I’ve reached a convenient point to pause and take a look back at ‘season one’ of the Explore Finland Radio Show. I will return in

Things to do when you visit Finland! Nature, culture, sport, history, activities…
I’ve reached a convenient point to pause and take a look back at ‘season one’ of the Explore Finland Radio Show. I will return in
There is something in the air in South Ostrobothnia. In this episode, I speak to two members of a new football club in Seinäjoki, which has the noble aim of raising money for charity, while also providing a destination for retired footballers.
This episode is a continuation of the conversation from episode 13. I talk with Junyi (Winnie) Ding & Betti Csiba about their experiences of moving to Finland, business culture in South Ostrobothnia, what Betti and Winnie do in their free-time and, of course, the weather.
I speak to Henna Rantasaari, Green Party Candidate ahead of the 2015 General Elections here in Finland. In her 2nd appearance on Explore Finland, Henna explains how the political system works, how the Parliamentary seats are allocated and how the Government is formed.
I meet Junyi Ding & Betti Csiba, who tell me about life as an international student at Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences (SeAMK). Many thanks to Miia Koski from SeAMK for arranging (and participating in) the recording.
I speak to race organiser Kristiina ahead of the VillaAPR Icerace at the Botniaring race track in Jurva, Etelä-Pohjanmaa. Listen as she tells me about the meeting, the track and the facilities, before I visit the APR Icerace in February 2015.
In this episode I get an introduction to the game of Salibandy (Floorball; Unihockey; Innebandy) from Tuukka Kiviranta, who plays for the high-flying SPV team from Seinäjoki. Tuukka explains the rules and tactics of the game, and tells me about the history, and recent success of SPV.
It will take more than a 30 minute podcast to get me into peak fitness, but this week I get a guided tour of the Olympic Training Centre in Kuortane.
Join me as I visit the Koskenkorva Museo and learn about the history of distilling in Koskenkorva, as well as the distinctive local clocks, Könnikello, and we take another, brief tour around the saunas at Koskenkorva Trahteeri, until we end up at the ‘vodka tap’! Intrigued?
Part 2 of 2 – I continue my guided tour of the Alvar Aalto centre in Seinäjoki, by visiting Aalto’s theatre (with it’s collection of glass and porcelain by Alvar & Aino Aalto) and the new Apila library next door to Aalto’s original.
Part 1 of 2 – Marianne takes me on a guided tour of the Alvar Aalto centre, in Seinäjoki, a cluster of six, civic buildings that form its iconic centrepiece. Alvar and Aino Aalto are arguably Finland’s greatest designers and, in part 1, you can hear Marianne describe the Town Hall and Lakeuden Risti Church.
I speak to Jaakko and Martti Koskenkorva about the most recognisable Finnish word in the world, Sauna. I visited them at Koskenkorva Trahteeri to talk about the history, the traditions and why the sauna is so important to the Finns.
I speak to Henna about the significance of the Kirppis in Finland. We attend an event to sell some clothes and I then visit a few other types of Kirpputorit in Seinäjoki to compare & contrast.
Restaurant Day (Ravintolapäivä) originated in Helsinki, so I travel to nearby Vaasa, with my daughter Evie, to visit some of the pop-up restaurants and speak to some of the restaurant organisers about their experiences.
There isn’t a full show during the Festive period, but I will be back in the New Year with new episodes. In the meantime, if you’re interested
Lari talks about the origins of football culture in Finland, and the history of Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho (SJK Seinäjoki).
Early one Sunday morning in October, Mikko Panula, Computer programmer and sharp-shooter, takes me out into the woods with his hunting team, as one young hunter has a VERY memorable day!
Foraging for Mushrooms with Mari. An introduction to ‘Everyman’s Rights’ and the art of finding wild mushrooms.
Hi, I’m Mark Wiltshear. Welcome to the Explore Finland Radio Show, where I introduce myself and talk to you about why I decided to record this show and what you can expect to hear on future episodes.
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