Northern countries VI: Camp Kuopio

It is summer, and summer 2006 seems to be a perfect one in Finland. A very fortunate set of circumstances led me to this adventure-in-progress toward the north of Finland. It begins here in Kuopio, a small but vibrant city which sees itself as the capital of the lake region of central Finland. Kuopio has a university, a music and dance conservatory, plenty of lakes and boats, a wine festival, a dance festival, and around 80,000 people who enjoy living close to nature, whether it be in the winters where it gets as cold as minus 30 Celsius (cross country and downhill skiing, skating, and saunas help keep energy high during the season of short days), the rainy transitional seasons, and the summer, which seems to bring everyone out on their bicycles and in-line skates. Here, it is common to see skaters using long sticks (like skiing sticks), which add to efficiency, and help in uphill skating. I opted for a bicycle, which with helmet could be rented for 15 euros for a 24-hour period (visitors should really buy the 12 euro "Kuopio card" which includes a free day's bike rental!). On my first afternoon, I began by riding...and then very quickly walking the bike up the steep incline that leads to Pujo hill, the highest point in the area (only 200 meters, but still a challenging hike). The following morning I biked through a nature preserve and then a further several kilometers to the town centre.