Back from Holiday

This is where I spent my short holiday this week like many times before. We go there with another couple. It is an old log drivers' cottage in North Carelia in Eastern Finland, a good 6 hours drive from home with coffee and lunch breaks. Nobody else around, no access by car, no electricity, no running water unless you run with the bucket; gas hearth and gas lamps.

Formerly logs were transported from the forest to the sawmills or cellulose works as rafts on the lakes and as loose logs downstream in the rivers and rapids. The log drivers lived in big cottages like this during the working season.





We even did the washing of the dishes outdoors, where there was better light and it was closer to the sauna where we heated the water. The little grey building in the background is the well for drinking water.






My husband P spent the time flyfishing, this picture is from the middle of a series of 14 pictures I took watching him follow a rainbow trout from the head of the rapids downstream. It was a nice 51 cm/20" fish. I went to invite him to afternoon coffee, but couldn't disturb his exciting moments. Instead I took the pictures. We were in no hurry there.






The weather wasn't all too bad, we could spend most of the daylight time outdoors. It rained many times, but after every rain was a little time without rain ;o). On Tuesday there had been no rain for a while so we ladies went for a little walk in the forest to pick blueberries. There were just a little of them, no fun picking three berries here and four there. On a good year you can pick a handful without moving your feet. We got almost one litre in a relatively short time, enough for four people for oatmeal for the two remaining mornings.

This last picture is taken in the evening on Wednesday, when we had a short moment of sunshine. The wind was still, the sun made the dark clouds behind the woods look even darker. This is our side of the shore of the lake Kattilajärvi ("Kettle lake") above the rapids.

I an environment like this I can recharge my batteries for the coming autumn and winter. A few days of simple life, getting fish, mushrooms and berries from the nature, hearing the rush of the water and sometimes a raven's cry. Back to basics. With the one you love. Who could need more?

P.S. You have until Monday evening my time to participate in the giveaway. Just comment on the post below telling me your favourite character of the Winnie the Pooh books.