Rovaniemi

As I had to go to a bike shop, Pauli (Pirkko's husband) took me to Rovaniemi by car (thanks a lot). While the bicycle was being tinkered with, I visited Arktikum, where I learnt much about the Samis and the Birch Grouse.
It was raining, so on my way back to the bicycle shop I took shelter in a supermarket. Everything is very well-ordered in there. Here is the important dairy section.
After many more tiresome problems half-solved in the bike shop, and the vain sacrifice of two inner tubes, my bicycle didn't work much better. The tire problem is unpermanently solved - but I can't inflate it hard which again slows me down - but the derailleur condition was made rather worse. Nevertheless I cycled to the place where a portion of the arctic circle is drawn, and the bicycle was proud to pose in front of it. On my way I saw one of those people walking on water, and a small field of these adorable pink flowers, not sure what they're called.
Camping somewhere in Rovaniemi in most uncertain weather.

Niskanperä

The day began grey and wet. The smooth road I followed turned into a bumpy track, everything was slow. Suddenly a young reindeer showed up and we had a silent conversation. "Carry on, he said, you will find a tarmacked road in about two hours." And of course, it was right. I even found some of its siblings a few miles away. The animal on the signpost is not a reindeer, it's an elk, a much bigger animal.
Delighted by the kemijoki river, I decided to spend the night around. Near the river I met the Ollila family and played petanque with Pirkko and her grand-daughter Nella, who is 4 years old and has turned the wooden "keinu" (a wonderful built thing to be found in all sensible gardens) into a pirate boat, as the pink flag clearly indicates.

Ylikärppä

The day began wonderfully, saying good-bye to the quiet splendors of Oulu. After a boring series of cycling lanes following the main road to the East, I took a beautiful small road that led perfectly up north. A good road, in excellent repair, with very few cars and fun signposts on the way. I hoped to see reindeers but in terms of wildlife I only saw a cat playing with a dead mouse. Suddenly a storm came up and that was the moment my bike chose to have a puncture. I lost an hour among the mosquitoes, facing the return of the awry tire problem that I can't solve without a tool (feels bumpy and slows me down, grr) then took a road that led nowhere and had to go back. Fortunately the sun came back and restored happinness. In spite of lost time, bad tire and not so good weather forecast, I hope to be in Rovaniemi tomorrow.

Oulu

The hosts I found providentially yesterday drove me and my bike to Oulu today. So, I had time to visit Oulu, admire its river, swim in the (rather shallow) sea, and of course visit the botanic garden. This garden cannot really be visited, because unless you walk at a very brisk pace you are instantly devoured by mosquitoes. Each picture taken meant at least three bites and a subsequent run. The bugs are probably less numerous in the tropical glasshouses (two pyramids which, I am told, are called Romeo and Juliet), but these are open only from 12 to 3pm.
I have accumulated enough food on my bike to survive three days in the Northern wilderness.

Sunset on the sea, 11.20pm.

Oulainen

The function, use and status of buildings are often very clear and sometimes incomprehensible. Today I stepped into a hardware shop convinced that it was a supermarket.  "Oh, but there's no food here?" "No, sorry. Only wood".

Hot and clammy weather, with corresponding mosquitoes, then big storm and heavy rain. In the evening, was asked inside by friendly house-owners that pitied my drenched-to-the-bone condition. They saw me look around, hesitate, leave, then cycled after me to invite me...

Will try to make it to Oulu tomorrow. With both counter and compass broken I only have the Sun to guide me in space and time, which seems to work fairly well.

Evijärvi

When it's cloudy, the lakes appear as what they really are: dubious brownish mires in which no one would swim. Then you understand the mosquitoes. They're getting more and more numerous and aggressive. Not only mosquitoes, but weird, hostile, unknown noisy bugs that bite.
There are many houses with ladders.
And with half-ladders.
It was a nice and long day, and at 7.30pm I looked for a place to stay. Near a lake, I landed in the garden of a fairly isolated superb summer house. I said in broken Finnish: "Hello! Sorry. I am French. Ride a bicycle. Want spend night here, possible? Beautiful garden." The retired owners laughed a lot at this attempt to speak Finnish and said I could stay here and use the sauna, apologizing because the lake wasn't as deep as it should have been. I thought the sauna was just a bathroom, as it generally is, but it was a real sauna. It was so wonderful after cycling that decided, from now on, to stop only in summer houses with a sauna in working order. And at least five built items in the garden.

Now we are about to watch the world cup final.

I think the agony of the rear derailleur can be prolonged by cleaning it and oiling it all the time. This should last at least until Denmark.

Ähtäri

The day began, as usual, with lakes.
In Ruovesi there was a kind of fair, a real crowd!
I saw strange houses.
And a magnificent raft made of wood and  barrels. It was slow but worked well.
I listened to Salif Keita (thank you Marie-Nil).
Arriving in Ähtäri I found a nice peaceful lake. Although it was not late I chose to stay there because the place is charming and I feel like some time off.