Boat ride

On Monday night, we all took a three-hour boat cruise through the lake district, with a lavish buffet dinner served on board. I was a little nervous about seasickness, but the over-the-counter Bonine worked fine, at least on these calm waters.

Here is a picture of our boat, the Ainot. The days are at their longest this time of year, with the sun setting about 11 pm and rising about 3 am. It's not quite the famous "white nights" further north, where the sun never seems to go down, but close.

What magnificent views we had of the forests and lakes. You can barely see the cottages built throughout the region. They are supposed to be at least 20 meters back from the water's edge, to preserve the natural look of the forests.

We went through a systems of locks on the trip. These were once a vital commercial link to move goods in the region, but now are mainly used by tourist and pleasure boats.

Here's another view, taken from the rear of the boat. That's the blue and white Finnish flag.

NOTE: Click on any image to see it full-size.