Our most recent Mondo Berry adventure was a visit to deepest Finland. Travelling by small planes and local buses we discovered why this country is known as the 'land of the thousand lakes'.

We visited various berry companies and attended a meet the buyer event in a small town near the border with Russia. Here we came across pine juice, reindeer meat and a variety of mushrooms as well as berry products. We received a warm welcome.

We had read a book about doing business with the Finns which said that silences are an important part of Finnish conversation and to avoid small talk. This was the best bit of advice we got before our trip. It was exhilarating to keep to the point and not feel compelled to fill 'awkward' silences.

After an encounter with one of the few mosquitoes left over from summer which resulted in a bite the size of a ping pong ball, Finland's annual mosquito killing contest made sense.

We watched their version of Big Brother while eating in an isolated restaurant named after a local Formula One hero; trekked through a forest to relax by the side of a lake for a few hours; started a collection of Moomintroll characters and generally enjoyed ourselves.

Best trip so far!

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