Meeting Neil’s dad

It didn't take long for me to meet Neil’s sister, mother and stepfather. And even his niece. They seem to come over and visit him a lot. And his father had at some point also been in the neighbourhood, but for some reason that has not resulted in us actually meeting. Neil and I have now been hanging out for practically a year, and finally an opportunity presented itself.

Neil and I would meet on Sunday, and we hadn't decided what to do, when it turned out his dad was back camping on Anglesey. I made the decision of what to do easy! Their plan was to go to a weekly car boot sale on the Anglesey Showground, so we joined.

We met them there. It was lovely to finally meet them. Neil was clearly made from his father's blueprint. He is just younger and taller. Liz, Neil’s stepmom, is the one who really likes car boot sales.

It was lovely weather for it: sunny, but not too hot. And a car boot sale is actually quite a relaxed environment to get to know people. You’re just browsing a bit, sometimes al together, sometimes in pairs, and sometimes entirely dispersed. There's no pressure.

We also actually bought things. The first thing I saw was a pair of sickles. I know Jenny uses them, and she had recently complained to me that you can't buy them anywhere anymore. So I bought them for her! And I bought a little basket for myself. Neil's parents got some stuff as well. Only Neil himself was not convinced by anything he saw. 

After the car boot sale we went to a nearby garden centre, where we had a browse and a coffee. Then we went to the caravan. It was pitched in a farmer’s field. It was very quiet there! And the view was lovely. We just had a chat and a cup of tea and a scone. 

I had heard so much about them! It was great to finally meet them. And they were very welcoming, just like the rest of the family had done. I am lucky. 

Group pic with caravan

Hanging out with Neil’s family

Neil is from a rather close family. To me it felt like they had visited only 10 minutes ago, but they were going to visit again. That's great! They are really lovely people and it is nice to hang out with them. And we had agreed that I would join them on the Thursday evening. We would go for a quick meal in town, and then do a guided walk over the Orme, looking at wild flowers. I was a little bit hesitant about the weather, as it was the hottest day of a heatwave, but at least it would be evening.

I drove up to leave my car in Neil’s street, and then walked down to the pub through the shadows. We had a nice meal, and then we said goodbye to Neil's mum and stepdad. They didn't fancy the walk. With his sister and brother-in-law we made our way to the Orme. When we approached the meeting point, we didn't really see the throng we expected. Neil checked his messages. About an hour earlier, it had been cancelled because of the weather! That was a bummer.

We decided to walk back with a detour, enjoying a bit more of the Orme. We went past Bishop’s Quarry, and saw some chuffs. And we had a cup of tea together before the others went back to their accommodation. 

I hadn’t intended to join them again night after, but they were so inviting I changed my plans. I did have to work on Friday, and look after the cat, and water some of my plants because of the weather, but aside from that I could just be away for another night. In this kind of weather, my cat doesn't sleep in my bed anyway, so I think she misses me less when I am away.

This time we only did dinner, and a cup of tea in the garden of the hotel where the others were staying. That was enough for me! I had had a good opportunity to get to know them a bit better, but I also hadn't been sleeping excessively well recently, and was tired.

Me, Neil’s sister, her husband, Neil’s stepdad, his mum, and Neil himself

The plan is a bit that in the not too distant future, Neil and I will go to Manchester to visit his mum and stepdad. I don't know when I will see his sister again. That might be Christmas. But it was great to see them! I am very happy to have been accepted into this family.

Family day

The reason I went to the Netherlands this specific weekend was the annual family day. It was organised by the Haarlem part of the family, and would take place in the dunes. I love the dunes! My cousin Bart had booked a part of the visitor centre, and he mentioned the idea was to go swimming in a little dune lake as well. Sounded fine. 

The visitor centre was only some 20 minutes walking from the nearest train station, so Neil and I got on our bikes in the morning and took the train west. We changed trains in Amsterdam, where we found my nephew David. That was nice! He hadn't met Neil yet. And it turned out that my other nephew Abe had caught the train as well, but at the very last moment, so he was at the far end. And it was a very sunny Whitsun weekend, so obviously, the train to the beach was absolutely rammed.

We walked up with the four of us, and found the visitors centre without problems. Quite a number of people were already there. And there was coffee and cake for whoever wanted it. A good start!

Everybody introduced themselves to Neil, and they were all happy I had brought him. And I was glad I had made him a cheat sheet so he could remember who was who, and how everyone was related.

