Getting to Rokin nokka (Roki's Beak) or "the end of the road"

Today I slept late and took my 2nd independent walk through Rauma.  My destination today was to get to the public library.  I remembered what it looked like from the street and inside when Anne took us there 2 years ago, when we were here for their wedding.  But I didn't have a clue how to get there from my B&B on foot. Armed with a map, I set off and found it (and a few other places on the way) within 30 minutes.  Not bad for a tourist, eh?  I'm finding that Rauma is not a big place and laid out (easy) for tourists.

Amazingly, at the library when I asked for temporary borrowing privileges, the English speaking librarian gave me an appliclation (4 lines!) and a real library card, for free.  First, she asked for my passport, which I'd left back at the B&B. For identification, she readily accepted my New York State driver's license. The Rauma library card is very pretty with an image of old sailing ships.  Being the library geek that I am, I will treasure it as one of my trip keepsakes.  She said if I lost it I'd have to pay.  I said, OK and kiitos (thank you.)  Then she took me to the English language novels section (a decent lot on several stacks) amd left me to browse happily.

After that I used the free wi-fi to write my earlier/previous blog post and send some e-mails with my iPad.
Getting hungry, I headed out to take some photos (which I still can not figure out how to get on this blog, but I'm working on it!) and find a cafe´.  Not finding one quickly, I decided I needed to drink a sugar-y something, and I stopped in what I thought, at first, was a convenience store.  I bought a coke and sat down at a little table & soon realized I'd wandered into a betting parlor of some sort.  I can't remember the name of  those places at home (never having placed a bet anywhere but at a race track before)  Anyway, I sat there for a few minutes watching a harness horse race on a TV & very OBVIOUSLY not placing a bet of any kind while I drank my coke.  I got some very curious looks from the other patrons as I left, smiling.

Wandered back to the B&B, ate my lunch and took a nap.  This is quite the peppy vacation (not!)

Anne picked me up around 5 PM and we went to her parents to fit her mom's bike to me.  Lassi was there to put air in the tires and oil on the chain as Rita has not used this bike in several years.  He lowered the seat and I tried it out, for a very short bit.  I forgot to wear real shoes & only had on my slip-on sandals.  I think it will be OK for riding around town once I know where I am going.  Like to Cafe Sali or the library or to the Varjonen's home.  Using a bike will save me time (vs. walking) and Anne gas!  I told Anne and Lassi that I haven't used a bike for more than 10 years.  (I know Mark, my husband, is thinking:  like more than 30 years!)  But I am willing to try it & I think it will be fun.  To my family:  Anne has a helmet for me to borrow as well!

Wheeeeee!

Rokin nokka (Roki's Beak) or "the end of the road" is the place where Anne & Saku moor their boat to go to the island where their summer house is.  It looks a bit like the Conesus Lake boat launch, but with several inlets.  We drove out to see it because it is not far from their house.  On the way Anne stopped so I could take a photo of some of the wild lupines that are blooming all over Finland right now.  Having tried, unsuccessfully, to grow lupines at home, it is breathtaking to see whole fields of them and lining the roadsides.  They grow wild in Maine and other places in New England, so maybe it is too warm in western NY for them?

Wild Finnish Lupine

After our little trip to the coast, we went home to play with the twins, make a family dinner and hang out.  It is fun to see the twins developing in front of our eyes.  Anne and I are joking about Aleksi & Jenny speaking English already as they are "mama-mama-mama-ing" and "dada-dada-dada-ing" all day long.  Since those are NOT Finnish words and "mama" is "aiti" and "daddy" is "isa" in Finnish, I figure my grandson, Erik (about the same age) is speaking Finnish now too!

Anne drove me to the drugsore on the way back to the B&B tonight to get some hydrocortisone cream for my eczema (hands) and the pharmacist we consulted was quite helpful.  I may have been able to find it myself, but it is nice to have Anne & all the well-educated, English-speaking Finns I've met so far, to help me.

But because I'd like to see her again and be forced a little to learn more Finnish, I am going to accept Saku's mother's invitation to tour the countryside near her home.  Leena (again, forgive my spelling of Finnish names!) is a wonderful hostess, and I'm looking forward to whatever she is planning for me.  I mentioned to Saku at dinner that I would be looking for a maritime map of Rauma's coast to give my dad, the former (Canadian) merchant seaman.  The Rauma Maritime Museum is on my list of things to do here.  Saku immediately got up and fetched a 1984 copy of veneillykartta SELKÄMERI, Småbåtssjökort BOTTENHAVET.  (I just typed all that because I've been waiting to use all those diacritical marks on those Finnish letters!)  It is a maritime chart mapbook of the western Finnish coast.  Anyway, Saku offered it to me, saying it was "out of date" and I could just rip out the page I wanted.  I'm finding this sort of thoughtfulness and generosity is typical of the Finns I'm meeting.  I told Saku my dad will enjoy the whole thing, illustrations and depth markings.

Back at the B&B, my blogging was briefly interrupted by a guest who needed to contact the B&B proprietor, Jussi. I was happy that Anne put his phone number in my (temporary, because I'm borrowing it) local cell phone.  So, I got to speak again briefly with Jussi.  When I checked in last week, he promised to meet me for lunch sometime & mentioned it again tonight.  I told him (truthfully) I would like that very much.  We agreed to "do lunch" after the midsummer holiday.

Tomorrow I will explore Vanha (Old) Rauma some more...