A visit to the Finnish Archipelago.

On the Finnish archipelago.

We were invited to visit the summer place of some friends, about an hours drive west of Helsinki. It is a lovely place and if you look straight south, you can see Estonia. Apparently during the Russian occupation of Estonia, people were trying to flee across and a few made it. The forest and all buildings in this area were burned down by the Russians in retaliation for them having to give up this territory in some agreement. Their attitude being "If we can't have it then neither can you". Now the forest has regrown and many summer homes and saunas have been built. Wild, white swans are swimming in the bays and nature is thriving.

Looking toward Estonia.

Sauna in the background. Photo: Guntar Kravis.