Impressions of Finland

Far from the world. Green silence. Sauna, swim between water-roses, orange water. Hot body, cold skin, an indescribable sensation. Peace. Go back to the sauna, one more löyly. Sauna conversations that stay in the sauna. The cycle sauna-swim-sauna can last forever.

No tap water. We warm up rainwater in the sauna. The shower implies too much movement for 80°C temperature. It takes away your last anxiety and uneasiness and your last thoughts. Afterwards one just feels in peace with life and the world. We share confidences. We do the first gin tonic of the evening and start preparing dinner: start the grill, prepare the vegetables.

Time does not run - it flows slowly. The endless light hours help that feeling. At 3 in the morning we do a last night walk to the bridge where we can see the unbelievable colours of the dusk in the horizon, reflected on the water. The sky is never completely dark. But we can see stars, even falling ones. And satelites crossing the sky very fast – the only sign that there is a world beyond the forest.

The forest is magical, inhabited by long blond haired translucid fairies. The tree trunks are white and on the ground red fruits grow. We collect them for a pie. I identify references from fairy tales that can only come from this place. I find it curious that I have references I never questioned and now they make sense. Fairies are not portuguese; they have to be nordic.

They all have long blond hair and talk a vocals-full language. They talk with a tough voice, in a low tone, especially women. When we walk back home from the bridge at night, they forget about us and talk finish together. I am next to them and try to become invisible. I don’t want them to stop. I like that music where I cannot give a sense to any sound. It is a lulling mantra. Some things cannot be put into words. From that not understandable mantra I get a hint of finish essence.