April 30th Happy Eve of May Day!We drove a few hours forward from Zaragoza to arrive here in Almunia de San Juan Camping. Beautiful changing landscapes with many castles and vineyards. We even crossed an irrigation canal. We approached Andorra, although we didn’t drive all the way there. We opened a bottle of wine. The …
April 29th May Day is approaching! Tomorrow I’ll be here, even though traditionally I’ve been at Punamäki with good people enjoying the workers’ celebration, food, singing, and playing music. This year more than ever, I would have wanted to be there. After all, we’ve lost two significant contributors to socially engaged music. The Chydenius – …
April 28th. Olli and Mani, true workers, headed off to work on Sunday morning. We got a couple of hours alone with Jedi and Stella. Those two little rascals won us over again. Slow Sunday mornings with the kids are absolute quality time. This time, we savored this delight in Spain on the Mediterranean coast. …
April 27th Today was a “stay put” day. We enjoyed the company of Olli, Manni, and the kids. We also got our gas bottles refilled. We found a PolaGas station in Santa Pola, where we received excellent service and found an adapter suitable for Finnish bottles. Refilling the bottle cost €16. In the afternoon, Mani’s …
April 26th What a fantastic shower this morning. The water came with such pressure that even my poor skin felt it. The facilities at the campground were really comprehensive and high-quality. The only drawback was the swimming pool, which didn’t open until 12:00. Breakfast outdoors felt a bit cramped. Surrounded by other campers, with only …
April 25th Parking lot wake-up calls can take so many forms. Today it was the usual: some dog remembered to bark as its owners took it for a morning walk. Some of the campers are early birds. Since we were right next to the water and dumping station, all the departing campers drove by to …
On the 24th of April Today I woke up to the sounds of life coming from the neighboring camp pitch. Next to us, there was a guy camping (who knows for how many nights), whose morning routine differed from that of the others. He pulled out an unopened bottle of vodka from his gear, poured …
April 23rd Today we said goodbye to Anu and Hannu. Farewell also to the charming city of Sines and the surf beaches, where we had the chance to witness a surfing student tackling waves that weren’t exactly massive – more on the modest side! Eva conjured up fruit-strawberry smoothies for the four of us for …
April 22nd Today we received a rather thorough explanation of the intricacies of surfing and the mechanisms behind those famous mega-waves. Anu and Hannu have been involved in the field for quite some time, so it seems they’ve accumulated quite a bit of knowledge. However, that doesn’t mean I’m considering taking up wave riding on …
April 21st. We didn’t have breakfast on the grass. A simple coffee, juice, and a roll – breakfast in the car in the parking lot of Maria’s house. We checked the locks of the hostess’s house and set off via the supermarket. We grabbed some spread and juice. Set the navigator to Sines and off …
April 20th Portugal’s April at its best. The cool morning seems to be turning into a reasonably warm day. It rained last night, and that’s something we all like. Everything that rains before Midsummer goes straight into the bin. Just a reminder for fellow travelers in Finland. Perhaps those who coined or recorded the saying …
April 19th As we were leaving, I took my mother’s sister Elvin’s school songbook from 1924, signed by her, along. At home, I slightly customized it so I could send it to my cousin’s daughter in Canada. Now it’s been sent. It might have to be sniffed by drug dogs – maybe even opened by …
April 18th My friend Mikko Ojanperä is turning 75 today. Happy birthday, Mikko! You’ve carried the mantle of the elder brother wonderfully! I met you at Kanneljärvi Folk High School in the summer of 1970. Since then, we’ve been involved in all sorts of events together. I raised a toast to you today in Porto, …
April 17th. Staying between the bullfighting arena and the football field didn’t warrant a long morning routine. A slice of bread with juice and coffee. Then off we went. Heading towards Porto – or rather, finding a cheap place to stay along the way. Mostly driving on highways, we stopped for a break at a …
April 16th. What a pleasant place we stayed overnight. In the morning, I hopped on my bike to the village to buy freshly baked baguettes and croissants. We had them for breakfast. Eva had already brewed coffee while waiting. Watching hawks hovering over the vineyard, we enjoyed our breakfast. Afterwards, we prepared the car and …
April 15th. What a brisk morning it was! A slice of German dark bread with cold cuts, a cup of juice and coffee, and off we went. I’ve seen more stunning river landscapes, so we didn’t linger to admire them. After refueling, we headed to the grocery store to find snacks and a pot lid. …
April 14th. A refreshing shower in 12-degree warmth woke us up. Breakfast on the grass. Coffee with bread. We decided to postpone yogurt and muesli until lunch. The weather is improving – it’s time to switch to summer clothing. After a slow morning, we set off around eleven. Around noon, we stopped to admire the …
April 13 Morning was sunny and slightly cool. The temperature quickly began to rise. After breakfast, we got ready to set off. We decided to drive along the Mosel. It was a splendid river valley bordered by vineyards and successive villages. Large tourist boats cruised up and down the river carrying tourists. We stuck to …
The first actual driving day was on April 11th, when we drove from Lübeck to Koblenz, where we met our godson Jonatan. Jonatan is here on a student exchange. It was nice to spend the evening with him. We drove about 600 kilometers. The journey took longer than expected due to numerous roadworks. Camping: Knaus …
The journey begins April 10, 2024 Helsinki Travemünde Helsinki The departure from Vuosaari, Helsinki April 10, 2024 at 3 pm. Travemünde Arrival in Travemündeen April 11, at 9 PM.