Almost a month in advance, I asked for a Sunday off and went to Oulu with Zsolti, Giulia and Jukka. Oulu is this year's European Capital of Culture. And the opening ceremony was the Nallikari SnowFest competition, where artists from different countries gathered to create snow sculptures during the week. About 30 teams from more than 15 countries applied. Then 7 teams (3 people each) were selected and had the opportunity to show what they could do. The teams were very diverse, as were their works. But we mainly went to support Karola, the guide from last year. Their sculpture (the Polish team) won the Artist's Choice award. They were all very interesting and diverse. Personally, I liked the sculpture of the UK-Canadian team called "Aotearoa" the most - two people in a canoe fighting a giant octopus. The details were absolutely sensational.
The sculptures took on another dimension in the evening, when it was dark. With the help of well-placed spotlights, some of which also chose colored ones, they literally appeared in a different light. So beautiful!
In addition to the long journey (it's about a 2.5-hour drive to Oulu), we managed to have coffee together, see the sculptures, talk and share our joys and worries. Overall, it was a very beautiful day, which we ended with the best experience! Oulu is located by the Baltic Sea, which is, however, frozen in winter. And I really wanted to walk on the frozen sea, you can't do that every day!!! What's more, we stayed there for the sunset... Well, sunset while walking on the frozen sea, snow, cold, beautiful light... It was incredibly beautiful! Complete gratitude! It brought tears to my eyes...
Before the trip home, we stopped for a beer to catch up on what was left. And to top it all off, on the way home we saw the Northern Lights from the car. Simply an absolutely luxurious day, full of adventure, friends, fulfilled dreams and beauty that touches the heart... What more could you ask for!!!
