Ketunretket tour stories

stories from our tours

Ketunretket guides are providing several type of tours to their clients.

Here you can find some examples what we have done during our tours.

12.2.2025 Often our customers are willing to visit local Sauna experiences. We will provide also warm woollen hats, so your head does not freeze - the sauna swimming pool is outside!

Around the streets of Helsinki you sometimes can find small metal plates mounted to the streets.
These plates ae called "Stolperstones" - meant to remind us of the time when some citizens of Helsinki having Jewish roots were deported to Nazi Germany, and finally been murdered in the concentration camps.
These metal plates tell the names of those victims. These 3 plates are in Munkkiniemen Puistotie, western Helsinki.

These Stolperstones are telling about family Kollmann.

In our technical laboratory we have mr. Orange

7.3.2025 our clcient Catalina H. visited one of the most beautiful cafe's in Helsinki, cafe Regatta

24.4.2025 we had a testing sauna event in Furuvik, eastern Helsinki. You can pour water on hot stones to created hot steam, which has a specific name "Löyly" here in Finland. It means "the spirit of the sauna"

17.5.2025 a special "troll" day. A "Troll" is actually Swedish word, and here in Finland she is "Peikko"

31.12.2024 Arja had her group Susan, Daniel, Peggy, Herbert and Robert in Helsinki Senate Square

13.12.2024 Santa had a visit to Tuusula community public library, which is a moving bus containing books for kids

3.12.2024 we visited Helsinki Seurasaari Reindeer farm. Hmmmm... hopefully this service is not going to be done again.

26.11.2024 a one week tour to Rome.

26.11.2024 Rome, Colosseum

18.11.2024 we visited Nuuksio Reindeer Park with our customer from Norway. It was a special day for the family son, he had this as a birthday present!

16.11.2024 we had a meeting with Finland's Travel Guide Association in Jyväskylä, the town of architect Alvar Aalto

16.11.2024 nice decorative outdoor illumination in Jyväskylä

16.11.2024 Architect Alvar Aalto is visible in Jyväskylä

16.11.2024 Aalto-sali (a reservable meeting building in Jyväskylä) has some Italian taste

16.11.2024 Aalto-hall doorhandle

23.10.2024 Tour to Suomenlinna

Helsinki Suomenlinna, the most old pier to the castle

23.10.2024 Helsinki, Suomenlinna. You might think that this is a ship... but it is actually old dry dock gate.

23.10.2024 Helsinki, Suomenlinna. So where did the red bricks come to the fortress? These came from Stensvik factory. This factory was a finnish brick and hidden water tube manufacturer, established 1861 by Feodor Tschetschulin and operated until 1939. The name of the factory was Stensvik Tegelbruk, employing 120 people and producing appr. 3 million bricks every year. The bricks were used in Suomenlinna and also in Uspensk Cathedral.
The factory was located in the place where nowadays is a shopping mall of Kivenlahti. The only building from the factory in Espoo Kivenlahti (Stensvik) still in place is a wooden school built to the children of the factory workers children, nowadays known as Kahvi-Kaisa cafeteria.

23.10.2024 Helsinki, Suomenlinna. The electricity installations were previously a little bit more robust than nowadays.

7.10.2024 we had a mushroom picking tour to Sipoonkorpi. Beside the path were big cows browsing.

7.10.2024 Mushroom picking tour

7.10.2024 these small funnel chanterels can be found late in the autumn

27.9.2024 Our client Melinda from New York had bought a foraging tour to her husband as a birthday present

27.9.2024 Melindas husband had been in Alaska picking up mushrooms, and he found a lot of delicious mushrooms in the forest. Some of these were later used by lamb-wool dyeing.

Project Aurora september 2024

3.9.2024 Project Aurora to Lapland started, and one place we stopped at was old Keuruu church. This photo was taken through door key-hole.

