Only now I'm free and happy.

Tarja Turunen is getting ready for the tour that starts next week.

-First thing I do when I get home, it that I'll make the sauna warm. Going to sauna is so wonderful, perfect relaxation! I've made Marcelo exited about sauna too, Tarja Turunen laughs. on the phone in Kuusankoski.

Couple of days ago Turunen flew with her husband Marcelo Cabuli from spring-like Buenos Aires to the middle of the Finnish autumn. Now there's a short time for relax before the European tour that starts next week.

-I'm gonna exercise and listen to the silence. Of course I'd have million things to do in here. We have four suitcases of stuff. We were just laughing with Marcelo like darn with our life! If we'll ever have kids, then we have a serious situation.

Turunen sounds exited and energitic.

-We're going to Czech Rebublic, Slovaky, Serbia, Bulgaria, Israel, Russia and Belarus. There are may countries that I've never been to. Bulgaria concert is sold out already, and the concert will be moved to a bigger venue, Turunen says.

Turunen is very sorry that the tour doesn't reach Finland.

I'd love to come, but it's not possible now. I hope I can do some festivals in Finlan next summer.

More brave and more self confident.

Tarja Turunen has made music for three years now as a solo artist. Stormy departure with Nightwish is far behind. Turunen is feeling better than before.

-We have incredibly nice group now. Being together and having fun is something new to me. I've become better singer too, because I feel so great and free.

-I'm much more brave and more self confident. Now I feel that I can take better care of myself too. I don't have to take any pressures, but I can be myself and blossom.
It wasn't like that during Nightwish days.
-Before my solo career I was much more alone, and I had to take care of things alone and I felt the touring was much tougher. Only now I can feel the group standing behind me, and I'm happier and my course of life is better.
When being in same small circles for week after week, that's when the team spirit is measured. Now I'm respected, Turunen says.
Tarja isn't rancorous towards Nightwish, but they still have bad blood between them.
-No, we still haven't have any way in touch with each others. I can't really use the word about 'breach', but it wasn't nice way our alliance ended.
It was very chaotic and it had certain kind of insecurity, especially in the beginning the pressure was quite big. Pulling myself together took about a year. Iwas thinking that how do I go through this, but one always does. I was thinking that I'll push myself through a stone, that's what must be done, and the life goes on.
She's not missing the past at all.
Sure we had magnificent concerts, but today I'm enjoying my own concerts much more. I'm more brave, more self confident and more happy. Now I feel that I can take better care of myself too.

One reason for happiness is the most important person for Tarja, her husband and manager.
The couple has been together for 8 years. There hasn't been any bigger wrinkles in their love, even though they're together most of the time.
-That's strange thing. We have found such soulmates of each others, that work, everyday life or love never fight each others. We love each others a lot, and we have sensual moments and life feels happy.
-My thoughts about my own future before Marcelo were very different. I couldn't imagine founding a husband from another culture and that far away. But the life went differently, and this is better way. We enjoy being together so much, that I'll become sick if we have to be separated for weeks.
The couple has also thought about starting a family.
-Of course when you grow older, certain things in life become highlighted. Family and thinking of future are some of those things. We have planned of having kids. Marcelo would've been ready for that years ago already, but I have hit the break pedal little bit. But of course we both do want kids someday, if we're alowed.