Day 3: To Savonlinna

Awoke to find the rain had eased tho the air was still brisk!  14C on window sill.
Our plan for today was to catch train to Savonlinna and then take a look at the castle and whatever we have time for.

Karina in small train to Savonlinna

After a mediocre hostel breakfast, we loaded the bikes and Karina led the way back through the city to the train station.  The train was ready for boarding, so we unpacked our bikes and climbed aboard.  There were fancy hangers for the bikes – but it appears that no-one ever takes a bike on board, so it was full of a pram and backpacks.  So we politely moved them to one side and Karina (no cloth arms here!) struggled with the hanging contraption and hauled our bikes up onto their hooks.  Neat!  We found our seats and sat back for the 4 hour journey to Savonlinna.  There were power points so I plugged in the laptop and tried to blog away, but the network was far too weak for uploading photos.  But I did get to check & send some emails. (I accidently deleted photos (doh!!) of this train journey, so am hoping we will see the fancy hangers on another train! - besides the windows of both trains were dirty and hard to photo thru). 
The view was farms and birch and pine forests – and of course lakes.  Small towns flashed by with speeds around 155-160kph.  Pleasant journey and soon we arrived at Parikkala where we had to change trains.  We were prepared 10 mins before arrival, with all our bags by the door, bikes unhooked, so the 2 min stop was enough!  Phew!  Next problem was to get onto the local train – 3 steep steps up, but the friendly guards helped us aboard and off again to Savonlinna. 

Olavinlinna Castle

We arrived there at about 2 ish and just near the train station was a market and several cafes, so we hitched our steeds up to some railings and bought some lunch.  Nothing flash – cheese Panini & KK had chicken wings with a fizzy drink each.  Junk food!  I ducked over to the market but they were packing up so not much to see.  But bought some yummy strawberries and blue berries!  Very tasty!

Entrance to caslte

Cannon

We then went looking for Lossarinta – our accom for the night.  We pushed our bikes up a steep street along the footpath as the traffic was a bit manic.  Then shot down a steep slope and at the bottom was the lake, the castle and Lossarinta!!  Wowee!  The castle was so much closer than I thought – yes, Emma I know you said it was ‘just there’ and you were right.  It looks really old, much older than photos show, they seem to airbrush it a little, but in no way does it look unloved!

Inside the Great Hall - seats 120

Lossarinta was more than what I expected – Charming with a CH!!  We stayed in Room 10 and we were promised breakfast in the little café near the lake’s edge if the rain kept away.  It was a self contained little unit and (apart from the price) it would have been wonderful to stay a week…..  but we are travellers!

Russian quarters inside castle

Looking over the lake

We unloaded all our gear and headed over to the castle and signed up for the 5pm tour.  It is such a Castle castle.  The tour took us up through two of the turrets – steep as - in a spiral of high stone steps, uneven as anything – but breath-taking views of the lake thru tiny windows.  I usually dodge guided tours, but this was a really informative tour because the alley ways, corridors and steps would confuse no end without someone showing the way.  Google ‘Olavinlinna’ for the history of the castle and the wars between the Russians and Swedes fighting over this area of Finland. 



Lossarinto across the water

 It was getting a bit late when we came out, so we rode on around the lakes edge, past flash boats and wooden ferries tootilng around, until we were back where we had lunch. 

From Huvila Brewery

 We crossed onto the next island and headed off towards the brewery, Huvila – recommended by Em & M.  I ordered a Gold Ale, but Karina had a cider instead.  Karina thought she might like to try goose, while I ordered the Asparagus risotto  - pretty flash tucker and really yummy too.  We skipped the desert and headed off home, after a quick window shop along the main shopping drag.
Along the way home, we bought some vanilla ice-cream. 

Dessert!!!

Our desert plan!  Ice-cream with blue berries and strawberries – ya can’t go wrong!!  Sitting outside – overlooking the lake and the Castle – which is just so close!!!  The mossies and gnats (or Sveea!) eventually chased us inside and we hit the sack. 

So Day 1 on the road – Paradise with cold wet Helsinki just a memory now!

Karl Fazer Rules!

Day 2: arrival in Helsinki

The last leg of the flight left Singapore at 11:45 – which was 2am Qld time – so we were ready for sleeping, but the crew thought we needed another meal…  so we did.  Then swallowed a little white pill and for the first time ever on a plane, I actually had a good sleep – apart from a coupla kids wailing and waking everyone up.  The flight was a nice smooth trip – as much as I remember.

