Chocolate + coffee + nature + dirndls + lederhosen = adventure packed day
I've eaten Panda candy bars/chocolates/licorice plenty of times in Canada yet I never thought I would one day go to the factor that made all of those delicious treats. Our outing with Tanja was to the infamous Panda candy factory which was located apparently 10 km out of Jyvaskyla but it honestly didn't look like we left the city at all. I was a bit disappointed when I found out that we could only observe the factory from the outside and go into the candy shop. Due to hygiene bylaws that were passed, people were no longer allowed to tour the factory. It really was too bad but we had a great time ogling at the stacks and stacks of candy. It was difficult from resisting buying at least 3 different kinds of candy. There were plenty of candy to be tested as well. Needless to say, my lunch wasn't the healthiest that day.
To balance out the sugar filled souvenirs I bought for the folks back in Canada, we also visited a design souvenir shop where I had the opportunity to purchase non-edible souvenirs. All of the crafts and handiwork in this shop was made right here in Jyvaskyla which I found to be very neat. I've included pictures of the one of the many beautiful things they sold. The "Christmas World" section of the store made me shudder inside because it was much MUCH too early to be thinking about christmas. Halloween hasn't even come and gone yet :S
Our next stop was a cafe that was located inside of an old house. In the living room, an antique market was set up with old books, chandeliers, and other relics. There was a small counter in the hallway with the the tables set up in the living room. A really homey feel :)
To lighten up the stomach and work off some calories, we went for a walk around the small island that the coffee shop and design shop were located. As we walked past the water lift/channel that connected two lakes that were different levels, a boat was going through so we got a demonstration of how the waterway worked. Tanja said that it was highly uncommon for boats to be on this particular lake in the fall so we were quite fortunate with this encounter. We enjoyed the beautiful colors and scenery before heading home.
A celebration for Oktober Fest was happening in the M building of Roninmaki tonight and it promised to be legendary. After tea and cake at my house, Laura, Kerstin and me pedaled off to see what the fuss was about.
It's really great to know more and more people at each international gathering. The DJ for the night was Pablo Molina and he was quite good :)
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