Finland !!

Now we grind our teeth as soon as we have to start the engine... Will it start without too much grumpiness today? It is still very windy as we motor to the marina without any problems. The sun is shining and every thing brightens up, even our mood. Hangör is a very pretty old town, charged with history and it is my first test of the archipelago landscape Magnus told me so much about. I cannot believe I am actually in Finland. Not long ago, Scandinavia seemed so far away, almost inaccessible and remote trapped between ice and sea in my imagination.

How easy can we forget hardship! Yesterday was gloomy and stressful, today we start to relax and enjoy our surroundings. A nice sauna and the company of 2 new friends helped a lot. Mike, a British retired man single hands his boat during summers and Bastian a young German who sails alone his wooden Folkboat in a full Baltic tour. It was a celebration for us as 8 months today have past since we met in Paris. We all ended up in Röde Orm salon for dinner. At least it felt like cruising life again, sharing our passion with other sailors. As Bastian pointed out we were members of 4 different countries gathered in one foreign to all of us tonight.

And here, begins the nicest part as we enter the Finish Archipelago with its numerous channels and fairways leading to thousands islands in a protected sea. I have some flashbacks of landscapes from Canada, Brittany, Maine. But it is not comparable; it is unique and rewarding at last. Magnus feels like home and I feel like an explorer and adventurer again. We anchor tonight between 2 little islands. The Swedish language has a variety of words for all kind of island size and shape. It was a beautiful night under the stars, and perfect for eating the can of ‘’fois gras’’ my mother sent me.