DAYS 39-45

From 22. to 28.2...

One week resting in Kemi, staying at Mona's place. During that week, I meet a lot of people. I spend a night at the LUMILINNA snow castle. ( www.snowcastle.net ) wery interesting experience. During the last four days, I did some work at the castle: shawelling snow, very interesting too. Thanks to Marika Tommihnen, Jari Huotari, Ville Schiewek, Jussi Rosenlund, Katja Limingoja, Satu Mattila, and Raili the best photographer. Un saludo para Manolo.
Kirsi arrive in Kemi on the 25/2, from Helsink for 10 days holidays , and ready to walk with me for few days. It will be less boring.

Tomorow, we take the old road to tornio, where we have a place to stay.

DAY 39

22.2....I letf the place at 8am, wery early. 27km to do for Kemi. The road E75,in some part, change to a motorway. I have to take a smaller road. First, I did not see the sign, and I walk 7km on the motorway. Some cars were not happy.
After 10 km, a restaurant. Closed. 10km more, and finally a petrol station, Neste. I stop there for a cafe, and send a message to Mona , that Im allmost there. we decide to meet at 4pm at Hemingway bar. I arrive in Kemi at 3pm, and went around the city. Mona arrive at the bar, and big hug. Finally I'm in Kemi. It's about the middle of the all trip to Nordkapp. I'm going to stay there for few days. Actally, I'm wayting a good friend, Kirsi, from Helsinki, hwo come walking with me for few days.

DAY 38

21.2....At 8am, I went for a good breackfast, and Teemu Korhonen , the man in charge of the Merihelmi camp site, came and help me to find a place for tonight. After few phone calls, He found a place at Simo village. It's 23km north. I took the road at 10am. -25. My leg hurts, so I have to take it easy.Blue sky but windy. After 14km, a small restaurant, where I eat a bit , relaxe my legs..coffe. I allmost fall in sleep. I arrive in Simo at 4pm. Very tired, almost no more energy. A persone was waiting for me, Aila Vengasaho, and bring me to a small appartment, nice and cosy.
I eat a sandwich, and went to bed.

DAY 37

20.2....Early up , I prepare the cafe and porridge for every body, and at 8.30, I took the road by -30. 25km to do. In beetween there is a petrol station, 15km, and I arrive there after 3and half hours walking. Very, very cold. Just before arriving at the station, a man in a van horn me . He came to talk with me , and at the station he offert me a cake and a cafe. I explain him that I'm going to Northcap on foot, and he wanted to bring me up to Rovaniemi. Nice offer, but I refuse. Thanks . We talk for a while, and the man, Kalle Uotila give me few contacts further north. He give me also 10 Euro for the road. Back on the road, 10km to do before the camp site. Still -25 .I arrive there with my froozen moustache, and Jouni Aike welcome me. Actually it's a big place, Restaurant, bar ,dancing hall, camping, cottage....call Merihelmi. Jouni give me a key of a 2 bedroom appartment, with sauna. Nice sun set by the froozen see. I have a nice buffet diner, ans after sauna went to bed.
www.rynkynranta.com

DAY 36

19/2...-30 this morning. It's start to be cold. Ari ask me to stay. I told him: No probleme, the cold is part of the challenge.
It's my travel compagnon. Ari give me 10 Euros before I leave. That was the coldest day , until now. Cold hands, cold feet,
I stop twice for a cigarette, I keep the lighter inside my glove...and I arrive in Ii center with icebergs on my moustache.
I phone to Jarmo Karppinen, my host for tonight. He have 2 kids , Viljami and Taavi. Jarmo is a Kinetherapeute, doing massage in the hospital. Of Ii. Good for me. We look at internet the road map for the next day. I dont have any more maps with me. Between Ii and Simo, it's about 50km. Too long for one day. We found out that there is a camp site in between. Jarmo phone to that place, and the guy said he will call back. After dinner, a call from Pentti to tell me that it's Ok for the camp site. Jarmo give a very good massage, he explain me that it's a probleme with the nerve sciatic. Let's see what's happen. After Sauna, I went to sleep. Very tired.

