If they can pickle it, they will!

Had an intentionally low-key day. After acting out two marriage ceremonies in the archway outside the house--me and Brian remarrying, and Alice and Lucy marrying each other with me as the flatulent flowergirl and Brian as the priest--we went to Kenkävero, a 400-year-old vicarage (i.e., a home for clergy) that was turned into a restaurant, shops and community space in the 1990s. The restaurant has a daily fancy buffet and this weekend (May Day weekend) it was being offered at a discount. Kids always pay 1€ per year of age. We tried all manner of cold cured or pickled things: pickled salmon and cucumber, cured roast beef, pickled beets, carrots, cabbage etc. The hot dishes were pretty familiar: more roast beef, roasted potatoes, roasted root vegetables, and a mysterious fish soufflé (?). The kids were great sports about trying everything. The reward for that bravery was seconds of orange cream cake for dessert. 



After seeing lactose free milk as the default option at the tea and coffee station--something we'd noticed a few times already--we finally googled it to find out why. Finland doesn't have higher rates of lactose intolerance or anything like that, but they do have a lot of R&D happening around lactose free milk. In fact, the very first totally lactose free milk was developed in Finland. So it's just available and they prioritize it. I'm not sure if it's intentional, but it's a good example of universal design. Lactose free milk tastes the same as regular milk and it makes dining out less of a minefield for our lactose intolerant loved ones. 



We walked around the grounds after lunch, popping by Santa's summer hiding place (he wasn't home) and the gift shop, which is full of stock from local artisans, and then we went to the outdoor gym again to, you know, get ripped. The next few days are supposed to be colder and greyer, but we also have to knuckle down and work and the kids have to do something approximating school, so it's just as well. 


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