What with the coast being very busy that day, there were a few people stuck in traffic, so it took a while before we were complete. But it pretty much happened! Everyone you might expect to be there was there, except two children; one, I think, was too busy with exams, and the other one was poorly. And that is sad, but altogether the turnout was good.

My uncle Dick does an introduction 

Lunch happened quite soon after the coffee. And we had long tables, so you could move around a bit, and try to catch up with every branch of the family present. It is a lovely bunch!

After lunch, many of us indeed went to the little lake. It was busy! But nice. In no time, my sister’s sons were hurling my cousin’s son as high out of the water as they could, to his delight. But we didn’t stay in the water very long. 

On the way to the dune lake

By the lake

The lake itself

We got back and had some tea and cake and suchlike. It was all rather relaxed! I suppose that’s good if you are in a heatwave, you have elderly people there (like my dad), and the most important thing is catching up anyway. There was  plenty to talk about! 

After the tea there was a split. Those who lived far away and needed to get there left. Everybody else walked a few minutes down the road to a pancake restaurant. Pancakes! Who doesn’t love them. 

After the pancakes it was time to go our separate ways. I had really enjoyed it. Next year it will be in Enschede.  Bring it on! 

New family contact

In 2024, one of my cousins on my mother’s side, Jennifer,  got in touch with my sister. And through my sister, she got in touch with me. We even met up!

Since then, things have trundled along. Several other cousins have now joined in. When I saw my sister over Christmas, she told me of a concert several of them will be attending. It is very logistically difficult for me to join in with any of that, but I like the fact that this is going on.

Jennifer also has good contact with two of our aunts. And recently, I got the request, through her and my sister, if I will be happy to have a chat with one of them. Of course I was! And soon we did have a phone call.

The last time I met this lady, José, in person (any Latin readers might be surprised at me having an aunt with that name but there we are) what was when I was a child. By now I wouldn't recognise her if I bumped into her. And unless she has seen recent pictures of me, I'm sure that is mutual. But it was lovely to talk to such a voice from the past. And now she is a voice from the present again. Quite unexpectedly! 

Meeting Neil’s family

It seems to be a bit of a tradition that Neil’s family, being his mum, stepdad, sister, brother in law, niece and nephew come his way for Christmas. They rent some holiday accommodation and do day trips. And socialise a lot. It sounded fab! 

This year I had made sure I was back from the Netherlands quite early, so I could also see Neil. I didn’t know that could actually include his family. But it did! We had one evening of overlap. So we decided we would all go out for dinner. And I had already met his sister and her husband in summer, and his niece for the Conwy Half Marathon, but now I would meet his mum and stepdad, and his nephew, too. I was looking forward to it! 

I had a day at home, to spend with the cat. And then I travelled up to Llandudno. First to Neil’s place, and together we walked to the restaurant. We were a bit early. But after a while, in drabs as they have different walking speeds, they all appeared. It was lovely to see those I had met before, and to meet the new ones. His mum was very welcoming. 

We had a lovely meal, and given that a lot of people there were genetically related to Neil, there was a lot of talking. It was great! And after the meal we popped to their accommodation for a cup of tea to finish it all off. But then I left. I was tired! But I hope I will see them all again in the not too distant future. Neil’s mum doesn’t live awfully far away, so I think we can go and visit her. And who knows what else comes up! 

Christmas in the Netherlands

This year I wanted to spend time with my family, but also with Neil. I decided to book a rather short trip to the Netherlands. An advantage of that was that I didn’t need a cat sitter. For that short time, the neighbour and Chris could do the honours. And in addition to family, I would go and see Roelof and Monique. 

Seeing Roelof didn’t work, as that would take place the first evening, and that vanished into a many hour delay with Eurostar. But I could see Monique the next day, That is always lovely! 

On Christmas Day I woke up fairly early, and felt like a run. So I did a short one. It was still dark, so I stayed in town, as that was lit. It was a gorgeous morning! Then I went to my sister’s to have a bit of time with her and her family before we would all go and see my dad. There was a lot going on among them! When it was time to go I went separately, as their car was full. 

Early morning Amersfoort 

When I approached his house I saw a figure briskly walk towards me. It looked familiar. But it surely couldn't be my dad; he hadn’t walked briskly in ages. But it was him! He had a rollator now (that seems to be an English word too, even though nobody uses it) and suddenly he was fast and stable on his feet again. Amazing! 

Soon my sister and entourage arrived too. That was us complete. My sister’s father in law was not healthy enough to join us this year. We went for a little walk, and then we had drinks and nibbles. And then Christmas dinner, made by many of us. My sister’s eldest son had made the pièce de resistance. 

