SARIANNA CAME TO WALK WITH ALAIN

Hi, I'm Sarianna, a friend with Alain from the time we were young, working in Kautokeino in same time. I saw two weeks ago in newspaper Alains pic and took contact after 27 years..he asked me to join him! Why not! And now I'm here, walking day by day to the north.. I came from Tampere by train and bus to Enontekiö last week, on friday. We have walked 3 days now, it's very fine to walk here in the silence and see how the landscape is changing, no more big trees, or real trees at all..hills and just white snow..sometimes reindeers. Sun is shining and it's -5 to -10 degrees, that's good by walking.
Specially it has been amasing to meet all those friendly people in every village we've been. We have met every where so kind and helpful people!! My warm thanks to you all! Our walking is going to continue tomorrow from Kautokeino to Karasjoki...and to Nordkapp. see you..

-Sarianna

DAYS 65-67

19/3....The next day, I contact Heikki Järvisto hwo is working for the concil with the youth. Sarianna Siren arrive at 4.30pm with the bus. Sarianna is a friend wich I know from the Kautokeino time( 1982; 83). She contact me few days ago, and decide to join me for the last part of this walk. WHY NOT. Heikki give us a place to stay at the youth house for the week end. It's a special week end . It's the Mariane day. During those days , a lot of things happen. Reinder race, traditionlal music festival, dancing, .....and more. I meet also, an old friend, Taisto Laakso from the same time. He is a champion at playing saw, like a violin. We enjoy the evening at his place, drinking, music and dancing.

20/3....bit crapula...Sarianna and I went to see the reinder race, enjoy the sun.

21/3....Mariane Paiva... resting day. Preparing the bags... very nice day

DAY 64

18/3....again -30. Big plate of porridge wil do the long walk .27km to Enontekio, the last big village before Norway. Today, my leg hurts very badly. I have to stop many time. The weather is fine, blu sky, no wind, but cold even with the sun. I arrive in Enontekio bit kapput. The day before, I got a phone call from the Hettan Majatalo hotel, where I got a reservation for the night, offert by the Enontekio sanamat( Katia ). I meet a french guy, Victor, who leaves here, working with the tourist. I meet his girl friend Bigga, who invite me to her mother house for a dinner. A very good dinner, with smoked reinder meet, wine ,.... Back to the hotel, seeting by the fire place....

DAY 63

17/3...I went up staires for breacfast, and at 8.30am I took the road by -32 again. 25km to do.

After 7km, I stop in a souvenir shop where Sana Alatalo was expecting me. 50cents a cafe +pulla(kind of donuts). The best so far in Finland.Sana offert me a lot of clothes. New. A nice pull over, a warm skin hat, a pare of gloves,a trousers and a lot of pulla. Pieces of reinder meet too. Thank you Sana. She was so happy to give me all this. Me too. Still very cold and 18 km to do to Palojoensu. I arrive there, phone to my new host, and surprise, the person is not in the village. She is in Rovaniemi and will not be back today. Only few house in the village. I meet a yong woman with her young baby. I explain the situation, she invite me for a cafe, and after few phone calls around, she and her mother agree that I can spend the night in there house. Good. Very lucky. Thanks to Marjo Baas and her mother Irma. The baby Tuomas is smilling

DAY 62

16/3....by minus 32 I took the road after the traditional cafe +cigarettes+breacfast+toilet.

10 minutes on the road and I feel the cold throught my clothes. Hard to stop walking, even for a cigarette. Keeping mooving is the best. Blu sky, no wind but extremly cold. My moustache is full of ice. The chocolate bars are like pieces of wood. He took me 6 hours to do the 25km. My feet hurts by walking on the hard shoulder. I arrive at Kätkäsuanto to the old school, where Marianne Niewenhuis was waiting for me. Food was ready, fish and fried potatoes+salad Marianne have 14 sheeps, 12 chikens, 5 dogs and a cat. It's a very old hous with a very old traditional sauna. Special dinner: Muikku, pasta, wine..long conversation...

