Trip to Tampere & Truku

From November 1st to 3rd, I visited Tampere and Turku with my Japanese friends. It was my first time traveling domestically in Finland, and we made unforgettable memories.

On the first day, we planned to meet at the station at 5:50 a.m. to catch a train leaving at 6 a.m., but two of our four missed it! One overslept, and the other’s smartphone died, so she couldn’t wake up in time (ｰｰ;). In the end, only one friend and I left Joensuu for Tampere! Looking back, it’s a funny story, and it’s become a great memory for all of us.

After finally reuniting at Tampere Station, we headed to the Moomin Museum, a must-visit for us. We had a wonderful time exploring the Moomin world, and one thing that amazed me was that all the exhibit information was available in Finnish, Swedish, English, and Japanese! Finland really understands that Japanese people love kawaii characters (/ω＼). We definitely fell for their marketing and ended up buying postcards as souvenirs!

In the evening, we visited Rajaportti Sauna, which is the oldest sauna in Finland. This was my second time experiencing a Finnish sauna, and I was excited! The sauna was mostly filled with locals, so I could tell it was a well-loved spot. It was surprising for me to go outside after the sauna to cool off, even with snow falling. We chatted and connected with some friendly locals, and I felt so relaxed and comfortable there. It was such a memorable experience that I even bought a postcard of the sauna before we left!

I can’t fit everything that happened on our first day into this post, so I’ll continue the story in my next blog. Baibai for now!