Serendipitous Flat

Alpina was not feeling well Monday night (another flat...this time it was her back tire), so this meant another trip to the bicycle doctor.  After eighteen hours and a hilarious game of charades with Finns who don't speak English, Alpina is back to her normal self.  Hooray!  I am so appreciative of the bicycle rental shop.  They do all repairs free of charge and have very friendly service.

Alpina honestly couldn't have chosen a better time to get sick.  The weather for the two days she was out was some of the best we've had in days.  This made the walks to and from city center absolutely lovely.  The trees are slowly acquiring their autumn identities and the river mirrors their beauty.  It turned out to be an excellent excuse for me to take some photos while enjoying the crisp fall air. 

This picture was taken in my kitchen minutes before I
found out Alpina got a flat.  See what I mean by great
weather—bright sunshine.  Get your fill of vitamin D.

Here you can see the great sidewalks
I get to ride down every day!  Brilliantly wide.

 

Guess what!  Finland has mushrooms!  And they aren't
just any mushrooms.  They are BIG red mushrooms!

 

The entire 5km ride from home to school is beautiful,
but this 20m stretch is pure bliss.  The pine trees on the
left give off the distinct odor of Christmas.



After the Christmas trees, this stretch of the trail
is my next favorite.  A sidewalk lined with maples.



I love this time of year.  The greens give way
to the shades of a spectacular sunset.



One mystery I have yet to solve...
what is the red, barn-like building and
why is it sticking out in the river?