle ikiomalle tulevalle perheelle, jotka myötäelävät tätä Neron elämää täällä Kreetalla, siellä Suomessa! Eli Nerolla on nyt myös ihana perhe, joka odottaa Neron näkemistä ja kyllä minäkin odotan kovasti tämän perheen tapaamista <3!

Mites kaikki sitten menikään eilen? Leikkaus meni hyvin, mikä onkin tärkeintä, mutta pientä lisäjännitystä toi maanviljelijöiden teiden tukkiminen juuri eilen. Moottoritie oli suljettu ja minunhan piti motari ylittää, jotta pääsin Neroa hakemaan ja tietenkin päästä takaisin satamaan Neron kanssa. Matka on yhteen suuntaan noin 6 kilometriä, aikaa reissuun meni lähes kolme tuntia, pitikin taas sattua!

Rethymonin pääkadulla

Kuka vie ketä?

 

Eilen oli ihan mielettömän hieno aurinkoinen päivä, aurinko paistoi pitkän aikaa ennen kuin pilvet taas tuli ja tänään onkin jälleen harmaata, vettä tosin ei ole vielä tullut..Kyllä teki paiste hyvää mielelle!

Tytöillä on päämäärä

 

Tytöillä siis on, ei minulla, tai ei ainakaan sama kuin tytöillä. Eilen jo hämärän tultua, käveltiin sataman päätyyn, joka on se rauhallisin osio satamasta ja päästin molemmat vapaaksi juoksua varten. Iso kutsui Neron heti leikkiin ja vauhtimimminä Nero ryntäili joka suuntaan, ison vain haukkuessa perässä. Kalastajan veeneestä tuli kutsu Nerolle ja Nerohan meni, kun näki miehen siellä kättä viuhtovan – ”Mä oon niin varma että tolla tyypillä on mulle jotain hyvää syötävääääää, iiikkkk!”. Ja oikeassahan Nero oli, kalastaja heitteli mureita piffin palasia Nerolle veneestään sataman betonille. Iso meni perässä ja minä viimeisenä, isokin sai osansa. Yritä sitten kreikkalaiselle kalastajalle, joka ei puhu englantia selittää, etten halua että ainakaan Neroa ruokkii kukaan muu. En siis edes yrittänyt vaan kiittelin kovasti koirien puolesta ja vaihdettiin kuulumisia säästä ja kaikki tämä siis kreikaksi, huh (!). Herrasmies tarjosi lasillisen rakia lämmikkeeksi ja kilistelimme Kreetan säille...

Arkea satamassa

 Meillä ei olekaan ollut kunnon nettiyhteytta sitten Kalyvesista lähtömme jälkeen, kun torstaina suunnistimme eläinlääkärille, koska tarhakäynti Soudassa ei sitten onnistunut, no ehkä sitten myöhemmin. Kreetan kodittomat eläimet auttoi taas kerran suosittelemalla hyvää eläinlääkäriä Haniassa, mutta jätin sen väliin, koska sijainti oli ihan keskustassa ja isomman auton kanssa voi olla hankalaa. Katselin siis netistä lääkäreitä ja päädyin Rethymnonin kupeessa olevalle lekurille, jonka eteen sai auton parkkiin (kiitos google maps!). En soittanut ja varannut aikaa etukäteen, mehän vaan pelmahdettiin sisälle. Tärkeintä oli saada Nerolta otettua verinäyte, jossa analysoitaisiin onko tytöllä tuota välimeren maiden vitsausta, eli leishmaniaa. Näyte otettiin ja tulos negatiivinen, hyvä Nero!

Time for macrame

Lasts posts have been soooo doggy, but this posting is still nothing to do with this beautiful island and its scenerys. Its about my new passion, macrame that I have been doing, even I am taking care now of two dogs, I have found some time. Ok, no more word dog on this post!

Ive been doing several macrame works and I really enjoy it, making knots can make you nut!

Sadepäivän arkea

Eilinen päivä ei sitten ollutkaan loppujen lopuksi niin paha, mitä säätiedotus oli etukäteen povaillut, sopii meille! Toki satoi, mutta aurinkokin näyttäytyi ja saimme auton akkuja ladattua paneeleiden kautta. Viime yönä ja aikaisin aamusta ukkosti ja satoi todella kovaa, rakeitakin tuli, mutta kun oli aamulenkin vuoro, niin säästyimme tältä kaikelta. Sadetta on tullut nyt aamupäivälläkin, mutta nyt taas paistaa = lisää energiaa meille kaikille ja lämpöä!

Heiii, mitäs tyyppejä te ootte?

Elämää kylässä niitten kahden kaa

Eilinen päivä menikin Kalyvesin kylässä, Haniasta itään, jonka keskustaan parkkeerasimme silloin toissailtana. Tiedossa oli, että illasta alkaisi sateet reippaan tuulen ja kylmenevän sään kera, joten harrastimme ulkoilua varastoon, mikäli se nyt on edes mahdollista. Aurinko paistoi puolipilviseltä taivaalta, mutta tuulta pukkasi jo puuskittain, menoamme ei se haitannut...

Arkea niiden KAHDEN koiran kanssa asuntoautossa

Yesterday I was posting a new article again after a long time, but in Finnish, sorry for all you who are not able to follow it. I will come back in English, when I will come back to my "normal" postings, when the solution for the dog I found from the Cretan mountains is solved, stay on tune, or use this funny translation thing of google :).

Eilen olikin hauska päivä, tai siis nyt se naurattaa, eilen ei. Aamutouhujen jälkeen meille on syntynyt jo aika hyvä rutiini, jotka molemmat koirat ovat omaksuneet, tai siis tuo vanhushan on jo niin rutinoitunut entuudestaan...

Ylös ulos ja lenkille, sitten kaikille aamupala, jonka jälkeen koirat makoilevat ja sulattelevat ruokaa, toinen siellä varjossa ja toinen siellä aurinkopaikalla, kuten alla oleva kuva aika hyvin kertoo...

Elämää asuntoautossa KAHDEN (!) koiran kanssa

Kuten jotkut teistä ovat jo huomanneet, on blogipäivitysteni väli pidentynyt, tai siis oikeammin voidaan sanoa, että niitä ei ole edes ollut, siis päivityksiä. Miksi? Koska kohdalleni sattui tämän pienen neropatin löytäminen Kreetan vuorilta jo ennen joulua. Neropattini, on tietenkin tämä Nero-koira, jolle olen etsinyt kotia siitä päivästä lähtien. Arki on siis hiukan muuttunut kahden koiran kanssa asuntoautossa rytmiä etsien, kunnes Nerolle saadaan se ihka oma koti. Vaikkakin alan jo kiintymään Neroon ja tuo oma ”vanhuskin” on Neron sata lasissa hyväksynyt, olen järkevä ja tiedän, että kahden koiran kanssa matkustaminen on meikäläiselle mahdotonta, koska elämäni matkalle ei vielä ole loppua tulossa...

Searching a home for Nero

*scroll down for English/ελληνικά/French/Finnish*

Hello Friends! Found this skinny female dog, called now Nero (the name comes because she was found next to a source and nero means water in Greek and in my language it means genius) on the Cretan mountains just before Christmas and I have been looking a place since that day, but I could just not leave her behind and get starved. I can´t keep her myself since I stay in a camper van and I do already have one bigger rescue dog, space is limited and it is not an option for me to traverse Europe with two dogs in my van...