Travelog for: Charlie B.

Today, Sonja took me with her to her work. Besides studying, she works at a lawyer's office in Cologne to type the correspondence (mostly letters to different courts and to clients), to pick the phone and to open the door for clients. Today, she had to write a long letter to the (social) welfare tribunal in Cologne. The text was 24 and a half pages! So she really had to type a lot.

After finishing work, she went with the train to Bocholt to visit her parents over the weekend. Bocholt is about 100 km north of Leverkusen, being directly at the border to the Netherlands. I even had the chance to see the Thalys when Sonja and I were waiting at Cologne main station for the train taking us to Bocholt.

When we arrived at Sonja's parents' home, a dog was greeting us. I first was quite scared, but then Sonja told me, that the dog is called Jule and belongs to her youngest sister. Jule is a beagle and very friendly. Sonja also told me, that I should be quite careful around Jule, because Jule likes to destroy toys, so I always stay around Sonja.

Hi Mum!

What a day. Sunday made it's name all honor. The sun was shining a lot today, so Sonja showed me some places close to her parents' house. At first she showed me her parents' garden. I liked it instantly. Behind the carden is a small canal with some fish in it. But most of the fish inside died due to the long winter they had there.
Then she took me to the lake, that's very close (about 150 or 200 m) to the house. In summer, when it's warm and sunny, many people go there to take a sunbath or to swim in the lake. There are even two lookouts for the lifeguards, in case someone gets in trouble! I wanted to try to get into the water but Sonja warned me, that it's too cold now. Maybe some other day.
Next to the lake, there's a big playground for children. I tried some of the things there and I had a lot of fun. When we came home, I had to relax small with Jule the Dog, which was just coming back from a walk with Sonja's sister Verena.
In the evening Sonja and I took the train back to Leverkusen, as Sonja has a meeting with one professor tomorrow because she is starting to write her diploma now.
You will hear from me again soon

Hi Mum!

I am really sorry that I didn't say hello for some time, but Sonja was a bit busy for her diploma. Today we went a bit around in Cologne. At first she showed me a fountain in Cologne that was sponsored by a publishing house, the Neven DuMont Verlag. After she showed me the Cathedral of Cologne from the inside, because I was really interested in what it looks like, as I had just seen it from outside. It's a really nice cathedral. Before we went inside, we checked, if there was a service inside, because during a service you can't walk around in the cathedral and take photos, but fortunately there was no service
during the time we visited the Cathedral.
After we came back home and I watched the sun go down from the kitchen. It looked very nice.

today I had to leave Sonja. She went to the postoffice in her parents' hometown Bocholt, put me into an envelope  together with a card of Cologne and then gave me to the postman. I will go to Finland now and hope that I'll have a great time there for some adventures.

Hi! I arrived to Finland safely.

But I didnt get any rest, we got to the car and started a journey pretty much as soon as I arrived. I was thrilled, when I was told, that we were headed to the coast. 

This is the car we traveled by.



It was nice day, really warm, lot of sunshine. I got to see what it looks like in Finland, when you are traveling by the road. Lots of forests and fields, lakes and rivers, many small villages and towns. Not so many bigger cities, because people in Finland dont like to live to close to other people.


We had to stop for more gas, right beside one lake, and it was really pretty.


And there were some king of pets there at the gas station. I think they are some kind of llama, but im not really sure. But they were cute anyway.



It was really late when we finally got there. About 1 hour after midnight. But, thanks to Finlands weird system, it was not dark yet! So I could easily see the suns last colours at the sea. Everything was calm and quiet, there was not even wind, and birds were quiet too.





This was the summer-house we were staying at. It was bit unfinished, but it didnt bother me at all! And it really is long after midnight in these pictures!


But now it's time for bed, being really tired.

-Charlie B.

Hi Mum!

So here I am, at the coast of Finland, and again it's really beautiful, and the weather could not be better. And now it's daylight, so I can get lot of new pictures.

This is better pic of the summerhouse. It was awesome, can you see the little wooden bear carfed to the post?


And here you can see a bit what it looked like. There were many different little houses, so many people could stay there at the same time. And the sauna was seperate from the sleeping buildings.


This is my new friend, Miki. He has even longer nose than I do!



For lunch, we made traditional fish-soup. It took over 3 hours to boil, there was a whole salmon at the bottom, and hole onions and potatoes. The long cooking time made sure, that the salmon-taste was soaked to the potatoes, and the onions were soft and so good. I really loved it.



After lunch we were to full to really do anything, so we just laid around, getting sun and drinking cool drinks.



When we felt bit bored to just be, there was sauna and swimming.




