Tiilikkajärvi National Park and Nilsiä Summer Cottage

From Tuesday afternoon until today, Pete and I joined Miska and his son, at their summer cottage just outside of the town of Nilsiä. We had an excellent time learning about Finnish culture (particularly the experience of a summer cottage, sauna and the treat of fresh fish for lunch), the Finnish language (Miska’s son is an excellent and patient teacher) and the local plants and birds (so that Pete will be prepared for his fieldwork in a few weeks time).

On Wednesday, we went for a walk in Tiilikkajärvi National Park. Half way through our walk, we made use of a camp site fireplace to roast some makkara, a local sausage.

Below is a 360° view of a spot in Tiilikkajärvi National Park:

Tooth marks left by an industrious beaver on a tree stump

Sharpened poles for roasting makkara

Pete enjoying the forest.

A Finish game from the 50’s. This would have given any of my varsity postcolonial classes opportunity for a good discussion.

Miska’s boat which he used to take us on a tour of part of the huge lake and to catch us our lunch in the form of a Pike.

Birch bark

Pretty moss on a tree

Miska teaching Pete his ABC’s of Finnish plants

The birches are enchanting. I can see where Tolkien got some of his inspiration for LOTR.

Taken from the stoep of the summer cottage just after midnight. The red glow is the sun rising!

There are lots of interesting things to see on the forest floor

Miska’s son seems to be a bit of a romantic. Here he is giving me a flower.

The spot where we roasted our makkara and enjoyed a beer.

A bridge near the camp site in Tiilikkajärvi National Park.