Safe Return Doubtful

At the marina at Miekojärvi lake in the small community of Sirkkakoski there was another motorhome, linked up to the electricity in the community fishing building. On the site also was a large luxury sled catering house, which was empty. Despite the rain on the day I arrived, I did see the guy in the motorhome, as he had a dog, and the dog and Rua exchanged barks on their evening walks. I chatted with the guy, just to make sure I was not in a place where I was not wanted. On the contrary, he welcomed me. There is a fish farm here, though business is down due most likely I was told, to the lake being over-fished, and the change in the climate. He was keeping an eye on the place, while the owner was away for a month, though he said the owner, coming up to retirement, was likely to sell, but at a reduced price from what he would have got ten years ago. 

The rain continued into the next day, in fact became heavier. Undeterred, we were out for a couple of hours in the morning before moving south. It was one of those days when unless you had a dog, to whom any weather is attractive for an outing, you would only have been out for ten minutes, if that. 

I broke the journey at Ylitornio, where there are walking trails on some gentle hills just out of town. The town is on the Tornio river, 550 kilometres long, and for half of that it defines the border between Sweden and Finland, running south into the Bothnian Sea. The walking trails above town are cross country ski trails also, and like most in these parts, floodlit for about 5 kilometres for the dark days of midwinter. The rain didn’t stop until late in the evening, but we were able to explore the area and plan a hike for the next morning. 

Later the following day I continued south to the town of Tornio, and took the opportunity of a sauna and shower. In towns like Tornio these facilities are subsidised so as to be available for all, 5 euros for adults, 4 euros for over 60s. Tornio is right next to Haparanda in Sweden, split only by a bridge, and a rather inconvenient hour of time difference. They are in effect, one town. In the sauna I met a couple of guys who told me that this part of Finland, Tornio and some smaller communities along the river, were trying to get the government to allow them to be on Swedish time, Western Europe time, as they said its economy suffered hugely. 

I drove south down the west coast of the Bothnian Sea to the island of Seskarö on a fine evening with a clear sky and 15C, set fair for a few days. The island has good forested walking trails and small and secluded sandy beaches, hectic in the summer months, suddenly quiet now.

After a morning out around those trails this morning, we continued south to the village of Brändön and its marina where we will spend the night. I have an appointment at Migration Sweden tomorrow morning in Luleå to extend my visa, just half an hour away. Then we will head back north into Finland.