Essi invites me to her parents caravan at Sääksi

The lake at sunset - this is my favourite picture that I took there
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On Friday my friend Essi took me to her parents summer caravan which is bedside a lake called Sääksi. It is near a town called Rajamäki and it's only about 45 minutes from Helsinki.

So on Friday I met Essi on the train - and our first stop was Järvenpää which is where Essi's parents live (again this is only like 30 minutes from Helsinki). So we stopped at Essi's house first to get the car and also take her brother Kaarlo with us to the caravan.

We arrived at Sääksi by around 6pm (I think) and I met Essi's parents, and her two other brothers Eelis and Leo.

The lake
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Shortly after arriving, Essi and I went to the lake and started playing on the beach - like throwing stones into the water and trying to make them skip in the water.... It was so much fun and we were playing with my video camera and I (as I do) took some pictures :)

That night, we ate dinner and then Essi, Kaarlo, Eelis, Leo and myself went to the lake and we thought of going swimming. So we walked to the biggest pier that had 3 driving boards on it (all at different diving depths). So I think I dived from the highest board (being I think 4 or 5 metres high) - I nearly shit myself when I jumped from there - you don't realize how high it is until you are standing on the board itself. After contemplating whether I should jump or not (and after everyone telling me just to jump :) I just somehow got the urge to jump.... OH my god it felt like I wasn't going to land, like I was going to fall forever.... And then as I hit the water, I felt like a shock feeling and I swam as fast as I could to the surface of the water! And every time I jumped off it (and even the other 2 smaller ones - being I think 2 and 3 metres from the water) I was scared. I would hate to bungee jump or jump out of an airplane .... arghhh.....

The lake
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After jumping and swimming we headed back to the caravan and I think we ate :) We headed to bed around 12:30am. The next day was Juhannuspäivä (midsummer day) and we got out of bed at around 11am and then headed to the beach and laid there for a while. After that we headed to the sauna where only women were allowed to go during 1 and 3pm. We ate and then walked around a bit. Later that day we went back to the beach and just laid there and relaxed.

I was even attacked by a little duck while Essi and I were laying on the beach.... I felt this rubbing and poking kinda feeling on my hips and wondered what it was. I looked up to find a little duck attacking me :) It was cute - I guess I must have been in its way..... (hehe)

The lake at sunset
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Essi, Kaarlo and I headed back to Järvenpää on Saturday night and that night Essi played me some music on her piano and then we watched Monty Python: The Holy Grail...

So then today being Sunday, Essi and I headed back to Helsinki where our adventure came to an end. I had a great weekend - and next month Essi and I are going to go on a road trip - so more fun will happen then!

That was my trip to Sääksi!