Christmas dinner; my sister took the picture 

After dinner my sister and family left. I stayed the night. It was nice to have some quiet time with my dad and his wife. And in the morning we had breakfast together. But then it was time to head to my mum’s for Boxing Day. 

Along the way I bought some food for in the train. It would be another long day of travel! But then I could just relax at my mum’s. With tea, and bockbier, and cheese and crackers. And another run. It was nice and relaxed! But then time came to go to bed. My visit was almost over. 

In the morning I had to get up early. I said bye to my mum, who then just went back to sleep. And I stepped into the fresh morning air, heading home again! 

Finishing the birthday

When my sister, Neil and I left Martin, they was still most of my birthday to go. And we headed for Neil’s. First, of course, we greeted the cat. It was nice to introduce my sister to this house I visit quite a lot. Neil gave me his birthday presents, and then we went for a little walk. The weather forecast had been rather atrocious, but it wasn't very bad! It was dry, we even had some sun, and although it was windy, it wasn't anywhere as windy as it had been the day before. And the Orme is reliably beautiful. 

View, with goats. From the landward end of the Orme

Windy Orme selfie

We went over the top, past the church, and past a bay festooned with seals. And then we got peckish and went back via Happy Valley. And after lunch, my sister and I left. Back to Bethesda! For a last evening together. 

Loads of seals! 

We went for another walk there, and then we had dinner. Nothing spectacular, but we had to get up early as my sister had a flight to catch. But it was good to have some time together. Even after all those decades, we still have new things to talk about, and things to find out about each other.

The next morning we had our last breakfast together, and then I drove her to the railway station. The visit was over! Thank you sis! See you again over Christmas…

Sister arrives for birthday visit

My sister would come over for my 50th birthday. That was fab! I had planned a small celebration and she would fit right in. 

She would arrive the day before. If all went well, I would pick her up from the station at 17:41, or maybe 18:20. 

She sent me a message just after noon. There was a delay! And it kept getting bigger. Oh no! Finally some progress was made, but she wouldn’t arrive in Bangor until 20:11. 

When I had finished all the work that really needed to be done before the weekend, I decided to go home and get some light dinner ready. And then I went to pick her up. Finally she was there! 

We only had a little bit of evening left to catch up before it was bedtime. Delays are annoying! But also something you just have to put up with. And the next day would not actually be my birthday, but would be the day of the celebration, as that is better done on a Saturday. I was looking forward to it!

In the Netherlands: family

My main aim when I go to the Netherlands is always family. I almost always make a bee line to my mum when I reach the country. This time was no exception. And the day after my arrival I would have lunch with my sister and two cousins. And I would go and visit my dad. 

Visiting my mum worked out as intended. We had a nice time catching up over a cup of coffee or a glass of port. And I can use her place as a starting point for runs, which I did. 

Having lunch with my cousins was not such a success. Both of them cancelled on the day. That was sad! I had been looking forward to seeing them. But then I just had lunch with my sister. That’s nice too. And then we went to her place together, and I also got to see her husband and two of the children (who are not children). And the cat. 

Sister lunch

I also visited my dad. He was not entirely well! He had intended to pick me up from the railway station, but that hadn’t worked. His body just wasn’t having it. But he recovered, and with the three of us we could later successfully go for some ice cream. And we did a bit of practicing with modern means of communication. 

Late summer ice cream

Altogether not a spectacular story, but nice to see everyone again. And yes my parents are noticing their age. But that is to be expected. It was good to see them! 

Rest of trip to the Netherlands

That was it again! My spring visit to the Netherlands. In addition to the family day I also visited my mother, Monique, and Roelof, and I went to my sister’s birthday. At my mum’s I did a nice run. And we did the usual catching up over coffee and wine.

When I was at Monique’s, her (our) old friend Jasper was there too. He lives in Amsterdam, but they joke he has a holiday home in Drenthe. He’s at their place so often!

At Roelof’s we had an additional Erik. And we started thinking about the next swamp hike, the previous edition of which Erik couldn’t make. It looks like we at least have a date! Not quite yet a destination. 

My sister’s birthday was lovely. I know her friends (and relatives of her husband) a bit so I am not among strangers. And the ones I don’t know always turn out nice as well. So that was good! And an outdoor occasion. The weather was lovely. 

My sister’s cat. I didn’t take many pictures while I was in the Netherlands! 

