FLASHBACK #51: Sliding With Dozy

I had made a friend at work, somebody I could confide in about my daily work woes of which there were many! So I felt privileged when Dozy – let’s call her that because she was cute and funny – invited me to go Sliding. What is Sliding? Basically, it is sledding, but with plastic dishes instead of a traditional sleigh. You can read about the time when my sister and I went sliding during her visit to Finland in December 2002 here.

After work on Shrove Tuesday, we pulled on lots of clothes and headed to nearby Kaivopuisto, one of Helsinki’s oldest and best-known parks with sprawling lawns. At this time of year, however, the lawn isn’t visible, instead covered with a blanket of snow. As we neared Kaivopuisto, we could hear people whooping with delight as they glided down the snow-covered slopes of Ullalinna.

After a period of hilarious Sliding, we settled down at the top of Ullalinna, sitting on our rucksacks to prevent our arses from freezing on the snow! We downed buns and hot coffee, our faces aimed towards the setting sun, trying desperately to absorb some of the day’s heat.

We left just before darkness engulfed the city. Nearing the tram stop situated just north of Kaivopuisto, we could hear the many students dressed in traditional jumpsuits whooping as they whizzed down the hills behind us. There are very few traditions that permit, or indeed encourage us, to behave like children! How lovely!