Cycling suomi (part 4) 25th august 2013
Sunday 25th of august 2013
On Pori station our bikes were lifted in an
old-fashioned train where the conductor had to open the doors manually. Rusty
edges around the windows.
Impatient we waited and played some silly songs. My stomach made really weird jumps, nervous to be
reunited with my love again. Or was it because of the surprise Michel and I had
in mind for Marcia? She knew about the surprise, but didn't know what and until
now I was able to not spoil the surprise.( Which is really a big achievement for me.)
In the train we had company of cute little Finnish
kids who talked in (for us) puzzling
Finnish, the landscape pasted fast, sitting still seems impossible for both me
as Marcia. A hyperactive dog outside. He looked like a fox. Rocks, vibrating
train chairs. De conductor comes by after every stop. The light of the window
flickers because of the trees next to the train track, which turned the cabin
into a disco. Of course I had to film that. Birch trees, a lot of birch trees.
We Arrived in Tampere, still nervous and me a little
bit impatient. I forgot to look up where to find the Hostel. We asked some
people on the street, the first tree weren't of any help. Or they didn't want
to speak English, or they just ignored us. Finally we found a girl who showed
us the right way to Tampere Dream Hostel. It was really close to the station.
We were very friendly received. Our bikes were allowed to stand inside and we
our luggage could stay in the back until there was a room ready for Marcia.
Because of our sudden change of plans, the hostel just found out that they that
we would stay with them (or at least Marcia was, I was going to stay at Michel
his place, a strange thing since Marcia and I have not been sleeping without
each other for weeks)
Because of the surprise for Marcia, I was picked up by
Mikko, a friend of Michel to prepare the surprise, and Marcia was picked up
later by car by Michel.
Marcia was going to see Michel before I did, I was a
little bit jealous.
Mikko and I cycled to the secret location: the
airport! The big surprise was that We all would be flying ( in turns, since
only two people fit in) with Mikko in a small plane! Our first impression of
the city would be from high above!
When Marcia and Michel arrived, Marcia still did not
have a glue what the surprise could be. I took her by the hand and told her to
look around and than guess what it could be.
'No... your kidding, no this is grazy! are we flying, no, it can't be,
this is grazy!!'She couldn't stop shouting and screaming of unbelieve.
Poor Mikko had to deal with the enthusiasm and hyperactivity of Marcia while
getting in the air.
Marcia:
'I went
crazy whaaaaaaa. To see Tampere for the first time and then in the air.
A lot
of shots adrenaline.... couldn't stop screaming.. hahaha. I drove
Mikko nuts.
It was soooo
great to fly. It felt so good. Exciting.
Blue sky, Sunshine and a view from out of the sky.
Wow!'
While Marcia was in
the air, I had the time to enjoy the company of Michel who I really misted a
lot.
Flying was amazing.
I was scared and excited at the same time. Strange to see everything in such
miniatures. I made some nice video material and pictures.
After Michel and
Mikko got back ( which took a bit to long, Marcia and I started to get bored of waiting. The weather was hot,
we were getting sunburned, but were still in thrill of the fly experience which
made us more patient than normal)
That evening we had
a easy salad meal near the water. While watching the sunset which had
amazingly nice colours. It was really an amazing first day in Tampere.
Marcia took a dive in the water and couldn't stop singing of joy 'Party in my pants! '
'So you sleep at my place tonight?' Mikko asked Marcia.
Strange te
leave Marcia in the Hostel in the evening. But I was there first thing in the
morning for breakfast. We met a lot of
other people in the hostel and had some nice, weird and funny chats.
The common
room/kitchen was a nice place to hang out and meet people, although most of
them were more connected to their laptop than to each other. But this didn't
stop us for trying to make contact. The staff was
really nice and we shared stories and food with them.
We were in Tampere
for a week and were able to explore the diversity of the city to the fullest.
One morning we spend sitting on the rocks of the beach close to the centre .
In the evenings we
either went for (Frisbee) Disc golf (discogolf. as we kept calling it ). We found it a bit boring, but as
long as you are in good company, it can be fun. We only disliked the mosquitoes.
We played ultimide frisbee and took a dive in the water afterwards from the Laitori
One day we spend the morning in the boutanic gardens with nice old buildings and nice flowers and
plants.We had some coffee in the small coffee house , which used to be an sauna.
We went to the small marketplaces with second hand stuff, and to the city shops and bought some lady chill things like mudmasks to have a chill afternoon in Mikko his place, were Marcia stayed for her last days and cooked him and Michel a nice meal.
Michel took us for a city guide tour, which he gives daily to tourists.We saw a lot of interesting things whit nice stories and enjoyed the bridge with the love locks and found our favourite lock without any efford!
Thursday 29th August.
Cycling in kaupi
forrest, without luggage, A really nice forrest, but Marcia and I kept cycling
in rounds, not getting anywhere, but it was real fun to be lost such a small forest.
We went to on the water near that forest the next day, in a kajak.
This was an amazing 'zen' trip, floating above the rocks in the water and the silence
around us and the nice wooden houses near the lake.
Kajakking near the Sauna we
saw red burned bodies walking down the stairs from the sauna into the
water of the lake. They looked sunburned and made me me think of the film 'Ronja Rober's daughter' of the story of Astrid Lindgren. There is a scene where the robers need to wash themselves in the snow and you see the pink robers bodies in the white snow. Nostalgia again.( Reed more about my love for Ronja here.)
We went to that sauna afterwards, and Than
Marcia and I understood the red burned bodies. The sauna was very, very hot. Two
old finnish man where holding a compition in throwing water on the hot stones. The view on the lake was amazing, but the water still very cold water. It was a succesful
first experience of public sauna.
Tampere is a city
who seems to have it all. Nature piecefullness and city lifelyness. The last night before I had
to say goodbye to Marcia, we went dancing in a nightclub untill early in the morning.
When we woke up, it was raining, it was raining hard.
'Tampere is crying because I am leaving' said Marcia,
before getting in the train. I would
stay for two more weeks before going home.
It was hard to let Marcia leave alone., but she managed, of course she
did. She even fixed a hotel room for a nice price. Marcia is the best!
Next week: a short reflection on this trip.
Hope you enjoyed the reading so far.
Photo: Visit Åland / Heidi Ikonen
