Cruising around Karelia

Since the last blog entry Katri and I have clocked up quite a few kilometres on land and water, alternating between Katri’s parent’s house in Pieksamaki and their summer cottage. Given that petrol is heavily taxed and is around 1.35 Euros ($2.15 AUD) per litre, it has been a significant expense. However, if you are feeling lucky you can gamble your petrol money at most medium sized petrol stations, as they are regularly lined with pokie machines. Finland has certainly taken a different approach to Perth’s “no pokies outside the (one) casino” policy.

All the driving has been worthwhile as my time the summer cottage and around the lakes has been wonderful. The daily routine of picking berries for breakfast and mushrooms dinner continues, with raspberries now in season and in my breakfast bowl each morning. I have also had plenty of chances to relax, have a sauna and spend time on the water. Katri’s parents offered to take us out on their boat for a tour around the lakes surrounding their cottage, which I gladly accepted. It was explained to me that it would be around 25 minutes each way, but even with my poor comprehension of Finnish it was clear that somewhere along the line the plans changed. The dead giveaway was when after an hour or so going in the same direction, Katri’s father gave the steering wheel to Katri as he quizzically consulted his map of the lakes. Although we were lost, it had nothing to do with alcohol consumption as a random breath test from a police boat ensured.

However, I’m certainly not one to give advice on driving a boat, as my seafaring skills are not as strong as my self confidence. My attempts at steering the family's row boat onto the lake for the first time brought about wholehearted laughter from Katri, and glare from me that was icy enough to freeze the lake over. All things considered, my efforts were not as bad as they could have been, as the last time steered something on water was at Katherine Gorge in 2004 when I capsized a canoe with a friend. Somehow the advice of “don’t take the canoe down the rapids” became a challenge to see if we could take the canoe down the rapids. This time, thankfully, the water remained underneath the boat and all that was lost was some dignity.

The cottage is in Karelia near Lake Saimaa, Finland’s largest lake, in the most eastern province of the country. Karelia has a unique place in the hearts of many Finns as it has been a contested territory with Russia and since the bitter Winter War (just prior to World War II) it has remained divided between the two countries. Karelia is also home to some marvelous local beer, bakery products, forest food and unfortunately forest insects. However, you can't blame the Finns for the mosquitoes and ticks as like most problems, the Russians are always to blame ;)

The last few days have been spent back in Pieksamaki, but last Sunday we went on a day trip on around the Savo region and had a trek around some Finnish national parks. A highlight for me was Savonlinna, a beautiful small town in the east of the province. Savonlinna is famous for its month long opera festival and week long ballet festival in July/August, both held in the impressive Olavinlinna Castle. The Olavinlinna Castle is a magnificently well preserved 15^th century castle and the most northern stone caste in the world. Historically it was used to protect the unstable border between the Kingdom of Sweden and its Russian adversary in Ingermanland. As it was Saint Olaf's Day last Sunday, we were able to tour the castle for free. However it’s not just high culture and history that makes the town famous, it is now also home to the Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships, held every August. Given the weight of my semi-mobile brick telephone, I don’t stand much chance winning the competition this year.

This Thursday Katri and I will be returning to Lund (in southern Sweden) for a week, before I catch the train north to Oslo and commence my studies. I’m really looking forward to being back in the familiar surroundings of Lund, as it has been just over a year since I finished my studies there. I was thinking today that if I continue with my ambitions and go on to study a PhD after this masters program, I have at least another 5 years of studies ahead of me… Well it’s a scary prospect, but not as scary as working a Monday to Friday, 40 hour week. My timetable in Oslo looks more like a Tuesday to Thursday 12 hour week, with 3 months of summer holidays. I think I could handle this for the next five years!