A Traveler's Photo Journal

Saturday morning, Midsummer Day, we packed up from Ruissalo and drove back through Turku, east on E18, then turned south onto 180. This route would take us to Nagu/Nauvo, deeper into the archipelago. This destination was suggested by Pamela, as a spot we might like.

The Finnish archipelago is connected by many bridges and ferries, but we had only one to catch. The ferry between Pargus and Nagu departs every 15 minutes. Our timing was good, and there were only about ten cars lined up. The ferry was automated, lights showing which lane to pull into.

Between the ferry stop and Nagu, we saw one fox cross the road, and three large rabbits in a field. At first we thought they were dogs, due to their large size. But we doubled back to check, and sure enough, they were rabbits. The largest rabbits I’ve ever seen.

We passed though the little town of Nagu and drove the remaining 4 km to our next overnight spot at Hotel Stallbacken. It is a very pretty property in the country, with guests staying in a former sheep barn (beautifully renovated), and has a sauna.

Arriving well before check in, we hopped on bikes and pedaled back into Nagu. We stopped for fika at a home/cafe, and walked around the stone church dated 1767.

A short distance away we found the bustling waterfront area of Nagu. It was much busier and a younger crowd than what we had experienced on Ruissalo. Shops and restaurants were open, it was packed with people, and boats were coming in and out. It had a party atmosphere.

We had a glass of wine at a very cute restaurant and did a little shopping. Eventually we climbed back on the bikes and headed back to the hotel.

We had reserved the sauna for one hour at 5 pm, but my sauna tolerance hasn’t built up and this was a really hot sauna. We were only able to stay in for 30 minutes, but it felt good.

The dining room for guests includes an outdoor patio, and with perfect weather, we dined outside. We were so glad we did, because as we sat on the patio, a moose wandered through the field next door. The food was excellent.

Everyone has been extremely nice. The young women who work at Hotel Stellbacken and served us dinner answered all our questions and gave us tips and information about the area. One had never seen a moose and was very surprised and delighted when the moose showed itself.

The official sunrise is 0403 AM and the official sunset here today is 1103 PM. So we should have five hours of darkness, but it isn’t very dark. The sun doesn’t go far below the horizon at all, so it is a twilight. I have been in the Mora region of Sweden for midsummer where the sun touched the tree tops, but here it does go below the horizon.

There were many more boats in the marina on Thursday evening. On Friday many left. We think they were here preparing to head to the outer islands of the archipelago for the Midsummer weekend.

At 9 AM it was 68 F (20 C) with calm winds. We rented bicycles from the hotel and pedaled around the island. There is a very nice camping area at the very tip of the island, which has its own campsite sauna. People were already swimming at 9 AM.

The bike path was well maintained and ran the the entire length of the island. We saw quite a few deer while riding.

We took a side road off the bike path and were rewarded with a pleasant surprise. Villa Kuuva was a beautiful fika stop. Built in 1850 the house has original windows, floors, and stove. It is truly beautiful and the owner will gladly tell you stories of Alexander III’s visit.

After fika we cycled back to the hotel. As promised, we returned to the marina lunch spot for our late after midsummer lunch. It was a very good meal.

On the island of Ruissalo the University of Turku has a Botanical Garden. We visited the garden after lunch.

We were present for the flag raising ceremony.

And we joined in for the raising of the midsummer pole.

It was a beautiful midsummer, with the only disappointment the absence of the lighting of the bonfire. We later heard that it is a common occurrence due to dry conditions.

Hanko is a beautiful coastal town in southern Finland. There is a walking path along the water that leads out of town and takes you past villas, many with names and dates painted on the side.

There is no better place than Finland and no better time than Midsummer to break a 15 month involuntary hiatus from travel. So here I am, in Hanko, Finland, as the “plus one” on another working holiday. It was not easy to travel in this barely post pandemic time. Armed with a CDC Covid vaccine card, a negative Covid test less than 48 hours old, and the appropriate Finnish government forms, it was still a tedious and exhausting experience. Our documents had to be verified for each leg of our journey. Still, when you are relaxing near the Baltic with nothing but the sound of the birds and the wind in the trees, it was worth the effort.

To make things even better, my dear cousins Pamela and Jani invited us for a sail on Pamela’s parent’s sailboat .

Marianne and Bengt are an experienced crew, so it made for a fun and relaxing day on the water. It was perfect weather as well.

We sailed into the Hanko harbor for lunch.

It is a busy waterfront at this time of year. Jani called Hanko “the Monaco of Finland.” We enjoyed a very nice lunch on the water. I was surprised by the intense sun and the warm temperatures.

After lunch we made our way back through the islands to Malou’s home port. It was a very special day and we can’t thank Bangt and Marianne enough for their gracious hospitality.

In the evening we checked into the Hotel Regatta, where we are staying until Thursday. My travel companion is here on business, while I am enjoying a break from work. We walked around Hanko in the evening. It is lilac season now in Finland, and we saw many beautiful bushes.