Weird timber sculpture at
Helsinki airport

At 4:30 (11:30am qld) breakfast was served and we eventually landed at 6:15 at Helsinki airport.  Our bikes had arrived at the same time as us – thankfully, so we found a deserted area and proceeded to put them back together.  Karina did well and with some helpful suggestions from her, Maggie fitted nicely back together again too.  So 2 wonderful but heavily laden bikes ready to hit the road!

Ready & raring to go

Pretty balcony geraniums

So, how to get into Helsinki?  Karina had her Garmin up and running and off we went on a Garmin tour – taking the long way I think, but let’s not knock it!  Eventually we were arriving in the main centre and I was beginning to feel I knew where some things were!  Sure enough I saw the huge steeple of the cathedral, then the ‘Mother & Child’ statue and knew that just down the road was a bike shop.

along the motorway

Pizzaeria in the rain

But by then, it was lunchtime, so we went into a Pizza cafe and had a huge single pizza each.  They were just right and weren’t as greasy as some I could mention! We went back to the bike shop and teed up bike boxes for our return in a month’s time. 

Then down through the city centre and across a bridge to Eurohostel to sign in.  We dumped all our things in our room then walked back to the city centre to the railway station to validate our EuroRail pass.  We quietly joined the queue after being told we had a 45min wait.  So we did some people-watching until it was nearly our turn.  We nearly missed our turn as one clerk accidently lit up our number, so when the next number came up – we had missed our turn.  Luckily Olga – a lovely young clerk came to our rescue – teed up our tickets and was so nice that the cranky old bags (there were 2!) were almost forgotten!

some random interesting building - Karina
decked out in rain weather gear

The weather??  Well, it was a chilly 10 when we left the airport but not too bad for riding.  But when we stopped for lunch it started to rain.  Think the temp might have dropped to -40 without ice, but maybe I exaggerate a tad!  It was damn cold, frozen face, cold wet light rain.  But when we came out of the railway station, it had all cleared away and was probably up to 10 again! 

So my opinion of Helsinki hasn’t changed much – heaps of walking looking for a supermarket, then for somewhere for dinner – we got stuck in the boutique area with only flash restaurants.  But eventually we tracked down an Italian restaurant and had a big belly full of pasta & dessert then staggered back to hostel. 

Both tired but got some things done that had to be done.  No sightseeing this time, but we do have another day here on the way home.

http://www.a-trip.com/tracks/view/107261 - here’s the link to the I-got-u map – you can see we did a few zigzags.  It reads that we covered 26km, which ties in with my bike computer stats:

distance 26km, 2 hours riding, avg 12kph (no hills just dodging around bikeways, footpaths etc) max 35kph.

Day 1: to Singapore

Blog 1:  24 June 2012 

The day before lift off we had a lovely ‘midsommar’ luncheon at Emma’s – potatis & dill, beetroot salad and meat (or quorn) burgers!  Followed by blueberry flavoured tea and ‘Emma’s Cake’ a yummy cake topped with icing and heaps of strawberries – it was very Scandinavian! 

Emma Cake!

Just to get us in the mood!

We had some games of kubb, with Karina, Emma and myself, all trying to help Matias win at least one game – but it wasn’t to be.

Kubb team

So a late night was followed by an early morning - the last of the packing was completed and soon we were zooming out to the International airport – via the port & cruise ship, but that’s another story!

It was great to have lunch with our send-off crew and to have a few last minute hugs and cuddles from MissE and then onto the escalator down to the check-in area. 

  

And off on the plane for the first leg of our trip – to Singapore!  Bit miffed that we didn’t get the seats that I had paid and booked on-line – will need to follow up that!  As usual there was a meal to start off – only an hour since we had lunch, but hey – why not!  In fact both the meals were quite edible. 

The flight was a bit bumpy in places – especially when I went to the loo!

 This time, I easily worked out the touch screen tv and watched Ewan McGregor introducing salmon to Yemen.  Bit lame really!  And I listened to some great gypsy Italian music – quite nice. 

We had 4 hours in Singapore, which was a bit boring, shops are all the same and we added some calories at Starbucks.  So far, no dramas!

On Facebook already??

Riding Stradbroke Island - again

One day, when the sun was shining warmly, I asked Matias if he was interested in coming for another ride on Stradbroke Island.  The public holiday in June was agreed.

looking out the back door of Ferry

Monday dawned, overcast, cold with possible rain predicted.  When I collected Matias, he was still fine to come along, so we headed east to Cleveland, unloaded our bikes in the light rain, paid our tickets and boarded the ferry.  Yep, out on the water it was cold and windy, so we went into the little cabin and huddled close to the warm (enclosed) exhaust.  When we pulled into Dunwich, it was raining lightly, so we stopped at the Bakery to have a cappuccino and muffin.

