Tuusulan rantatiellä

The artist community of Tuusulan Rantatie is a wonderful place to visit.

The landscape is green and lush and these five artist homes are open to the public:

Ahola was the home of the writer Juhani Aho and his wife, 

the painter Venny Soldan-Brofeldt since 1897.

Suviranta, the painter Eero Järnefelt's home, was completed in 1901.

Halosenniemi, the studio home of painter Pekka Halonen, was completed in 1902.

The poet J. H. Erkko's Erkkola was also completed in 1902.

The family of composer Jean Sibelius moved to Ainola in 1904.

Artist Home Erkkola

Poet J. H. Erkko (1849–1906) was one of the prominent figures of Finnish culture 

in the late 19th century. He was a popular poet and playwright, often contributing to the ideals 

and efforts of his era. Many of his poems were set to music and continue living as songs.  

The house was designed by the painter Pekka Halonen.

The interior was interesting and there were many beautiful ovens & fireplaces.

 I don’t know the designer of the beautiful lamps at the front door. 

Today Erkkola hosts various art exhibitions. At the moment photographs of Taneli Eskola (b. 1958)

are on display under the theme In the Flow of Time. Eskola’s specialities are landscapes, 

garden art and Helsinki views. I especially loved his winter landscapes.

Aleksis Kivi memorial cottage

Erkko was inspired by another Finnish author, Aleksis Kivi (1834–1872), who is famous for 

the first novel written in Finnish, The Seven Brothers (1870). Kivi spent his last months 

very near Erkkola in a modest cottage in the care of his brother Albert Stenvall.

Aleksis Kivi, who suffered from alcoholism, migraine and schizophrenia in the last years of her life, 

was admitted to the Lapinlahti Mental Hospital in 1871. From there he moved to this cottage 

the following year. The municipality paid Albert four barrels of rye as a reward for caring for 

his sick brother. It is a modest and tiny cottage, hard to think that 8 people were living 

there at a time. Hard to find floor space to sleep.

41 years later, in December 1913 there happened a murder tragedy in this cottage: 

Albert (1831-1913) and his wife Vilhelmiina were found stabbed to death in the cottage. 

There was one suspect, but the murder stayed unsolved. - Helsingin Sanomat

Earlier I have posted about Halosenniemi and several posts about Ainola.

❤︎❤︎❤︎

#der natur donnerstag #garden affair #gartenglück #image-in-ing #makrotex 

#my corner of the world #saturday’s critters #t in die neue woche #wednesday around the world

Friday Bliss #143 - Family Celebration

This week’s garden bouquet is a colorful & joyful one.

I combined a bit of this and that what is blooming right now.

In Finland high school / college graduates get their white student cap after the examination.

Four years ago we celebrated the graduation party of my granddaughter Helmi, 

last Saturday it was her brother Hannes’ turn. The tall & handsome grandson will have

a year off because he has to think what he wants to study. In these four years Helmi finished 

her phsychology studies in Aberdeeen. My congratulations to both of them!

The celebration took place this time too at Fanjunkars Cottage in Siuntio. The totally rebuilt cottage

 is historically important as one of our most important writers, Aleksis Kivi 

lived here between 1864 - 1871. His landlady was Miss Charlotta Lönnqvist who offered 

home and creating peace for this poor writer. Those years at Fanjunkars were the most productive 

in Kivi's life. He wrote there also his famous novel Seven Brothers. 

In the cottage there is a museum room showing portraits and the desk of Kivi. 

I said before that the cottage was totally rebuilt. The reason is that after the war it remained 

in the area that had to be rented to the Soviet Union. Sadly under those years the cottage 

got ruined, only the stone foundation was left. The idea to rebuild Fanjunkars Cottage 

lived for long and gladly finally in 2003 the construction could be started. 

Three years later this pretty culture house was ready. 

This kind of mobile decorations made of straw are traditional

Christmas decorations in Finland, even today.

Hannes with his mother Elli, my sweet daughter-in-law and some guests. 

It was a gorgeous sunny day and we enjoyed the party very much. I am not in the photos, 

but here one of Hannes’ pretty little cousins.

Thank you for all the lovely comments you leave week after week at Friday Bliss.

Wishing you all a bright & sunny weekend!

❤︎❤︎❤︎

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FROM FRIDAY 7 AM TILL THE NEXT TUESDAY 4 PM

Helsinki time

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Of Times Gone By...

Makrotex, the theme being time. Time can of course be interpreted in many ways. I chose gone times & old things. The first photos are from Tuusula, a small cottage where our national writer Aleksis Kivi (1834-1874 ) died, only at the age of 38. The cottage was really tiny with two rooms only, but the guide said that at a time even eight persons where living there! She said that the kids slept in the drawers of a dresser. Incredible in my eyes of modern welfare.

The following photos are from the renovated Fanjunkars cottage in Siuntio.

We celebrated my granddaughter Helmi’s student party there in May 2017.

Aleksis Kivi lived in Fanjunkars from 1864 to 1871 with Miss Charlotta Lönnqvist, who is said to have felt compassion of the poor writer. At that time, a young single man's residence with an older single woman - other than a laborer - was considered inappropriate, and rumors circulated about Lönnqvist and Kivi in the neighborhood. Although Lönnqvist was 20 years older than Kivi, some researchers have speculated that there was also a sexual relationship between them.