DAY 61

15/3..... 2 months allready on the road and nearly 1000km done. I have to meet Juhani Roima at Kolstrom sport shop for a new pare of shoes, sponsored by Sakari Lipponen from Kolari ( AKKIHOPU). Juhani gave me also a new pare of socks. All mine have holes. Today I stay in Muonio. Too late to start walking, Arto let me stay for one more night. Good for my legs

DAY 60

14/3...I get up at 8.30am. Sunday and already sunny day. I went down to the village to try to find a car to bring me up to the point I left the road. Nobody in the village. I think they are all sleeping. Well, I walk about 7km south, and went back to the village. The km I was missing yesterday are done. I went to Sweden for a while and back to Arto's house. Very hot day. The snow start melting. Siesta, talking, cooking the traditional" pasta a la grecque"

DAY 59

13/ 3....Long walk today again, 46

km north to Muonio. Jukka pick me up at 2pm to bring me there. Still 16km to do to Muonio.

I arrive at Arto Hietanen house. Actually, I meet Arto on the way. Many talks, enjoy food , sauna and beer. Arto is an artist in many way. His doing painting, ceramics and black smith. Went to bed after few more beer. Very tired.

DAY 58

12/3...8am, I leave the house of Sakari. -27 and 35km to do. Blu sky all day. I di enjoed that long walk. few cars on that main road north up and down. At 3pm, I arrive at Kihlanki, a very tiny village, only 34 people. My new host, Jukka Rajala welcome me, and his wife Sirpa and his son Sami too. Jukka is a journalist also. He ask me so many questions. We had a dinner, sauna, and because of that long walk, my legs are very tired. Still some probleme with the right one. I went to bed, and sleep like a stone.

DAY 57

11/3..Day rest. With Sakari, we went visit some friend of him, went to the restaurant, beers, sauna....

meet his brother Mauri, an other funny man, cognac.... Because of the probleme I have with my right leg, and my shoes are not so effiscient for the cold, Sakary sponsor me for a new pare of shoes. I have to pick them up from the shoe shop in Muonio.

I will be there on Monday. He give me also 50 Euro as a sponsor.

DAY 56

10/3..Quick Breacfast, and an employee of Sakari Lipponen bring me back to the place where I have been taken away yesterday. Back to the road, I have 30km to do. My back is very light. I left many thing at the house of Sakari, I will sleep there tonight. -22 in the morning, and bit warmer in the afternoon. Blu sky all day. Almost no cars on that road. I start at 9am, and at 3.30pm , I was at home. 30km wery fast. The Sakari Cie is ÄKKIHOPPU

www.akkihoppu.fi

DAY 55

9/3..At 9am, after breacfast, Pekka bring me back to the Tornio river road. Still 52 km to do for Kolari.

Impossible with my heavy bag and my bad leg. Difficult walk, long, and the km are not passing.

At 11.30, a phone call from Kolari, from a man name Sakari, hwo offert me to pick me up at around 4pm. I did walk up to that time , but not much km. Only 22. A friend of Sakari pick me up, because he was busy. He is an ambulance man. Actually, he own a ambulance company. When we arrive at his place, he brought me right away to a restaurant for a meal. Wery funny man and cool. His house, it's like a museum. He is a fan of Lappland tradition, he 's singing the " YOCK " like the saami people. Sauna, beers, watch bit TV and went to bed.

DAY 54

8/3..today, I'm going to meet a friend of Pekka Luukkonen, an other Artist peinter; Pekka Suväniemi. Very famous in Finland. He lives in the middle of no where. Oranki in Naamijoki. It's 7km off road. This morning was +1. Not good. I have to take many clothes off. Again , streap tease on the road. The wind is so stong that he push me in the middle of the road few time. Well, that's Lappland. Pekka came to pick me up and brougt to his big house. He went to pick up his childrens Konsta and Iita Maaija. It's a nice house of an artist.Nice talk, good food and bed.

DAY 53

7/3..Sunday. 7.30, get up and make the cafe. I went for a cigarette out, cold wind and dark clouds.

I go to Pello, 17km north. Not easy walk. Some time to hot, so I have to take off my under pants.

I arrive at Pello at 2pm and call my next host Marita Sieppi. She came to meet me in the city center, and we walk together at her place. I meet her husband Keijo Pyysoja. Marita is a teacher, she teach in the the village where I spend the night before.

Nice diner, good sauna, very good cake..... On the terrace out side, some reinder meet are hanging to dry.

DAY 52

6/3.......in Aija's place, I did some snow work for few hours. I got a big glass of cognac and 20Euro.

I left Aija'house at 8.30am, -16, 25km to do. Blu sky all the day. no wind. In the middle of the day, I cross the line of the polar circle.I drink a cafe there, many tourist. I arrive in Turtola at 3pm, and find the house of Kari Kaulanen and Mina Siilvasvo. They are both journalist.Kari wrote a sory in his local newspaper.I went early to bed. Very tired.

