Turku Archipelago

It is a scientifically proven fact that just 10 minutes in a forest away from all the city noises and smells your stress levels will plummet and unconsciously you relax. Green colour has a calming effect. That’s what our summer house is for me; a place for complete relaxation. You can just sit on the terrace with a glass of wine and a book. You don’t have to talk to anyone (yes, I need a break from talking once a year) and you can just forget, for a while, that there are some sort of duties and schedules somewhere else.

Sea is also a surprising necessity for people who have grown up by it. I didn't quite realize it's importance to my mental wellness until I moved to London, far from any sea. Until then I had lived in cities on the coast (Turku, Brighton, Aberdeen) where, even if not seen every day or even every week, the presence of sea was obvious. Sea air is the healthiest there is and I don't know many things more beautiful than waves, whether lazy or dangerously strong. 

That's why summer for me can only be spent in Finland in the Turku Archipelago: it's unique.