Just as we were ready to head off, it started to rain, but the wind was actually coming from behind, so the rain wasn’t in our face.  A little way out of town, we stopped and set up the GoPro helmet camera and headed off.

It seems our visits to Straddie are always fraught.  At least this time the hills were manageable with only a couple really making me puff.  But the cold and wet certainly dampened the experience this time.  We eventually got out to Point Lookout and found a café to buy a burger and chips and a chance to sit out of the rain and wind.

wild seas

We went and looked out over the wild sea and then turned back to Dunwich.  Before we switched on the GoPro, a large bedraggled wallaby, bounded onto the road heading towards Matias and dodging the traffic.  Luckily, he missed Matias and bounded off.  Ain't that the way.  So we switched on the camera again, but nothing more exciting happened.

I was thinking we are going to turn the corner at Amity Pt and be hit by a fierce and wet head wind.  But thankfully the thick bush was a strong buffer zone against the wind, so it was a relatively comfortable ride back to Dunwich, with just the last bit into Dunwich that was really wet and cold.

The Red ferry was about to leave and it has a café on board.  We were pretty wet and cold and after awhile, we decided that a hot cuppa would be nice, so I had a hot chocolate and Matias had coffee.

Back home we quickly checked the video from the GoPro and apart from the droplets of rain on the ‘lens’ we both were pretty impressed with the imagery captured!  Will try and upload some – somehow!

 But I forgot to take a photo of the Newbie!  And now she is so muddy and messy!

Stay turned!

Stats for our Stradbroke Is ride:  44km, 2:30hr trip time, avg 17.7kph, max a zipping 54.1kph

( I remember puffing up that hill on the way out!)

Granny's Got a New Bike

 

Maggie takes over

 When I took Nellie in for her medical before heading off on another trip – the mechanics gathered me to her bedside and spoke in soft tones –

“It’s time to think of retirement for dear Nellie” they said…. 

“Surely not!”, was my reply.

“But she needs so much surgery that it’s not sure that she will pull thru…  New crank shaft, new cassette & chain, probably new drive cogs – new brake & gear cables and the issue of the rear brakes continues and she will need new shoes, especially on the rear…  it’s probably kinder to put her onto lighter duties and start again…

We have a suggestion based on the kilometres you travel, see here - this nice new shiny bike!”

The tiny shiny steed pointed out was a bit laughable…  I mean would such a spindly thing carry panniers and all the other toys that Nellie has shouldered over the past 3 years.  And it wasn’t a step thru – I mean how is a granny going to throw her leg over??

I might do some research…  I did want a step-thru, but research revealed that there were little options.  Step-thru’s are coming back in fashion, but aren’t too serious – low gearing options, not that long lasting for the kms I wanted, so maybe Granny is just going to have to toughen up. 

Suggestions from ‘those that know’ came up with a nice looking stead, but when checked out it was too high-geared – I still need granny gears – and so eventually I ended up back where I started. 

And so Maggie was born – she came a week earlier than promised – but that’s not unusual, been there before!  

So, despite the cool weather and threatening rain, we headed north – now with computer set up.  Can I really be skimming along so fast?  I stopped in at Cycle Obsession to see if they had any handle-bar bags, but nothing there.  Oh well, will go for a bit of a spin to Nudgee beach, that should let me know how comfy Maggie is. 

I did made it out to Nudgee, where I had a bit of a break.  Whilst munching on some carrot cake, I was visited by a rather cheeky magpie, who checked out the chances for some crumbs and checked out the new bike.  and so the name for this bike was found!  

Resting at Nudgee

A few issues to iron out I think.  Got the seat the right but I think the handle bars are too low now.  So we shall be going back to TK, to see if we can get that right.  Otherwise, Maggie is much more manoeuvrable, lighter and zippy for sure – but we shall have to see how she goes once she starts carrying a load!  Nellie is pretty relaxed about it all (I hope) and is keeping an eye on the new kid on the block!

Wynnum to Thornside, Labour Day 2012

Another public holiday!  Where to go this time?  It was a beautiful blue sky day, no wind - but there were other things I needed to do, so just a short ride - and I do like to be beside the seaside...

Using the "Where to Ride - SE Queensland" book, I decided to do the Wynnum to Manly loop - knowing that I will have to share the bike path with heaps of pedestrians...  stress!!