3.9.2024 Peeking through the keyhole at Keuruu old church door

3.9.2024 Unesco World Heritage site Petäjävesi church

4.9.2024 morning swimming in Oulunsalo Papinjärvi lake

4.9.2024 Kemijoki dam

5.9.2024 Climbing up to the Amethyst Mine near Olostunturi

5.9.2024 There's always time for GEOCACHING!

6.9.2024 Ivalo outdoor Same Museum. If your feet gets mushrooms between toes, use this...

6.9.2024 Finally in the NORTH!

7.9.2024 At Bygoynes, first some breakfast, and then to King Crab Safari!

7.9.2024 Starting the King Crab Safari with safe flotation suits on

7.9.2024 King Crabs had crawled to large nets, some 40 meters deep.

7.9.2024 King Crabs can be rather big

7.9.2024 Smile like a King Crab

7.9.2024 So why these King Crabs have dispersed from Barents Sea to the Norwegian coastline? Have a look under the crab, you can see the caviar-looking black eggs. Under the cover of one female crab can be half a million eggs...

7.9.2024 King Crabs can be rather big...

7.9.2024 The King Crab Safari ended at local Bistro. Our crabs were cooked by the kitchen, and we just could not eat all.

7.9.2024 Driving back to Finland, we stopped beside Teno river

7.9.2024 bird named Kuukkeli

9.9.2024 Riding bicycles in Saariselkä area we found an old gold-mine that had never supplied any gold

9.9.2024 Gold mine workers had to push these...

9.9.2024 ... and as already mentioned, there's always time for GEOCACHING!

9.9.2024 Juniper berries

9.9.2024 Old pinetree in Saariselkä region

9.9.2024 here has been a fire accident many years ago

9.9.2024 did you think that this is a bird's home? No. there's always time for some GEOCACHING!

9.9.2024 During winter, these glass igloos are rather expensive to stay overnight. But if you can see some Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) and you are willing to have a child, try it here - an old belief says, that if you do it under Auroras, the child will be a boy.

9.9.2024 Kakslauttanen Glass Igloos

9.9.2024 this is how the glass igloos look like inside

10.9.2024 the next 2 weeks this smoke-sauna will be Arja's volutary-work place. She will be the Sauna Elf, helping people to have "the real finnish sauna" and dip into the cold pond water.

10.9.2024 Late in the evening this Border-terrier Indiana Jones "Indy" saw some reindeers near Rumakuru, pulled the Flexi-band out from his owner's hand and run to reach the reindeers. His owner tried to call him, but no success, no internet connection behind the Kiilopää fjell, so she had to run for help.
After 3 days the dog was found, with the help of hundreds of voluntary seekers hiking in the forest. This dog had barked only once, and the seekers had heard it. It had been stuck of the Flexi Band into a birch tree branch.

12.9.2024 at Kiilopää you can rent fatbikes and have a nice ride in the wilderness. These two guys, Osmo and Mikko were filming a "father and son" movie to Finnish television, and we were lucky enough to spend one tour with them.

12.9.2024 and as we have already mentioned, there's always good time for GEOCACHING!

13.9.2024 the working costume of the Sauna Elf

13.9.2024 Sauna enjoyment

14.9.2024 Indy was found!

15.9.2024 up the stairs

15.9.2024 Get in!

15.9.2024 Karhunpesäkivi

19.9.2024 late in the evening the Auroras finally came visible

21.9.2024 the autumn has come and the first snow flakes on the ground.

22.9.2024 hybrid reindeer - what has he been eating?

NEXT TOUR

22.8.2024 Near Hyvinkää town is a peculiar art show "In the middle of Nowhere"

22.8.2024 in the middle of nowhere

14.8.2024 diMund Helsinki

8.8.2024 Arja's customers at Lake Tuusula

6.8.2024 Sauna-Mama at Kiljava Resort

19.7.2024 Sauna!

7.7.2024 Switzerlandian architecture tour leader dreaming of Alvar Aalto

7.7.2024 Switzerlandian architecture tour guide Arja at Amos Rex museum

7.7.2024 Switzerlandian architecture tour group in Otaniemi

18.5.2024 Italian country-side tour

18.5.2024 Italian country-side grasshopper

23.6.2024 Our Guam-based family at Sibelius Monument

23.6.2024 Medieval time Catholic Church in Lohja town. Tour to Turku with our Guam family

23.6.2024 Medieval time Catholic Church in Lohja shows the man who has got his name given to this church: St. Lawrence Church. Saint Lawrence was murdered by burning him on metal grid.

