In America: Epilogue - and all the delayed pics!

So we're home - well, in Finland at least. The drive from Toronto to NYC took about 12 hours with all the stops included, but it didn't feel that long. Actually, we got to New York itself in about 10,5 hrs but it took us more than an hour to do the final few miles from the Washington Bridge to JFK! In any case, the stunning scenery of upstate New York definitely was worth the trouble!

Annu's long-distance driving didn't end there either: she and the boys are now in Kuopio for a few days before she goes to work on Friday. Marko is at home instead of work: a respiratory infection got him just as we were returning to Finland. Quite a flight for him, trying not to cough for 7 hours straight... Btw, it's not H1N1, that's confirmed. We've been both amused and bemused at the level of hysteria that swine flu seems to generate in this tiny country's media. Ho-hum.

The jet lag is really awful when you travel this way; from east to west it's nothing because you save a few hours, but this... oh jeez. Only Reko slept at all on the plane, so Saturday went in a haze. On Sunday Annu was surprisingly perky and got all our many bags unpacked and the contents sorted out (you'd never believe how many books we bought on the trip - we didn't!) but Marko was feeling the full blast of the lung infection. The jet lag and the indoor air on the plane definitely made it worse than it would otherwise have been. The boys are still sleeping long hours but they will recover. They loved seeing their neighborhood friends, and we loved seeing how much the other kids like having them back :)

We had a proper scare when the jack adapter piece for the boys' brand new US-bought Nintendo DSi refused to work here! Thankfully, Sterling's assumption that the device can probably handle different currents by itself proved to be true: we only needed to buy a regular European DS charger and it works without any current conversion adapters or such, just plug it right in and charge.

Because we didn't have a computer with a broadband connection at our place in Toronto, the latter entries of the blog have been, as you've noticed, without pictures. Well, we will fix that problem right away, so here's our Greatest Pix for late June and all of July!

NOTE: Just click on the picture to see it in full size! For some reason the very first picture doesn't seem to work but the others do.

WASHINGTON D.C. (June 20-23)

Annu sets up camp in Adam's Inn, a b&b we heartily recommend if you happen to travel that way :)












Freedom and democracy! Reko decides Lafayette's a pretty good role model to follow.

















"...and that's our new summer home you see in the background. Mowing the lawn does take a few hours but otherwise it's very peaceful."











Our appointment with Mr. Lincoln - we made it!


















Sun sets over the National Mall and the Washington Monument, view from the upper stairs of the Lincoln Memorial.











Little spacemen! Reko and Atte by the real Apollo 11 command module at the National Air and Space Museum.











Annu and the boys get cooler after a very hot day. The beautiful fountain is by the National Archives main building.











Adam's Inn from the outside.












Been there, done that :)














MICHIGAN (June 23 - July 1)

Back at the screenhouse...













...and back on Jack's fourwheeler. But would you trust a guy looking like that doing the driving?












A Michigan breakfast pancake - Reko is in heaven!












Watching Allison doing great in her softball game, Annu and Reko realize they like this sport! Atte is busy figuring out the score...
















TORONTO (July 1-13)

Hello Toronto - it's great to be back!


















An appropriate outfit for celebrating Canada Day...


















No, it's not Shanghai or Beijing. That's Spadina Avenue, just a couple of blocks from out T.O. home.











Far from the madding crowd, even if the crowd is a metre away. Give Reko a superhero comic book and he's gone...













"Hey, that's our house!" Yes, you could see it from the CN Tower: just a little to the left of the big buildings with a big chimney (that's West Toronto Hospital, actually) in the center of the picture.








Ontario Place had great water slides and Annu and Reko wasted no time to go splashing about!












Casa Loma's annual Renaissance Fair was great fun! Our family was under protection of noble Sir Alan so we didn't need to worry about highwaymen or other villains :)










Marko on steps that look somehow familiar to some people. Hint: there was a picture-moving operation going on this very spot back in 1981. The location is old Ontario Parliament at Queen's Park.









Annu created an artwork on one of the Toronto Beaches...












...which happens to be one of the places we could gladly live in!












But we would not mind the Peace and Love neighborhood of Kensington either, we stayed close by to this area too! Incidentally, you can see the Toronto garbage strike in this picture: notice the overflowing blue trash can!









