quintesential Finland, lake and jetty at Punkaharju
If Finland is the land of lakes and forest, today we have seen Finland. Half an hour outside Savonlinna is the Punkaharju area, where we are driving across a narrow land tongue, or perhaps it is an artificial dam, with lakes on both sides. It is quite nice weather, which helps appreciating the landscape – and helps in the photos, too.
a colony of postboxes, for the houses off the road
expansive views
this is the type of tracks in between the lakes
early morning sunlight
The drive to Astuvansalmi exposes us to more lake views, amongst which the Saimaa Lake, one of the larger ones in this area – although all these lakes are somehow connected, I think. Along the road, or rather, along the lake side, lots of small cottages which contain a sauna. They are usually pretty small, but have a jetty in front, with stairs into the water. This is the thing to do, it summer, entire Finland either rents a sauna on the lake, or invades friends and family who own or rent such a sauna. Which means that there is actually not much public space along the lake; we have difficulty finding a picnic spot. But all along it is a beautiful drive, with beautiful views of picture perfect sights, often mirror imaged in the water. Can’t describe it, you have to see this for yourself.
more trees, more lake
not only trees, rocks mirror in the water, too
more tree than lake
view of the lake, again
in places board have been laid out across little streams: is this a path of is this a path?
Because of the many stops on the way it is actually already quite late in the afternoon when we arrive at Astuvansalmi, or at least at a small parking place where the rock paintings are signposted. An arrow points towards a path. Good news, there is a path! Which we follow, through open forest, occasionally clambering up some rocky slope, but all together not a very strenuous walk. At some moment, having had no further clues as whether we were going in the right direction, we meet a few women walking their dogs, and yes, they confirm that at the end of the path were rock paintings. Good news, once again!
We get distracted by several lakes we pass, the one even more beautiful than the other, and by lots of mushrooms, growing in large amounts along our path, in all sizes and in a variety of forms and colours. Some are actually quite big, much bigger than I have ever seen before.
red mushroom
white mushroom
and two-coloured brown
brown mushroom
purple mushroom
really, this is what distracted us along the path
the jetty along the lake, from which no more boats depart until next season
the rockface with paintings, and the board walk in front
is this a rock painting or is this a rock painting? reindeer, no doubt
and a hunter figurine, not very sharp
Just when we get a little concerned, that this walk is taking much longer than we had expected – and we still need to move on from here! -, we reach another lake side, with a jetty from where presumably boats depart in the tourist season, which has ended mid-September, a few days ago. There is no boat. But there are actually walk ways along the rock face, and lo and behold, there are actually paintings on the rock. A few meters above eye level, which is why they are so much better visible from a boat on the lake, but nevertheless recognisable as rock paintings. Monochromatic, quite simple, indeed not very spectacular, but we found them. And even if they are not that fantastic, we have enjoyed the walk and the views. Wouldn’t have wanted to miss all that!
Next: Lappeenranta.
and believe me, here all al the images togethr
