Pictures in June. Flowers, Juhannus and Sauna by the lake in Southern Finland.

What You can expect to experience while visiting Finland. Enjoy these pictures in June. -One of my favorite months. The Juhannus "mid summer" celebration is the third week of June. Here are photos taken during that time.

This short day trip will take us from Vesilahti where we get a shot of some kayakers, through a lock in Lempäälä around the outskirts of  Tampere, on to Teisko, (outer Tampere) where we celebrate Juhannus with friends.

Finnish nature is the number one attraction of Finland. We'll start off by watching our kayakers pave a new path of a local stream.

Here they (me taking a pic.) are surveying a new area for boaters & tourists.

It appears that the stream is too narrow and needs to be dredged out.

With Midsummer arriving we head out by car from Vesilahti to Teisko, a one and half hours drive. It is 3 pm, we drive through Lempäälä and stop at the open lock.

Pictures in June of the lock in Lempäälä.



Closer.

The waterfall is about the height of a grown man.


The waterway lock is routing water between lake Pyhäjärvi which is downstream, and the Vanajavesi body of water.(upstream) Not for kayaking, unless you are into extreme sports.




Looking downstream towards Pyhäjärvi. From here, you can take a boat from Lempäälä to Tampere. The same lake surrounds the city of Tampere on the south.

Rosa is waiting to see a fish. Perhaps she'll catch one!

It's Midsummer in Finland, and kind of middle of summer, since historically the first two weeks of July (next month) will be the hottest.

It turns out to be a nice day for celebrating. We leave Lempäälä town and drive through Tampere to Teisko.

Pictures in June -- Bright skies while driving!



On our way to our friend's summer cottage in Teisko we drive along road 338 Aitolahdentie, Tampere which is also known as Kaitavedentie.

This is a picture of the Aunessilta bridge(location). Designed by the architect Georg Schreck and built out of local granite in 1899. The bridge is 45 meters long and 5 meters wide, and since 1980's is used for pedestrian and cyclists. 

Take a rest stop here or walk to the bridge for a short lunch break.

Viewing the surface of the bridge.




As we are driving along the road we notice our 'June' environment. A small yellow Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris, or, Rentukka in Finnish is growing in trench.

Looks like a buttercup buried in the grass.

Looking closer at this flower the shape becomes vivid.



We pass by other wildflowers like...the Finnish version of the Woodland Geranium.

This selection of Geranium sylvaticum, also dubbed Wood Cranesbill.


A closer view of the same flowers.



The color of Lupine catches my eyes. I'll collect more pictures in June.

Pro nature people in Finland enjoy this Finnish Lupine Lupinus polyphyllus originally imported into Finland from western North America. It commonly grows along roadsides, and in gardens.

When the Lupines begin springing up, they look like this.


Under the cliff is where Lupine grow.


A close up. -Under the cliff.


The next picture gives you a perspective into how Finnish roads are landscaped into the environment.

A dynamited cliff carpeted by colorful flowers on a sunny clear day.

We stop the car. This time it's Rosa's turn to pick flowers.

We'll take these home with us.

Close up the yellows look like this...


The same flowers Rosa picked by the roadside...

...Aura transplants into an empty patch at home. Where they grow perfectly.

After a half hours drive we arrive at our friend's summer cottage in Teisko. It is mid June and time for the mid summer celebration.

We spend 5 hours at this lake side summer home, doing sauna, eating and talking. Though it is getting late, the bright northern night lights reflect off the lake and clouds illuminate the forest around us.

 It is 10 pm and this is how much light we have.


The light is slowly seducing me into taking more pictures in June. So I walk toward the light. -The wood burning sauna.

The sauna is a dark silhouette.

Walking past the sauna cabin, here is what is on the other side of the wooded area.

The lakeside view. 

A photo of the lake and rocky shore in Teisko.