Well, ok, Cabbagetown would be ideal, too! Annu thought about setting up our own b&b here - now there's a thought...











Splash! After a long hesitation, Atte conquered himself and braved a water slide in Brampton's Wild Water Kingdom. Hooray!












OTTAWA (July 14-17)

The boys admiring the view from Parliament Hill. That's Quebec on the left and Ontario on the right of the bridges across the Ottawa river.











Annu took a photo of the Government building complex while Marko was actually in there meeting his Canadian colleagues.











One of the views from the Ottawa River cruise: lodgings of the rich and well-off by the river. Just hop on your own boat and off to work...











Ottawa Locks at the end of the Rideau Canal; Alexandra Bridge and Gatineau in the background.











...and Annu decidely agrees!













Who's afraid of giant spiders? Not Reko - that's him under "Maman", a landmark sculpture by the National Art Gallery.











Annu and the boys doing some time travel window shopping: Canada's past times are alive in the Museum of Civilization.










MONTREAL (July 17-19)

"Explorez le Quebec"? OK, we'll try :)













A beautiful park somewhere in Central Eur... no, sorry, that's Montreal. Hard to realize you're in North America.











On weekend the major shopping street was closed from traffic and turned into a miles-long outdoor market.











Taking a time-out from walking by the Bonsecours Market.












Wind, finally! The crowd of people on the street are waiting to enter the Bell Centre for a Green Day concert.











Spotting nature wonders in the Montreal Biodome.












Sunset on King's Highway 401, driving from Montreal back to Toronto.












LONDON & SURROUNDINGS (July 21-23)


Look who's riding in the back! We got a surprise treat when our new friends Donna and Andy took us to see how the London, Ontario fire department works.









Camping days: Andy took us fishing on a beautiful little river near the campground.












Annu and Atte at the camper with Chester the dog, the second big and friendly dog we met on the trip.












TORONTO and farewell (July 24-31)

Who's into baseball now?! Our former "Definite NO to spectator sports" Annu had a change of heart with the American national sport, and Atte was into it all the way...










...not to mention Reko, of course :)













Yeah, the Jays' home ground is no mere sandlot. The roof of the Rogers Centre was opened after the ealier thunderstorm turned into a nice night.











Canada's Wonderland! (photo taken before everyone was too dizzy from the rides to take any pictures)











The boys got new haircuts on our last full day in T.O.












Our T.O. home, in the morning light just before we took off on the road.












The car is packed and ready, and so are the boys. Strange how the luggage just multiplied on the road...











Annu at the wheel, with the last of Lake Ontario in the morning sun.












In the US side of Niagara Falls, saying goodbye to Canada.












Last glimpse of the Manhattan skyline. Until next time, America...

In America, Final Episode: New friends, stormy days and baseball

Two months can be a short time, and it can be a very long time, a small lifetime in itself. We're lucky to have done fun things all the way to the end.

Last week we were very privileged to spend a couple of days with Annu's online (and now also real world) friend Donna and her wonderful family. They took us to their campgroud trailer and we had a totally lovely time - we only wish we can repay all the hospitality one day!

Having returned from the shores of Lake Huron, we spent a sporting Friday going to the Blue Jays home game. Tampa Bay beat them in extra innings but so what: it was a tight game and we all - yes, even Annu! - loved the atmosphere, the major league spectacle and the huge hot dogs. Go Jays!!! We've watched their games on tv after that and would like to keep doing that but where can you watch pro baseball in Finland?

One reason we got glued to watching baseball was the hideous weather over the weekend. Both days brought extreme rainfall and thunder, flooded streets and power cuts. So much for our plans of going to Beaches Jazz... but we now know the rules to baseball pretty well ;-)

On Sunday afternoon the storm let up and we spent some time walking around Kensington, the marvellously hippie little pocket of peace, love, pot - and very nice boutiques. We could so stay there for much longer!

Yesterday we did Canada's Wonderland, the huge theme park outside Toronto. The boys loved it and we did too. Annu outdid herself riding a totally crazy ride with Reko. Strange how 10 hours can just disappear!

Having done the last shopping today, all that remains is to pack up tomorrow and get ready for the last big adventure: the long drive to NYC on Thursday. Feels so sad but can't be changed... but just wait for 2011 - we start saving up right away!

