From Turku with Love 2

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

From Turku with Love 2

Début juin nous avons eu le bonheur de revenir à Turku pour notre rendez-vous annuel avec la Finlande. Comme chaque année nos hôtes, très attentionnés, voulaient nous faire découvrir un endroit spécial dans leur pays, et cette fois-ci ils ont choisi la ville côtière de Naantali, environ une demi-heure en voiture de Turku.

Avec ses maisons en bois multicolores et son petit port de plaisance, Naantali est un enchantement pour le regard. Tandis que l'archipel propose un cadre apaisant et pittoresque pour se détendre, son célèbre parc à thème Moomin World reçoit des visiteurs du monde entiers...

Un grand merci à nos hôtes Leena, Marja et Hermann et aux stagiaires avec qui nous avons partagé cette magnifique semaine!

This year we were very grateful to have the opportunity to travel to Finland for our annual rendez-vous during which Michel taught a 5-day intensive graining/marbling and trompe-l'oeil class. It was a joy to return to Turku to find our hosts Leena, Marja and Hermann, to meet familiar faces of returning students as well as new faces of those attending for the first time.

Our hosts were very gracious and generous and they went beyond their call of duty by taking care of us on the weekend of our arrival. This year they wanted to show us a place we haven't seen yet, and they picked the lovely town of Naantali in southwestern Finland, about a 30-minute drive from Turku.

Naantali was founded around the medieval Brigittine convent Vallis gratiae, the church of which still dominates its skyline. One of the oldest towns in Finland, Naantali is also a top holiday destination with its numerous galleries, museums, old churches and its world wide famous theme park for children - Moominworld. The Finnish Presiden'ts summer residence is also located there. Kiitos to our dear friends and students in Finland for this lovely week!