Countryside relaxation through the eyes of the Finns: down with the garden and noisy annoying neighbors
In the minds of Russians, a dacha is not so much a place to relax as a field for hectic activity. From morning till night we are ready to tinker in the beds in order to supply our relatives with preparations for the year ahead by the end of the season. My mother does this too, actively introducing me to work in the garden. But you just want to lie in the sun and take a break from everyday worries. Dream! And what about this in Finland? I'll try to figure it out.
Every fifth Finnish family owns a country summer cottage for recreation and temporary residence. Deprived of this pleasure, residents of the country often rent houses and campgrounds in picturesque corners. For Finns, the dacha is a place of relaxation, tranquility and unity with nature. For me, this is a very correct approach! It is not customary here to break up large-scale vegetable gardens and occupy the lion's share of the space with plantations. For these purposes, there are small plots within the city, which can be rented for a nominal fee.
If in my homeland it is customary to grow on plots almost all garden crops, then in Finland the list of plantings is limited to greens and fruit bushes. Flowers are also held in high esteem here. It's funny, but Finnish summer residents like to leave islands of untouched nature on their plots with dandelions, clover, and burdocks growing on them. Whereas in my mother's garden, these plants are blacklisted and subject to immediate destruction. What a contrast!
Since summer cottages in Finland are a place of unity with nature, they are often located directly in the forest or on the shore of a reservoir. The houses here are not adjacent to each other, but are at an impressive distance. This allows you to take a break from the noise of the city and external irritants. It is not customary here to go to the neighbors on the site, such an invasion will be perceived extremely negatively.
For our family personally, this is a sore subject. Our site is perfectly visible from all sides. The neighbors on the right are very fond of watching from the balcony of the second floor how we are busy in the beds and what life hacks we use in our garden. Also, our neighbors' cats and even cows often come to visit us, striving to chew carelessly left things. And about the night gatherings right under the windows with the obligatory singing of folk songs, I generally keep quiet.
The Finnish dacha is a cozy family nest where there is no place for strangers. Only the closest friends can receive an invitation to visit, and such a gesture will be a sign of unlimited trust. For Finns, summer cottages are associated with games in nature, swimming in the lakes and an evening barbecue with an open-air dinner. The Finnish sauna is an obligatory attribute of a country house. I, as a typical Russian woman, cannot imagine a summer cottage without a bath. In this we are similar to the Finns.
Recently, many Russians have purchased summer cottages in Finland and spend their summer holidays there. The locals are not delighted with such a neighborhood, because the Russians are not distinguished by special delicacy and a high level of culture. Noisy gatherings in the neighborhood destroy the atmosphere of solitude and outrage the calm Finns. I perfectly understand and share the dissatisfaction of the inhabitants of the country. Russians next door - so-so bonus! What do you think about this? Would you like to have a summer cottage in Finland?