In America, Episode 6: Expanding Views and 1220 Km's of Highways

Back in T.O. after a week on the road. Visited both Ottawa and Montreal so it was a lot of driving for Annu , and she did brilliantly! There were a couple of exciting moments with parking and one way streets in downtown Montreal, but we got through them as well :) And when we drove into Toronto last night after dark, she was pretty exhilarated, doing over a hundred in four-lane traffic with a sea of fast moving headlights and tail lights everywhere.

Ottawa turned out to be a dignified but also warm and welcoming capital city. No skyscrapers; in their place lots of castle-like old stone buildings, bridges, the Rideau Canal and the breathtaking Parliament Hill. The downtown area is very walkable so we did a lot of that and got a good feel for the place. And such nice people too - Annu would not mind moving there! We met and talked with all kinds of folks who made us feel at home.

The Museum of Civilization had wonderful sections on Canadian history and the First Nations, so we learned a lot in Ottawa, too. Marko's work meeting went well and he hopes to keep the Canadian Connection going now that it's been opened.

Being non-French speakers, we were a bit nervous about Montreal but no worries: the city is very bilingual and again very open, polite and friendly. Not to mention European: it was very easy to forget being in North America. On top of the atmosphere, the city has a high hill (Mount Royal) right by the city center, just like the Petrin Hill in Prague, and having visited Prague several times, the ambience was eerily similar at some points - you just had to pinch yourself and keep repeating "I'm in Canada, I'm in Canada..."

We only had about 48 hrs in Montreal but we got to have a good look around the downtown. Marko's Rush shirts and us being Finns (Saku Koivu's compatriots!) led to many fun chats with the nice Montrealites many of whom seemed genuinely sorry Koivu had just been traded to Anaheim.

The only thing that gave us a bit of a problem in Montreal was the Old World way of giving tips in restaurants. But our very nice waitress in the Hard Rock Cafe took time to explain the right way to us, so that was cleared too. And the guy who sold HRC stuff in the restaurant's gift shop got chatting about prog rock with Marko, and so on... In short, it's this easy socializing and openness we will again miss so much when we return home.

Most of all, these modest travels have helped to expand our views on Canada. Before, Canada was mostly just Toronto to us, but having seen other cities and noticed how different the three are with each other, we are much better informed now - and even more eager Canada fans :)

We have less than two weeks to go, and our schedule for the remaining time is pretty much set. We try not to think about it too much now and instead concentrate on the time we still have. And, of course, we will return here - no doubt.

In America, Episode 5: Treasures and Trash in Toronto

[This entry is written on a tiny Nintendo DSi game console and sent with its Opera browser, thus no pics this time either, sorry. But isn't tech wonderful these days - all you need is a super mario thingy and a wi-fi. Like, wow...]

Annu did a super job driving us to Toronto on July 1. We settled as quickly as possible in our small but very cozy TO (that's local for Toronto) home and have been about town ever since. Our TO home is located at the area by both Little Italy and Chinatown, the latter the more dominant here (wait for the pics!).

So far, there's been a few happy returns: Atte got to return to his beloved CN Tower, Reko and Make rummaged through the Silver Snail comics store just like 2 years ago, and Annu got some shopping time at Eaton Centre, with less interference from the boys than last time. We spent the entire Saturday at Ontario Place, a very nice theme park on the lakefront. It was worth every penny, and we got a wonderful fireworks show to end our day there. Incidentally, the huge Molson Amphitheater is on park grounds and we got a good dose of Cheap Trick and Def Leppard live during the evening hours - the sound was very good even if you didn't see the stage. Make may go there next Thursday to see Whitesnake and Judas Priest!

We have been walking a LOT! but also got the ride streetcars, a very good way of both getting around and seeing places. Yesterday we walked through Little Italy and dined at a very nice ristorante on College St. And today we had a fab day at the Annual Renaissance Fair up at Casa Loma, TO's only castle with a strange and wonderful story behind it...

The only downside is that the city workers are still on strike. Garbage piles are growing and trash cans overflow everywhere. So far it's been only an aesthetic nuisance but with the temperatures on the rise...

