We are just about one week in to our time in Finland, and I’ve decided it’s time for a more substantial update.  We are all doing quite well and enjoying our new city - Kuopio!  We arrived last Sunday to a small hotel room with our six large suitcases and four exhausted Bertone-Johnsons.  After a four-hour nap we walked into the city to check it out.  Kuopio is absolutely beautiful and easy to navigate by foot and by bus (our only modes of travel while here, so that’s good).

We quickly found french fries for the kids (and adults) and ventured around one of the city lakes by foot.  We found ice cream and then headed back to the room for a solid night’s sleep.

More walking around the city followed.  The kids started school on Tuesday and are adjusting remarkably well.  Annabelle is building courage to accept the school rule that everyone must try everything at lunch (free hot lunch provided to all students), and James is trying to wrap his head around French class taught in Finnish.  Otherwise, they are loving their new school and taking it all in stride.

Liz has started her work at the University and is getting the hang of her new Finnish schedule.  She enjoys a 20 minute walk from our apartment to her office and expects to have ample time for research while also getting to teach a few condensed classes in Women’s Health and Nutritional Epidemiology.

I am enjoying walking everywhere and that our apartment is 10 minutes from school and only 15 minutes from two markets.  I’m also exploring the incredible system of pedestrian paths so that I can see as much of the Kupio landscape as possible in the three-hours I have between dropping the kids off at school and picking Annabelle up.

Anna and I have made a routine of going to the market in the time between her dismissal and James’s.  Our apartment does not have a freezer, so we are forced to quickly embrace marketing every day or two.  I’m using Google Translate to check ingredients on everything we buy, and when Google gets it right (Finnish is tough for Translate as well), I’m able to find what we need.

This morning I “trekked” up to see Puijon Torni.  We are living in the valley below, “Puijonlaasko,” and are only an invigorating 25 min walk to the top.  I will look forward to many return trips up the hundreds of stairs as part of my fitness routine.  I had to make way for several locals running the stairs this morning - an impressive feat.

After retrieving both kids from school, the three of us will spend time at the lake shore and will meet up with Liz for our first full weekend in Kuopio.  We’re off to a good start!!