Aurora Borealis Northern Lights in Inari Finland photo by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

Finland – Land Of A Thousand Lakes – Part I

Aurora Borealis Northern Lights in Inari Finland photo by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

If there is one thing that defines me, it is the word traveller.  My husband and I are thick as thieves.  He gets equally excited when it comes to travelling.  If the sense of Fernweh is strong in me, the call of the north is even stronger.  So, after Svalbard, Norway, and Sweden, this girl made her way to Finland for a couple of weeks with her husband.

 

 

 

FinAir to Rovaniemi, Finland photo by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

 

After a 17-hour journey to Helsinki, we found out that one of our suitcases didn’t make it there.   This is also when we found out how wonderful Finns are.   The gentleman from Finavia checked that our suitcase was en route and would be at Helsinki airport the next day.  Except, we were scheduled to leave Helsinki the next morning and would be on the road for two weeks.   Together, we decided that it would best if he could arrange for the suitcase to be forwarded to Rovaniemi airport.  We would pick it up from there within a couple of days.

Next morning, we got up at 4 AM for an early flight to Rovaniemi on a cool and foggy morning.

 

 

 

International Street Fair at Rovaniemi, Finland photo by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

 

After collecting our car at Rovaniemi airport, we drove to the city center and, completely by happenstance, came upon this international street fair.  

 

 

 

International Street Fair at Rovaniemi, Finland photo by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

 

 We desperately needed coffee by then.  We got a Rulla Pulla to share and two cups of coffee.  Rovaniemi is right at the Arctic Circle.  The chill in the air thrilled me immensely.   Despite the tiredness from ten hours of jet lag and the insanely early morning start, I found myself smiling ear to ear.  We walked around a bit more and then headed further north toward Inari.

 

 

 

Hwy 4 Inari to Rovaniemi, Finland photo by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

 

Rovaniemi to Inari by car is four hours and the road is dotted with lakes and forests.  We stopped by a few lakes to break up the journey a little.

 

 

 

Hotel Inari, InariJärvi, Finland photo by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

 

Our hotel was right by InariJärvi (Lake Inari).   I got us a room with a covered balcony so we could enjoy the view.  There was another not so obvious reason.  If there was any possibility of northern lights, I wanted to be able to spot it.

 

 

 

InariJärvi, Finland photo by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

 

Before we left, I found out that a solar storm was heading our way.  There could be possible aurora sighting.   I had been watching the weather radar, and as forecast, the cloud suddenly cleared up and it became bright outside.

I headed out to walk around the lake while my husband went to check out the town and the market.  We often explore on our own and then meet up and share our findings.  We did another round of walking together before dinner.

 

 

 

Aurora Borealis Northern Lights in Inari Finland photo by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

 

After dinner, I was watching the aurora forecast on my iPad.  I poked my head out the balcony and there it was, the telltale shimmer.  We promptly headed out toward a dark and safe area.

So here was the problem.  My camera and lenses were with me, but everything else camera-related was in the missing suitcase.  That meant I wouldn’t be able to use the stand and would have to take the photos handheld.  Thankfully, I know my camera and my own limitations fairly well.   So I adjusted the necessary settings on the camera and hoped for the best.  

 

 

Please Click on the image thumbnails to see the photos.

 

 

The promised solar storm brought bright and bold auroras that night.  As we were far up north, the aurora was up in the sky like fireworks.  We were surrounded by dancing lights, luminescent and shimmering.  Bright one moment, dimming away the next, only to come back twice as strong.   Pictures can’t really represent what we experienced that night.  

 

 

 

Inari to Karigasniemi, Finland photo by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

 

The overcast sky was back the next morning.   We drove further northward to explore the landscape with no idea what to expect.  We were outside the scope of information available about this area.  We found distant hills and meadows that had already turned autumn gold.

