Share your culture and be happy with us in Loimaa, Finland
Last activity
: 13 Jun 2025
Profile information
Usually responds within 2 days
Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks
Workawayers needed
Possibility that workawayers are needed
No availability
Details
Host ref number: 438228732359
Website Safety
Feedback (3)
Left by Workawayer (Andrea) for host
First workaway experience! And it was extremely enjoyable!
The first day I came at Loimaa they immediately suggested me to go hiking and tent-sleeping the following day. It was incredible. I will never forget that day on the side of that beautiful lake, far from civilisation, barbecueing, drinking a few beers, surrounded by majestic trees and
… read more nature.
Elina and Petri are a wonderful couple, very different but at the same time very welcoming and accepting. With Petri you can satisfy the need of watching and contemplating nature and things around us; with Elina you are sure to be with someone that will always be happy to answer and make questions about any topic of her knowledge or curiosity (and since she's a teacher and in Finland education is way better than in Italy, these are a LOT of topics!). I admit that, as italian, I was almost dissatisfied that they were so good at cooking. Almost! Every meal I had with them was excellent, that smoked salmon was a joy for the tongue and I'm definitely trying to replicate that delicious mämmi. Also they have an incredible selection of spices and teas! Sadly I made some anxiety-derived mistakes cooking liguria's food fro them, but I was very very happy that they liked my beloved pandolce basso.
They also made me try the first sauna of my life. It was very, very good for the first 5 minutes I think, after that, I think you have to get accustomed a little for truly enjoying it. But I'm very happy to have tried it, I actually didn't think it could be that good.
I met also some of Elina's sons and daughters, and I can say they are a wonderful family, and each of them loves her mother. Sadly I was able to see Petri's son just for a few minutes in Toijala, but he seemed a very neat and fine guy, maybe with a strange taste in cars (but, I mean, I like citroen Ami, how am I to judge?)
Having their pets Tomik (the cat) and Hetta (the dog) around was always a pleasure. Hetta is cuddle-enthusiast and is very difficult to refrain yourself from indulging in petting her; Tomik mat seem a little grumpy, but he's definitely a good fellow too once he get used to you.
Loimaa is a peaceful town, where you can easiliy relax wandering around, reading something in the library or drinking something in one of the pubs. But is also very close to Turku and Tampere, with trains. This way you can live the experiences of chilling in a little town and let city-life entice you, both. Turku and Tampere are definitely worth a visit. Each one has its own strengths, and definitely its own beautiful museums (I was able to visit the Labor Museum in Tampere and the Pharmacy museum in Turku). As well as Loimaa for sure. During one of the last days I was there, Petri and Elina brought me to visit Sarka, Loimaa's agriculture museum, where they were eager to talk about the past and modern farm practices (along with a bit of punk music!). Definitely Finland is verygood in making cool museums, I regret not having the chance to visit Turku's art one.
My room was comfy, nice, large, clean and tranquil.
The work I did there was absolutely fine, and Petri and Elina were always accepting about the work I did. I really hope I was somewhat useful and that didn't do too many mistakes. But I learned a lot working there, about handling wood-cutting instruments and hating wild weeds' roots with all my heart. And now I think I can claim to be better in sauna-cleaning than most italians!
I hope I'm not forgetting something important (surely I am) but it was a beautiful and sound experience, where I was able to learn a lot about work, about Finland's kitchen and culture, about Alariesto's art and legacy and about those neat flea markets. I really hope Elina's health issues could get better, and that they can get in shape that camper and start travelling Europe as soon as possible.
In conclusion, was very happy from the first to the last day with Petri and Elina (and I hope I didn't talk too much about movies and food)
As a worker, Orhan is humble, hardworking and learns quickly new things . He is reliable, self-directed and capable to do independent work. He did even more than we expected, sometimes we had to say, that it's time to rest. We can highly recommend Orhan for painting projects. It was his main job here. He is an excellent and creative chef, too. He
… read more made the best homemade lasagne we've ever had. Orhan is a nice person to have around. He is funny, but very polite.
Thanks to you Orhan, also we learned a lot during your stay (almost 6 weeks) with us. It was a great surprise that you were so interested in cultural exchange and Finnish language. "Torilla tavataan" ja "sisulla eteenpäin"!
