I can't believe I've not posted about the Finland meet up on here! I haven't have I? I'm not going mad? Well let's assume I haven't and start from the beginning.
I flew over on Monday morning and was not met at the airport with open arms because my meeters had got the flight times wrong.
Luckily I'd managed to get lost (something that should not actually be possible in Helsinki airport) so by the time I was in the right place I only had to wait five minutes anyway! My meeting party consisted of Rune, Agan, Greenie and Annina. Rune and Agan I had met before so it was lovely to see them again, Greenie was just lovely and when Annina arrived (she was parking the car) she was really nice too.
We then drove for a while to meet the others in a little service station. Nogrod, Lommy, Legate, skip spence and Volo all piled out of the other car and we had a chat in the car park before going to find food. This was the beginning of my time spent trying to learn to like liquorice as it seems to be all Finnish people eat! It never really grew on me though. After a quick catch up with Volo and greeting to everyone else we all got back in the cars and drove to the summer cottage. Agan, Greenie and I had a chat in the back until my sleep deprivation caught up with me and I rudely fell asleep.
Once at the cottage we were introduced to the house, the lake, the boat and the sentinel. I was ridiculously tired and didn't really take in much or talk to anyone until Nog made the most delicious dinner and I got some food in me! After that I completely startled Rune by waking up big time. The last time we met at Oxonmoot I hadn't been very well and had been quieter than usual. This time I was back to my normal self! We all had a big mad conversation round the campfire and then the Finns introduced us to a game called The Guardian. This involved dressing in black clothing, hiding in the woods and trying to sneak back to the fire. I got close but wimped out right at the end and got caught. It was fun but really quite scary! After this my tiredness came back and I went to bed and zonked out. The last thing I heard was Rune shouting something and someone else telling him to be quiet - then it was about midday!
We went out on the boat the next day, with Volo doing his walking on water impression. I was very impressed with Annina's rowing skills, even if she did call us fat elephants. To be fair we weren't really being any help.
The rest of the day we played seven of clubs (I was dismal at it) and ate chocolate. Oh and tried minty vodka. It tastes so much of mint that you can't taste the vodka which is nice but it also tastes so much like mouthwash that it feels really, really wrong to swallow it! In the evening we again had dinner and a fair amount to drink and then I was introduced to the world of the sauna. It was interesting, but I can't say I'd do it often. Being in the lake was nice though. We then annoyed Agan immensely because she tried to go to bed, I came and bothered her and then everyone else followed me. We had about 5 people on her bed and everyone else on the floor - except Nog who was having a very deep discussion outside.
The next day we went back to Helsinki and stayed at Volo's place. It was nice to have a few creature comforts back! We went out for dinner the first night to somewhere called the Hedgehog's Nest. I just liked the name! The next day skip left us bright and early and we just did some shopping and hung around during the day. Then Agan and Rune made a lovely dinner between them, even if we did overestimate the amount of spaghetti needed, before we headed into town to see dancing spawn. The meet with her was really lovely and we walked around a lot before we eventually found somewhere that would actually let us all in due to age restrictions. We found a nice cafe at which Annina eventually joined us. This was also the time when we accidentally lost Volo. Because Annina joined us when he'd gone to the bathroom we just assumed the numbers were right and we left without him! There is a wonderful picture of Rune and Greenie when we realised - it is posed but it is also exactly what they looked like originally! We managed to find him again and all headed home.
We had to move out of Volo's into Nogrod's after a while because Volo's family came home. His little brother was so cute, he kept bringing us food! At Nogrod's we watched the Helsinki marathon go past and also watched Monty Python and had more lovely food.
Rune left around this time. We all went to the aiport with him to send him off and while we were sitting waiting for his plane we had something to eat and the Finns made him and me read from Volo's maths textbook. I didn't understand a word of it (though I learnt that harma is grey!) but apparently my pronunciation wasn't too horrendous.
One day we also went to (excuse the horrible spelling but I can't remember it) Suormalinna, which is an island near Helsinki. We took the ferry over and then spent some time investigating the island and making Agan look like one of the bodies in the dead marshes. It worked suprisingly well! I stuck my head in a cannon and then we had lots of pictures taken in a barrow. Greenie and Agan went swimming in the freezing waters of the sea - the rest of us weren't quite so mad.
The last night (for me - Rune had gone the day before) was spent in the park with Theodred, climbing things and watching rabbits. In the morning Annina very kindly took us to the airport again (though poor Agan and Greenie had to go by bus) and everyone saw me off.
All in all it was a brilliant week. We did much and I got to know people so well. I found it lovely that all of us managed to get on for the whole time despite being with each other every second of the day!
Nogrod I was glad to find isn't as overwhelmingly philosophical as he can be on here. He was very generous and easy to get on with and while he was very busy he always made time for us when he could.
skip spence I knew nothing of from the 'Downs but he was really laidback and easy to get along with and I would love to meet him again. He apparently also gives a good shoulder massage.
Rune I knew already and he was much like he was the last time I'd met him, only this time I could run away from the history conversations! Also, as I was feeling well this time, I could argue back.
Agan too I had met before, but when we met in London we couldn't really think of anything to do so I found this meet better as we had more of a chance to talk to each other. I found it very easy to get along with her and just felt really comfortable with her.
Volo I had also met before and he was just the same, only with fewer shoes.
Greenie I had never met, and out of everyone (bar skip) she is probably the one I had communicated least with on the 'Downs but the second I met her I just found her so friendly and easy to talk to. She is hilarious, everything is 'cute' and now when I find myself saying that word I think of her!
Annina was also very funny. She and Rune have a lovely if violent relationship and it was great entertainment just to sit in the back of car listening to the two of them fight. She was also very generous and drove us all over the place.
dancing spawn was also lovely. It's been a while since I've spoken to her since both of us have gone a bit quiet on here, but apart from being initially bewildered by the stories she was also really easy to get along with.
Legate is much like his online self. I didn't really spend much time with him because he was either attached to Lommy or at school and unfortunately the one time we were really around each other in the RL werewolf game I played a large part in getting him killed!
Lommy was just like she is on the 'Downs and that was lovely to find as I've always got on well with her on here. And you know what? Her nose IS fun to push!
I think that's everything/everyone!