Monday, April 11, 2016

Walking on frozen lakes

PHOTOS AND WRITING BY MONIKA CSAPO




The first morning at my friend`s place started really well. There was silence around me and the day started comfortably slowly. I made coffee, was reading newspapers and talked with my Dad on Skype. I am used to talking on Skype with family when I am at places which are unique for some reason. It is good to share the experience while it is still fresh.

After we all got ready we went for a walk to a lake close to my friend`s place. We had to pass by a small birch forest and cross a somewhat bigger pine forest. I had some serious Kuopio flashbacks on the road. My friend was going at a faster pace with her dog and i stopped to take photos many times- so it occurred not once that i was standing there alone among the trees. I was also in Kuopio often alone in the nearby forest when i went for a ride by bike to some of the lakes. I enjoyed the solitude of being alone in nature- although sometimes after spending some time taking photos the realization hit me that i was there all alone by myself. It had something to do with fear but it was also a sort of reality check which made me grasp how insignificant my life is compared to the size of the world around me. And how vulnerable i actually am incapable to influence so many things that could happen to me.




After hiking up and downhill we got to the lake which was still frozen. I love to walk on frozen lakes. You can walk around small islands what you can otherwise approach only by boat in summer and cross the lake from one shore to the other if you want. Many times there are no other people around so the whole lake is all yours. Locals can tell you if the ice is still safe or not. It is worth to ask someone living by the lake if you are not sure- or which is even better- to go for a walk with someone like that. 

After a while you don`t even realize that you are standing on a frozen lake. It feels more like walking on a snow field since the ice is covered by snow. It is a really cool experience to stand there in the middle of the lake and look around. To see the forests on the shore, the houses/cottages among them and enjoy the big open space around you. 


















3 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Yes! Also i love snow a lot. Summer is cool but it ends so fast and besides snow is so pretty. In Helsinki it has been ususally vappu (May 1st) when the last snow was melting. But now with these strange snowless winters we did not even have as many snow as before lately. That is why i like to travel more up North becausr thete they usually have a proper amount of snow even in spring.

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  2. * because there -i will correct the typos whwn i get home. Now i was just answeing on the phone fast.

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