Sometimes communication failed a little bit, and we faced some cultural differencies, but we could overcome those with Google translator and good sense of humor.
Thank you so much for souvenirs and goodies from Turkey, but most of all, memories of the time we spent together ."Veli", we will not forget you!
My first home in Finland 🥰
Elina & Petri & Onni & Tomik 🐈 & Hetta 🐕
From the moment we first met, they were very warm and friendly. Our communication was always great. When the day of the meeting came, kind Petri picked me up from Helsinki airport. We had a nice journey home. A wonderful welcome and a nice dinner were waiting for me at home. Then
… read more I finished my first day by enjoying the sauna. I had my own beautiful room and a toilet right next to it. Since Petri explained things very clearly, it was easy to do. Since I felt at home, the things I did felt like fun and not like work. If you are doing something you enjoy, you don't need to look at the clock. Visiting museums, ice hockey matches, picnics in the forest on Sundays, trips to different cities, walks with Hetta in Loimaa, enjoying the sauna a few times a week and many other things were great. We even went to rent a house for Onni one day. I learned a lot about the daily life and culture of Finnish people. Of course, my Finnish language also improved. Loimaa is a small and peaceful place. I don't know if there is another place in the world with such beautiful air and water. Both Elina and Petri are good chefs, they do a great job in the kitchen. I tasted salmon and soup, venison, piirakka, mämmi, pulla, glögi, lakritsi, rye bread and many other delicacies. We shouldn't forget Onni's pizzas on Fridays. It was also a nice moment to attend their daughter's birthday. Petri is an exemplary father with his life experience, Elina is an exemplary mother with her compassionate heart to take shelter under her wings. I felt very peaceful when I saw the respect they showed for my work and the trust they had in me. I also lost 10 kilos with a healthy life. I spent a month there full of beautiful memories. This is now my second home. When it was time to say goodbye, kind Petri dropped me off at the train station. Thank you very much for all the beautiful feelings I can't describe here and for all the beauties you gave me. I gained lifelong friendships. Maybe one day I will host them. If you are coming to Finland, I recommend Petri and Elina to everyone. You can write this paradise in the first place.
Kaikki oli kuunnossa, kiitos paljon 🤗
Left by Workawayer (Hendric) for host
So I stayed at Petris place in Toijala and Elinas place in Loimaa in January/February after me and another workawayer had to crash somewhere in Finland. Sadly I wasn't able to find Elina on here too, so this review is for both of them at the same time.
For Petri I can say that he is probably the most finnish person I met. More of the quiet type
… read more (but you can talk about pretty much everything while having a nice beer in the evening), nature loving and with some interesting friends, who welcomed me quite warmly. He made sure we had some memorable expieriences, some of them I had for the first time in my life, like ice swimming and sauna, snow shoeing, ice fishing, trips to the awesome city of Tampere and a lot more, some not as spectacular but absolutely vital fot giving me a glance at life in Finland.
Still we actually first arrived at Elinas place. There you'll be able to acquire pretty good new recipes for finnish meals and sweets. And with the local library and the "Seurahuone" right around the corner it'll never be boring. Elina herself is immediatly very open and talkative (even if you first arrive late in the evening) and overall a pleasure to be around. Her being a teacher also means that you get the chance to learn a lot more about the finnish language, if you want to. I really hope that her health related issues have already fully gone away and she can go hiking again.
The work we did there is absolutely fine (we almost felt bad a few times like we were not doing enough) and like I mentioned it helped me learn a bunch of new things. (I'm literally the best snow-shoveler at home now. :)
The only thing I regret is that I didn't immediatly go to Loimaa/Toijala. Unfortunately this mistake made me waste a lot of energy beforehand and made it seem like Elina and Petri were more exited about my stay than I was.
Okay, I know, this feedback is coming a bit late now, since I almost instantly, accidentally stumbled into the next adventure when I came back, but I hope you can forgive me and I hope that some more people will come round and spent some quality time in beautiful Finland.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Left by Workawayer (Andrea) for host
First workaway experience! And it was extremely enjoyable!
The first day I came at Loimaa they immediately suggested me to go hiking and tent-sleeping the following day. It was incredible. I will never forget that day on the side of that beautiful lake, far from civilisation, barbecueing, drinking a few beers, surrounded by majestic trees and
… read more nature.
