Archive for July, 2007
Re-discovery
I went for a walk with the 300mm lens, thinking that the conditions would be good for the big gun. I didn’t find many subjects, but when I glanced at the bay which peeked between the trees below me, I saw some white dots and used the 300mm as a telescope and confirmed that they must indeed be white waterlilies! This is just unbelievable - how many times have I written about my attraction to the white waterlilies and the story behind it? I rushed back, told my parents that I found white waterlilies so Dad (slightly doubtful) and I rowed into the bay to have a look. When all we could see was yellow waterlilies, I started to doubt myself - but then, after getting past yet another bank of reeds, there they were. I counted eight individuals in bloom and there were a lot of buds also.
Call me sentimental, call me a fool, or call me a sentimental fool, but I almost got a little bit misty eyed. It’s been almost 3 decades since we’ve last seen white waterlilies in this lake, even Dad was calling this the best discovery of the summer.
High-rises and cappuccinos
The town is also becoming more tourist oriented. And by tourists, I mean Russians. Seriously. If some sign is in two languages, it’s Finnish and Russian. If there’s four languages, it’s Finnish, English, German and Russian. In Savonlinna, the sign makers get off with less trouble - they stick to Finnish. Mind you, I saw one hand-written sign in Punkaharju, advertising fresh coffee in German and Swedish. Otherwise, my car is just about the only Swedish thing I’ve seen here.
If I said that people in Savonlinna look very familiar, then here in Lappeenranta they sound very familiar. I realised that everyone talks like me - my dialect. I may have some minor linguistics elements from the Savo dialect, but first and foremost I’m a South Karelian.
The familiarity got me thinking about my relationship to these two towns. Even if I’m more likely to think Savonlinna as my home town in Finland, I am also undeniably at home here in South Karelia. I think the difference is that Savonlinna is in my heart and Lappeenranta in my head.
While I’m in the city, I’m trying to make the most of it. I’ve had a cappuccino in a café every day, it could be just about the only thing I’ve missed while living a small village. Otherwise the buildings (a high-rise building is 4-5 floors here) and people make me feel slightly claustrophobic. I guess I could live in a big town again, but only if I really have to. Give me forests and bogs anytime.
Connected
I was expecting to find a wireless connection somewhere in Savonlinna so I could go online every now and then. But nix, no hotspots, so I had to wait until I got to Lappeenranta. Thus, plenty of backdated posts now!
1 commentLizards
It’s one of those strange sunny days which are not really sunny. You know, thin high cloud vailing the sun so the sky is milky blue, a total disaster for landscape photography. Lucky I’m not a landscape photographer… I did some sightseeing again and checked out Putkinotko, which used to be one of the local sights in Savonlinna. Now it’s more or less dilapidated and they’ve even removed the sign from the main road. Lucky I only came for the flowers… I didn’t find any interesting though, apart from the hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium) which I remembered grew by the road from many years ago when I last was there.Back at the cabin, I tried my hand at wildlife photography. I had spotted a group of common lizards sunning on a rock pile so I mounted the camera+300mm on the tripod and slowly stalked closer so the lizards wouldn’t scurry away. Initially they did, but after a while when I sat still, they returned. I kept inching ever closer and the small reptiles tolerated me, even if they kept a watchful eye on me every time I moved. I had hoped that I could shoot some lizards on this holiday, so now I can check this one off my list!
Treasures in the ditch
Said and done. First thing after breakfast, I drove to Punkaharju to do an inventory of the broad-leaved helleborine. I found 23-25 individuals, some already withered, others in full bloom and some only starting to bloom. I also found one individual which was HUGE - 1 metre tall, easily. All of them were growing right by the road, or in the roadside ditch. I didn’t find any on the other side of the ditch, so the road must be providing them with the minerals that they need.Having endured the traffic, dust, mosquitos and pollen, I finally emerged from the ditch with the memory card half filled with orchids. I still can’t believe I found them here.
No commentsWhoops
I played a real tourist today and took a cruise from Savonlinna to Punkaharju and back. I got a good look at the Saimaa lake system and islands (no less than 40000 of them, including the small islets) and a short hike on the nature trail in Punkaharju. I can now proudly say that I’ve seen the tallest tree in Finland. It grows in the middle of the forest so it’s hard to appreciate the height when you’re standing right next to it, peering up and trying to see the tree crown. I’ll just have to take their word for it.I wasn’t expecting to see many orchids here in Finland - the occasional heath spotted orchid but nothing more, really. I was astonished to discover lesser butterfly orchids right behind the summer house, all withered but I’m positive about the ID. Then today during the hike past the tall trees, I saw a creeping lady’s-tresses orchid. And when I was already on the way to the harbour to catch the ship back to Savonlinna… a new orchid, I was stunned! I couldn’t ID it on the spot, so back at the cabin, I hurried to check the book… Broad-leaved helleborine (Epipactis helleborine) and it also happens to be a fairly rare orchid. Amazing! Too bad I was in a hurry, I just took a few quick shots for the ID and had a brief look around for more individuals, but this was the only one I could see. Right there beside the road… I’m not kidding, it wasn’t fully half a meter from the curb. Yikes. I’m going back tomorrow to look for more of them!
No commentsKnots
After the rain
Deserted
I did some local sightseeing today. Since we’re surrounded by lakes, there’s a dead end (and a boat) in every direction but one. So I saw a lot of water, some dramatic cliffs and plenty of forest with summer residences (and the occasional permanent residence) scattered all around, by the water of course. And then there are some deserted houses as well, some more recent than others.
Familiar
One thing I’ve been wondering about is how everyone looks so familiar here. Every time we visit the town, I keep staring at people (especially the older ones), thinking that I know them. It wouldn’t be impossible because this is where my family comes from (almost all of the younger ones have moved elsewhere but the older folks remain in the Savonlinna region). But no, every time I have to conclude that they are all strangers to me. I think I figured it out today though. The older folks all look so… Savo. Not just Finnish, but southern Savo. I will probably look just like them in 20-30 years…
* * *
The windy weather has continued. I have just about exhausted my ideas for windy weather photography, so I can only hope for the weather to turn tomorrow…
