Sunday, July 17

As soon as we had had breakfast we packed our bags, left Sunshine for Naa, and set off for Tampere. We decided to take a detour somewhere to see the sights, and the somewhere turned out to be Iitala. Where the glassware is made. I will be surprised to learn that it is all still blown by hand (or mouth).

We are in Iitala Kirja ja Paperi, a strange little shop on the edge of the iitala complex, that also includes a Shop Museum. I am looking at the wall that constitutes the museum. It has shelves from floor to ceiling containing an apparently random hotch potch of old bottles and packets, along with some notes and signs. The rest of the shop sells greetings cards, an equally random set of books and games, and a whole selection of stationery.

After this we will look at the iitala outlet which turns out to be a miniature shopping theme park that reminds me of a small version of Clark’s Village which we visited when we went to Chips’ wedding.

We will find the Scandic hotel in Tampere very easily, park the car and check in. At 18:00 we will meet Anne who will treat us to a meal in FoodFactory, the hotel’s idiosyncratic restaurant. Kaj and Terhikki will come to meet us there, and we will all end up round the corner in Oluthuone drinking rare locally-brewed ales.

Irma and I will finish the evening by visiting the top floor bar at Torni, where we will be able to see all of Tampere