This is it now. The house is more than half empty, the upper floors are cleared and cleaned and some stuff is still waiting to go into the lorry. Five guys worked all day yesterday to get everything packed, and now they are four of them carrying the rest of it out. Efficient workers, and very chearful. The lorry is due to leave in the afternoon, we will meet our landlords at six, and then we are off as well.
Yesterday was the absolutely hottest of all hot days in a row. Today there is quite a wind, which has chilled the air down to +23. Compared to the previous week with temperatures of +32 – 39, it does feel almost cold! But so much better to work in.
The last period in the EBU, actually the last months felt like a long row of farewells, to the Radio Community, the TV community, to the News committee, to the GA. And to everyone in the EBU Geneva and to Manco. The last weeks we have had one farewell lunch/dinner following another, a great one here with the neighbours, organised by Veronique. And the absolutely last dinner we had yesterday with Sara, Stefano and Justyna in Sara’s and Stefano’s lovely new house outside Divonne. They have been lucky to find such a great house, with a huge garden, a house which they have also managed to buy quite cheaply. To be reckoned with as a place to stay overnight when we travel through France in the coming years.
Plans for the future? Well, the very near future says: unpack the most important stuff in Kullo, then leave the rest and escape to Träskholmen, where all the family will gather. Sara counted. We will be seven adults, one half year old, one just-to-be-born (estimated 21.7), 4 cats, one dog, and, probably two very curious and apparently totally unafraid small foxes! That is, unafraid of humans. But they will undoubtedly be chased away immidatedly by the combined cat-dog army!
Then it is all about island living and hopefully meeting and reconnecting with lots of friends as long as the weather stays nice and everybody is happy, possibly interrupted by baby “Kotten” being born, visits to Tuttan and other comparable necessities. Like riding Waldo or following how Linda does in the Finnish dressage junior championships. She has started training quite recently and they have done surprisingly well together.
And then, later this fall. I plan to apply to Aalto to write a thesis about “The Secret Weapon in Finnish Design”, and Filip will continue working with his board. Then we of course need to have time to play golf, ride, work in the garden, continue with the French studies and……And, apart from this, we will travel. To Provence in October, to Nice in the beginning of November, to Australia for Christmas. Basically the general idea for the coming years is to spend summers in Finland, May – September, late autumns and early springs in Provence. Or in Tuscany. And then we will see with winters. Sydney is always a good choice. But skiing is also a necessity. The good thing is that there is a choice. And when will we work, you might ask. In between, when we feel like it. The good thing is we can work almost from anywhere, with exception of meetings or courses or the likes of it, when physical presence is necessary.
So with a certain sadness we leave this area. It has been three good years, and we have but fond memories. Of places and of people.
Last Saturday market, last dinner at Clemence and Hotel de Ville.
O S M A F Frankenhaeuser 