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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Oct 01, 2018 08:00 PM Step one - by train to Warsaw
My low-cost flight to North Spain departs on Wednesday early morning so today I am going by train to Warsaw to spend there a night. Buying railway ticket month in advance you are getting 30 percent discount, so the ride Gdansk to Warsaw on express train will cost you around 15 euro. Ula - my cousin invited me to her flat. Pleasant evening. But I have to get up tomorrow at 4 am, to be in the airport at 5.20! Good night!
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Sep 30, 2018 08:00 PM I pack my backpack again!
It will be the sixth trip of 2018! You probably heard about the historic pilgrim route Camino de Santiago, which runs from the Pyrenees to the tomb of Saint James in Santiago de Compostella in Spain. It leads through regions with a diverse landscape, through Spanish cities and towns full of historic buildings. You have to spend over a month to walk the entire route. Of course, I do not have that much time and I do not freeze to march through those segments where the path leads today along the roaring motorways or on the highways. I want to choose for hiking only the most interesting and the most picturesque parts. And after reaching the destination, I will return to Barcelona, , to rest for a week after a hike on the cheap ship and by the way to visit the little Mediterranean ports in which I have not been yet. Please keep my fingers crossed for good weather and my good condition! You will find news from the tour as always in my travel log. I hope there will be free internet access on the trail!
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Sep 26, 2018 08:00 PM By bus to Turku
My host was still sleeping when I was leaving his flat at 7.30 am. I never treat my guests on such a way... There are different behaviours around the world. But the morning was sunny so I was optimistic. City bus arrived on time and my 24-hours ticket was accepted. At 8.15 I was already sitting in the doubledecker onnibus heading for 1 euro to Turku :)
The highway goes through the fields and forest - very nice landscapes under the blue sky. Only one stop.
At 11 am I was already in Turku linja autoasema (that's how they call here the bus station - terrible language!)
I had enough time to walk to the main square and to the cathedral, which was open for visitors. It is well worth to see and the entrance is free (in the castle you pay 11 euro). I found the bus no.1 stop - it goes to the airport. This was regular stop but the first bus passed through without stopping! I ask the local guy. - You should wave - otherwise they do not stop! Ok - I still learn Finland. If you are coming for the short period consider to buy 24-hours ticket for 7 euro, single one cost 3 euro. I am in the Little Turku airport waiting for my return flight to Gdansk. This short, but interesting voyage to the new, unknown places in Finland is almost over. How much did I spent here during 7 days? 20 euro? Yes, there is something like the art of budget travelling! :)
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Sep 25, 2018 08:00 PM Rain in Tampere
Early wake up. The 1-euro bus departs at 6.00 am and from my host's house I have like 2 kms walk... I was on time at the Vaasa station... Somewhere in the middle of 4-hours trip to Tampere the rain appeared.
And it was raining all the time to Tampere - the second city in Finland after capital. My host was waiting at the bus station - so nice! He lives far from the center - it is not a walking distance, especially when it rains. I bought 24-hours ticket for 8 euro (it is my all daily allowance) and we barded the bus opposite the Russian orthodox church...
In the afternoon it was still raining but I went back to the city for a little walk around. They have nice cathedral built of stone and a nice esplanade. But the real sensation could be Lenin Museum. Can you imagine? Lenin was here several times before revolution and in the house where he was staying they established the museum. They told me that the first meeting of Lenin and Stalin also took place here.
Tampere lies between two lakes. There is 18 m level difference between the lakes so they built the canal to install power station and there is even the cascade on it. It is nice city, but the weather... - I returned completely wet! :(
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Sep 24, 2018 08:00 PM A voyage for one euro
Yes, it is possible! If you book well in advance the bus company Onnibus will sell you via internet the ticket for just 1 euro. I got it and today I am going by their double-decker bus from Turku to Vaasa. It is 4,5 hours journey. They offere free wi-fi on board - at least at the urban zone. I have front seat with the nice panoramic view of the forrestal landscapes. At 3 pm we reached the station in Vaasa.
Vaasa is important city strategically located at the entrance to Bothnia Bay. I left my backpack in the info office at the market square an took a long walk aroud. They have here nice esplanade - the pedestrian zone, elegant city hall (see the picture) and old brick-made jail. Along the waterfront you will see more interesting buildings, like the court, but that's all. Now I am going to meet my couchsurfing host - I hope it will be interesting evening!