Springtime and winter 2024

20.2.2024 In the heart of Savo: Kivennapa resort

20.2.2024 In the heart of Savo: Kivennapa resort sauna which was made of ICE!

20.2.2024 In the heart of Savo: Kivennapa resort Ice Sauna, a COOL place

20.2.2024 In the heart of Savo: Inside Kivennapa resort sauna

20.2.2024 In the heart of Savo: Kivennapa resort

20.2.2024 In the heart of Savo: Kivennapa resort owner. His father was evacuated from Carelia during WW2 from area named Kivennapa. Thus this site got the name according to their home village.

29.12.2023 Tahko Resort

29.12.2023 Tahko area is freezing cold

29.12.2023 Our new Bath-tub duck. He got named Jere Pöyhönen (Käärijä)

24.12.2023 Christmas time in Tuusula area

24.12.2023 Santa and Mama Santa visited Halosenniemi

19.12.2023 Mama Santa met Otto at Kirre library bus

13.12.2023 we met Italian colleaque Elisabetta in Helsinki. Later she was our guide in Siena, Italy

9.12.2023 Arja met the REAL Santa in Klaavola, Tuusula

9.12.2023 Arja in Klaavola, Tuusula

3.12.2023 Santa and replacement Mama Santa in Salmi Manor area in Northern Nuuksio

3.12.2023 Santa and replacement Mama Santa met Jari Sillanpää in Salmi Manor area in Northern Nuuksio

20.11.2023 Tour to Tallinn, Estonia

Night in Tallinn

16.9.2023 Australian Hobby-Horse riders in Helsinki

16.9.2023 Australian Hobby-Horse riders in Helsinki. This group are fans of the Australian Travel Guides - TV Show and they wanted to do the same as in TV

16.9.2023 Australian Hobby-Horse riders in Helsinki

1.6.2023 Tour to Tallinn

1.6.2023 Entry through the Great Coastal Gate "Paksu Margareta" (fat Maggie) to the Old Town of Tallinn, Estonia.

Drawing of the "Paksu Margareta" gate

During the Danish Rule the route to Tallinn from Denmark

Old merchant's house

In the center of the Old Town is located the embassy of Russia. Ongoing demonstration and posters

Embassy of Russia. Ongoing demonstration and posters "Tin of Poo"

Tallinn Russian church

10.6.2023 Helsinki Kruununhaka area

10.6.2023 Kruununhaka area in Helsinki

Kruunuhaka in Helsinki

18.6.2023 Tallinn again, now with customers

18.6.2023 Arja's group at Margerita gate

18.6.2023 Bishop of Tampere was visiting Tallinn, so we were lucky to have a chat with him

18.6.2023 Lunch in Tallinn

23.6.2023 Malaysian group in Northern Nuuksio

23.6.2023 Malaysians in Nuuksio Etelälahti camping area, starting the walk to Pikku-Parikas lake

23.6.2023 Malaysian group leader was brave enought to get into the water

1.7.2023 Happy couple

1.7.2023 Jonna & Antti & father

2.7.2023 Finnish Lighthouse Society's tour to Portugal and Spain

2.7.2023 Arja in Lissabon, Portugal

2.7.2023 We were waiting for the famous tram to arrive, but it had just collided with a car. So we had to take a tuk-tuk... terrible way of driving

3.7.2023 Green button?

3.7.2023 Cabo daRoca, a windy place

3.7.2023 Cabo daRoca

3.7.2023 The tallest lighthouse in Portugal, Farol de Praia da Barra

3.7.2023 Farol lamps

5.7.2023 Santiago de Compostella cathedral

5.7.2023 Santiago de Compostella cathedral's "Spanish Horns"-type organ pipes

5.7.2023 Santiago de Compostella cathedral's church yard. There is a geocache in this wall, and this grandpa just sat in front of it...

