Yesterday I spent a perfect day all by myself on two beautiful small islands right off Helsinki, Vallisaari and Kuninkaansaari (they are connected by a reef so they go hand in hand basically). They are right next to Suomenlinna, and have formerly been accessible only for the military. There's a military and wartime history so both places are full of old, dilapidated military equipment and it's strictly forbidden to stray off the marked route because of possible old explosives hidden in the ground! Whoa... I felt like a real daredevil defying death when I did the exact prohibited thing and wandered off the route at times.
I just needed to be alone with the nature, have it all for myself. It was a sunny summer day so obviously the place was packed with noisy little kids, their even noisier parents and some know-it-all -tourists from the Finnish countryside, who'd studied the places history moments before arriving and now loudly iterating it, as if to prove to everyone they're not just some stupid hill billies, funny how we can be our own worst critics. People passed by so quickly, classic urbanites always in a hurry - I wondered if they just came into the islands so they could tell everyone they have been there. I went because I thought I could get a moment to myself, a peaceful moment relaxing in the nature. And because when I heard of the place and its untouched and breathtakingly broad flora, I was a go-go immediately. Eventually I came to peace with all the other humans there and started paying them no mind. I enjoyed every slow step I took on the path (yes, I always returned on it after my little independent trips to the wilderness), I enjoyed the fact that I had such time to slowly stroll on some islands - and I couldn't imagine that time spent any better. I felt lucky to be alive; to see the horizon, to touch the flowers and tree trunks and hear the waves; to breath in that slightly salty sea air, a scent I've loved my entire life - if I could choose I'd live at sea. Or in the middle of nature. It really was a place I felt peaceful and tranquil. I ate a sandwich I packed to go and cherries I bought at Kauppatori. I ended up walking over 18 000 steps that day! And most of them on the islands, I think my meter was somewhere around 2000 in the morning when I stepped on the ferry and it was around 16 000 when I left! My legs were a bit sore after that :D But the day ended so perfectly going to sauna and having a beer, super relaxing.
Here are some photos I took =^___^=
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| That's me! It started raining at some point. Heavenly rain! I love hearing the rain drops fall on an umbrella. After it started raining people were hurrying by even faster and I got some moments all by myself on the route - needless to say, I enjoyed it a lot. Thanks, rain! |
