Travelog for: Phog

Hello!

Today arrived two toys here: Alberto monkey from Spain, and Nyankororin cat from Japan.



This is Alberto. He has a T-shirt with him, and I wanted to try it on.
We all laughed so much, because the shirt was little too big, and I looked hilarious! 



And this is Nyankororin.



Then we had a party!
Kurnau put a music on. He was our DJ.



And then we dance... 



...and dance...



...and dance even more...



...untill we got tired.



It was really fun!

Love,
Phog

Hello!

A new toy arrived here today. She is Batty from Germany.
We all said welcome to her, and then we talked and talked and talked even more... It's always so nice to have new friends!

And guess what?!? A rainbow came to the sky, and I watched it through the window. 

Love,
Phog

Hei!

Hostmommy mmm105 is sick. She has a flu. So, we toys decided to take care of her, because we all want she will get well soon.

We gave to her all what she needs to feel better: our company, hot chocolate, fever termometer, handkerchiefs, medicines, throat pastilles, remote control for television... etc.

Love,
Phog

Hello mommy!

Today I went to walk little outside. Look mommy, there's already an autumn in Finland. It was a rainy day, so I didn't go very far from the hostmom's house (I didn't want to get wet).

I saw many things, what is typical in Finland at this time of the year. Look all those different colours! I think the autumn is quite beautiful time of the year, at least here. Well, hostmom said these colours are just started to come... and after few days it will be even more colourful, all colours will turn out more deeper! 

Enjoy watching these pictures, mom!

Love,
Phog

Hi mommy!

Today I said goodbye to 3 ToyVoyagers.
They all are going to the next places to visit:
Ronja will go to Denmark,
Sausi Karl to Switzerland,
and Wayne goes back home to Germany.

I gave them all goodbye-hugs, and wish them good luck.

Love,
Phog

Hi mommy!

I have got nice time here. I have made new friends with other toys here, and we have got fun!

Today I was outside, and I saw some great things of the autumn.
Look the photos, mom, and you can see the colours of nature, too.
Yes, it's the most colourful time of this season, very soon all trees will be "naked", and then it's time wait some snow coming. I'm so exited, I want to see some snow... but I have to wait little more first...

I'm fine here, mom.

Love,
Phog

Hi mommy!

Today I visited to see the oldest building of Jyväskylä.
The building called as Taavettilan riihi, which is in English the drying barn of Taavettila.
The building has buildt somewhere in 1700's, the exact year is unknown.
First, building used as a drying barn, but somewhere in 1800's it became usual barn/cabin and it got windows then. In 1900's the building started to be a cabin museum.

Jyväskylän vanhin rakennus = the oldest building of Jyväskylä
Riihi muutettu tuvaksi 1800-luvun alussa = a drying barn has turn to be a cabin in the beginning of 1800's
Jyväskylän yliopisto = University of Jyväskylä
Rakennus 3 = Building 3





Because we didn't have a chance to go in (the door was closed), we decided to look through the window...







Love,
Phog

Hello mommy!

Guess what? Something white thing has came here. It's all over outside.
It's cold, white, and it's covering everything!!!     

YES!!! It's the first snow!!! 

Winter is just around the corner... Temperature has been about -3 degrees Celcius the hole day.



Brrrrr... snow is so cold!



All others came to sit on the snow, too. Brrrrrrr...





Ooooops! What just happened?!?    Some snow fall on us!



Hih... it was only fun! 

Love,
Phog

Hei! Hello mom!

Kurnau told me, that we all toys can travel with hostmom, when she will visit her parents in other side of Finland in this weekend. I was totally exited about it. It's so cool to see other placed in Finland, too.

Kurnau showed me the map. Mommy, can you see the spots A and B in the map? Yes, that's our travel plan, it's about 320 kilometres.
We are going to little village called Ilomantsi. It's in the Northern Karelia in Finland.



After sitting 4 hours in the car, I was tired and I wanted to relax.
So, I experienced one Finnish thing, how to relax and take a bath at the same time: I went to sauna!!!





And guess what? 
I met saunatonttu (=the elf of sauna) there!!!