Für Juttas Digital Art Dienstag versuchte ich zu überlegen, wie Kivi die Welt sah. In den letzten Jahren seines Lebens erkrankte er an Schizophrenie und verbrachte Jahre in einer Nervenheilanstalt. Vielleicht war seine Welt verdreht und die Dämonen flogen um ihn herum?

For Jutta’s Digital Art Tuesday I tried to think how Kivi saw the world. During the last years of his life he suffered from schizophrenia and spent years in a mental institution. Maybe his world was twisted and demons were flying all around him?

// MAKROTEX CHALLENGE
// DIGITAL ART DIENSTAG
// TUESDAY’S TREASURES
// MY CORNER OF THE WORLD

Friday Bliss #40 - Blue Beauties

Despite varying weather, a lot is happening in the garden this week, too. 
Maybe you can help me in identifying this dark purple geranium?

I think it is Geranium magnificum - Tarhakurjenpolvi, but it might also be 
Geranium himalayense - Idänkurjenpolvi. But which, I don’t know for sure. 

I have several of these and this one in a sunny spot is the first to bloom.

I went sightseeing near home. Visited once again the artist community around Lake Tuusula. 

Our much respected national writer Aleksis Kivi  died in this tiny cottage 1872.

His Seven Brothers is the first significant novel written in Finnish.

Other plant joys of the week 24:

This summer I have been a bit lazy in making bouquets for the terrace,
but here a sunny one in contrasting colours. 

❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎

Wishing you a beautiful weekend! - Kaunista viikonloppua!

- riitta

 #FRIDAY BLISS 

The link is open

FROM FRIDAY 10 AM TILL THE NEXT TUESDAY 4 PM
Helsinki time

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Squirrel’s Song

Today we flag Aleksis Kivi (1834-1874), 

one of our national writers. His iconic work Seitsemän veljestä - Seven Brothers - Siete Hermanos 
has been translated in several languages. This poem Squirrel’s Song is from Seven Brothers 

that was first published in 1870.

The municipality Nurmijärvi where he was born honors Seven Brothers in their coat of arms.
Brit Joel Willans has seen seven clones of Mr. Trump here...

I have visited a small cottage in Fanjunkars, Siuntio where he lived several years - see my post.

SQUIRREL'S SONG

Sweetly a little squirrel

lies in his moss room

the place that wolf's teeth

or hunter's trap

could never reach

From his high chamber

he looks at the world

many battles under him

but a branch of a coniver, the peace flag

fluttering above him

Such a happy living

in the swinging cradle castle

there swings the little squirrel

in the dear spruce, on the mother's chest

listening to the kantele of the Forest

There sleeps the sway-tail

front of his little window

singing birds under the sky

walk him in the evening

to the Golden Land of Dreams
...

ORAVAN LAULU

Makeasti oravainen

Makaa sammalhuoneessansa;

Sinnepä ei Hallin hammas

Eikä metsämiehen ansa

Ehtineet milloinkaan.

Kammiostaan korkeasta

Katselee hän mailman piirii,

Taisteloa allans´ monta;

Havu-oksan rauhan-viiri

Päällänsä liepoittaa.

Mikä elo onnellinen

Keinuvassa kehtolinnass´!

Siellä kiikkuu oravainen

Armaan kuusen äitinrinnass´:

Metsolan kantele soi!

Siellä torkkuu heiluhäntä

Akkunalla pienoisella,

Linnut laulain taivaan alla

Saattaa hänen iltasella

Unien Kultalaan.

#WEDNESDAY AROUND THE WORLD

>

Fiesta at Countryside

My sweet granddaughter Helmi finished high school  with great grades and got her white student cap. Now university either in Aberdeen or in Glasgow waits for this eager psychology student. Her graduation party was held at Siuntio, a rural community at less than hour's drive from Helsinki.

Helmi's brother Hannes celebrated his 16th birthday and finished his primary school with excellent grades.
High school now waits this handsome 190 cm tall young man!

Helmi's family had booked this pretty Fanjunkars Cottage that has great history. So I'll tell a bit about it. One of our most important Finnish writers, Aleksis Kivi  (see more at the link!) lived here between 1864 - 1871. His landlady was Miss Charlotta Lönnqvist who offered home and creating peace for this poor writer. Those years at Fanjunkars were the most productive in Kivi's life. He wrote there also his great novel Seven Brothers.

Helmi's cousins are pretty and sweet, like taken from Carl Larsson's paintings!

After the war Fanjunkars Cottage remained in the area that had to be rented to Soviet Union. Sadly under those years the cottage got ruined, only the stone foundation was left. The idea to rebuild Fanjunkars lived for long and gladly finally in 2003 the construction could be started. Three years later this pretty culture house was ready. The local council of Siuntio meets sometimes there and the cottage can be rented for private purposes as well.

In the cottage there is a museum room showing portraits and the writing place of this great writer. Our happy graduate celebration was a sunny success in this beautiful cultural environment. The table was filled with all kinds of delicious stuff - thanks to my dear daughter-in-law!

Makrotex Challenge / June
Mosaic Monday
Five on Friday

I hope you enjoyed my happiness and this little piece of our culture.