After the wedding, we all made our way up to Kristiinankaupunki, where Kiira's family has a summer house. Most people were driving the ~100 km distance, so Jodie and I threw our gear in a car and hopped on our bikes. It was generally a nice ride, but strangely similar to riding in Canada. Given the similar northern climates, the vegetation and geography are very comparable.

Once we got to Kristiinankaupunki, however, we once again noticed we were thousands of kilometers from home. The town is located on the Western part of Finland, and is actually predominantly Swedish (not that it really mattered to us, as both are pretty darn hard to understand). The summerhouse, located a few kilometers out of the town, was right on the ocean and featured a wonderful wood-fired sauna.
It is worth mentioning that Finnish Sauna is different from saunas in the rest of the world. Rather than being relegated to swimming pool change rooms, saunas are a central part of culture in Finland. They are a place for friends and families to gather and socialize, and even for births (although less so these days). Food like sausages are often cooked on the coals, and enjoying a beer in the heat is not only tolerated but encouraged. Nearly every campsite we visited in Finland had a sauna, and certainly every apartment, home, and hotel would have at least a few.

We spent a few great days in Kristiinankaupunki, exploring the town with its old wooden homes, watching the 1 AM sunsets, and eating wonderful food (smoked fish and Karelian pasties being a highlight).

Wedding

Eventually, it came time for the main event of our trip to Finland - Kiira and Darryl's wedding. After a lovely ceremony a the Pori Church, we boarded a cruise boat to take us on a two hour journey to the coast, where the reception was being held in a beautiful clubhouse.




(For those of you wondering, I didn't read through Europe with a pair of nice shoes, a dress shirt, and a tie. Our good friend Jordan Bober lent them to me.)