Savonlinna - Puumala - Mikkeli - Klaukalla
When we left Savonlinna the temperature has dropped to 16°C in the morning for the first time since weeks. It was cloudy but it didn't rain. After several hot weeks in Finland, 16°C were very welcomed and made cycling relaxed. Our plan was to cycle within two days from Savonlinna to Mikkeli and take the train from there to Helsinki area. We were running out of time! In Savonlinna no booking counter was available at the railway station. So we called the Finnish railway company VR and made a reservation over the phone. It worked pretty well. No upfront payment was required, we could pay at the counter. Why a reservation? Each Finnish long-distance train has only three slots for bicycles.
We stayed the night somewhere close to Puumala and had exceptional dinner. In one supermarket we found black bean sauce with roasted garlic and chilli. It felt a bit like home. That was definitely a wonderful change from pasta and bread again and again.
The train ride was an easy thing. The wagon with the bicycle compartment was lowered so that we could push in the bicycles very easily. Also the compartment offered big lockers. The bicycle panniers and other bags fit perfectly. There was no hassle about where to store our many bulky bags.
We took the train to Tikkurila, got off and cycled about 30 km to Noora's place in Klaukalla, our final destination in Finland. Noora was one of my Finnish colleagues and we used to work together. She and her husband Petri were so kind and offered us a home for several days. That made things much easier. We could send some bicycle spare parts and our passports - that arrived from the Tajik consulate in Berlin only after we had left Germany - to Finland, just before we would leave Europe and start the real adventure. Without Noora's and Petri's help we would have had some headache. We were spoilt at Noora's place in many ways. It felt so good to sleep on a mattress! We could use their washing machine - ahh fresh clothes! But even better was their sauna. We were surprised to find a sauna in their little bathroom. Oh, and of course warm showers. Moreover staying at one place for more than three days was very relaxing.
Noora and Petri, thank you very much for your hospitality and the great time at your place!!
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