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Sep 23, 2018 08:00 PM Mariehamn - the capital of Alands
The archipelago of the Alands consists of 6000+ islands of different size. 30000 people live here. 12000 of them in the neat capital -Mariehamn. Today in the morning I had a time to explore in details the city. It was worth to start from the park below the city hall where you can find the statue of Maria Alexandrovna - the wife of the Russian tsar. The city was named after her... Funny - isn't it? Then on the bayside there is a new, big building of the Aland's parliament -see the picture. The parliament has only 30 members. The archipelago has authonomy, it belongs to Finland but people speak Sweedish language... Mariehamn lies on the peninsula. Beautiful, wide esplanade of old trees cuts this peninsula from marina side to ferry dock side. The Protestant church stands somewhere in the middle. South of the esplanade you can find some old houses in the narrow streets of the "old town". Now, after touris season the city is very quiet, prices of the hotel rooms go down - I saw the offer for 38 euro (it is still a lot for the backpacker).
In the afternoon I plan to take the ferry back to Turku...
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Sep 22, 2018 08:00 PM Granite Northern Coast
Helpful lady from Mariehama tourist office told me, that the best landscapes of the island I will find on the northern coast. The problem is that there is only one road going to that area and rare public transport on weekdays will drop you only 7 kms from the coast.
Sunny day. My host was so nice to drop me at the junction of the roads. Then I started to walk and to hitchhike. After some 20 minutes I got the ride in the car bringing the bread from the bakery. What a smell of the fresh bread inside! They dropped me at "km 7" from the coast. Narrow road was empty. I walked some 3 kms before little pickup picked me up. The coast is impressive - made of pink granite rocks and big boulders. HavsVidden hotel was build here. There is little blue-marked loop trail going from the hotel through the big boulders... I spent there 2 hours enjoying the views. Sorry, there is no trail heading west of hotel along the coast so you have to return the same way: walk - car - walk. I returned in the afternoon...
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Sep 21, 2018 08:00 PM Russian footprints on Aland Islands
They have public buses here, but the operate only to the main settlements an the number of departures is very limited, especially on the weekend days. But I found public bus going to Bomarsund, where Russians built in 1830-31 big fortress to control entrance to the Bay of Bothnia and the water route to St Petersburg. In 1843 it was destroyed by French-British forces but imposing ruins still remains.
The bus from the capital of the Alands cost me 4,40 euro. Then I followed the well - marked trail through the ruins and onward to the Devil's Hill offering nice panoramic view of the area.
On the next island connected by the bridge - Prasto there are old graveyards of the people who lost their lives during construction works.
Then I was hitchhiking to Kastelholm castle built even earlier by Sweden. The castle was oppen for visitors onlu till Sept 15th, but even for the outside view it is worth to come here. Just nearby there is a skansen of the traditional countryside buildings brought from the whole Alands. On Saturdays the only return bus is in the evening so I was hitchhiking and walking mord than 5 kms to come back to Mariehama.
It was nice, but very windy day...
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Sep 20, 2018 08:00 PM Silja ferry ride
It was along walk yesterday to my host. Nana lives 4 kms from the centre of Turku. But I found her and we have enjoyable evening talking about travels and watching pictures.
Today I wake up early just to have a cup of coffee and jump on the city bus. Paying 3 euro you can make the connection on the min square for the bus 1 going to the port. At 7.30 I was already at the ferry terminal where a huge GALAXY ferry ship was already waiting. One was ticket tothe Aland cost me 12 euro - bought in advance on internet. Let's go!
It is not an open-sea journey. We were crawling all the way between thousands of the little and bigger rocky island. Some of them are forested. On some of them I saw little houses - probably the summer cottages of the Finns. After 5 hours Mariehama -the capital of Aland Archipelago appeared on the horizon with a big, new and modern ferry terminal. We went ashore through covered skyways. No info office in the terminal. Here I am - on the main island of the Alands. Cloudy. Strong wind is blowing through the empty streets. I hope that tomorrow the weather will be better...
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Sep 19, 2018 08:00 PM Turku - the oldest city in Finland?
The plane from Gdansk to Turku was not full. Is was only 5 quarters in the air and we landed in the little Turku airport... No control... In the little hall there is an information stand - on the rack you will find free booklets with the city map in few different languages. The city bus goes every 15 min and you pay 3 euro to the driver. Now you know that you are in the different zone - in Gdansk you pay less than one euro... It is only 8 kms.
Bus no 1 goes through the city centre to the port - so I went directly there for one fare.
Old Turku Castle stands at the mouth of the river, near the ferry docks. Nice building! After visiting two courtyards I took the walk along the river. Just at the beginning I passed Maritime Museum. There are different ships and boats docking along the riverfront promenade. Excursion on the old steamer costs 48 euro... Then few picturesque bridges and you can see the old cathedral - after the castle it is second place of interest in Turku. Opposite the cathedral there is nice library offering free internet access. Nice city! I believe my host will wait for me :)
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