Back then in Kankanpää
What's up at Ikahani part two: my old life in Kankaanpää: sausages, coffee, and champagne at New Year's!
Written by Iliana Julian
10/31/2024
Arriving in Kankaanpää, swept away by Finnish romance, I soon began to get acquainted with my new home—a place that would be mine for over 20 years, though I had no inkling of that at the time!
Fresh off the plane in my twenties, my first permanent Finnish job was at a sausage factory. A 'makkaratehdas' in Finnish.
The factory was right in the town itself. It was tough, exhausting work, but I made some great friends, many of whom remain close to me today. I'd go so far as to say a very large proportion of my current friends are from that time. We still stay in touch and share our news.
After that, I staffed at a bar outside Kankaanpää’s town center, which was a lot of fun.
I loved the hospitality of the place. Making a connection with people was fantastic. Later, I even had a small place of my own, a café or kuppila. The place was small, cozy: everything I wanted a café to be. And young people would stop by and get to know me, which made for plenty of clients!
There was even talk of me running a Kankaanpää nightclub, though some details—like the drinks menu—were a little challenging.
Kankaanpää is a larger town than Ikaalinen in size and population. As of 2023, it has about 12,000 residents. I loved the hospitality of the place. People would wave as we passed by. We knew our neighbours well and would often say hi during Christmas. Or during New Year's, with champagne.
That isn't always the case in Finland, where people can be quite slow to chat.
And then, one day I heard that the Ikahani building—formerly Ikahovi—was available for rent.
Rumours were out there that the building was available. And I'd seen the hotel before. The landlord was a man I already knew well. He made the suggestion: go there, to Ikaalinen! He owns several properties in the town, though he doesn't like there himself.
Top tip: if you're in the hotel business, get to know your landlord! I'm lucky to have someone I've grown to know well over the years - building trust. Right now, on the edge of exciting renovations to the hotel, it's great to have his support and approval.
Which is just as well, considering I'll soon have a completely new hotel development to announce. I can give you a hint: it involves dance, Cuban dancers, a smooth floor, and mirrors. Stay tuned for more!