That was it again for this spring! And the next thing to do once home is booking my next trip… 

Family reunion 2025

This year’s family reunion would be a bit of a re-run of the 2015 edition. My dad’s youngest brother would organise it, in the far south of the country. And the main activity would be to paddle down the river Meuse. 

I had organised to travel down with my sister and her family. It’s nice if you can use the travel time as social time as well. That worked fine. But the roads were full of holiday traffic. We would clearly be late. And we imagined we wouldn’t be the only ones. 

We got there in the end. And coffee and cake was waiting for us in my uncle Karel’s garden. He lives in such a gorgeous place! He spent decades doing up an old farm and he made it idyllic. And we could start catching up with those relatives we knew well, like my cousin Sandra’s family (she visited twice!) and we sometimes meet up between family reunions. And with those we didn’t, like the Canadian branch of the family. My cousin Jelleke aka Caroline (long story) moved to Canada a long time ago, got married there and had some kids, but now lives in the Netherlands again. We don’t know for how long. 

Detail of Karel’s house 

We weren’t the only ones who were late. We therefore had to get to the kayak/canoe/raft place a bit later. But we distributed ourselves over the vessels and set off. I ended up with Jelleke, two of her kids, my dad, and my other cousin (Jelleke’s sister) Sandra’s son Booker. A stellar team!

Getting started

Our raft in action

We weren’t overly coordinated. We did a fair number of unplanned pirouettes. But it didn’t matter! I had a good time. And we did get to a spot where we stopped for a picnic. 

After the picnic we made our way to the end point, where we pulled our vessels ashore again. From there we would go back to the start by e-scooter. (Except the very young and very old.) for most of us it was a debut. Speed preferences varied! But we were just following the river, so I didn’t think it would a problem to spread out. 

The whole family, and the Meuse

I got the hang of it! And made my way back without issues. There we had to wait for the stragglers. And it turned out some scooters had run out of battery power, and one of us had managed to take a wrong turn after all. Oh dear. We already were late! It got worse now. 

Scootering back

When we were all back we quickly made our way back to Karel’s. He sorted out lasagne for all. And we had more time for catching up. But it’s a 200 km drive or more for everyone, so we didn’t linger too long. Luckily, the roads were much quieter than on the way out. I went back to my mum’s. And this time, I went straight to bed! It was late. But it had been a good day! 

In the Netherlands

It was going to be a short visit! I didn’t want to be away from the cat too long, and I also wanted to have time to see Nick for a bit. And I booked 5 days away. Two of these are travel. And two were Christmas. But it would have to do. 

On Christmas Day I would be with my sister. And on Boxing Day with my mum. And the day after I was hoping to see some cousins, but only one was available. And I thought I’d go for coffee in the morning with my old friend Koen, who had recently reappeared again after some 30 years.

At my sister’s we would make Christmas dinner. I had suggested the menu. It required a lot of oven. And we only started after a game of Carcassonne. So it got a bit late! But it was fun to do a big cooking session with my sister. And when it was almost ready we went upstairs to change into something glamourous. I borrowed a pair of smart shoes and felt super fancy! 

The next day I was at my mum’s. And there I made progress with my physiotherapy. The exercises he had given me all required a step of sorts, and mum’s place quite purposefully doesn’t have any. But I found suitable steps right by the front door. And I did the interval training I had been advised to do right outside the medieval city walls. 

Running territory

Otherwise we mainly sat at the table, with coffee or urea or wine or beer, and newspapers and books. Unspectacular but snug! 

Going for a coffee with Koen next morning was good too. It’s funny how so much is still the same as in 1993, but the curating of our images is gone now. This is nicer! And he had picked a nice cafe. 

On my way to the cafe

Lunch with my sister and cousin was good too! It’s always nice to see them. And there were updates on jobs, children, siblings, partners and parents. And again the venue was good. 

With my cousin (middle) and sister (right)

On the way back I popped into a shop to buy a thank you for the neighbour who was looking after the cat. And then I was back at my mum’s table, for the last evening. And I made my sandwiches for the next day. It’s a long way home! 

The next morning I got ready, and said goodbye to my mum. It had been a short visit, and there were some people I would have liked to have seen but hadn’t, but that’s life. It was time to start heading back to my own place with my own cat. For a little bit of homely winter holidays! 

In the Netherlands, august 2024

If you go to the Netherlands by ferry, you either stay only a short time, or you’re away from home forever. You’re travelling for 48 hours! And I didn’t stay long. And I had to see the people I would see rather rapidly. 

