Day Sixty Six Friday 23rd September

Today it has been raining. We have been so fortunate with the weather that we can't even remember the last time we had rain! We had already decided that today would be a rest day, ie minimal driving and two consecutive overnights in the same place. Off late morning into Lappeenranta , only just over 2 kms away, but we took the camper so that we could explore a bit further as well. The town, or is it a city, feels pretty big, and has a population of 72,000. We wanted to try lunch in a place recommended in Lonely Planet. We have not found LP particularly helpful in the main, but occasionally it comes up trumps. This was one of those occasions. It describes Wolkoff Cafe and Restaurant as an old world traditional Finnish Restaurant serving gourmet Finnish Cuisine from fresh local organic ingredients. Although the main menu is a bit pricey, it recommends the buffet lunch as excellent value at 15 euros. It was indeed. Field mushroom soup with lovely crusty bread, salad buffet, a main course of Chicken Saltimbocca on a bed of runner beans and quinoa, and coffee and crisp biscuits to finish. The restaurant was small , unpretentious and friendly, and clearly full of locals. A very pleasing experience.

The main attraction in the town is Linnoitis, a fortress on a grassy mound overlooking the harbour, started by the Swedes and finished by the Russians in the 18th century. The old buildings now house a range of museums, craft shops and cafes, and it is all very attractive. We contented ourselves with a drive along the cobbled street running through the middle, and enjoyed viewing the buildings in the dry, feeling a bit wimpish!
Emerging on the other side we continued North out of the town to drive a little circuit of about 20 kms across some of the islands in the lake, all linked by bridges. It was well worth it to enjoy a glimpse of this Karelian Lake District, which stretches on northwards and is renowned for its beauty. The islands are all densely tree covered, and the autumn colours absolutely stunning - brilliant golds and reds. Even in the rain, there were some beautiful views as we crossed each bridge.

Then back to the campsite to hunker down with mugs of tea and the heater on, and catch up with some reading. Venturing out for showers was a bit of an effort, but now we are settled again for the evening, with scrambled eggs on toast and a couple of episodes of Mad Men to look forward to.