DAY 35

18.2....I leave Anja's place by -24., sun shine. After 3 days not walking, it's hard to start again.
Walking , walking...all the way to Haukipudas on a foot path. That was nice. During my stay in Oulu, I did not drink a pint. Ari Leinonen, my host for tonight, came to pick me up at the city center. For diner , he cooks a speciality of finland. Ari phone to his friend in Ii, next stop, and everything is arrange for the next night.

DAY 34

17.2. At 12 am, went to town for lunch. Hannu and Pirjo Orava invite me in their church comunity. Sun shine, -18... This evening , I'm cooking The Pasta a la Grecque, the recept from Heikki of Lahti. Preparing my bag for the take of tomorrow. I did enjoy those 3 days, relaxing, but I'm loofing to continue the walk. A City , is a city..... My next stop for few days , will be in Kemi, 106 km north, where I'm going to meet my God daugter Mona. Her mother Kirsi will join me at this point to walk with me for few days.

DAY 33

16.2. Same like yesterday. Meet some friends, Hannu and Pirjo Orava. Sun Shine, -18, went to walk to the big park, and meet Elisa and her boy friend. For the evening, Hanja prepare a nice meal.

DAY 32

15.2. my host in Oulu are Anja Nousainen and Munir Al Odat. Bit lazy, wake up at 11am, went to town meet some friends of Munir from Irak, Palestine, Kurdistan. Very interesting stories about their live in Finland. Very nice weather, sun shine but cold.-16 Good day resting....

DAY 31

14.2. Today it's the day I'm going to a big city. Oulu. It's on the west coast. After the breacfast , I leave the house where I spend a nice evening, relaxing.. It's still nice weather. Sunny, no wind but - 18. 14 km to Oulu. For the first time, I dont have to walk on the the road. From Kempele to Oulu, there is a walking path. I arrive in Oullu at 12.30, and went to the city center, and then by the sea, where there is a Sami festival, with reinder race, traditional costumes,..and more. I'm staying in Oulo by friends of my friend in Helsinki. Munir. I will stay 2 days in Oulu, some pictures will come latter.

DAY 30

13.2....7.30 went down for breackfast, -16, and an easy day to Ala Temmes. 15km to do. After 9am, I took the road by a sunny day but cold . I arrive at a small petrol station at 1pm, where I decide to contact my new host. The women told me that it was impossble for them to give a place, because they have a weiding party. They did not understand that I could have fun with them and sure, I was going to help them. Well, I phone to Seppo, and ask me if I was OK for 13km more. Well, I took the decision to do them. He phone to his cousin, and it's ok. 13km it's 3 hours more to walk up to Kempele. The weather is fine ...so..Why not. I arrive at the house at 4.30pm, and nice welcome from Vesa, Marion Junttila, the daugther Sophia and the little guy adopted from Philipine Arttu. A very good dinner, salmon, wine......after food a sauna, watching the olympics..but I'm very tired after those surprising 13km to do more.

DAY 29

12.2....I did sleep very well, my leg look Ok...I think I prepare my own breackfast after cafe and cigarettessss. Through the wind it's look like a wery good weather. The top of the trees are not moving. Before leaving the place , I went to say Bye Bye to my host, And Marika told me that they found a familly for the next night. It's 31km away. 16 to Rantsila, and 15 to the next place in the middle of nowhere. I got the description of the house that I have to find. At Rantsila, I stopped for a tea and a cake with was offert by the owners. From there, afert 3 hours walking, I startted to look carefully to find the house. And I found it. First, 2 nice dogs from Lappland welcome me, and then my hosts, Anita and Seppo Junttila. Samppa the son and his girlfriend Tina join us. There also a big red cat. It's a little farm, cows, very nice big house, Anita is very busy preparing the dinner. Seppo take care of the meat. It will be a Elk pot. with real mash potatoes, salad and the famous redberrys, witch one you pick up in Automne. Fantastic dinner and nice talk .

