... we found out that all three bridges and High Power cables did not have the required clearing for us and so we had to skip beautiful Naantali and proceed directly to Nagu/Nauvo, which was also on our recommended list of ‘must see’ places in the archipelago.
The harbour only came to view from the sea at the very last moment, when you already started doubting whether you were in the right place. Apart from one S- and two W-cardinal buoys, which we were looking for, you could not see the harbour until the last minute. As it opened up, we could already see that it was a popular holiday destination, with restaurants, shops and very nice facilities.
You could not be in a nicer place to celebrate Mid-Summer.
 |
| Madeleine in the centre of the labyrinth |
 |
| the party begins... |
As we always try to do since we decided to slow down a bit and also see the places we were visiting, we embarked on a trail through the woods, which lead us unknowingly to a stunning labyrinth built on a rock, supposedly dating from around 1910. The legend has it that it was built by maidens (hence the name
Jungfrudansen) to pass their time, while waiting for their loved ones (fishermen) to return from the sea.
 |
| how many ‘friends’ can you get on your boat? |
The peace and quiet was soon to be replaced by the arrival of an ‘armada’ of smaller and larger party boats flocking in to spend mid summer drinking and partying - if still capable after all the heavy drinking. The boats were overfilled with crowds of young ‘boys and girls’ in their most up-to-date outfits, carrying bottles of hard and not so hard liquor in their hands. Some trendies were carrying 24 cans of beer with them...
 |
| haven’t the boys seen us...? |
 |
| let’s have a good time |
And then the party began, loud music, loud singing and everything which is needed for having fun. Unfortunately this seems to have exhausted the crowd so that the real Midsummer’s night party was slightly subdued, but still going on until 4 a.m. or so in the morning. The litter left was unbelievable...
 |
| blue underpants seemed to be in... |
On Saturday, the 22rd of June, sleep deprived we left this beautiful island to the still partying
Finns (we were told that the party would still last a few days) and sailed to Turku.
We could not wish for a better day! It was sunny, warm, with strong SW-wind (22kn), a perfect direction if you are travelling north. We felt as though we were being rewarded for putting up with all the revellers!
 |
| Our entry to Turku harbour |