 

 

 

Inari to Karigasniemi, Finland photo by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

 

After about 1.5 hours of driving,  we stopped at the K-Market at Karigasniemi.  I found the most amazing chocolate covered grapefruit jam biscuits (cookies) to tide us over until we found a place to eat lunch.  We would have loved to go on, but we needed to drive back to Inari and then make the four-hour drive back to Rovaniemi after that. 

Once we got back to Inari, we got lunch, did a bit of souvenir shopping and made our way to Rovaniemi.

 

 

 

Hwy 4 Inari to Rovaniemi, Finland photo by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

 

By now, the rain was back in full force, which made this lake and tree-studded landscape even more atmospheric.  The road here cuts through the lake, so there’s water on both sides.

We called from Inari about our lost suitcase and were assured that the suitcase was en route to Rovaniemi that morning.  So after dinner, we drove to the airport and found our naughty suitcase sitting there.  We gave it a mock scolding about going off on its own and getting lost.  It vehemently denied everything and said it found itself standing there all alone and confused.  Smiling about having all of our luggage together with us, we were all set for the rest of the journey.

 

 

Please Click on the image thumbnails to see the photos.

 

 

After a good night’s sleep and breakfast, we were on our way.   I love flat rye bread.  Over the course of our stay in the northern part of Finland, I had rye bread with cranberry, rye tar bread, and a sweet flavored rye bread.   We also had cloudberry jam with squeaky cheese.  I don’t take food photos, but now I wish I had.

From Rovaniemi, instead of going directly to Kajaani, we decided to first go east to Oulu.   Once there, we meandered through the streets toward the market square.  We came across these red wooden storehouses dotting the area.  Some had been converted to restaurants, while others looked like offices.

 

 

 

Oulu, Finland photo by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

 

We walked back toward our car though this lovely city park set by the water and started on our way to Kajaani.    It is a long way from the north of Finland to the southern part and Kajaani was a good midpoint.  

 

 

 

Kajaani Castle Ruins, Finland photo by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

 

Next morning, before we left Kajaani, we visited the castle ruin.   Instead of taking the direct path, we decided to take the wooded path.  Then came the rain.  Thundering, blustering rain, and we had left our umbrellas in the car.  We stood under a tree for a while then decided to run back to the hotel.  At the car, after drying ourselves, we headed back out toward the castle once again, this time with umbrellas.  You should know that rain hasn’t EVER stopped us.

 

 

Please Click on the image thumbnails to see the photos.

 

 

The castle ruin is certainly not a grand one.  However, set by the Kajaaninjoki River, we found it fascinating and evocative.  I read somewhere that it is the world’s northernmost castle ruin.  That wet day it was easy to imagine how harsh life must have been there.  We walked all around it, carefully climbing the wet and slippery stone stairs to see the upstairs.  No castle exploration is complete until we have also walked the outer perimeter.

As we were walking toward the car, the rain came down even harder than before, this time with a strong wind in tow.  Elated and smiling, we changed our rain-soaked clothes for dry ones and departed Kajaani toward Savonlinna.

 

 

 

Aurora Borealis Northern Lights in Inari Finland photo by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

With that, we left the north behind.   Our travel from here on will change from excursion to historical.

 

Until next time,
-Soma

 

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Softhearted Snowdrops lino print and Snowdrops notebook from wildflowers series by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

Softhearted Snowdrops

Softhearted Snowdrops lino print and Snowdrops notebook from wildflowers series by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

Snowdrops!  It was love at first sight.  They don’t grow where I live and I had only read about them in story books.  It was in England that I saw them for the first time.  When I started with the wildfower series block printing,  I already knew snowdrops had to be part of the set.   I started with photos and then paintings, and now I have made those lino prints and subsequent books using them.   Along the way, I have added on to my block printing tips page.

 

 

Middleham Castle snowdrops photo by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

During our visit to a castle ruin in Northern England, the lady there told us about an old church hidden behind the market square.  She said I would particularly love it.  As I walked through the gate, I saw this gloriously overgrown place.  These beautiful, gentle flowers blanketed the ground all around the headstones and the old trees there.  She was not wrong!

 

 

Please Click on the image thumbnails to see the photos.