I started with my mum. I got there around lunchtime. It was good to catch up! And I fit in a nice run before she opened a bottle of wine to celebrate Friday with a friend. 

Sunny run in the woods

At my sister’s place everything was happening. One son was moving out as he had found a place to live for himself. And half the rest of the family was busy buying a new (second-hand) harp. Not a trivial purchase! And my brother-in-law was dynamic again, after having sustained a rather serious sports injury earlier in the summer. And my sister was getting ready for the Alps. The cat, with whom nothing unusual was going on, provided some balance. 

Sister selfie

I also visited Roelof. He had just had a change in job description a few weeks before. And Viking joined us. We spontaneously made swamp hike plans! Stay tuned for that. 

I was hoping to organise another trip with Monique! But we might have to await improved health. But at least conditions were fine for a short walk on the moors and a drink on a terrace after that. 

A good place for a drink

Another selfie

I also visited my dad. I could report to him that the plant he had evicted from my gutter was doing well in its new home in the garden. 

On the last day I had another coffee session with my mum. And a last run. I stepped awkwardly on a tree root! It wasn’t bad and I could keep running, but I was painfully aware of only being six days away from a long trail (+ fell) race. Bad timing to weaken your ankle even the tiniest bit! But then it was time to pack up and leave. My visit had come to an end. Home and cat were waiting! 

Second visit by my cousin

Two years ago, my cousin Sandra was doing a bit of a tour of Britain holiday. She came from Wales! She actually have booked a gambling not too far away from me. So we met up when she was there. That was really nice! And she thought Wales was so lovely she decided to do it again. And that happened this year.

This time she would be staying further away: near Dolgellau. But she said she would pop by in Bethesda. And she did! They would get there around 11, and wanted to do a mild walk. That sounded good. I made sure to bake cake so we could have coffee with something nutritious before we would head off into the hills. 

When they arrived we did indeed have coffee in the garden. And then we did the walk. We just did one of my standard running routes. It was really nice, though! It was really nice to catch up with them again. But they still had to get back to Dolgellau, so after the walk we only had another drink in the garden and then they were off. It felt short, but it had been great! I will probably see them again in the Netherlands; hopefully before the next family reunion. Maybe we can get another cousin dinner/lunch in before that time…

Hill selfie

Visit by my dad

My dad is a train nut. And he sometimes goes on holiday with other train nuts, to look at trains. And this summer, he would visit Liverpool in that context. And that’s not far from Wales! So he figured he might drop by. And we made it happen. 

Organising the logistics was not straightforward, but we had sorted it out the previous time I was in the Netherlands. So on the day I knew which train I had to pick him up from. I thought. I was a bit early and decided to go to the platform. And who was there? My dad! He had decided to take an earlier train, and, being 86, he hadn’t thought it was the obvious thing to do to send me a message to let me know. 

We got home and had lunch. In the garden! He had been looking forward a lot to sitting in the garden. But after lunch he thought it was a bit chilly. When we had a drink later on we did it in the conservatory. At least you can see the garden from there. 

The cat had my dad wrapped around her paw as well; she often held on to the comfy chair

We also went the cheese shop between lunch and drinks. It would be nice to be able to offer him local cheese. And for my once indefatigable dad, that was enough of a walk! He feels his age. And I went for a run; I wanted to keep that routine up. I want to feel my age as little as possible.

The Friday would have good gardening weather, but we seemed to get distracted. My dad, who is an unstoppable DIY-er, spotted that the toilet seat wobbles, and wanted to do something about it. Together we managed. 

I also hauled him up to a local event of which I had slightly misinterpreted the content. Oh well! He now knows of a community initiative. We didn’t stay long and it was only 200m away, so not much was lost. And he did see a chance to cut the grass (his offer) while I went for a run. It was sweet that the neighbour’s dog tried his bark-for-cuddles routine on him and it worked! 

The Saturday was supposed to be rainy, but in practice it wasn’t bad at all. We got some good work done in the garden! And we mucked out the gutter of the conservatory. And when I say ‘we’ I mean my dad. 

Some good ladder skills at 86

We also sat down with his phone! I knew he would get himself a smartphone, because I had heard him ask my sister if she could advise him on that. So now he had one, but he didn’t know how it worked. And it was a Samsung (I don’t like them!) so I wasn’t very familiar with it either, but a combination of trial and error and googling on my iPhone got us far. By the evening he was actively texting relatives and acquaintances! A keen student. And if he took long over composing a text I used the opportunity to make progress in my book I wanted to finish that weekend. 

