Is there anything quite as exciting for little kids as farms? Mats is head over heals in love with the big machinery such as tractors or balers. He also likes some of the animals but they don’t compare to the vehicles. So on a very rainy day on the west coast of Finland we decide to stop at “Muumaa” (Moo-land) in Merikarvia. Dressed in an oversized raincoat he wethers the weather and is very excited having the whole korjamo (garage) of tractors to himself. This includes of course that we also need to take turns and hang out in the rain. The determination and happiness shown on his face are worth it, though.

It also means that after this little farming adventure, there are a lot of wet and muddy clothes. Not exactly the sort of stuff you want to have in a small space like a van, especially not if it’s still raining. We decide that after a week on the road a little stop at a B&B; possibly with a washing machine, is just what we need now.

When we get to the place we reserved over the phone, it is not only sunny but also on a hay farm! We have the whole cottage including a fireplace, BBQ, washing machine, a kid‘s playhouse and a wood-sauna to ourselves and enjoy switching from van life to farm life for a couple of nights.

After two days we happily leave Lillstugan with clean clothes, a tidied van and a small boy who keeps on talking about his farming adventures. We make a mental note that maybe a farm-stay could be another great holiday plan for years to come.