Exploring Our Surroundings

On Saturday, Jana (my flatmate) and I ventured out to explore the surrounding area.  Our day started with a four hour bike ride to a nearby lake.  As it was a wet and cold morning, we shared the trail only with a few mushroom pickers.  All in all, the scenery was definitely worth the trek.  The lake was glassy and the surrounding vegetation lush. 

After a small picnic lunch, our fingers began to go numb so we sought out a warmer climate at the local botanical gardens.  There we found a Finnish speaking parrot, several roomfuls of exotic plants and a butterfly exhibit.  The butterflies made me smile—so colorful, so delicate, so alive.  I have a feeling I will be visiting this place again come mid-winter.

The last part of the day was spent running some errands around town.  We crashed back at the apartment later that evening, enjoying an episode of 'Allo 'Allo, an older British sitcom set in WWII that aired on the BBC. 

On Sunday afternoon, Jana and I mounted our bikes once more as the sun began to peek out for the first time all weekend.  A few minutes down the road we found a small island accessible by bridge.  Here are a few more photos to give you an idea of what Joensuu looks like.