We also properly installed the new cat flap. After the cat demolished the old one, I had only managed to half install the new one. If I fully installed it the flap wouldn’t move freely in the frame. And it was mysterious why! But we sorted it. 

We also of course spent plenty of time having tea or wine or suchlike and chewing the fat; unfortunately, rarely in the garden. And with all that, the last evening passed.

The next morning was not very relaxed; when I got up I checked my dad’s trains. His Eurostar seemed to be running as normal, but his direct train to London was cancelled due to personnel shortages. (Last time I travelled, it had been floods.) So he had to take an earlier, indirect one. But we found out on time. And soon I waved his train goodbye. 

There he goes

Two trails with one starting point

After our ski resort adventure we wanted something quieter. And my sister found a loop not too far away that looked like it would fit the bill. So we went! And it was clear from when we got out of the car it was rather mosquito-infested. But also very beautiful. 

We had read a warning that the path wasn’t maintained; that seemed to apply to the infrastructure that takes you over water and swamp, and also the markings. Soon we found out that was true. On the swampy stretches, you tend to get ‘duck boards’; two parallel wooden beams on sleepers. If you don’t maintain them they rot through and break. And grow slippery algae to boot. And they had. Some bits were challenging! And I got wet feet. 

Whoever had said there was room for improvement regarding maintenance wasn’t kidding 

Pretty mushrooms 

Interesting duck boards

Decorative stump

High ground

View on merging rivers 

The markings were fine, as they were elsewhere. You just follow dots of paint on trees. I was impressed with how you can rely on that! Very reassuring, as getting lost in endless Lapland could be uncomfortable. Although you often get 4G, so your phone can often get you out of that. But I am only too aware that reliance on phones can be a bad idea…

We didn’t see a soul, and it was very beautiful. Exactly what we wanted! It was a great day. And I did my running and swimming thing afterwards. What a day. 

We had enjoyed this so much we did it again the next day. There was a trail going in the other direction from the road. And that had had some maintenance! Some of the duck boards were brand new. Others not so much, though. And again we didn’t see a soul. And we only had to really search for the route once. This location was quite the find. It was another great day! With the usual rituals. 

The tiny path

You can’t hike Finland without skirting lakes

Walking a ridge-what would have created it? 

Lovely weather

How the routes are marked where there is a rare junction

By then our trip was approaching the end, so after dinner we started cleaning the cabin. That would make things more efficient in the morning. We would still have a full day, but without access to the cabin after noon. It had been our last day having dinner outside with a view over the lake…

Gorge and ski area

Hiking in Lapland is different from hiking in Wales. In Wales you probably want to just stare at a map and design a route from all the possible paths. Lapland doesn’t have the population density for that. There are very few paths! So you are probably best off finding a signposted route. If there is a path, it’s probably because there is something so special somebody made such a route. There aren’t many around. 

We relied on these established routes. The second day we chose one in a nearby canyon; not sure what is was called but is was just a bit SE of our lake. That was beautiful! We did a loop and extended it a bit on one side. We even saw the remains of another log chute in the river. This clearly had been logging terrain for a while!

A waterfall and some snow on the canyon wall

The landscape above the canyon 

Some badly maintained infrastructure 

The landscape in the canyon 

The mosquitoes here were quite bad. We sprayed liberally with insect repellent, but it was still a bad idea to stand still. As long as you keep walking it was ok. Luckily we found a picnic table at the top of the gorge where there was such a breeze the mosquitoes mainly stayed away. And we also had the murder machine with us. So we had lunch in comfort.

I had also brought a good bara brith and birthday candles. It was already three days after my sister’s birthday, but this was the earliest suitable opportunity to bring them out. It was festive! 

After our walk we did what would be routine: we went back, I went for a run and a swim, and then we had dinner. Another successful day!

The next day we wanted to go to a nearby national park, and find a route there. And we found a circular one by a ski centre: Iso Syöte. We figured the bit by the ski centre would probably be ugly, but we had high hopes for the rest. Unfortunately we hadn’t noticed on the map that this route was also indicated as a cycling route. So it was very paved! And busy by Finnish standards. For neither of us, this was the favourite day. But one learns. And we were home so late I skipped my run. But the swim was good…

Making lunch the Finnish way

The path was a bit over-engineered to our liking 

Some swampy terrain 

Hike selfie

Here the path was inoffensive 

A cabin along the way where we (read: I) could briefly hide from the mosquitoes