5.7.2023 Santiago de Compostella Land's End. Pedestrians are leaving their shoes here after pilgrim route

5.7.2023 Santiago de Compostella Land's End geocache

5.7.2023 Santiago de Compostella ice-cream

6.7.2023 Spanish grain-storage. Rats cannot climb up

6.7.2023 Spanish sun gettin down

7.7.2023 Spanish seafood

8.7.2023 Spanish seaside

8.7.2023 Zaragoza railway station

10.7.2023 Pamplona city after the bull-run. All streets smell of beer and pee.

3.5.2023 Helsinki Viikki sewage-water treatment facility

3.5.2023 Under Helsinki Viikki area is a large sewage-water treatment facility

3.5.2023 The things you can find in the sludge

3.5.2023 Sludge water pools

3.5.2023 The sludge water flows through the system

3.5.2023 Biological post-filtration

3.5.2023 Biological post-filtration

29.4.2023 Visit to Jautlandia, Pielavesi

29.4.2023 Jautlandia soldier

29.4.2023 Jautlandia cache things

29.4.2023 Jautlandia site manager, mr. Jauhiainen

29.4.2023 Jautlandia solar panel system

27.4.2023 Hobby-boat given by mr. Sepi

27.4.2023 This hobby-boat was 35 years ago meant to be a fishing helper. Time went by and now the owner gave it to me for development

27.4.2023 Hobby-boat from inside.Now this needs some planning, how to make the keel and install the engine?

18.4.2023 Suomenlinna people and birds

18.4.2023 Eagle-Owl sitting and sleeping

16.4.2023 Finnish Nature- and Outdoorprogram Association SULO visiting Meriturva in Lohja

Canoes need to be washed before the rehearsal

At Meriturva you can rehearse kayaking and climbing back to vessel in stormy environment

11.4.2023 Tours byLoccals clients in Helsinki

Birthday supprise to client

7.4.2023 Town of Hanko, bringing supplies to Gustavsvärn lighthouse island

A new hot-water boiling equipment being transported to the fortress

hot-water boiling equipment place

Hankoniemi has had a German Soldier transfer camp during WWII

Hankoniemi most southern continent place of Finland

Hankoniemi has an old demolished fortress from the past, Gustavsvärn

Hankoniemi has also bird-watchers site on top of old bunker

Hankoniemi was previously "rented" to Soviet Union

11.3.2023 Italian TV-show lady Victoria Cabello in Helsinki

Victoria Cabello and Danile Paride in Helsinki riding hobby-horses

21.3.2023 Hotels Ax and Unity in Helsinki

Hotel Ax has strange decorations in the rooms

4.1.2023 Tour to Savolax area

Winter night in Savolax area

Savolax area refreshments

Panorama on top of Tahko Hill

Tour to Riga, Latvia

Geocachers in Riga

Laima Clock in Riga, Latvia

Riga, Latvia: Tin of Poo

Riga, Latvia you can find some really great Art Nouveau style buildings

Riga, Latvia Breadcutter in kitchen

Riga, Latvia Titty-Kitty

Riga, Latvia We took a train to Jurmala beach. Some of the villas are in awful condition. All russians are away from the beach town now.

Riga, Latvia Jurmala Onyx sculpture

Riga, Latvia Jurmala beach

25.9.2022 Helsinki, Säätytalo tour

Säätytalo has a meetingroom for the government

Säätytalo long balcony

13.9.2022 Kuusijärvi lake outdoor activities

13.9.2022 Kuusijärvi lake smoke sauna

13.9.2022 Kuusijärvi lake outdoor survival games

13.9.2022 Kuusijärvi lake survival games, how to make a weather-safe place?

13.9.2022 Kuusijärvi lake survival games

19.9.2022 Norrkullalandet survival games

19.9.2022 Norrkullalandet survivals

19.9.2022 Norrkullalandet survivals: how to make fire and boil some water?

19.9.2022 Norrkullalandet survivals, we did it!

19.9.2022 Norrkullalandet survivals: after the tasks, it is time to have some refreshments

5.9.2022 Tour to Estonia and Hiiumaa

5.9.2022 Tour to Estonia: "We hate the kulaks as a class"

5.9.2022 Tour to Estonia: The creator of the Red Army, Lev Trotsky

expose whisperers and gossipers

5.9.2022 Tour to Estonia: Tallinn old communist prison Patarei

5.9.2022 Tour to Estonia: Patarei prison toilet

Our happiness is protected by the Soviet army - of course, yeah!