KIRSI STORY

Hi people! This is Kirsi writing. I'm an old friend of Alains from the Kautokeino-time. I was visiting my daughter Mona in Kemi at the same time that Alain was there, so I decided to walk with him for couple days. I walked with Alain from Kemi to Karunki and it took 3 days.
The first day was maybe the hardest, because we started with the easy 25km from Kemi to Tornio. I haven't really been walking long distances so it was a bit hard for me and my muscles. We had a reservation in Tornio City Hotel, and had a good nightsleep and good breakfast.
The next day we walked for 17km from Tornio to Kukkolankoski. There we had a warm welcome from people and sheeps and it was nice to get know those people. So thank you!
The third day was just from Kukkolankoski to Karunki. I decided to go back to Kemi by bus and get a one more night there and then go back to Helsinki.
The whole experience was great and I was really relaxed after that (but not my feet). So if you can, join Alain and walk with him for a while! It really is a good experience. I quarentee that you will have fun with him.

See you!

DAY 51

6.3....-16, blue sky and no wind .Ideal for walking. No sweating. During last week, the temperature was mild, beetween -4and-7. Too warm for walking. Today at noon, I pass the Polar circle line. It's a stop over for tourist .... To night I will sleep at Kari Kaulanen and Minna Siilasvuo house, at Turtola....

DAY 50

5.3....6.30 up, only -7 and it's look that there is no wind. Breacfast and Bye Bye to everybody. You must understand that it's very hard to leave a good home. so, I use to say Bye Bye very quick and run out. The road.
Today my host is at Kaulinranta, 21 km north.A tiny village by the Tornio river. On the other side is Sweeden. I arrive there at 1.30 pm Very easy walk . Aija Koskinen and Jari Suomela welcome me. The hobby
of Aija is to carve wood, build furniture. Very fine work. In theafternoon, I did some snow work, lapio and cola. A good glass of cognac to warm me up before the sauna, dinner and at 7pm , I went to bed.
I was very tired.

DAY 49

4.3....Living Steven and his wife at 8am. 30km to do, -10, and still the wind.Not too strong. The scenary change a bit. Curves, hills, and pin trees.....and snow!! The next stop is Ylitornio, a small village with everything. I arrive there at 2pm. Fast and hard walk. Ilka Korva came to pick me up near the church. At his home, his wife Anne and there 3 childrens , Mikka, Juhana and Maija give me a nice welcome. Juhana (11) and Maija (9) ask me a lot of questions about my travel around the world. It wasd the first time they practice english. We had a good time.
After dinner and shower, went to bed very tired.

DAY 48

3.3...Last day for Kirsi. She decide to go back to Kemi to finish her holidays, and visit some friends. We left the house of Jaako at 9am, -4 only, strong wind again. We arrive at Karunki at 11am, last place to find Mars bar. We had a cafe and pulla, last cigarette together, and Bye Bye Kirsi, it was nice from to walk with me. I enjoy your company. Back on the road alone, with the snow and strong wind. Still 15km to do. I almost get hit by a truck. He horn me at the last minute. I did not see him. I was walking my head bend, protect myself from the wind and snow, coming direct to my eyes,.Finally, at 2.30pm , i arrive to my host house. Steven Bratt and his wife Tuula welcome me. Steven was taking the snow of the roof. Very dangerous work. Steven Bratt is an artist, a peinter. I visit his workshop. Nice and big painting about Afgan war, soldiers.

DAY 47

2.3...At the hotel, we have a very good sleep. after a week on the sofa, finally a real bed. The breacfast buffet was fantastique. One of the best I ever see. full stomac, back on the raod for a easy day. 17km to do. -7 only, stong wind from the north and snowing. When we arrive at Kukkolankoski, we stop at Kukkolan-koski catering where we drink a cofe and bulla. We talk with the local people of the place, listen some storys, and continu to meet some friends of our Host. Petri Leinonen, Noora, Miika, and the dog Ebba welcome us. It's a little farm house with 250 sheeps After dinner, Petri brought us to our host for the night, at Jaako Heikkila house, and his wife Anne and the little baby girl, 2 and half month. Sorry, I forget her name. We have a very nice talk with Jaako, exellent dinner and wine. Kirsi got a very bad blister on the back of the right foot. wrong shoes.