FLASHBACK #30: Winter Ice Skating

I returned to Finland with a tan, after my one week holiday with the family in Tenerife and I met up with the Neighbour on our usual evening walk with the dog. She had an idea: Ice Skating. I hadn't been Ice Skating for years, there was a pitch nearby and my neighbour's boyfriend was an Ice Hockey Coach who could provide me with a spare pair of skates so I thought why not! It would be fun!

My Neighbour guided me onto the pitch and not once did I fall on my arse! I have always had quite good balance, but Swimming is perhaps the only sport where I have perfected my technique. Winter sports-wise, there was alot to learn.

One thing that amazed me about life in this community was that, at 9pm in the darkness of Winter, kids could safely play outside without the constant vigilance of their parents; as a Londoner, I am overly-protective of children, having heard horrifying stories over the years. However, I was slowly adapting to this wonderful environment where one didn't have to look over their shoulder all the time.

By the end of the skating session, we joked at how I would become the next Ice Hockey Champion to join one of the squads in Tampere. Hardly!