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I love summer but my winter was simply great. We went to the mountains and enjoyed skiing there, we traveled a lot and communicated with friends. We visited a lot of interesting places, check it on the [-censured-]https://postcodefinder.net/england/[/-censured-] England postcode list. But my spring is really killing. The coronavirus outbreak has literally locked everyone at home. I believe no one will say now his winter was boring. Do you agree with me?

Hello Maarit, thanks for the message. Utö sounds marvellous - I just Googled it and the photos look beautiful - the little red, wooden houses etc. I imagine it must be verrry quiet there in winter!
I'm glad to hear that you can get rid of the cast soon - you know I have never broken a bone, but I imagine having a cast must be annoying after a while..
Can I help you with your story?
I slided and fell down = Here it's better to say "slip". This is the verb we use when talking about an accident. Slide is not so common in this context. "I slipped and fell".
I put my hand at first on the ground = I fell on my hand.
My wrist was applied an orthopedic cast = More common: They put a cast on my wrist.
the cast will be taken away next week= The cast will come off next week. / They will take off the cast...
See you,
Pieter

Hi Pieter,
It was nice to hear about your summer in NY. You met your sisters and had good time with them and weather was very suitable to you there in NY.

Well…it was easy to break my wrist. I was going to our boat when I slided and fell down. Of course I put my hand at first on the ground…. My wrist was applied an orthopedic cast which has been for three weeks and one week is left. So the cast will be taken away next week. It is a pity because I am so keen to row and cycle. Now I have walked many, many kilometers and done physical exercises. In addition I believe that my hand will cure quite soon.

Utö is a terrific place. There are only about 35-40 inhabitants in wintertime but some day there can be 200-300 tourists in summertime. There are a lighthouse, cemetery, school, shop, restaurant, hotel, two churches, couple of guesthouses in the Utö`s island (1 km x1km). It is a very small place without any town. It is not a joke to say that there is almost nothing to do or see in Utö and that was the reason why we wanted to travel to this island. We had time to rest and enjoy very beautiful and extraordinary landscapes. I would want to travel to Utö again in some autumn or spring when there are not so many tourists.

It is nice to be half-way through this course. I hope to have enough time to concentrate on learning English this autumn and winter.

All the best for you
See you soon, Maarit

Hello Maarit, thanks for the update and I'm sorry to hear about your wrist! How did you mange to do that? Utö sounds amazing - is there a town there? What's the population? And what is there to do?
I was in NY again for 2 months which was fun. The weather was coolish, not hot and humid as usual, which was nice. Both my sisters came through NY at one point, so we had a semi-family reunion.
So you are half-way through the course - that's great! I look forward to getting some more messages from you.
All the best,
Pieter

Hi Pieter,
greetings from Finland again.
Now I have started the last part of this course: from the Unit 6 to the Unit 10 (proficiency).
I spent very nice summer. We travelled in the North Italy (near Como lake) and in Switzerland.
In addition we made shorter trip in Finland.
I was bicycling to Valkeakoski (about 70 km) and we stayed one weekend in Jämsä and one weekend in Turku.
One of the most exciting places in Finland is Utö, which belongs to outer archipelago. It took about 4,5 hour by a boat to travel from Nauvo to Utö. We stayed 2 days in Utö

In addition I have rowed more than any other summer. However my wrist broke 3 weeks ago so now I am not able to row or cycle.
I hope it will get better very soon.

Our daughter has started her studies in Shenzen, China and she will study business and administration next 5 months there in China. My husband will travel to meet her in the end of October. I have not an opportunity to travel with him because of my work. IT IS A PITY.

What about your summer? Did you stay in USA?

Best regards Maarit

Ps. next time will write to the Unit 6

Hi Maarit, oh your summer plans sound great! St Moritz is spectacular... I will be going to NY again for 2 months, as usual. See family and friends and buy cheap jeans! I will be working while I'm there, so it's not strictly speaking a holiday. And in September I plan to go on a short trip to Rabat in Morocco. Otherwise I will be here in Barcelona, working.
Can I help you with some expressions?
we afford to be there only two days= We can only afford to stay there for 2 days. (Afford usually combines with "can")
I have not stayed earlier in Switzerland = I have never been in Switzerland...
All the best,
Pieter

Hi Pieter,

Thanks for your message.

