Midsummer, midnight, midcruise: Lappeenranta to Savonlinna
25th of June to 2nd of July
From Lappenranta (L.), our ‘exploration’ of the Lake Saimaa began. We were told about a great midsummer-night party in Puumala, some 40 miles north of L. and that is were we went. On the way you got the feeling of wandering/sailing through a forest – fur trees and birch trees right to the water, in quantities we had never seen before. Amidst, hidden mostly smaller but also some stately summer houses with private pontoons and motor boats. This is really mainly motorboat country, although interspersed with quite a number of high pointing (being able to sail very close to the wind) sailing boats around. Our planned anchorage was taken over by a ‘motor boat convention’ and so we moored at the guest pontoon in Puumala (61º32.2N, 28º10.7E) with a clear view of the road bridge 28.5m above and the restaurant were the party was meant to take place…However, apart from some unspeakable Karaoke attempts, nothing really happened – except some drunken revelers.
The next, sunny day everything was different! The place was buzzing with people and small boats – and the party was on! Until a threatening rain cloud dispersed the crowd in the evening.
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