ICT Days 10 and 11 Kuhmo with day off

Tuesday, May 28:

122 km, 550 hm, cloudy with few showers

In the morning, we drive directly through the bear land on a gravel road to the main road. The bears aren't interested in us. At Vartius, we are right on the Russian border. Here, you can already see clear differences in vegetation - everything is green and sprouting.

64 km and a few rain showers later, we arrive in Kuhmo. Allegedly, there is a lively cultural scene here, but only in July. A friendly Finn takes us to a petrol station with a snack bar where we eat pizza. All the restaurants in the city center are closed, and Finnish food culture has room for improvement.

In the hotel pub, two locals tell us about life in Kuhmo, the importance of the sauna, and their work as musicians on ferries or in home offices.

Wednesday, May 29: Day off

We start driving in pouring rain, but after a few kilometers, we reconsider the situation. We have at least 90 km ahead of us! We turn around and take a day off after over 1000 km. This day is also well spent with reading online newspapers, processing emails, and visiting the museum on the culture of Kalevala. Kalevala is the Finnish national epic, which describes heroic stories and myths in fifty songs. There are references to the Oedipus myth or the birth of Jesus.