FLASHBACK #13: Vappu Day, 2002, A toast to the summer!

I must have got home after 7am in the morning, having got lost on my way back home after drinking too much of the 'black stuff'. I got straight into bed. When Bree got back to Helsinki about 10.30am, he gently woke me up; despite the lack of sleep, seeing him was such a wonderful feeling. The sun was shining and his smiling face looked down at, as happy to see me as I was to see him. Was this love?

Still feeling a bit dehydrated, we ate a quick breakfast then drove to Kaivopuisto on the coast to see the thousands of people who had decended on Ullanlinna Hill to celebrate May Day the finnish way - lots of large groups engaged in loud chatter, donning white caps, consuming herring and champagne. We, ourselves, had packed a bottle of sparkling wine into our rucksack and, before noon, we were seated among the crowd at Ullanlinna, toasting to the coming Summer.

Naturally, I had a 101 questions about how differently Finns celebrated May Day. The atmosphere resembled that of a New Year's Eve party, but one held during the daytime and without the usual cold associated with December 31st. My heart stopped for a minute when I saw four dead bodies lying on a train track, but it was a very imaginative practical joke, thanks to some very creative students!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vappu