That's my over-riding reflection on my visit to Finland, it was quiet... no loud voices, no strident exclamations, just softly spoken people who quietly went about their daily lives in a seemingly unhurried way.  It wasn't that no-one spoke or chatted, they did, and now and then a baby cried or a dog barked, even a cat mewed on the coach back from Tampere to Helsinki, but overall it was quiet.

Over recent months I've heard a lot about nordic idylls, and certainly there are aspects of nordic life that are appealing, but you don't have to look very hard to find that all is not rosy... beggars on the streets, Big Issue (or equivalent) vendors, and the proverbial Finnish drunks swaying from side to side and mumbling incoherently (even they were quiet!).  The per capita GDP may be high but there are still plenty of signs of poverty just beneath the veneer of success.

One thing that wasn't quiet was the Civil Defence alarm which was tested as we walked through woodland, unable to take the necessary actions had it been a 'for real' alert.  We only found out retrospectively it was a routine test - the holiday centre brochure failed to mention this vital information.  The proximity of (conventional oil or peat fired) power plant meant potential for noxious fumes; the nearness to countries with a less than perfect safety record for hazardous industries in general take it all a level further... the quiet could so easily be destroyed.

I had a lovely time.  Finland is a beautiful country and Finns seem to be lovely, friendly people, eager to use their English language skills (though we were reguarly assumed to be Finns and had to fess up to not understanding what was being shared with us by shop keepers and passers by!)

The break from TV, radio, phone and internet did me good, allowed me to clear my head, unwind and relax. Already the busyness of life encroaches and the quietness is disturbed by the clack of computer keys, routine and responsibility return apace.  Which is as it should be... a wonderful break, some fresh perspectives (some of which I am saving for future use), and then home: what more couyld I wish for?