The greatest happiness is to grow up in a Soviet school

Near Haapsalu is located an old Soviet-time fighter-plane shelter and abandoned airfield

Abandoned Tuletorn, a lighthouse

Old alcohol-producing factory, nowadays a hotel

Soviets have always been afraid of western world

There are a lot of lighthouses in western Estonia

The oldest Estonian lighthouse in Köpu

Köpu lighthouse used to have ladders outside the tower, to enable firewood being brought up on top

Nowadays it is easier to get on top of the lighthouse

Sääre tirp long peninsula

Sääre Tirp peninsula, been there, seen that!

Haapsalu Bishop castle

Local member of Ketunretket (Fox's tours) in Haapsalu bishop's castle museum

Bye Bye, Estonia!

1.9.2022 Espoo Korpilampi hike

Espoo Korpilampi geocache

Espoo Korpilampi

24.8.2022 Vantaankoski Survival Games

Vantaankoski Survival Games area

Survival shelter

Create a support for your broken leg!

24.8.2022 Siemens Action Day at Salmi Pirtti

The task was to build an insect protecting "nest"

Some ladies had never had a hammer in hand

Ready-made insect protection nests

18.8.2022 Mushroom picking in Nuuksio National Park

Mushroom picking in Nuuksio, Salmi

Happy mushroom pickers

25.7.2022 Suomenlinna

Returning back from Suomenlinna

Sibelius-monument

Next tour to Naantali home fair

Old prison converted to home

Fun Icular

10.7.2022 Tour to Orrengrund island

Orrengrund island is located to the south from Pyhtää

Tour to Orrengrund was done with Kaakon Saarimatkat from Kotka town

The sea was calm and sunny all day

Dry snake-skin from the island

Orrengrund old lighthouse

Inside the lighthouse

Oven for smoking the fish

A herring or a Maiva? Lower jawbone lenght might tell you

An old game called Plevna - how to play, no-one knows any more

Famous songwriter Junnu Vainio has written "Kaunissaari kaivaten sua aina muistelen, milloin saan mä sulta suukon suolaisen" (Kaunissaari island, I always remember you, when will I get a salty kiss from you)

Boat named "Nestori" has earlier been sailing in Puumala waters

Old boat from year 1968 being restored

Got a small motor-boat from my father. He and his father had bought this together, to enable tours for fishing at lake Vesijärvi in Kangasala. Year abandoned and turned upside-down had rotten the wooden parts, so most of the boat had to be opened and old wood removed.

Rotten plywood

Gasoline engine was too powerful for this backplate

Loviisa Postimäki

Glöm ej köpa hem - a shopping list

Old stuff used in Postimäki houses

15.1.2022 tour to Koli mountain

View down from Ukko-Koli mountain

Local accomodation and pub service in Koli village

To have sauna, you need to fetch the water from the pond

21.12.2021 tour to Nuuksio National Park

Paolo's family at Kämmenlampi in northern Nuuksio

Icicles from the forest

Ever been walking on ice?

After the forest walk, we had lunch at Nuuksio Pohjoinen Pirtti

15.10.2021 tour to Pori town

Reposaari lighthouse in Pori

Kallo lighthouse in Pori

8.10.2021 Funnel chanterel tour to Sipoo forest

One of the methods "how to find mushrooms"

One full bucket of mushrooms

Tour to north

Kenkävero village in Mikkeli

Kenkävero village in Mikkeli garden

Our rented vehicle on top of Tahko hill

View down from top of Tahko hill

Author Veikko Huovinen in Sotkamo museum

In Veikko Huovinen's book "Havukka-ahon ajattelija" mr Konsta Pylkkänen shot a special bird: a PYYMETSO, a mixture of Metso and Pyy

Veikko Huovinen's Konsta Pylkkänen said: "In this world, a man has got only rights of an ant"

From Sotkamo we drove to Suomussalmi, Hossa and rented electric fatbikes

Hossa and Julma Ölkky

Julma Ölkky and water bus "Tytti"

Julma Ölkky canoe pulling path

Julma Ölkky's holy hand-grenade

Julma Ölkky and "what's in a man's mind?"

