As the ferry sailed in toward Mariehamn yesterday I passed all these tiny islands called skerries; some of them so small you can't even build a house yet some have wind turbines.
Åland is an autonomous and demilitarised part of Finland but they speak Swedish and have their own flag, parliament, licence plates, postal system, and internet domain (.ax).
You don't see or hear much Finnish spoken here. Åland is made up of more than 20,000 islands and has an interesting maritime history. The first people arrived here more than 7,000 years ago to hunt seals, and with its position in the middle of the Baltic Sea, the islands have always been a haven for seafarers. The Pommern is the world's only four-masted sailing ship that's still in its original state.
My time in Åland will be short, as in just a few days, so I spent some time in Mariehamn before getting on the bus. All buses in Åland cost €2 per trip.
I've now officially been to all of the Nordic countries. Ricko is my first CS host in Åland, and he lives in Eckero on the western end of the region. It's a good thing I got a frozen pizza before arriving since there are no shops in Eckero. Ricko is well travelled and is a drone enthusiast. A beautiful day it was as Åland is very colourful. With the sun setting at about 10 PM I couldn't help going for a long walk whilst snapping photos and collecting geocaches.
Åland has the greatest number of hours of sunshine in the entire Nordic region, and I woke up to another gorgeous, sunny day. Ricko would show me around a little bit and then went to the Eckero Mail and Customs House.
Built in 1828, it no longer functions as a post office but is now a postal museum and art gallery. From there I decided to hitchhike into Mariehamn so I could send myself a postcard and get some stuff at the store. For a small place, hitchhiking is rather challenging in Åland as it took a while to get a lift. Before long though, I was in Mariehamn where I visited Åland Post and then went to Sjokvarteret, which is a maritime museum.
By late afternoon I had already seen a fair bit, and it was time to get a few provisions and make my way home. Along with being able to recycle cans and bottles, another thing I've learned to love is fresh-squeezed orange juice from a machine where you can see the oranges being squeezed in front of you. In just over 24 hours in Åland I've seen and done a lot already as these are some fascinating islands. I've always been one to keep a full schedule whilst travelling; sitting around just doesn't appeal to me. Ricko has been a gracious host, and we had some chats as I soared Juliett (my drone) over the Åland landscape. Tomorrow I'm leaving Ricko's home and staying with a special family in Mariehamn whom I developed a connection with during the pandemic, therefore more Åland stories await.
