Friday 30 May 2014

The clock informs me that it's 8.30 pm but you could have fooled me. Broad daylight outside the portholes and dinner has not even been started yet...

We started the day on Kokar. Included in our marina fee was the use of bikes for the whole family. (Just as compensation for one ruined and drowned buoy was included in the same fee!)

So this morning we decided to take a family cycling trip. We all chose a bike. Mine was bright pink! Brendan's cycling skills aren't the greatest so he went in a moulded plastic child seat on Ulric's bike. (We had to hoist him in as he was way too big for it really, but never mind. He arrived at destination).

On the map we had read about the Bronze Age seal hunter settlement of OTTERBOETE. We parked our bikes, a few kilometers from the Marina, and set off on a pretty proper hike. We had also seen on the map that there was a labyrinth there ("JUNGFRUDANS") and I was keen to find and walk it.

We did visit the grove where the seal hunters used to set up their settlements for about three months of the year. We saw their well - and not much else. It was quite a walk and the boys got bored. Quinn in particular did not appreciate being separated from the internet (read: skype conversations with his friends!) for too long.

As we were hiking and hopping from rock to rock and navigating, the thought occurred to me that this blog could be given many titles and all of them would say quite a lot about the day:

THE ISLAND OF ANGRY CHILDREN (and here I particularly think of Elliott in his blue hoodie rolling on the rocks in some whopping big trantrum! I also think of Quinn shouting at me: YOU CHOSE TO HAVE ME BUT I DID NOT CHOOSE TO HAVE YOU!!!) Enough said....

THE ISLAND WITH TWO LABYRINTHS
(None of them old! One was made by some historian in the 1940s to replace an ancient labyrinth that was dismantled - possibly in the time of Russian occupation?! Another one is even more modern and not marked on any map. Quinn and Elliott stumbled across it so we went looking for it on the way back - and found it. It was a bit less dwarf-sized and easier to walk than the older one. People had broken up the path by breaking up one line of rocks, so we repaired it).

THE ISLAND WITH REMAINS OF A BRONZE AGE SEAL HUNTER VILLAGE

THE ISLAND WHERE QUEENIE ATE A BUOY (BUT NOT A BOY)

THE ISLAND OF NESTING BIRDS

I could go on....

I said to Ulric over morning coffee and tea in the cockpit: we are only two days away rom the start of June and everyone we see here is dressed as a polar explorer!! The sailors in particular: everyone is trussed up in thermals, medium layer AND full foul weather gear.... I can almost understand why the citizens in Finland are known for suffering from depression and addiction to alcohol... I am ready for my alcohol once we are in harbour (or for anchor).

Today Quinn is extremely angry because despite buying a dongle we can't get the internet to work. So Mr Teenager has gone cold turkey and is NOT enjoying the experience. (And we aren't either, so much aggression and anger to deflect...)

10 pm now (there have been all the usual interruptions) and Brendan is just starting another epic dish washing task.

Ulric took Elliott and Brendan to the sauna earlier and said: "I could get used to this, all marinas having their own sauna, I wish they'd introduce that in the UK..."

Imelda Almqvist

The all powerful one sent messengers from there
Through air and sea, to assemble his army,
Ample river-fire he offered
The warriors and their sons

THE FIRST POEM OF HELGI HUNDINGSBANI, POETIC EDDA