Julma Ölkky and some very old drawings on the wall

Posio and Korouoma

Rovaniemi has something else than just Santa Claus, they have Lordi, the Monster-rocker "Hard Rock, Halleluja"

Polar bear

Teboil Mäkipeura between Rovaniemi and Kemi towns. A Mäkipeura is "an alone living and somehow odd-behaving lady living on the hill-hut"

Oulu Nallikari beach

6.9.2021 Tour to Träskö in Kirkkonummi

Map of Träskö island

Träskö, here we are!

Träskö was part of the "voluntarily rented" area of Porkkala to Soviet Union after the WW2. When the Soviets left, they dismantled all of their soldier accomodations and moved them to Estonia.

Träskö had a Soviet Army site, meant to block the traffic on Gulf of Finland and stop all enemy moves to st. Petersburg, at that time Leningrad.

Träskö commander's cave

Finally we got away from Träskö, back to Porkkala peninsula and our harbour

27.7.2021 Tour to island of Klovaharun, mother of the Moomintrolls

The island of Klovaharun is reachable only 1 week a year. The Pellinkiseura has rented it out the other weeks.

Klovaharun cottage was owned by Tove Jansson and her companion Tuulikki Pietilä. They spent many summers there.

Klovaharun special herb: a sticky-leaf plant

Klovaharun sticky-leaf smells like tar

Klovaharun tour is over

You can buy a Moomin-house T-Shirt from Söderby Boden in Pellinge village.

15.7.2021 voluntary week at Yttergrund lighthouse

Yttergrund lighthouse (a photo from one geocacher)

Yttergrund lighthouse is maintained by voluntary working members of Finnish Lighthouse Society. Here is the dishwashing done outside

Yttergrund lighthouse bath-tub being used by Mr. Taisto

Yttergrund lighthouse kitchen

Yttergrund lighthouse model made by Timo

Next tour to Vallisaari

Vallisaari pick-nic site

Vallisaari was a Russian artillery site. This kind of cannon turrets were planned to be built, but never done

Vallisaari accomodation quality went down without fundings and this "tonque-in-cheek" decision says "let it rot on site"

2.3.2021 Tour to Linlo-island in Kirkkonummi

Linlo island map

As Enid Blyton has written: "All food tastes better outside"

20.2.2021 caves in Kivikko hill

Normally these WW1 time caves are full of water. Now, during February, the water has frozen and you can crawl in.

Caves do sometimes have geocaches!

Cave water is frozen and you can see a lot of frozen bubbles

9.2.2021 Tour to Koli mountain

Arja at Ukko-Koli

Ukko-Koli winter wonderland

31.1.2021 tour to Kirkkonummi Pampskatan

Are there any birds already?

Visitors at Pampskatan peninsula

15.11.2020 to Aitoo Pitkäjärvi with wilderness-guides

Aitoo / Pälkäne Pitkäjärvi

Fisherman's paradice

16.11.2020 Kuopio Saana tour

In town of Kuopio has opened a new public Sauna, which in Savo Dialect is pronounced "Saana")

This Saana is located beside a blue lake (nah, not really - never trust anyone from Savo!

After sauna experience, it's always required to test local delicacy

1.10.2020 Fishing at Syväri Lake, Nilsiä

I think that there is now sumthin!

2.10.2020 Yes Yes, a Pike!

At Suomussalmi, the "Silent citizens"

Statue for log workers at Jokijärvi, home of writer Kalle Päätalo

Kalle Päätalo's home at Jokijärvi, Taivalkoski, Finland

This is a Kelu, which was used to pull floating packs of logs

A map of Jokijärvi, home village of Kalle Päätalo

Kuusamo, rapids of Jyrävä

Town of Oulu, Finland and the famous "Police at the marketplace" Toripolliisi

Rather nice-looking floating sauna

Marjaniemi Lighthouse at island of Hailuoto

Special type of thin bread of Oulu; the "rieska" and some smoked reindeer meat on top - delicious!

Marjaniemi beach

Dead seal

Old windmill center hub

Suomussalmi Ilmari Kianto's home area called Turjanlinna

Look closer and you'll get it

26.9.2020 wilderness education - how to survive?