We'll be taking it easy, with Toronto Island, the beaches and many other fun things to see and do still ahead. And the folks here are nice as ever :)

In America, Episode 4: Riding the Heatwave from DC to Michigan

[Because we're doing this entry from a very slow internet connection, there will be no pictures attached to it. We will add the pictures to this entry when we have access to a broadband connection. Sorry!]

We're not sure what we expected from Washington DC, but what we got was certainly not it. Sterling drove us there, braving both thundery heat and the monstrous traffic jam that took hours to negotiate - thanks again, Sterl, you are the Hero!

Instead of a cool government center we found ourselves in a colorful, human-sized and very green and international city. Wanting to take full use of the fine weather, we did a walking tour of the essential sights and landmarks, finally arriving at the Lincoln Memorial for a wonderful sunset finish (along with about a thousand other tourists but that didn't matter none). It was a very emotional sightseeing for some in our team, and the boys certainly outdid themselves, walking on in the punishing heat just to see the legendary landmarks.

The following two days were spent partly indoors, visiting the hugely impressive Smithsonian museums and the US Capitol. The White House we only saw from the outside, and the master of the house was away on business anyway ;-) And while we were there, Marko met his Facebook friend Sam, another prog-oriented amateur musician. We had a nice chat in the sun, and maybe some day we'll meet up by the Baltic!

It was only a brief three-night stay but we were very taken with the colors and the lively, friendly feel of the capital. The horrible metro crash on June 22 did cloud our feelings somewhat (it was the line that we used to travel, too), but it would feel odd to think we will never return there... so, DC - until next time!

The plane from the Baltimore-Washington airport took us to Michigan in just over an hour, and it was so good to see familiar faces waiting for us in Detroit! Reko above all was just the happiest boy alive to finally be back in a place he knows. And we have certainly basked in Jack and Jeannette's warmth and hospitality: eating good, playing out a lot (the battle for mid-Michigan's badminton championship turned in Annu's favor) and so on. And we've had the chance to hook up with several old friends from earlier trips, so it's been fab (Hi Juanita, Jeanne & Greg + Allison & Candace and Karen & Keith!).

The kids next door, Kristen and Kory, had been expecting us and they had lots of fun with our boys! Kristen taught Reko and Atte the secrets of Nintendo DS and the rules of kickball. Kory soaked everyone totally and took his share like a man :) It was fabulous, and we had the feeling that the kids will truly miss each other after this, just like with Rachel and John in Virginia.

The heat that was almost unbearable for several days is finally lifting. It's a swimming day tomorrow, and Tuesday will be busy, with Allison's double header softball game topping the bill. And on Wednesday, it's Annu's time to take the lead: she will drive our gang to Toronto! We're looking forward to Canada - the news of the municipal workers' strike in Toronto and the subsequent cancellations of many big Canada Day events may be downers, but altogether secondary in the long run.

So, saying goodbyes is drawing near, again, and it's not gonna get any easier no matter how many times you do it.

In America, Episode 3: Dealing with Past Times and Thrill Rides

So, our time in Virginia is running out. Tomorrow we'll head out to Washington DC, and it will be with a heavy heart we will leave our friends and the good state of Virginia. Reko is brokenhearted because we have to leave, and he said that if we ever move to the US, this is where he'd like to stay. And Sterling is his new hero :)

But we did have so many good times in our last days here. We got to visit the Jamestown Settlement, the birthplace of the USA, and the very next day shook off all the dust of history in Kings Dominion and (nearly) all its thrill rides and the water park. Tonight we just had a good time with Sterling and Kathy's friends, taking it easy before the upcoming trek.

At this point, we wish to thank Sterling, Kathy, Rachel and John for all their wonderfulness, and also Kim and Michael, and Barbara, and Cleary, and all the other good people we have met in VA and NC. All of you have made our time in these states unforgettable.

Annu's favorite vacation pastime! (that's Prachett and Gaiman's "Good Omens" she's reading)











Atte befriended Bo the dog, who was staying with us for a few days












Reko was a happy tourist in a Powhatan tribe village recreation at Jamestown.












Recreations of the original 1606/07 British ships at Jamestown.












Reko and Atte in the captain's quarters of Susan Constant, the biggest of the 1606 ships to sail to America.











We got to Kings Dominion so early we practically had the park to ourselves for a couple of hours. Luxury :)











Our gang's last time at the community pool - for now...