Outdoors – Blue Moment

Day 179: Picturesque Pärnu

August 14, 2026August 14, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Architecture, Europe, Family, Outdoors, TravellingTagged 365 Project, Architecture, family, Holidays, Outdoors, TravelLeave a comment

Stuart and I visited Pärnu during our longer European road trip 10 years ago. I, however, had almost no memories of it, so I believed it to be a somewhat boring town. Stuart felt the same.

When we started talking about it, though, we realized we had gone there approximately a week after I badly hurt my foot. I was in a moon boot and on crutches. And having just hobbled around Tallinn for two days, I had no interest in even leaving the hotel. I remember driving along the beach the next morning before heading to Latvia.

So, maybe not something I can blame Pärnu for.

Now that I’ve actually seen Pärnu, I find it amazing.

Day 175: Little Big Adventure

August 11, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Asikkala, Family, Kiara, Outdoors, Sport, WaterTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Children, Holidays, Kiara, Learning, Outdoors, Sport, Summer CottageLeave a comment

The best purchase of the summer – if you ask the girls – has been the massive, almost 5m-long swimming mattress Ukki ordered.

It easily holds both girls standing up, so, wearing a life jackets, Alanna and Kiara have been allowed to push it almost to the middle of the lake by themselves. This is, of course, infinitely cooler than doing it with an adult. Ukki even towed the girls and the mattress all the way to the other side of the strait.

In the deep, the mattress becomes a platform for jumping, diving, kicking, pushing and generally messing around in the water. The best game, naturally, is trying to stay standing when the waves from a passing boat rock the mattress.

Great fun and a great way to build even more confidence in the water.

Now we just need to figure out where an earth to store a thick, 5m mattress for the winter.

Day 174: Stop And Smell The Mushrooms

August 10, 2026August 10, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Finland, Kiara, Makro, Nature, OutdoorsTagged 365 Project, Activities, Finland, Makro, Nature, OutdoorsLeave a comment

In Finnish forests, the flowers tend to bloom early and only briefly. Season is short, so this time of the year, forest are mostly a sea of different greens.

Mushroom season is starting, tho, so it’s worth keeping your eyes on the ground!

Day 172: Luopostensalmi

August 8, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Asikkala, Finland, Nature, Outdoors, WaterTagged 365 Project, Finland, Nature, Outdoors, Scenery, Summer, Summer CottageLeave a comment

There is a beautiful narrow strait just next to our summer cottage. It used to be a protected fish migration route, so no building and no fishing were allowed. I think the regulations have changed somewhat, but parts of the shoreline remain untouched.

As kids – maybe 14-17 years old – my brother and I would occassionally take the boat there for a swim. The strait is so sheltered from the wind that the water was always several degrees warmer than anywhere else.

Day 169: The Longest Streak

August 5, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Family, Finland, Outdoors, SportTagged 365 Project, Activities, family, Outdoors, Sport, SummerLeave a comment

Today, I have officially surpassed the number of days I managed in my previous 365 challenge, nine years ago.

Still posting.

To mark this momentous day, the weather turned foul with high, gusty winds and intermittent rain.

The perfect occassion to go frisbee golfing with family. We will enjoy the summer, perkele!

Day 168: Local Sights

August 4, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Asikkala, Finland, Kiara, Nature, Outdoors, Sport, Stuart, Travelling, WaterTagged 365 Project, Activities, Alanna, Finland, Kiara, Nature, Outdoors, Scenery, Sport, Stuart, TravelLeave a comment

When something is close to home, you rarely see it as anything special.

Pulkkilanharju is a narrow esker gormed during the Ice Age. It is surrounded by the open waters of lake Päijänne, with small green islands dotting the landscape. It is often listed as one of the most scenic drives in Finland.

But because it is so close to the summer cottage, years can pass without us visiting.

This year, we decided not only to drive across it, but also to walk the short nature trail in the national park. The girls insisted the terrain was so challenging they couldn’t possibly have finished the walk without the 1,5l of bilberries they ate along the way. It really wasn’t. But the bilberries were clearly excellent.

We finished the adventure with lunch and ice cream at Vääksy Lock. Another piece of Finland’s must-see scenery.

Day 167: Bother With Boats

August 3, 2026August 3, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Asikkala, Family, Outdoors, WaterTagged 365 Project, family, Outdoors, Summer CottageLeave a comment

Boats (of any size) are hard work.

