18 to Solo

Tour data: Distance 62.9 km, max speed 48.7 km/h, travel time 2:50 hours.

Weather: In the morning, not a single cloud in the sky and already warmer than yesterday. Later, there were some clouds, but the sun kept shining.

Today is May 1st, the Finnish national holiday, so everything is closed as on Sundays. For example, breakfast was only available from 8 am. But since I planned a short tour, it was actually quite convenient for me.

The first view from the window was very promising today. Not a single cloud in the bright blue sky. Dry and warmer temperatures (up to 10°) were forecasted for the rest of the day compared to yesterday. I did get a few raindrops in the afternoon, though. I had already seen many virgas before. Virgas are said to occur when it rains from a cloud, but most of it evaporates in the air before reaching the ground. Sometimes a few drops do reach the ground, but it can't really be called rain.

Right after starting, I crossed a dam which divided the lake into two parts. This got me thinking: How many lakes are there actually in Finland? There must be thousands, because the map is full of them. And there are just as many islands, or maybe even more. I found the following information:

It is said that there are 188,000 lakes in Finland. This number sounds unbelievable, but anyone who has traveled through Finland would hardly doubt it. There are really a lot of bodies of water, from the capital Helsinki through the Finnish lake district in the east all the way up to the far north of Lapland.

Today, I took a closer look at the progress of vegetation and examined some plants up close. You can find my selection in the photos.

Today's route also led me along many roads, some of which were almost traffic-free. In this case, it is not at all bothersome. And once you know how many lakes there are, you can understand the lack of bicycle paths.

Although I didn't see any moose today, despite warning signs, I did see a magnificent pheasant very close to my path. Unfortunately, I didn't take a photo of it because it seemed like too much effort and because it would probably run away before I could capture it.

Let me tell you what it means to take a photo with a bike. The phone is attached to the handlebars and I use it to see the navigation instructions on Komoot. So first I have to stop, thinking about the wear and tear on the brake pads. Then I have to detach the phone and switch it to camera mode. Often I even get off the bike and walk back a bit because I had a better view of the desired object from there. Then I switch back to Komoot and attach the phone to the handlebars again. In addition, I usually have to take off and put on my gloves (it's too cold for unprotected hands). It was much easier during my hike around Lake Geneva. I hope you understand why so many beautiful moments remain only in my head and I can't share them with you.

Please also pay attention to the remarks I add to the photos. Together with the text here, they should at least give you an insight into my wonderful journey.

https://www.komoot.de/tour/1101319706?ref=itd