In May 1971, Joan Cusiné and Maria Àngels Carol got married. They decided to buy a motorhome and spend a two-month honeymoon travelling through Scandinavia. After a long journey full of adventures, they arrived in Finland, where they immediately fell in love with the country, its culture, its people and its food, especially muikku and reindeer. Nine months later, their first child, and future ambassador to Finland, was born. That journey marked the beginning of a special relationship with Finland, one filled with unforgettable memories. Now, more than 50 years later, some of the wines produced by the Cusiné family are available in Finland, to be shared with our Finnish friends.
Read on to discover the full story behind this beautiful adventure.
The Honeymoon Trip to Finland
In 1971, Joan and Maria Àngels decided to start a new life together.
As an adventurous couple, eager to see the world and make new friends, they chose to spend their honeymoon on a long journey across Europe, travelling from south to north. Their friends and family thought they had gone mad. At a time when Spain was opening to the world and receiving tourists, they decided to head for faraway Scandinavia, and to do it by road. Back then, there were very few Spanish motorhomes, so they adapted an AUSTIN J4 van themselves and set off on a 10,000 km journey through France, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland.
The Voyage
It was a well-planned trip, guided by one clear idea: Joan and Maria Àngels wanted to truly get to know the countries they visited, to spend time with local people, and to discover their culture and cuisine. That is why they sought contact wherever possible, staying in student residences, shopping in village stores, chatting with people, and making new friends along the way. In the end, those encounters became the greatest treasure of their journey to Finland.
The Arrival
Arriving in Finland was a very exciting moment. They reached the country on board a ferry to the port of Turku, where they experienced their first surprise: it was warm… in Finland! It was late May, summer was already in the air, and the weather was much warmer than they had expected so far north. It was, in fact, rather anecdotal, as Finland does not usually enjoy such good weather at that time of year, so they were very lucky.
Gastronomy in Finland
One evening, they decided to have dinner at a wonderful restaurant, Kappeli. It was a fantastic night: a beautiful place with lovely views, delicious food and impeccable service. Little could they imagine that, years later, this splendid restaurant would include some Parés Baltà wines on its menu.
Helsinki captivated them immediately: the zoo, the Esplanade, the market by the harbour, Suomenlinna… During the trip, they also began collecting keepsakes such as zoo tickets, museum tickets, ferry and boat tickets, and many other small mementos from the places they visited. They also bought their first camera, with which they took their very first photographs.
Finnish Hospitality
The people of Finland welcomed Joan and Maria Angels with open arms. Their hospitality was so genuine that they were even invited into people’s homes. In the 1970s, there were still very few tourists, and Finns were delighted to meet visitors from Barcelona. People would stop them in the street, ask them all kinds of questions, and Joan and Maria Àngels often felt almost like celebrities.
They returned home with their hearts full of memories, friendships and unforgettable experiences. Nine months later, their own ambassador to Finland was born: Joan. A couple of years later, his brother Josep followed.
That journey marked the beginning of a special relationship with Finland, one that continues to live on today through the Parés Baltà wines.
