Thursday 30th January, music, sausages, an ice road and sauna

Jämsa - Aholansaari (with a stop in Varkaus and Suonenjoki) 359 km

After a good night sleep we got up pretty early, today we had a busy program so an early start was handy.

It was still dark when we came outside, which is not really surprising over here. 

First and only Elk so far

After a very good breakfast we left for Varkaus, to visit the museum of mechanical music.

It had snowed last night so the roads were nice and white.

Pitstop for coffee

It has the whole history of mechanical music shown, from 1850 until today. There were many special instruments shown. 

Stereo record player

After the museum we had to hurry to our lunch. This was organized by the Finnish 2cv club. They arranged a little BBQ with sausages and coffee. Very nice of them. And nice to see some old friends again.

The BBQ hut

Fixing the starting engine

At the BBQ hut we had some chats and a bit of working on the cars, all accompanied by sausages and coffee or tea. A nice intermezzo today.

Some time later we had to say goodbye an head for our sleeping place of today, the island of Aholansaari, only to be reached by ice road. The road towards the ice road was also pretty amazing.

On the ice road

Looks almost like a normal road

We made it

This night we had to cook our own meal on a woodfire in a BBQ hut. It’s basically a large indoor BBQ in a wooden hut called Kota. Everybody brought their own food and drinks and we enjoyed a meal.

Together around the fire place. Naturally whe started with the safe drive drink followed by the drivers meeting. The last two teams joined us today, so the whole Extreme raid group is complete now. After the drivers meeting it was diner time. We grilled salmon for the boys and cheese stuffed paprika’s for all three of us. We did buy sausages as well, but I was still satisfied after todays lunch so we save them for another day.

After this great evening we went back to our cabin where I had some me-time in the sauna followed by a dive in the snow outside (no pictures to prove, Tanguy was too late and it was to cold to wait). 

Now I am ready for bed, I had my nightcap and am sleepy from the sauna.

Tomorrow we have to make an even earlier start because of the Husky trail. We have to get up at six and be on the road at seven, and I thought I was on holiday 🙈.

So good night again.