Joensuu - Lieksa - Nurmijärvi - Kuhmo

The morning started with a decent shower just a few kilometers after I left the youth hostel. Since those showers are typically local and short I decided to have a break😎.

Since I met in the past days already two guys and a couple I decided to record who other bicyclists I met on the road. Since at the round around the archipelago of Turku there were so many cicylist, it was nothing special and nobody stopped for a chat.

Up more north it looks a bit different.

couples/groups
2 couples from Germany
1 couple from France (on a tandem)
2 guys from Finland

solo
1 guy from Germany
1 guy from Russia
1 guy from Finland (Tuusula-Alta and back)
and
2 people where none of us stopped for a small chat

Some 30km after Joensuu the hills came back and it was again the constant up and down especially my legs got to experience.

The weather was typically fine, some clouds, some sun mostly comfortable to ride. This was until the leg from Nurmijärvi to Kuhmo where it was very chilly. Additionall there was a good headwind which slowed me down and blew through my clothes.

I was so happy to have my yellow softshell jacket with - perfect for such conditions. Some tidious and energy-consuming 9 hours later I arrived at the motel which I had booked in the morning. Even with my good outfit, I was somewhat frozen when I arrived at the motel. A looong hot shower helped a lot. Now off to eat a pizza and do some route planning because the next 4 days would be a real challenge.

Plenty of people coming out of the barn. The show must be over.

Something for the future and by motorbike.

That road seems to be a real rollercoaster 😮

Many many years ago, when Rudi visited Finland, we stopped here for a swim and got eaten by mosquitoes

Being close to Russian border

Jussi, who seems to consider the local kauppa as his living room, helped me find a place to stay and drew this map😎🙏. Thanks Jussi.

This is where I went... with about 140huskies

The area has a lot of history from the Finnish winter war and WW2.

This is an example of a brutal machine of Finnish efficiency. It takes a tree and cuts them into pieces like you can do with a match. In no time an entire forest is cut down😱.

Got really when I found this shelter as the heavy rain came.

It was THAT windy...

More WW2 stuff

I felt I earned my L-size Pizza at kotipizza in Kuhmo😇

About 215km.

Punkaharju - Kerimäki - Savonranta - Joensuu

I did ride most of those roads a few times by motorbike. I like to describe the experience on bicycle as more intense. The smells and sounds are even more noticeable. Besides that it got warmer again, no "hellepäivä" but clearly above +20C which cheered me up even more.

The area around Joensuu is pretty flat compared to before. I got really good speed and the last 20+km to Joensuu was even a bicycle way which made the ride much safer.

That was a huge fellow at least 10cm long

Yeah...

Cool wooden church in Kerimäki

Decaf coffee and Munkki

I always read "Saarland"😂

A typical summer cottage

Joensuu youth hostel - a room all for me😇

The answer to everything is

pullavohveli

at the vesikioski in Joensuu

Then I dared to test this...

and had something healthier

I almost booked this option in the youth hostel where people sleep in the common room and kitchen area😵

Wow ... how do I find my flat

Susi & the wolf