Elina and Petri are a wonderful couple, very different but at the same time very welcoming and accepting. With Petri you can satisfy the need of watching and contemplating nature and things around us; with Elina you are sure to be with someone that will always be happy to answer and make questions about any topic of her knowledge or curiosity (and since she's a teacher and in Finland education is way better than in Italy, these are a LOT of topics!). I admit that, as italian, I was almost dissatisfied that they were so good at cooking. Almost! Every meal I had with them was excellent, that smoked salmon was a joy for the tongue and I'm definitely trying to replicate that delicious mämmi. Also they have an incredible selection of spices and teas! Sadly I made some anxiety-derived mistakes cooking liguria's food fro them, but I was very very happy that they liked my beloved pandolce basso.
They also made me try the first sauna of my life. It was very, very good for the first 5 minutes I think, after that, I think you have to get accustomed a little for truly enjoying it. But I'm very happy to have tried it, I actually didn't think it could be that good.
I met also some of Elina's sons and daughters, and I can say they are a wonderful family, and each of them loves her mother. Sadly I was able to see Petri's son just for a few minutes in Toijala, but he seemed a very neat and fine guy, maybe with a strange taste in cars (but, I mean, I like citroen Ami, how am I to judge?)
Having their pets Tomik (the cat) and Hetta (the dog) around was always a pleasure. Hetta is cuddle-enthusiast and is very difficult to refrain yourself from indulging in petting her; Tomik mat seem a little grumpy, but he's definitely a good fellow too once he get used to you.
Loimaa is a peaceful town, where you can easiliy relax wandering around, reading something in the library or drinking something in one of the pubs. But is also very close to Turku and Tampere, with trains. This way you can live the experiences of chilling in a little town and let city-life entice you, both. Turku and Tampere are definitely worth a visit. Each one has its own strengths, and definitely its own beautiful museums (I was able to visit the Labor Museum in Tampere and the Pharmacy museum in Turku). As well as Loimaa for sure. During one of the last days I was there, Petri and Elina brought me to visit Sarka, Loimaa's agriculture museum, where they were eager to talk about the past and modern farm practices (along with a bit of punk music!). Definitely Finland is verygood in making cool museums, I regret not having the chance to visit Turku's art one.
My room was comfy, nice, large, clean and tranquil.
The work I did there was absolutely fine, and Petri and Elina were always accepting about the work I did. I really hope I was somewhat useful and that didn't do too many mistakes. But I learned a lot working there, about handling wood-cutting instruments and hating wild weeds' roots with all my heart. And now I think I can claim to be better in sauna-cleaning than most italians!
I hope I'm not forgetting something important (surely I am) but it was a beautiful and sound experience, where I was able to learn a lot about work, about Finland's kitchen and culture, about Alariesto's art and legacy and about those neat flea markets. I really hope Elina's health issues could get better, and that they can get in shape that camper and start travelling Europe as soon as possible.
In conclusion, was very happy from the first to the last day with Petri and Elina (and I hope I didn't talk too much about movies and food)
As a worker, Orhan is humble, hardworking and learns quickly new things . He is reliable, self-directed and capable to do independent work. He did even more than we expected, sometimes we had to say, that it's time to rest. We can highly recommend Orhan for painting projects. It was his main job here. He is an excellent and creative chef, too. He
… read more made the best homemade lasagne we've ever had. Orhan is a nice person to have around. He is funny, but very polite.
Thanks to you Orhan, also we learned a lot during your stay (almost 6 weeks) with us. It was a great surprise that you were so interested in cultural exchange and Finnish language. "Torilla tavataan" ja "sisulla eteenpäin"!
Sometimes communication failed a little bit, and we faced some cultural differencies, but we could overcome those with Google translator and good sense of humor.
Thank you so much for souvenirs and goodies from Turkey, but most of all, memories of the time we spent together ."Veli", we will not forget you!
