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Swans' Lake Evening Twilight

The lake is approached by an evening of wilderness.
Thereupon a bridge between light and darkness
Descends beyond the lake, with waves kind,
Filling my soul with peace and easing my mind.

Dusks still bring summer nights feather-light:
The end of summer has just begun work, which might
Always, always belong to autumn's duties;
To the colourful pillow of fallen leaves.
 
The daylight-darkness play is an extract of plants,
I see reeds, forests, and I am missing the swans.
All swans far away, the end of summer nears;
Soon autumn all fun of lake summer apart tears.

Dusks still bring summer nights feather-light:
The end of summer has just begun work, which might
Always, always belong to autumn's duties;
To the colourful pillow of fallen leaves.

written in Finnish, and translated from Finnish to English by:
Volford, Péter

Onto Joutsijärvi For Night Rowing Or Night Canoeing!

Summer nights on Joutsijärvi (i.e. Swan Lake) are amazing. The phases where light and darkness meet each other can probably be best enjoyed just then, when the nights are at their shortest, around Midsummer, that is. Night rowing has indeed a long tradition in Finland, the Sulkava Grand Rowing Race is world-famous, and there is also a night series.

On Joutsijärvi you can do night rowing or night canoeing on your own and at shorter distances, you can train for the night series of the famous Sulkava Grand Rowing Race, just as well. One of the centremost parts of the recreational traditions at Joutsijärvi is, however, that you are supposed to move around in nature alone or in small companies, moreover you are supposed to care for silence.

Experiencing how night and day meet each other and experiencing the way light and shadows play with each other will surely amaze many of you. Around Midsummer, in fact, there are lot of people who sail off onto these waters. Even for the night.

Hikers’ Info Centre Sataseitti allows rowboats and canoes for rent on Joutsijärvi. You can even rent our boats and canoes for a duration of several days at a time.

You can also sail off onto these nocturnal waters by a church boat. Indeed, you do find the contact info of the local church boat here, on our web sites. Rent price enquiries, questions for Kullaa’s Church Boat Association (i.e. Kullaan kirkkoveneyhdistys) to their mobile phone number +358 40 561 0610 or +358 40 588 2170.

On a clear summer night which is light in its shortness moving around on these waters is safe, if the paddler or rower is experienced. However, navigating on night waters never really goes without danger. Joutsijärvi is stony, and be it times of high or low water level, there are always some rocky shallows which can stop your boat at once, or may perhaps snap your oar, or may otherwise scratch the bottom of your boat, even though they cannot always be seen. The Church Boat Association always provides you with a skipper, who will also function as your pilot. Meanwhile an experienced paddler guide may be hired to come along at Janne’s Safaris. For small rowboats you can get a guide from Hikers’ Info Centre Sataseitti. On Joutsijärvi, there are always personal buoyancy aids offered without extra fee for all those who rent a boat or a canoe.

The colours of Joutsijärvi’s nature wonderfully change their hues when the night begins and when it ends. The experience of night rowing or night canoeing may open entirely new scenic views onto this unique lake. Hopefully this brief article is going to promote the increase in the amount of long rents as well as an increasing appreciation for nocturnal lake nature . I hope that the photos which I made in the middle of last summer are going to attract lot of you to get onto night waters again and again to admire the silent beauty of Joutsijärvi whenever summer weather allows you to. Welcome to experience the nature of the night lake, to admire the clear nights of midsummer on Joutsijärvi!

Written in Finnish, then translated from Finnish to English by Péter Volford
Photos by Péter Volford