This room, sauna, is a hot place. Saunas are very common in Finland (maybe because the cold and long winter seasons?!?). Finns go to sauna to wash themselves, but also to relax. They throw some water to the kiuas (it's like the "oven", and there are some stones on it), and this hot kiuas makes the hole room so warm place to be.





AAAaaaaahh, I'm sooooo relaxed now!!!

Love,
Phog

Hi mommy!

Unfortunately, the weather is awful here... it's raining a lot... 
So, there's no sightseeing here today...

But, the bad weather is not the problem for us!  We can do many fun things inside, too. 

At first, I want to show you the coat of arms of Ilomantsi. It looks like this:


And because there's three kanteles (kantele = it's one kind of instrument) in the picture of the coat of arms, I wanted to play this instrument.

And happily I can say, that I did it. I played kantele.   
Kantele is the national instrument of Finland, and especially in Karelia.



Others played it, too.



And then, we found this marvellous little building! Wow! 



Hi hiiiiii!!!!! Here I am! 



And then, I saw something, what I first couldn't believe... 

Look yourself! Is it cool? So many medals and pokals etc!!!   

...Hih, and I'm there somewhere, too. Can you find me?



Well, can you see me now?



Great! You found me!!! Well done! 



Oh, one more photo for today...

I'm dreaming: "...and the winner is....... PHOG!!!"
Hurray!!! 



It was fun day!

Love,
Phog

Hello mommy!

It's last day of our visit in Ilomantsi, and the weather is still bad...

Well, because outside is terrible, we decided to make nice inside this house.
Yes, we are going to bake some cookies!



First need to use kaulin (= a rolling pin).



Then it's time to make cookies. I made bunny shaped cookies.



Kurnau helped. He put the cookies to the cookie sheet.



Mmmmmm... they smell so good already! 



Cookies are ready! Yummy!!! 



Now it's time to enjoy! 



Love,
Phog

Hello mommy!

I'm back in Jyväskylä, Central-Finland.

Today was nice weather outside, so I went there for having little walk outside and in fresh air. As you can see, mom, there's not snow anymore. All the first snow has melted away...

I hope that it will snow again soon.

Love,
Phog

Hello mommy!

Today I helped hostmommy to write some Christmas cards.
It was really fun!

I'm sooooo exited, because Christmas is coming closer and closer every day!!!

Very soon I can experience Christmas in Finland, the homecountry of Santa Claus!!!

Oh, mommy, do you thing I could meet Santa himself here?!?

Love,
Phog

Hi mommy!

I was walking outside today, because it was really nice weather (-4 degrees Celcius, snowing very light). BUT mommy, there was quite dark already outside, even thought it was only afternoon! 

Hostmommy told me about kaamos (the Polar night).
It's the time of the year when the sun doesn't rise at all within few months!!!
Can you believe it, the sun is completely below the horizon so long time in Lapland in winter?     
Luckily, this happens only Lapland, inside the polar circles.
But the effects can be seen here in Central Finland, too. In winter light-time during days are only some hours per day, and the most of time is dark...





Look mommy!!! There's some kids playing ice hockey! 
Ice hockey (jääkiekko in Finnish) is very popular hobby in Finland.
Very very popular!



Then I continued walking, and I arrived in Harju. I have been in Harju earlier, too, but not in dark time. Look, there's so beautiful lights there! 







And here is the long stone steps of Harju Ridge. There's city center down there.



I think this tree looks little spooky and scary!!! BOOOO!!!  hihi



And here are we all toys (little Sunny, Kurnau, Nyankororin, Bussi and me). We are very near of the city center.





Then I saw something really nice! A Christmas tree!!!   
Oooooh, it's so big! But really beautiful with all those lights and a star





Now I'm in the city center. I'm going to see some Christmas lights... 



Beautiful!







This big star is the most beautiful Christmas light I have seen here!
Look, there's also a star on the ground... or it looks like a star. Hostmommy told me, that there's a big compass on the ground!!! 
Yeah, when I looked it more carefully, I saw there's a biggest arrow to show the North. Cool!



I saw many interesting things today.

Love,
Phog

Hello!

Today is the first day of December. It was time to start opening the Christmas/advent calender.



It's so fun! 



Today's picture looks like this:



Every day in this month untill Christmas we toys can see a new picture in this calender.
How exiting!!!

Love,
Phog