The Åland Islands

Map

July 29–31, 2012

If you drive straight south from the capital, drive down the main highway, drive without turning off anywhere, in about 15 minutes the island will end. There, you will find a garden with a café.

Surrounded by pine trees and water.

With somewhat strange but tasty food.

Then you can take a seat in the living room.

Or in the garden.

Or, better yet, on the porch.

Sit down on a cushioned bench and savor a cappuccino with panna cotta in the tranquil serenity of the countryside.

And enjoy life. Simply enjoy life.

The Åland Islands belong to Finland, but are populated by Swedes. At one point the islands, along with Finland, were a part of Russia. When Finland seceded after the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Ålanders decided to jump on the opportunity and become independent themselves. The Finns wouldn’t let them, however, and offered autonomy instead. This is why the Ålands have their own government, their own postal service, and so on.

Mariehamn

Map

A quiet, charming provincial town.

It reminds me of Jūrmala.

The trash cans in the country’s capital.

A mysterious electrical device which resembles a portable distribution board.

Ferries make a stop here on the way from Sweden to Finland. People stock up on cases of alcohol while on the ferries because the sea is an automatic duty-free zone. And the Ålands themselves have slot machines everywhere. A winning combination.

There are slot machines even at the gas station convenience store.

In general, supermarkets play an important role as hubs of life here. For example, you can discover a post office directly behind the produce department.

The Åland post box is shaped like a lighthouse.

A pedestrian.

A pedestrian crossing.

A parking diagram.

No entry for motorcycles or cars.

A digger.

The end of a 50 km/h speed limit zone. This is the first time I see something like this: the sign is painted directly on the back of another active sign (which, accordingly, marks the beginning of the speed limit zone).