We have had a quite strange spring. It was very warm (10-20 Celsius degree) in March and April. Instead now it has been very windy and cold (5-10 C degree). Yesterday it was hailing.

Our daughter has been studying Business and Administration at the University and she is leaving to a student exchange to China for half a year. This Chinese University is near Hong Kong but I do not remember the name of this city (quite small city - only 10 000 000 inhabitants). She is studying the basics of Chinese language so that it will be easier to survive there in China.

We have rent a car and we are going to drive from Bergamo to St. Morizt. Our B&B accommodation will be in the countryside of Switzerland and so I hope we will have an opportunity to hike in the mountains. Switzerland is a very expensive country and we afford to be there only two days. Then we will come back to Italy and to the Como Lake. I have not stayed earlier in Switzerland but I can image that landscapes are very beautiful there in Switzerland. Our daughters love swimming and relaxing on beach so perhaps we will relax, eat delicious dishes and do this kind of things in Italy. I am also interested in Venice but we will see…

Do you some plans to your summer?

Take care,
Maarit

Thanks for your great message Maarit, you have a busy life, with many activities apart from work! I think it's great, as long as you have some time for yourself and your family and friends too! Your daughter is going to China? That will be a fabulous adventure - where is she going and what will she be doing there? June is a nice time to go to Switzerland - will you be in the mountains, or are you visiting cities? I hope you have a great summer and I hope to see you again in the autumn,
All the best,
Pieter

Hi Pieter,

Thanks for your comments and question.

Our Easter was very peaceful. We stayed at home and relaxed. We had only a couple of visits during Easter.

Actually after your question I have wondered why I have been so busy. Perhaps I have made wrong choices or I have not made a choice at all. I always advice others to prioritise their tasks and now I notice I haven`t done it myself. However I think I must concentrate on my family, social relationships and healthy. Every now and then I have noticed that I have filled my calendar by too many meetings….

We have done gardening and other household chores at our home. In addition we have done voluntary work in two parishes because we are not able to decide which of these parishes is more important to us. We belong to Lutheran parish but we attend also the meetings of Methodist church. In addition we are members of Marriage Encounter organisation.

I have guided students` practical training, evaluated their final theses and at the same time given lessons and done final tests at University. Actually I have been stressed because we have some problems between my colleagues at my department. It is very nice that summer break will start quite soon but before that there are a lot of tasks to do and we must talk about these problems as well.

We are going to travel to Italy and Switzerland in June and after that we will have some shorter trips in Finland. Our youngest daughter has developed very much in horse-riding and I have promised to pick her to a stable at least once a week during next summertime. Perhaps I dare to continue my horse-riding as well after 8 months break due to my back problems. Now my back has been in good condition and it would be nice to continue this hobby again. Bicycling and rowing will include to my summertime as well. Our eldest daughter will start to study in China next autumn and she will stay for half a year in China. Perhaps we will travel to Hong Kong and China next Christmastime.

I have studied English and I am very interested in teaching in English later. Now I am doing my last unit (unit 5) of Proficiency in this spring. After that I am going to take a break during the summer and continue with the rest units next autumn.

Now I have told all over the place. What about you? Hope you had a happy May Day.
All the best, Maarit

A very nice collection, Maarit! What's happening in your life? Why are you so busy?
Hope you had a good Easter,
All the best,
Pieter

Hi,
I have been quite busy and therefore I will write now only a couple of sayings about friendship. Later I will write more.

The antidote for fifty enemies is one friend. ~Aristotle

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. ~Albert Schweitzer

A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they're not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they're not so bad. ~Arnold H. Glasgow

The friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you. ~Elbert Hubbard, The Notebook, 1927

A good friend is cheaper than therapy. ~Author Unknown

Kind regards
Maarit