Vattaja is northern Europe’s largest coastal dune area with 15 kilometres of shoreline, it is also has one of the longest sandy beaches in the Nordics. At the end of the cape is a causeway to the island and historic fishing village of Ohtakari, though these days most of the former dwellings of fisherfolk are smart holiday rentals and second homes. It’s the sort of place that in summer is crammed with beach goers, and perfect to visit on a brisk and bright day in October. Few of the rules of summer apply; no campervans in the car park, as the entire car park is empty, and the motorhome area that charges 25 euros is now free.
The island is small.. with just 2.8 kilometres of shoreline, but the dunes and beaches of the cape made for an excellent hour out on arrival on Thursday afternoon, and a couple more hours the following morning.
There were very few people around, but we did come across a family walking the same island trail. It is mid term break here, and the family, with two sons of 15 and 11, were from Tampere and at their holiday home. We got chatting because the older boy was about to go for a term’s exchange at a school I knew well. They invited Rua and I back for a coffee, and while the younger lad entertained Rua, I was able to give some answers to questions from the older boy and his father.
On Friday afternoon we returned to Kokkola, where we had been last weekend, at the closed campsite on the marina that offered electricity. It is dark now at 5:30 pm, and dusk is rapidly moving forwards, with the sun so low in the sky that I get practically no solar power. The weather continued to be fine, though a cold front meant overnight temperatures down well below zero.
It was a Europe rugby weekend, which makes everything else tricky to fit it. Saturday was Bledislow Cup at 8 am (Australia something of a disappointment however), then out for 10 kilometres to the nearby forest and beaches, then four Champions Cup games, with a quick marina wander in between each.. Sunday wasn’t much different, though I did manage to fit in a shower and sauna also.
I have driven south for a hundred kilometres this morning to the Kvarken Archipelago, close to Vaasa. It is Finland’s only Natural World Heritage Site on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Along with Sweden’s north Coast, it is the best place in the world to see the land uplift phenomenon caused by the last Ice Age.
I’ll be here on and off for the next few weeks. The hour changes across Europe next weekend, which marks the start of winter here. On Sunday the sunsets at 16:01. I have planned for this, and though I am still waiting to hear about a visa extension, I have enquired about various cabins from the end of the week onwards.
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