It's difficult to imagine a "start" when they're all Finnish here in Finland, locally called Suomi. Norway and I have unfinished business as I hope to go there again next year. Svalbard, Bergen, the Lofoten Islands, Vardo, and Kirkenes are all on my radar for a future visit to Norway. Although I've had many special moments on this journey, I'm making poor progress on time and I entered Finland at the northernmost point in the EU.
What's the ultimate Finnish experience? After a few hours here I would think it's being all bit up by mosquitoes or my credit card being blocked, but the sauna is where everything in Finland seems to happen. Business meetings, love, banter, drinking, therapy, relaxation, and parties all happen in the ultimate Finnish experience, and that was what I wished for today: a steaming hot sauna.
Finland is my 79th country visited, and I'm closing in on visiting all of the Nordic countries. Whilst Finland is classified as a Nordic country, it isn't part of Scandinavia. A couple of weeks ago I arranged to stay with a CouchSurfing host in Inari but she cancelled on me, so I was on my own. Luck would be with me as I was picked up hitchhiking by a guy named Markus and his friend, Jukka. They invited me to stay at their cabin, and it has a sauna! My Finnish wish came true only a few hours after entering the country. After getting some beer and wine we washed up and then sat in the sauna. Pouring water over the sizzling rocks makes the sauna hotter. Sitting with strangers naked in a foreign country would be out of most people's comfort zone but with all the years of travelling under my belt and some of the stuff I've been through, nothing seems to faze me anymore. With all that sweating and heat, it's therapeutic to take a cold dip in the lake. I certainly enjoyed it...
...and then it felt great to get back into the sauna after pouring a drink. After our sauna session we hit the pub whilst I had pizza, wine, and dozens of mozzie bites whilst it rained. Mr. Hanley, my former geography instructor, told me he liked Finland better than Norway, so my expectations are rather high. After another steaming sauna, I couldn't ask for a better introduction to Suomi.
The next morning it felt surreal heading south after continuously travelling north. After a quick stop at the Arctic Circle near Rovaniemi, I'm off to Oulu.