My first home in Finland 🥰
Elina & Petri & Onni & Tomik 🐈 & Hetta 🐕
From the moment we first met, they were very warm and friendly. Our communication was always great. When the day of the meeting came, kind Petri picked me up from Helsinki airport. We had a nice journey home. A wonderful welcome and a nice dinner were waiting for me at home. Then
… read more I finished my first day by enjoying the sauna. I had my own beautiful room and a toilet right next to it. Since Petri explained things very clearly, it was easy to do. Since I felt at home, the things I did felt like fun and not like work. If you are doing something you enjoy, you don't need to look at the clock. Visiting museums, ice hockey matches, picnics in the forest on Sundays, trips to different cities, walks with Hetta in Loimaa, enjoying the sauna a few times a week and many other things were great. We even went to rent a house for Onni one day. I learned a lot about the daily life and culture of Finnish people. Of course, my Finnish language also improved. Loimaa is a small and peaceful place. I don't know if there is another place in the world with such beautiful air and water. Both Elina and Petri are good chefs, they do a great job in the kitchen. I tasted salmon and soup, venison, piirakka, mämmi, pulla, glögi, lakritsi, rye bread and many other delicacies. We shouldn't forget Onni's pizzas on Fridays. It was also a nice moment to attend their daughter's birthday. Petri is an exemplary father with his life experience, Elina is an exemplary mother with her compassionate heart to take shelter under her wings. I felt very peaceful when I saw the respect they showed for my work and the trust they had in me. I also lost 10 kilos with a healthy life. I spent a month there full of beautiful memories. This is now my second home. When it was time to say goodbye, kind Petri dropped me off at the train station. Thank you very much for all the beautiful feelings I can't describe here and for all the beauties you gave me. I gained lifelong friendships. Maybe one day I will host them. If you are coming to Finland, I recommend Petri and Elina to everyone. You can write this paradise in the first place.
Kaikki oli kuunnossa, kiitos paljon 🤗
Left by Workawayer (Hendric) for host
So I stayed at Petris place in Toijala and Elinas place in Loimaa in January/February after me and another workawayer had to crash somewhere in Finland. Sadly I wasn't able to find Elina on here too, so this review is for both of them at the same time.
For Petri I can say that he is probably the most finnish person I met. More of the quiet type
… read more (but you can talk about pretty much everything while having a nice beer in the evening), nature loving and with some interesting friends, who welcomed me quite warmly. He made sure we had some memorable expieriences, some of them I had for the first time in my life, like ice swimming and sauna, snow shoeing, ice fishing, trips to the awesome city of Tampere and a lot more, some not as spectacular but absolutely vital fot giving me a glance at life in Finland.
Still we actually first arrived at Elinas place. There you'll be able to acquire pretty good new recipes for finnish meals and sweets. And with the local library and the "Seurahuone" right around the corner it'll never be boring. Elina herself is immediatly very open and talkative (even if you first arrive late in the evening) and overall a pleasure to be around. Her being a teacher also means that you get the chance to learn a lot more about the finnish language, if you want to. I really hope that her health related issues have already fully gone away and she can go hiking again.
The work we did there is absolutely fine (we almost felt bad a few times like we were not doing enough) and like I mentioned it helped me learn a bunch of new things. (I'm literally the best snow-shoveler at home now. :)
The only thing I regret is that I didn't immediatly go to Loimaa/Toijala. Unfortunately this mistake made me waste a lot of energy beforehand and made it seem like Elina and Petri were more exited about my stay than I was.
Okay, I know, this feedback is coming a bit late now, since I almost instantly, accidentally stumbled into the next adventure when I came back, but I hope you can forgive me and I hope that some more people will come round and spent some quality time in beautiful Finland.You can only contact Workawayers who have an active membership.
Join us in our permaculture garden and homestead in Pälkäne, Finland
Help out with projects on our small farm in Valtimo, Finland
We've noticed that there's less than 3 photos uploaded to your profile. With the new host profile layout this we would highly recommend having more than 3 photos so your profile stands out visually.
Please take a few moments to choose some images that show off your place or area:
Please log in to your Workawayer account to contact this host, or
sign up here!
Finland
If you are from outside of the EU and planning to visit Finland to work, volunteer or study, YOU WILL NEED THE CORRECT VISA. To find out more information you need to contact the embassy in your home country BEFORE travelling.
Language practice
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Van life
Sustainability
Culture
Charity work
Cooking & food
Carpentry
Animals
Outdoor activities
Nature
Hiking
Cycling
Camping
