Heikkinen's and Rautavaara Lake August 13

It was another sunny and hot day. Pia and Kari had to work in the morning, but Lassi had arranged to take us out to visit my third host family, the Heikkinens. I barely recognised my old home, which I had gone to live at in the dark, cold end of the year. Here was a summer house, with barley fields ripe near the path, and apples, gooseberries and more ripe in the garden.

Sakari, my host father, has Parkinsons now, but is still getting about. Maija seemed unchanged. My host sister, it seemed, was recovering in hospital having given birth to her first child! We met her husband.

We were given an absolutely huge morning tea, with all sorts of cake and biscuits and even ice cream. Even the children were full to bursting. Then we had to go out into the garden and sample the fruit...

We walked down to the lake, where Anne and her husband live and help with the farm as well as other jobs. Here we are, with Lassi...(light blue shirt)...

And Wayne is in the picture here: Here is Anne's house, all lovely and wooden and snug. They have a smoke-sauna also.

With much well-wishing on both sides, we went back to Pia's house. Soon we were off to Rautavaara, a lovely national park near Kari's home town. Here is Jack near a sign of the attractions:

Usually this would be a marshy walk, but the hot weather had dried it out a lot. Still, we picked some blueberries along the way. And here I am at the end of a peninsula. It was so nice to walk in a pine wood that was not a monoculture... lots of berry plants and lichen at the feet of the trees. Still, it has been a harvested forest. Very light and airy though.

Down to the lake for a swim! This is what the children had been waiting for:

And here is Wayne, looking all out-doors-y:

And one of everyone, with the camera on automatic in the sand!

We had a snack here, then pushed on to Kari's Mum's old place, near a dense wood and (of course) a lake and sauna. This was a proper brushy, weedy, sink up to your knees sort of place where we hoped to get some mushrooms. It was very dry, though, so Pia soon led us back down to the sauna. Kari persevered, up to a secret spot of his, and came back with some treasured chantarelle mushrooms. These were packed away. We then had a modest, mixed sauna (i.e. with swimmers on), and alternated between sauna and lake for a while, while sausages cooked on a grill. We had to tread a bit carefully on old boards, and over some ants, but it was very pleasant indeed.

The dear little girls decided to have a stinky mud fight at one point... Then Wayne found a fishing rod... No fish, but a lot of fun. Back home to a well-needed rest.