I love being on the water, but have no interest in owning, operating or maintaining a boat. I want to admire the scenery, take photos, feel the wind… and step off at the end.

I only have to look at my dad or some of my friends to understand how much work boats are. I’m lucky to be in a position, where I can help out here and there without carrying the resposibility. I occassionally drive boats, but even that I do reluctantly. Like with a car, I get no pleasure from being behind the wheel (and I’m always convinced I am bad at it).

When we moved into our house in Espoo, the previous owners asked whether we’d like to include their boat in the deal. Stuart and I did not even need to glance at each other before saying no.

Luckily, there are people more willing to put in the work. I certainly benefit from the result.

Day 163: On To Kotka

July 30, 2026July 30, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Finland, Nature, Outdoors, Sport, Stuart, Stuart, TravellingTagged 365 Project, Finland, Holidays, Nature, Outdoors, Scenery, Sport, Stuart, Summer, TravelLeave a comment

The clouds were heavy today, but there was (almost) no rain. The occassional drizzle – so light that the wind dried us faster than the rain got us wet – doesn’t count.

A win in my books.

The route from Loviisa to Kotka was mostly on paved roads, rather than the forest tracks and gravel roads we usually look for. In fact, we occassionally end up in paths more suited to game tracks in our determination to avoid bigger roads. Only once have we been forced to backtrack for more than a kilometer or so.

We’ve been lost at least twice.

Still, there were several interesting stops: the Loviisa fortress ruins, Strömfors Iron Works, the Savukoski Museum Bridge and the Tsar’s Fishing Lodge. What supprised us the most was finding a quite large and lovingly nurtured English Garden in the middle of absolutely nowhere (Erja’s Garden).

Finally, a note to self: Sunday evening is not the right time to find great restaurants in Kotka.

Day 162: Porvoo-Loviisa

July 29, 2026July 29, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Architecture, Finland, Nature, Outdoors, Sport, Stuart, Stuart, TravellingTagged 365 Project, Architecture, Finland, Nature, Outdoors, Scenery, Sport, Stuart, Summer, TravelLeave a comment

A few days before the weekend, the forecast was still predicting massive rainfall – as much rain in two days as we normally get in the whole of July. With that in mind, partly cloudy Saturday felt like a win.

The cycle path from Porvoo to Loviisa meanderered through fields and forests. A few small villages and the occassional grand manor house dotted the route.

Stuart and I have developed a tradition of betting on which animal we see first on our cycling trips (cats, dogs and birds don’t count). I played it safe and put my money on a cow. Stuart guessed a horse. He won – although technically that was only the second one. The first animal we saw was a donkey. Maybe I should have known.

We did not see a single cow during the entire trip. Not one.

Loviisa is another lovely seaside town with a wooden old town and very popular harbor district with cafes and restaurants. Fortunately, the rain gave us a good excuse to call it a night early.

Day 161: Cycling Trip

July 28, 2026July 29, 2026Posted in 365 Project, Activities, Finland, Nature, Outdoors, Stuart, TravellingTagged 365 Project, Activities, Finland, Holidays, Nature, Outdoors, Scenery, Stuart, Summer, TravelLeave a comment

Start of the summer holiday.

The girls, carrying their enormous rucksacks, hopped on a bus and headed to Väiski, a scout camp in Parainen forests with 1,800 kids. Stuart and I seized the opportunity, jumped on our bikes and headed for Porvoo. The plan is to cycle to Kotka over the weekend (about 130km in total).

We have cycled from Espoo to Porvoo before, and the route is not particularily interesting. So this time, we decided to take the J.L Runeberg, a museum ship that sails from Helsinki to Porvoo. Great weather, pleasant sailing, cool ship… but too many people.

Porvoo itself, is a picturesque little town with a cobbled old town, good restaurants, quaint shops and a few decent museums, including the old home of Finland’s national poet, Runeberg.

And luckily Porvoo is worth spending a little time in. Our hotel, approx 25 km away, was in the middle of nowhere, with not even a restaurant nearby. Therefore, timing dinner at the last restaurant on the way required a bit of a planning.

The last few kilometers, with the sun setting on our backs, were beautiful.

By the time we opened the last beers on the hotel garden, it felt like holiday.