Went to try “retkiluistelu” or “tour skating”, a variant of ice skating made for long trips on rough terrain. It uses (among other things) longer than normal skates and ice pikes to test the ice for thickness. The style is somewhat different than traditional skating in that you have to kick slightly forward to avoid getting stuck in the bumps and cracks of the ice.

It was fun, although as the photo shows my style needs some improvement. There are some nice photos on Flickr if you want to get a better idea.

A strange object appeared in the sky today, a glowing ball of red light peeked from the horizon and after a few hours went back to where it came from. A natural phenomenon or an alien flying ship? And will we see it again?

Today Finland celebrates its independence. Hyvä Suomi!