I heart FINLAND

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Well I made it from Rovaniemi to Sotkamo where I spent one night with my Thomas and Suvi, the couple I met in Svalbard. Thomas and I walked their dogs, then got back and went for a sauna (almost every Finnish home has one). Then we had a BBQ and relaxed for the rest of the night. I hung out at their place on Friday, and then on Friday night Thomas and I hopped in his car and headed to his family cottage near Loviisa on the south coast on Finland. It was the first time on the trip that I didn't feel like I was travelling. It felt like it was just another roadtrip with a friend. After the 6 hour drive we arrived at the cottage at midnight and went to bed.

I woke up Saturday morning and met Thomas' parents and got a better look of their cottage. It is all built from logs and wood, and has a very rustic feel. From the front steps it is only 30 meters to the ocean. It was hard to tell that it was the ocean due to all of the islands that block any view of wide open sea. Thomas and I spent the first part of Saturday spreading soil on an area that they are going to make into a garden. Some would say that is was work, but once again I felt like I was at home just spending time with a friends while working, and time spent with friends never feels like work.

After we had spread the soil, we went for a "real" sauna. The Finnish usually have electric ones in their city homes, but this one was a wood burning sauna. As a fairly newbie at the sauna I like to think I held my own as the temperature broke the 100 degree mark. It was then off to the water for a quick swim in 15 degree water. A bit of a temperature change. Then back to the sauna and back to the water again. It was much more relaxing than any hot tub I have ever been in. I am already trying to plan how and where I will build one at home. After a good meal and a boat trip around the archipelago it was to bed for a good nights sleep.

Sunday morning I went out with Thomas and his father as they took up a fishing line. The line has 100 hooks and is usually a pretty effective way of catching fish. As usual, I am convinced that my bad luck tagged along on the ride, and the catch was only 4 fish. And none of them big enough to write home about. Thomas and I then took down the dock for winter so the ice wouldn't break it, and then it was to the sauna again one more time. After lunch we said goodbye to Thomas' parents and Thomas dropped me off in Loviisa to catch the bus to Helsinki.

The entire weekend goes down as one of the "moments" I mentioned when I was in Svalbard. I got to experience Finland in a way that I don't think many travellers do, and I will never forget. Better yet is the fact that I can now say I have friends who live in Finland, and I can look forward to seeing them in Canada one day....

Now in Helsinki, I have toured for a couple days and have made another change in plans. Tomorrow I head to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. Then I will head to Riga, Latvia and catch the night ferry on Thursday night to Stockholm. I love random travelling.....

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Photos

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Cabin with sauna

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The beach...