"My home country." a Finland Travel Page by KauaiFinn

Moi!!!!!!!

Finland is my home country....

My fondest and dearest memories are of my Grandfather, Viljo Karvonen, well known Kantelle player, composer, and builder of Kantelles.

He taught me how to fish.... I was his "Kalastiamies Tyotto"....

He would play the Kantelle for me - sometimes for hours....

He never took his eyes off of me as his fingers danced like magic across this instrument & he was a one man ORCHESTRA!!!

Ooooh.... and those sneaky days when we'd roll the motorcycle out of the barn when Grandma wasn't looking (He was banned from riding the motorcycle by Grandma because he was "too old") - As soon as we got the motorcycle outside hearing range of Grandma: Vrooooooooom!!!!!!! With me sitting behind him clutching for life: OFF we went!!! To go mushroom picking.

Shhhh! Don't tell anyone!

Those were my summers in Halsua...

Although we have never met, I have grown to love him so much! (we met via an online photo-album, of all places!)

Rauno is a retired actor (theater and movies) and lives in Klaukalla with his wife, Ritva, and his 2 dogs: Tina ja Fifi...

He now has a failing heart and spends his days taking pictures & bringing pleasure to people like myself with his beautiful, obscure, and sometimes SILLY pictures!!!

I don't stay in contact much (if at all) with all my other relatives in Finland -- But, i do try to stay as close in contact with my friend Rauno.