Juhannus by the Lake

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Juhannus was spent along the shores of Lake Saimaa this year with Mari's fabulous family and I fully understand now why most Finns either have a mökki [summer cottage] or are saving up to purchase one. We drank, ate some excellent traditional foods, and mostly just relaxed by the lake. Mari took us into town since I hadn't ever seen Olavinlinna and we walked around the tori. The water in the lakes is so clear that it makes you realise just how polluted most of the US is, even the parts that are supposedly protected. It was so quiet around the lake, too, that I'd swear I heard someone fart on the far, far end of the lake. :) Savo, the lake district of Finland, is a lot less inhabited than the Tampere-Turku-Helsinki triangle in western Finland which makes for a quiet, serene and beautiful spot for a cottage. Lupines in pink, purple and white line the roads for as far as you can see. HB had such a good time that he didn't want to get out of the car when we returned so maybe we need to look into getting him a cottage for next year. :)