Went for a bikeride on coastline/ beach behind the house. Made some 10 kilometres ride in total, saw the fancy Scottish cows whose head is as big as whole me. Saw a lot of swans, seagulls and some ducks. Then avid fishermen silently standing in the water with them funny rubber pantboots probably for some half day already, buckets looked empty except for water. While filming the majestic swans I came across a pole, smooth and lightcoloured and it looked as if it’s sort of a driftwood of a fancy kind. Usually driftwood is just some planks or pieces of some tiny bits but this was at least 5 metres long, thick like some average thigh, straight and looked suspiciously from some kind of fregatta or other fancy sailingboat has lost it. It was smooth from all the banging on the limestone shore I assume. I have never seen any driftwood like that. And I decided I need it. So I said to my kid he has to take it home for me. While I then took our bikes, one in one hand, other in other hand and started walking he took that huge thing on his shoulders. It looked easy. We walked home, me with two bikes and he with this huge pole on his shoulders. Got it barely in cos it’s so long we had to maneuvre between the thee doors and stairs. So now it’s in. I can’t fit it into car. I certainly need trailer to move it to my cottage. It’s just there. Nice, smooth, clean. I tried to move it. Let me tell you, it’s HEAVY!

So we were on island the other week. As it was raining and that made the situation rather dull as we sort of had to stay indoors. Which means in addition of being inside at home we were going around shops, restaurants and had not much of our usual adventures in forests and seaside. We ended up going to restaurants two times a day, for late breakfast at about noon and for late “lundinner” that started at about four and lasted until normal folks have dinners :). One day we figured we want to treat ourselves to nice BBQ salmon or trout and to speciality shop we went! My childhood was full of freshly caught fish of all kinds BUT salmon and trout. I am not sure of why we did not have any of them that time. Was it forbidden to fish them or were they all sent to great soviet leaders like all the pork we produced and never got to eat any but pigs feet and tails…. I really don’t know and now I have nobody to ask from at this moment as it’s past the midnight already. I will ask my uncle if I remember this curious bit next time I see him. He was in charge of one of the biggest ports here, and travelled all over the world with my dad on fishing boats waaay back then. What we had was herring, flounder, sprat, roach. We dried the flounder or roach to have with beer, it was common sight always in summer that all houses and saunas had drying fish under the eaves. Once ready it was the best treat we had!

So, anyways, we went to that fancy speciality shop that my mate made years ago where he sells what he and his comrades, all proper licenced fishermen, have caught. They also have smoked fish, canned stuff and some bits and pieces for the proper fishermen like nets, knives, boots and so on. Lovely shop with all stuff sold that is somehow connected to fishing. And then there is the “days catch” right in spotlight. In the huge metal tub we had flounder, whitefish (that is considered delicacy of own right, way better than trout or salmon), pike. Half of them were alive and moving. This took my kid by surprise. He was in shock though he, that same kid, is actually prepping dinners of finest materials like duck breast! He went pale staring at the fish and I asked what should we get, pike or whitefish or the rather slim flounders (they will be fat in August). He was stuttering: “these fish are in very unexpected form for my taste”. I laughed and cried at the same moment, this was wild but I realised he has never seen live fish with head on and moving, only fillets! The sales person could not hide her dislike and shock of her own hearing the “unexpected form” and watching me hysterically laughing and crying at the same time. We didn’t get any fish that time. Instead we went to yet another restaurant.

One supporting factor for this blog is to write these funny things down as I tend to forget the funny things kids have said over the years. I used to have Facebook popping up some old memories that I have written down years back. My kids were always very polite and well behaved in general. No scandals ever. No demanding toys and dropping onto the shop floor yelling. Few things I remember are going to be printed and framed. Like the one explaining: “oh, I am soooo full now, I have no space in my belly for peas. I only have space for the tiny bits in colourful papers. I always have room in my belly for these particular tiny bits”! 

I have another chapter coming soon, it just happened last week and I will have time some evening when it’s raining again 🙂

Stay warm and hot!

Did you already notice Hollywood Vampires are coming to Europeland?! Everyone, gather up!!!

XOXOX