We had the opportunity to make special "emergency food" - here some white-tail deer meat

Deer meat will be smoked

Deer meat in the smoking tent

The smoke-tent for the meat

Julia is breaking the hearts

Emergency-meal incredients, moose-horn moss

The moss is first washed in sodawater

Satu preparing the meal... yuk

Ok, yummy, or what do you think?

Building a rain-shelter

An overnight-shelter is ready

25.9.2020 tour to Rönnskär lighthouse

Rönnskär Lighthouse is military area

Bird-watchers climb up and down

27.8.2020 Sauna-Mama service to a young couple from Germany

Sauna-Mama at your service!

1.8.2020 Sauna Village in Jämsä

Sauna-Mama at your service!

A good sauna experience includes treatments with birch leaves

14.7.2020 Summer-time experience: wash your carpets!

This is an old heritage of Finland!

Jaymee Ongpeng in Porkkala seaside tour

Porkkala region was earlier planned to be a National Park, but that needed to be cancelled due Soviet Union rental

2019 december tour to China

Mama Santa and Santa himself in China

XiAn old town wall, riding bicycles

Group of Santa Claus in Panda village

Bullet train between Shanghai and Beijing

You know, Santa comes from Finland - he does not live in North Pole!

I wish I could eat at KFC!

Mama Santa and Santa himself visiting Chinese YouTube-type video company BiliBili. Young people working in the office seemed to be sick, and we asked "What is wrong with these people?" Our guides answered "there's no worry, they are just tired after working 24 hours in a big project". Now we know, they had Covid19 illness, and we were in WUHAN, where the global pandemic started.

Quanchou tower

Santa Claus from Finland

30.11.2019 Sauna and Whisking education in Kaunas

Physicist mr. Kamalaliukas (?) that became Sauna Instructor, that took the money but did not teach anything

Typical sauna building

5.11.2019 A special bird in Järvenpää

Harjalintu (upupa epops) Eurasian hoopoeseen in Järvenpää, Old Village peninsula Vanhankylänniemi
The Eurasian hoopoe or common hoopoe is the most widespread species of the genus Upupa. It is a distinctive cinnamon coloured bird with black and white wings, a tall erectile crest, a broad white band across a black tail, and a long narrow downcurved bill. Its call is a soft "oop-oop-oop".

18-19.10.2019 Tour to Estonia

To the east from Tallinn in Estonia, you can find old Soviet-looking buildings

Viinistu art museum with a lot of over-weight luggage

Länspää in Estonian language means "western end" of the Mohni island

Estonians do have opinions on Soviets

An old Soviet Red Army barracks area has been neglected for many years

These old barracs were built when Soviet Union rapidly left from Porkkala, in Finland. The quality of these buildings can be expressed in the way "russian made"

Arja on Estonian coastline

Near this boulder some Estonian booze-smugglers have been hiding

Old fishing nets

Some stuufed animals from the Sagadi Manor museum: A wolf, a raccoon dog, wild boar and a badger

An Estonian fox

"Brenda's Beaver?"

Estonian recreational park in Lahemaa has wooden paths covered with steel net, so they are not slippery

Pine wood resin production in Estonian forest

Estonian way of wellness

On the other side of this river Narva is Russia

Borderline between Russia and Estonia

Estonians were formerly occupied by Sweden. This kind of a mortar was used during the big fight of Swedish king Karolus XII when he fought here in Narva fortress

A bridge over river Narva from Estonia to Russia. Currently that bridge is not allowed to come over with cars due the restrictions from EU to Russian Federation.

Russian side fortress Ivangorod

Estonians have removed old Soviet leader Vladimir Iljits Lenin's statues and placed them to storage, to wait for recycling...

During the time when Estonia was occupied by Soviet forces, the statues of mr. Lenin were everywhere and nowadays, being removed.

Look how beautiful the old Estonian buildings have been, and how badly the Soviet time has treated them!

12.10.2019 to town of Hanko and old fortress of Gustavsvärn

Swedish forces built this fortress during 1790 era, and it was badly demolished by Russians.

Gustavsvärn fortress is located strategically in front of Hanko town, and can be reached only with a boat.

The fortress was built this way, and the year 1809 Finland was invaded by Russians. Finally Russians decided that they do not have any use for the fortress, so they exploded it completely down.