The sea was freezing cold! I cant understand how they could swim there!







I liked this warm water better. 



At the night, there was no sleeping early! Because it was the midsummer-night, we had to selebrate. The tradition is to light up bonfires. As far along the coast that I could see, the fires were built. They told me, that if I would go out with a boat, there would be bonfires everywhere!







We had really great night, all the neighbors from near cabins cathered together to talk, drink and have fun. And to stay up as late as we could! And it never got really dard, it seemed as the sun only was away for hour or two, before starting to rise again.

Today, we were tired, having stayed up late for 2 nights now. So we didnt do much, but it was relaxing.

We did some fishing though.


There were so many fishes, that you could just see them swimming around.



And I saw some swans, they were beautiful. And they had babies too! I liked them.


But I didnt like the cormorant-birds, that lived in the islands we went to see by boat. The birds stink like... I dont know what, but it was nasty. But there were lots of them, so it looked pretty cool.



After boat-trip, we were hungry, so we grilled some sausages by the fire. The fire was still going, it had burned all night, and it was still hot enough in afternoon.

Hi again!

It's been a bit quiet, because my host has to work. I have been a really good quest, and I have been taking care of pets.

Im now officially a godfather to a pretty little mice-baby! Here she is, with her father, and mom and her sister.



This pet was not my favourite, because it eats mice! So I was scared, even though my host told me he would not eat me, because I dont smell like other mice.


But hamsters were fun!
I played hide and seek with this lovely young lady.


And had dinner with this hamster-mom and her kids. There were 5 of them, but they didnt like to be on pic...


And I got a kiss from grandmom!


The cockatiels were awesome, but a bit loud. These birds I still like.


Cockroaches were scary, they are allmost as big as me! I would not have gotten in to that cage, even if they paid me million dollars.


Aquarium fishes were beautiful, I spent long times just looking at them.


And this lizard was really nice, not scary at all.



So, this is pretty much what I've been doing this week. Babysitting mice and playing with other pets.
But my host has promised to show me around Seinäjoki at weekend, so Im looking forward to that.

Charlie B.

Hi!

Today, is the city tour. I'ts not really big city, about 50 000 people, and most of them dont even live at the center.

So, we thought the best way to see the city, would be from a high place. So we headed to the church tower.


It looks rather high from the ground... I hope I dont fall from there.



The liftride is exiting, it seemed to go higher, and higher... But I liked the views.


It looked like the city had been built right in the middle of forest.





Then my host showed me the bookshop she works at.


This was at the center of the city.



But in the end, there was nothing much to see at the center. Most places were closed anyway. So, we desided, there would be more to see in the nature around.

Near the river, was this horse-statue. It's for memorial of all the finnish horses that died in the war. It makes me sad... They did win the war... But after all the deaths, there really is no winners. And no animals (or children or anyone innocent) should have to suffer because of men and their stupid fights.





The river was lovely. And there were more seabirds here, than there were at the sea. Funny that.


I sure have seen a lot of birds in this journey... Should I become an ornitologist? Did I even spell that right?



And here sights from the river.






This had been a big tree. I wonder why was it cut down? But there are lots of trees here, I think it's good.



So, this was today, now we just enjoy the summer, and go get an icecream.


-Charlie B.

We went to see some farm-animals at the weekend. I like animals, well technically im an animal myself. So what is there not to like?

Some animals where just wandering free, like this pony.



And these birds were resting in shadow, under the trailers.







The donkey was a bit angry, but I think it was just because of the sun. It was a really hot day.


These miniature goats are just the cutest thing ever!



This is map of Finland. The country is lot bigger than most people think. There just isnt lot of people, so those who live here, have more space to themselves.

Hi mum!

Just letting you know, that Im on my way to Belgium!

it was getting rather boring here... I started to think even snails are fascinating creatures. Bit slow...



Anyway, I hope the travel wont be long, and I'll have lots of new friends and see lots of new places. 

-Charlie B.

Hi Mum,

I arrived last Friday in Belgium. I did not know Belgium could be that warm in summer! In the  house where I arrived there live 4 pussycats....SCARY.....no not at all, it seems like they are not really interested in me 

Look how cute she is - her name is Katrien - she is the oldest cat in the house, 14 years old, she is so sweet !

Sunday we went to Antwerpen - a city at the river Scheldt - very beautiful, the second largest port in Europe! A cosmopolitan metropole known as the  DIAMOND center of the world!!

Here i am sunbathing next to the river SCHELDT or Schelde in Flemish!

Between 1873 and 1934, more than 2 millions of Europeans left from this port to America!