I know few people who love boats more than my father, Donn … a sailor at heart who spent the years he farmed in Northern Minnesota talking about boats, ships and all things Maritime.
Just a few years ago he purchased a sail boat on the Gulf of Mexico through on Ebay … fixed it up, took one amazing sail adventure with my youngest brother, Ray, off the Texas coast. After spending more than a month on the Gulf fixing the boat up, he sold it at a slight profit … allowing him to buy another sail boat closer to home that he can take out on the Minnesota lakes. He is also building a river houseboat … and we’re all yearning for him to complete construction! (He estimates that he has about a year’s work left before he and my mother, Ruth, can be on their way down the Mississippi River.)
With all that said … spending a day cruising the scenic Finnish lakes between Kuopio and Savonlinna makes me think that perhaps I have a passion for boating in my genes!
It’s unseasonably hot here in Finland. On Monday I thought I was going to melt in the city center of Kuopio … so spending nearly 11 hours on the lakes was the most perfect way to spend a hot midsummer day.
The scenery reminds me of Minnesota … except that the lakes and forrest of Finland are much more vast. All along the coast line there are beautiful summer cabins (and saunas) nestled among the pines and birch. Many folks in Finland are on summer vacation, so we saw people swimming and boating along the entire route.
I particularly like how friendly the Finns are on the open water. Everyone … and I mean EVERYONE … waves to each other! (I find the Finns to be a bit more reserved on the roads and walking paths in the cities.) There’s something about water that brings everyone together.
What follows are some of my most favorite photos … selected from hundreds that I still have to review and edit!
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