It's so quiet when you are paddling on a lake in Finland, that you could believe you are in a dream. The oar, like a hot knife in butter goes deep into the water and returns by graciously breaking the surface, allowing a a thin coating of water to fall from the paddle like pearls on a string.
We pulled into the car park area, Kaisa my fiance, Nogah my dog and I. It's sure been a while since i stepped on this land, or at least it certainly felt like it. Funny how you can remember every little detail about a place that you haven't been to in years. I felt good about my myself. 52 years into life and my memory hasn't been on top form lately. This was an ego boost.
I was apprehensive as i drove along the long tarmac road leading up to the National Park turn off. I'd been driving for nearly an hour, so i knew i was close. In the distance i spotted the park sign telling me to go left along a dusty track. I turned and immediately heard a different sound from the tyres. The popping and crunching of small stones was emphasized as i sped along at a faster speed causing a dust screen that Batman would have been proud of. I didn't care, this track was only built for one car and i didn't want to get caught up with another coming the other way. As i drove along i noticed that they had made some improvements from the old bumpy potholed track i used to know. Every now and then there was passing spaces placed in the track, i relaxed and eased off from the accelerator. My apprehension grew more as the track took me into the parking area. I found a spot, parked up and sat for a little while. I hadn't been to a National Park for nearly a year now and i was keen to get going but i was nervous about the amount of people that was here. The car park area was quite full, and i was concerned about catching something bad. Finland and the rest of World was going through a very serious time, the Corona virus. The residents of Finland have been placed under quarantine for the last two months by the Finnish government, meaning that people's movements have been restricted, and any bars, clubs and restaurants are closed from April 3rd 2020 until June 1st 2020. A limit of 10 people can gather at any place but no more, so a very high number of workplaces are shut down. This and many other laws were put in place to slow down and prevent the spread of the Corona virus and to safeguard the resource capacity and resilience of the Healthcare system throughout the country, and to protect the people, especially those who are at more risk than others. I'm pretty sure all of you know about the Corona virus, but if there are some who are still unsure, you can read about it here, from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare https://thl.fi/en/web/infectious-diseases/what-s-new/coronavirus-covid-19-latest-updates/coronavirus-covid-19
Paddling a 16 ft canoe over a large calm blue lake with the wind at your back, and the sun blazing high in a cloudless sky is an experience not many of us get in life. Therefore i know i am blessed.
