SAARISTOON!

 http://houseofsparkle.blogspot.com/2009/05/great-finland-adventure-part-ii.html

Rebecca Agiewich is a writer from Seattle, Washington.

Day 1.

I meet with friendly Dafna from Saaritours who helps me plan my bike trip and arranges everything for me. I shop for supplies for my bike trip (1. bread 2. cheese 3. chocolate); then walk back to  my friend’s place with a blister that’s grown to half the size of my foot (thank God I’ll be mostly biking, not walking, the next few days).

Day 2. After a breakfast, I am at last on my rented bicyclette! I pedal out of Turku on a super-duper bike path that makes me feel as if I never want to bike in the U.S. again. I am doing part of what’s known as the “Archipelago Ring Route,” which takes you over several of the 20,000-some islands in the Turku Archipelago via a combination of bridges and ferries. Unfortunately it’s early season so many of the ferries aren’t running yet. Instead of doing a loop as cyclists normally do, I am doing an out and back route. But hey, it beats sitting at home in Seattle where it’s undoubtedly raining. (Um, it’s raining in Finland on this particular day too but never mind that).

My first destination is the island of Nauvo, some 45 or so kilometers away. At first the scenery is dull and urban with a few too many cars. But when I take the ferry from the island of Pargas to the island of Nauvo, suddenly I am out in the country, surrounded by the placid Baltic sea and empty(ish) roads.

The ferry is nothing like the monstrosities we have here in Washington State that hold hundreds of cars and passengers. This bright yellow raft-like vehicle carries only about three cars and me. We scurry across the water in about 10 minutes. I’m glad it’s sunny by this time because there’s no place to go inside on the ferry. Everyone stays in their cars and I stand by my bike. (At right, the ferry from a distance).

Because I fail to consult my map I end up riding almost 10 kilometers too far when I am already exhausted. Luckily a road sign confuses me and I take out the map to puzzle over it. I realize I’ve gone too far and missed the turnoff for my guesthouse. But just exactly where is it? Thank God for cell phones. In Finland, they actually work everywhere because that’s all anyone uses.

A call to Saaritours and everything is cleared up. I backtrack, turn off the main road and find myself pedaling along incredibly tranquil roads. Leafy. Sun-dappled. With calm bays and red cottages around every corner. Finally I reach my lodging in a “town” called Gyttja. If you can call a few houses, one guesthouse, and a jetty a “town.”

Day 3. Breakfast is a huge spread of bread, meat, and  cheese. Today I’m pedaling on a crisp, dazzling morning toward the village of Nauvo (the town I almost ended up in by accident last night). There I’ll catch a ferry for some sightseeing and later end up on the island of Korppoo. My host at Gyttja made a delicious meal with smoked salmon on dense brown bread with deviled eggs and tomato soup.

After arriving bright and early to catch a 9 a.m. boat, I discover the ferry I want is actually not leaving until 1 pm due to holiday scheduling. After snapping a few photos of the picturesque church near the marina, I decide to skip the boat ride and cycle directly to Korpo.

Instead of going the direct route on the highway, however, I attempt to take the “scenic” route to the north. Naturally I fail to consult my map carefully enough and end up doing the “ultra-scenic” route: on a road that heads deeper and deeper into the forest until it’s nothing but a faint trail that’s clearly leading to a gingerbread cottage where I will undoubtedly be fed fattening food then thrown into a cage a la “Hansel and Gretel”.

I turn around. Now it’s late enough that I actually could take the ferry so instead of biking to Korpo, I go back to my original plan. Once again I pedal to the cheerful Nauvo harbor, then jump on board the white and blue “Satava” — which doubles as a mail boat. We ply the Baltic sea past dozens (hundreds?) of little islands, and then I jump off at the end of the line — an island called Norrskata.

From there I pedal quickly south in the peaceful afternoon– hardly a car in sight — to catch a ferry to Korpo. There is a most unpleasant incident involving some Finns who scream violently at me when I walk on “their” beach while waiting for the ferry, but since this was very uncharacteristic of my stay in Finland, I’ll skip lightly over it to land on the little island of Korpo, my destination for the night.

My home for the evening is the Rauvais Bed and Breakfast and after a quick stop there, I pedal into the village for an extremely tasty dinner at Restaurant “Buffalo.” (Which answers my question about whether you can get good food here in the boonies. The answer is “yes!”).

Then it’s back to the B&B, past a moose (!) and a herd of white-tailed deer.

Day 4. Bread and cheese for breakfast. Now it’s back to the island of Nauvo and guesthouse Gyttja again. Bravely I attempt the same side route that stymied me the day before, this time from the western end. Success! I actually read the map and find my way without getting taken prisoner by a wicked witch.

This route is so peaceful and pleasant, however, that I get momentarily creeped out. Away from the main highway there are almost no cars or people. There are houses, lawn chairs, field of grain. Chirping birds and sunshine. Yet it’s all so empty. But I get over my loneliness-induced anxiety once a few farm vehicles start to appear and I arrive in the comparatively bustling village of Nauvo.

After making it back to guesthouse Gyttja, I take my best ride of the whole trip (which is, of course, unplanned.) On the advice of my friendly host, Tom, I ride from the guesthouse to a restaurant on Kirjais about 6 km away. In this short ride, I cross no less than three islands and two low bridges with beautiful, expansive views of the water gilded by the evening sun.

There are very few cars on these side roads but I do see people recreating in the water, and I arrive on Kirjais to find the one restaurant –Cafe Bystrand– restaurant bustling with happy activity. I eat another delicious meal in the middle of nowhere and cycle back to the guesthouse (at 8 p.m. in bright sunlight) feeling very satfisfied with my adventure. Tomorrow it’s back to Turku.

Day 5. I set out early for 35-mile ride after another huge breakfast of bread, cheese, meat, eggs, coffee, juice (with a few cookies thrown in for good measure). Today I’ll meet up with a friend in the city of Pargas (on the island of Pargas) and we’ll cycle back to Turku together. After stopping for a delicious pastry at the Sattmark cafe, where I stroll down to the water, I’m back on my bike, past the cool sculpture garden just outside Pargas, and into the center of town.

Then it’s another 30 or so kilometers in bright sunshine back from the countryside. We return to Turku and there is a whirlwind of returning my bike, eating, and packing before I jump back on a train to Helsinki.

In all, my trip to the Turku Archipelago was peaceful and pleasant trip with good food, friendly hosts, and lovely scenery. Though not all the ferries are running in early May, it is a good time of year to go to avoid crowds. Be sure to get a good map so that you can cycle the side roads and explore the little villages and bays without getting lost! Also, be aware that while some of the guesthouses serve breakfast, not all serve dinner, so you might want to come prepared with food to cook (kitchens are often available) or be ready to cycle for your dinner.