Here’s a trip outside my garden, for a change of pace! This past week, we took a field trip to Turku to visit the Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum. It is a small section of the city with 18th-century wooden buildings preserved as a historical museum and a place to demonstrate traditional handicrafts. While there were no formal gardens, the many planted courtyards and larger park surrounding it were still very pleasant to stroll through on a brisk autumn day.

1. A path leading out to the park, where the trees are changing colors very nicely.

2. Sod roof houses! I love the look of them, even if the grass is looking a little more scraggly with the cold weather. They must be amazing and lush in the summer.

3. The tobacconist’s courtyard had a little sample garden of different types of tobacco. The flowers on the two bigger plants looked so similar to the flowering nicotiana in my garden! I knew they were related, but it’s still fascinating to see a big plant in front of you.

4. A little bed of yellow flowers that’s mostly gone over but was cheery next to all the darkened wood walls. Our hometown also has an 18th-century wooden quarter, but our buildings are actively inhabited, so they are painted bright colors and renovated inside. The difference between the two places is interesting.

5. A big old elm in the children’s playground. I haven’t seen one in quite a while. I think it’s an American elm? Not so good at trees.

6. Finally, a selection of pretty postcards and a little pastille case that I ended up getting from one of the souvenir shops! I like framing them and have a collection of various botanical prints all along our house staircase.

Thanks for visiting and please do check out what the other SoSers are doing over at Jim’s page!