Arriving in Wynnum

I drove to Wynnum - to be greeted by beautiful calm blue sea.  Strapped all the toys onto Nellie and away we pedalled 

- toys being a gps tracker, 

a camzilla camera mount

(but still too nervous to put new SLR on it whilst riding!)

and Garmin E-Trek

Riding around the Bay

narrow bridge over the Mangrove swamp

 As I guessed, the first leg was crowded with pedestrians, dogs, little kids on bikes and scooters!  But I managed to dodge them all, thankfully.

and on such a beautiful day, even I was pretty tolerant!

Beautiful boating weather

Mangrove lined creek

  Past Manly, things started to thin out and it was nice to pedal along through park lands. 

Nellie waiting patiently

At Thornside, looking north

But all too soon I arrived at Ricketts Road, where I should be turning back.  But the path was continuing to the left, so why not follow that?  

It took me to Thornside, which is just another - but quite nice - sea side suburb.

So I turned back.

I thought  would continue back along Ricketts & Manly Road.  Bad idea - no shoulder and heaps of traffic and although no dramas, it wasn't a very nice way to end the ride.

I eventually got back onto the Esplanade and found little Rosie waiting for our return.

Nellie looks out to sea - thru the bushes

Nice gentle ride:  stats:  25km, avg 12kph (no speeding along the busy shared paths!) Max 36kph. 

Brisbane Valley Rail Trail Stage 1 & 2

A public holiday is always welcome and a good excuse to go for a pedal.  Thought it was about time I checked out the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail . I drove out to Fernvale (1hr) to start the trail  to Coominya.

Fernvale: start of Trail

1st Stage 8km:  Fernwood to Lowood is 8km and the track is a well packed gravel trail, which runs along the bank of the Brisbane River. Saw the bat colony & the bricked cuttings.  Not much else really.

The Trail

Apart from the sign at the beginning of the trail, no more signs were seen until arriving in Lowood - a rather sad oversight by the organisers.  There are a couple of times when the track is unclear and a small blue bike sign would have been helpful.

The now quiet Brisbane River

Bricked cutting from original railway line

A row of bats

Strange fruit - fruit bats that is

Old Lowood railway station, now a museum maybe

Off into the long grass - Stage 2

2nd Stage 12km:  After Lowood, the trail degenerates into an overgrown bone-rattling affair, still suffering from the flood through the Valley last year.  It tracks through farmlands, empty paddocks, few dams, nothing really that interesting.  One section is totally washed away, but I was able to walk Nellie around the edge of that area.

Eventually, I came to the heritage Lockyer River Rail Bridge - hiding in a large pile of long grass, a hum of a tractor slashing, in the background.  I parted the grass around the gate, to find a sign announcing that bridge was to be crossed 'at your own risk'.  hmmm....

use the tractor to get some scale to the height of the bridge

Taxi across the Lockyer river

The tractor driver gave a 'hoy!'  so I went over to see him.  He was slashing the grass and offered to give me a lift over the river, still running about 30cm deep.  So I followed him down the really steep bank and when he got to the river - now just a narrow channel over loose rocks - he lifted the slasher up above the water level.  I dragged Nellie up onto the slasher and climbed on myself and for a minute or two, we bounced and jounced over the river, trying not to lose balance.

Lockyer River railway bridge - closed

On the other side, I had to drag Nellie up the steep cliff, leaving the panniers on the back of the slasher, which dangerously followed me up the steep bank.  Phew!  There's no sign of any problems such as this on the website - I think it might need some updating.

The last few kms to Coominya were a bone shaking trip over the railway ballast and eventually just 2kms out of town I gave up and zinked off the trail onto the sealed road that lead into town.

Prosperous Catholic Church

Coominya is just a tiny town, but I found the park and sat down and scoffed my lunch.  I decided that I would hit the real road for the return trip.  It was a much easier, tho a tad longer. Got sworn at by a cheeky little fox terrier!  Got back onto the trail at Lowood.

rough fence

Not really impressed with the trail.  Maybe Nellie agrees with me (she had a flat front tyre the next day).  It's touted as a tourer or mountain bike track.  Generally I think mountain bikers would think it far too tame and I thought it pretty uncomfortable - the scenery was pretty bland, but having to watch the track all the time, who knows what I may have missed!

Austere Presbyterian church

Rich Brisbane Valley soil

Brisbane Valley

Stats for the ride (which include the much faster return ride):

3:04hr actual riding - 45km -  avg 14.6kph - max 34.3kph.