Archipelago Days

The rain today came with some relief, though the warm temperatures continue. It has been particularly warm at night for the last couple of weeks, meaning that Roja stays outside as late as possible, usually until just before midnight.

I’m not keen on hot weather either, which is one of the reasons we headed for the Arctic this summer. For many of the people I’ve met, it was one of their reasons also. Many times however, the temperatures in the Arctic Circle were higher than in the UK. More than any other time of year, I give consideration to where I head for in summer. Shetland worked well last year, rarely does the temperature get above 20C, and I will definitely consider it again in the future.

The days we spent at Reila meant getting out for a few hours in the morning, and then staying in the shade of the trees for the afternoon. Neither does the sun please the van’s solar demands, as it is so much lower in the sky now. I could opt to leave the solar panels in the sun during the afternoon, which would help gain some Watt Hours but internally the van heats up and due to careful insulation, won’t let it go for several hours. The temperature is set to be in the late teens and early twenties this next week, but still no lower than fifteen at night. Proper autumn is eagerly awaited.

On Monday morning we hiked the The Hierkonpolku Trail, but this time anti-clockwise. There was a breeze off the sea, and conditions were ideal for outdoor activity. We met a woman walking a friend’s dog that Roja got on well with. Its name was Moo, named after the Moomins, created by Tove Jannson in her children’s books of the 1950s and 60s. I had just finished one of her books, so it was good to chat to a fellow admirer; the woman that is, rather than the dog.

I drove south, now entering the archipelago that extends around southwest Finland, and taking in a trail through spruce forest to a beach in the afternoon, before settling for the night at Edväinen, an area for campers at a beach organised by the local community. There was one other van there, which surprised me, as I have hard.y seen anyone in the last few days. This was a German couple heading north; they intend to go all the way up to Oulu, and then across Norway to Lofoten before heading south in November. They certainly will find it quiet. Two years ago I headed south through Norway in the autumn, and the weather is more challenging, and of course, there is far less daylight.

Today we took on two other short trails, each about 4 kilometres, that ran through storm-damaged forest to wild beaches; one before the rain came, and one during the rain. Later in the afternoon we travelled through the town of Uusikaupunki, stocked up at the supermarket, and found a beach on an island of the archipelago to spend the night. I won’t be able to take the route I had hoped around the islands as the tourist ferries finished at the end of last week. The boats only run now twice a day and are strictly for commuters.