Time flies this time of the year and we are struggling to find time for everything we want to do. We spent the last weekend on Åland. Well, Susann and little A took the ferry from Kapellskär already the weekend earlier. I joined them at her parents’ house on Wednesday evening. My parents joined us for some island fun, relaxing in the summer cottage.
Before the Weekend on Åland: Finishing the Week’s Work
Before being able to spend a sunny weekend on Åland, I had to finish some things at home. In other words, I spent Thursday and Friday finishing the week’s work at Susann’s parents’ house. However, we had plenty of time in the evening for interesting activities.
Thursday: Kobba Klintar and Sparkling Wine
Thursday evening we joined Susann’s brother on a boat ride to the small island of Kobba Klintar. In this case, we being me and my parents. Susann stayed behind as we considered Little A to still be too small for an adventure at sea. Kobba Klintar, in the Åland archipelago, guards the entry to Mariehamn and it is the first island you see when arriving with the ferry from Stockholm. On this particular evening, the sun was shining. We grabbed the chance to enjoy a beer and some Åland pancakes at the small cafe on the island. If you are in the area, we really recommend a visit to Kobba Klintar.
Once back, Susann and I made sure to have some time for ourselves, as Susann’s mother was happy to babysit little A for some time. We took a walk to Ramsholmen and enjoyed some quality time together. The sun had just set when we sat down on a small pier overlooking the sea. We drank some sparkling wine (the same one we served at our wedding party) and had a nice conversation about… travels, mostly. We stayed for some time, that is until we felt a need to get back to Little A.
Friday: Lumparland and the Summer Cottage
We decided to start the weekend on Åland with a truly Finnish tradition: relaxing at a summer cottage by the water. After work on Friday we all, including Susann’s parents, went to Lumparland to the small summer cottage where my parents were staying. Susann and I wanted to stay at the cottage over the night to see if we were able to handle it with little A’s needs. Actually, there is no electricity or running water at the cottage. In other words, it’s a bit more primitive than we are used to – but very peaceful.
The lack of modern utilities didn’t matter, it turned out to be a relaxing evening. The food was served directly from the barbeque and the sun was shining over the glimmering water. One of the best things about the cottage is the surroundings: the sea and all the red cliffs. Of course we made sure to go down to the cliffs and water to get some more photos of Little A. There are now a few thousand of them and she is barely three months old.
Sjödagarna on the Åland Islands
And so the weekend on Åland continues. Sjödagarna, or in English the Maritime Days, was an event that was going on in the town, Mariehamn, during our visit. It occurs on a yearly basis and it attracts a lot of visitors. On Saturday we drove to the town and enjoyed a few different activities. The weather was perfect with the sun shining and no wind. We liked it but it was a bit tricky for the participants in the race for small traditional boats. They struggled to get some wind in their sails. Enjoyable weather for a few, a struggle for others.
This was also a day when all of us met again. Our party of twelve included the three of us, my parents, Susann’s parents, her two brothers with their partners and Little A’s cousin. After a few attempts to find a place to eat, we enjoyed a nice dinner at Arkipelag Garden in central Mariehamn.
We also found that there would be a parade for vintage cars in the evening, so we decided to stay in town to watch it. Both old and new cars were cruising through Mariehamn and we had time to see a few before the noise became too much for Little A. That kind of marked the end of the weekend on Åland and Sunday was only starting when we were queuing to get on the ferry back home.
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