Let’s start from out meeting with Jukka Dudeson. Like your sauna at 270 degrees F, and above? If you said yes, we have the right host for you! Check out this awesome video from our "session" with Jukka, which has received over 690,000 views to-date. That is quite a few sauna lovers!
In Sauna Marshall Jouko’s words: “Take off 100 degrees F and about 690,000 viewers, and I’m in…”
From Hollywood we headed to San Francisco. It was a rainy and blustery day but the California coast is very scenic regardless, as we found out. We had an appointment with Albany Sauna and Hot Tubs. Frederica Adam had invited us over to visit and enjoy sauna baths both in Sisu and in the Albany Sauna hot rooms.
The visit and entire week end with Freddy and her staff was so delightful! Regular and new visitors to Albany Sauna were all excited to check Sisu out. If you live in the Bay Area, Sisu wholeheartedly recommends a stop in the hip neighborhood of Albany and at Albany Sauna, originally built by a Finn, Henry Walter Lundgren in 1934.
After Albany, Sisu had to hustle over to the Nordic Innovation House in Palo Alto, in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation, held a reception and, of course, Sisu had to be there. Parking was a little tight but, after some negotiation, Sisu was positioned right at the entrance to the House.
At the reception, Sisu was happy to meet again with Ambassador Kirsti Kauppi. This time, no sauna sessions for the Ambassador, though. Instead, about a third of the guests arrived with towels and swim suits in their back packs, ready for some serious heat!
Yo! The Silicon Valley Sauna Bus also shows up and soon there’s a constant line between the two saunas. One can only wonder if there’s ever been (or ever will be again!) a similar sight in the front of the Nordic Innovation House: Half naked people running from one sauna to another, and back…
A big hand to Tonxu from Tekes for organizing!
From the Silicon Valley, Sisu headed to Sonoma to visit FAHA, the Finnish American Home Association.
FAHA is a non-profit that operates a retirement community in the beautiful town of Sonoma, in the heart of the Sonoma wine country. We had a delightful afternoon coffee with the residents, after which the sauna at FAHA was hot for residents and guests.
Jari Suomalainen provided nice violin music for us during the coffee, accompanied by Charlie, the sauna dog. Anyone ever played "Finlandia" in a sauna?
To complete the afternoon, Riikka Tuomivaara, a freelance journalist living in CA stopped by to do a story for the Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE.
When in the midst of one of the world’s foremost wine regions, one can not ignore the importance of Finns in the history of wine making. No, we don’t mean St Urho, although the character was recognized by the sommelier who hosted our visit. We, of course, are talking about Gustave Niebaum, the founder of Inglenook Winery in Napa, CA.
What a treat to be able to visit the magnificent winery and to learn about the respect the current owners are showing to the gentleman who arrived from the small Nordic country via Alaska to perfect the wine making in the New World. May we present, the first 100 point American made wine, Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon 1941, and the current proprietors, the Coppola family.
From Napa, back to San Francisco over the Golden Gate Bridge to a Neste Renewable Diesel Seminar at the Fort Mason Center for Culture and Arts. Gorgeous views to the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the bay flanked the views from the venue. Guests included Ambassador Kirsti Kauppi, city and state decision makers, renewable fuel producers, and representatives from industry organizations and non-profits.
As part of the Seminar, neste introduced EduCycle, a new gaming platform that uses augmented reality (AR), and teaches children ages 12 and up about the impact their decisions have on the environment. Check out EduCycle! Thank you, Neste!
Stay tuned. Part “The Northern Half of the West Coast” coming soon!
Sisu’s full schedule and up-to-date calendar, please click here.
Finland Centennial Calendar in the US, please click here.
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