 

 

That was it!   Love at first sight.  I would love to get another chance of taking better and more close-up photos of them.

 

 

 

Softhearted Snowdrops German folklore drawing by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

Best friends – Work in progress sketch

 

According to German folklore, snow was transparent and asked each flower to share its color.  The flowers were condescending and turned their faces away.  It was the snowdrop that gave snow its white color.  Snow was touched.  It offered the flower its protection and they became best friends.

My snow and winter-loving heart loves this story beyond imagination.

 

 

 

Snowdrops during snowfall watercolor painting by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

In the Lost Pages book,  I painted these snowdrops with falling snow.  Of course, I have painted a few more snowdrops since then.   During those times, I studied them as well.  That knowledge was something I made use of when I started drawing for the lino block.

 

 

 

Softhearted Snowdrops lino print and Snowdrops notebook from wildflowers series by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

Before I start on a large piece,  I always warm up with carving a smaller version of the picture.  It gets my muscles used to the lines I am going to carve.  I also make sure the design will work for the carving.  This is where I adjust the design for the larger piece if required.  This way I tend to make less mistakes when I work on the larger carving.  Saves a lot of time and material.

 

 

 

Softhearted Snowdrops lino print and Snowdrops notebook from wildflowers series by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

There are some design choices I make before I start drawing something.  I decided on seven flowers and that was not negotiable.  Don’t ask me why, it’s just how my head works.  Placing the flowers without crowding them so each one can shine was the challenge on this one.   I also wanted them to face each other so they looked conversational. 

Also, I needed to keep an empty space for the butterfly.

 

 

 

Softhearted Snowdrops lino print and Snowdrops notebook from wildflowers series by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

Many iterations later, I finished carving the block, and then finally got to print it.   I mostly pull my prints on heavier printing paper, but I also like to pull a couple of prints on thin Japanese rice paper.   The texture of the paper gives the print a slight unevenness, making it look very delicate. 

 

 

Please click on the image thumbnails to see the photos.

 

 

Notice the difference between the crisp print of the Fairy Lantern on the heavy paper and the textured print on the rice paper.  

 

 

 

Softhearted Snowdrops lino print and Snowdrops notebook from wildflowers series by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

Afterwards, I made notebooks using the prints.  That particular shade of blue makes me think of twilight time, my favorite time of the day.   The light grey-white kept calling my name until I gave in and made another one with that color too.

 

 

Please Click on the image thumbnails to see the photos.

 

 

 

The three wildflower lino prints I have finished so far –  Northern California Fairy LanternEnduring Thistle and Softhearted Snowdrops.   The fourth photo is of the books I made using those prints as covers. 

 

 

 

Ink Torrents Graphics Handmade Notebooks made by Soma Acharya @ InkTorrents

 

While playing with different book cover ideas, I fell in love with the French Fold.  The cover board wraps over the edge into the inside of the book, making it look stylish and elegant.  This also makes the binding more stable.

 

Please Click on the image thumbnails to see the photos.

 

 

Shop Notebooks

 

I hand made the rest of these books in hardcover with French Fold.   As the paper I use in these books is great for writing and drawing, I have been using them for my language and art studies, as well as notebooks for any and everything.  You can purchase the notebooks from my shop.

 

 

 

Softhearted Snowdrops lino print and Snowdrops notebook from wildflowers series by Soma Acharya InkTorrents Graphics @ InkTorrents.com

 

I really really love wildflowers.  I can’t go out during the spring and summer months because my chest tightens up from pollen allergies and I can’t breathe.  When I am out and about during the winter months,  snowdrops is the one flower I get to enjoy freely.  It has bestowed the same kindness on me as it did on snow. 

I love these unassuming gentle white flowers.  Seeing them again one day will feel like seeing someone special after a long time.   For now, I am simply over the moon about being able to create a lino print of them, and books too.  I hope you liked my version of the snowdrops.

-Soma

 

I am linking up with the linky parties on my Links page.  Please pay a visit to some of them.

 

 

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