DAY 28

11.2....Up at 6am, breacfast...Eero suggest that is beter for me that he drive me to the petrol station, while waiting the day light. It's night at 7am. I accepted, so he drive me 10km north, it's 10km I didn't do. Sorry. -15 , wind and snow...bad weather. Wery difficult to walk. The side road is full of snow. For the second time , I have probleme with my right leg. I dont know what's happen. I have to stop for a while. I maneged to do the 25km to go to the B&B, run by Marika and Hannu Rosenberg. They give me for the night a wery nice and big cottage. Latter on Mattila Veikko bring me a basket with food. I had a sauna on my own, cook food, watch tv, relax. ....

DAY 27

10.2. ...Pekka told me not to leave early, because my next host will at home at 6pm. After breackfast, we drive around the village of Kärsämäki and went drink the last cafe before I start walking. It's -14, windy and snowing. At 10 am, I took the road and 23 km to do. I arrive at 3pm in that little village wich mark the middle point of Finland. Leskela. I arrive too early, so I have to wait. It's wery cold. My hands are frozen. I have problem to light a cigarette. After a while, a car approched me, and the person ask me if I'm french. I said yes, and she told me to jump in the car. Good!!! She told me that she was my next host. Her husband came later, so, I stayed by Anne and Eero Leskinen. We had good talk, sauna and beer, very good food. In the evening, Eero try to find me a place for the next night. We kool at the map, and 25km north, there is a B&B. Eero phone there, and it's ok. Early to bed, because my host are going to work at 7am. So I have to leave the house.

DAY 26

9.2. I left the mottel at 8.30 am after few cafes and cigarettesssss. Minus 8, no wind and 17 km to do I arrive at Kärsämaki at noon time, and went to Neste station where Pekka Luukkonen was waiting for me. He offert me a nice lunch. I spend the afternoon visiting the village Later, I decide to empty my bag and to send things to Kemi. I'm carrying to much things I dont need, and people give me souvenirs too. My bag was 16kg. To much. I make a parcel, and went to the place where to sheep it by bus. Juha Karjalainen, the man in charge of the place sponsored the sendind of the parcel. Thanks a lot. I'm staying by Pekka and Armi Luukkonen, I have all my clothes washed, and now, I go to sauna...

DAY 25

8.2. At 5.30 am, Rainer came to wake me up to tell me that his friend will come to pick me at 7.15am, to bring me back to the road. Rainer, even is blind, he prepare a very good breakfast with porridge.... To go to Karsamaki, it's 34km. It's to long for one day. Plus, it's snowing. So , I decide to stop in the middle way, where there is a mottel, The NUTTULINNA Motel. Mitro Luomajoki, Seija and Toivo Koski-Viitajoki, knew I was passing by today, and were OK to sponsor me one night at the Mottel. Very bad day to walk. Rainy snow, wind and only -1. I have to much clothes on me , and I'm sweating and smelling like a pig....

www.kotinet.con/nuttulinna

DAY 24

7.2. .....7am , The farmers Pentti and Anneli are already milking the cows. after breackfast, Pentti drove me back on the road. He give me also a new pare of gloves, because yesterday, I loose one. 22 km to do to Pyhäjärvi. Timo Ylikangas; Katrina Ylikangas and Rainer Kyyrönen came to pick me up at the ABC station and bring me to Rainer house, where I'm going to spend the night. Rainer, 78 years old, is also blind. We went also to visit the copper mine, wich one is 1500 meters. A journalist from the local news paper came to join us, and we have a long talk...We drink some cognac with Rainer, and we start talking. He have been travelling too for many years, in 30 countrys. He is wery well known in this part of Finland. I forget to tell you that Rainer dont speack english, and I dont speack finn. But we had good fun Ha Ha Ha !!!

DAY 23

6.2. ....but no ressaca, hang over. Normally I have to do only 14 km to go to the farm. I decide to drop my luggage there,

and start walking from the Shell station . Pentti Hytönen will pick me up at 2pm some where on the road.

It was one of the bad day. Strong wind and shity snow. Minus 2 only. A lot of snow on the side of the road. I did 28 km.

Back to the farm, I had a good lunch, but before , a glass of Estonian brandy to wellcome me . A little siesta, and went tohelp to milk the cows. The milk from Hytönens'farm is use for producing delicious Lumola cheeses which Pentti produces

Just get out of sauna, beersssss, ...and,,,,,Tapio Spirit.....and Ressaca......see you!!

http://www.lumola.fi/