Wow, I'm actually going to be up to date with the diary for once!
(maybe this should be yesterday.. but hey, it was after midnight) -
after we got home from the internetting, we drove out to the beach.
There is a little tower with a great view over the ocean for the
[sunset, sunrise, not sure]. The sky was very impressive. We also went
to look at the fountains in the weir. Oulu has a hydro power station
(though it only has a head of 12,5 metres - not much really. They raised
the level 50cm recently, despite much protesting by landowners on the
edge of the lake. In the weir at the output side are a bunch of
fountains with lights in the base. During Autumn when it gets a bit
darker, they put on fantastic light displays, but it was fairly boring
while we were there, it only changed twice in about 20 minutes, and only
white lights, no colours.
Kati and Mikko had to go shopping for furniture for their new appartment
(they have recently signed the purchase agreement, and are moving in a
few weeks!) so Kate and I wandered around the city. We both needed
shorts anyway, because it's a lot hotter than we expected!
I found some shorts, and Kate a set of those trousers which have zippers
in the legs so you can turn them into shorts. After the shopping we
expected to be able to look around town, but as we stepped out of the
last shop, there was a flash of lightning and a loud crack of thunder.
At least we had umbrellas with us! We walked to the market anyway, but
had to hide under a stall from the deluge. During a break, we quickly
headed back up into the main city area to wait.
We still had a few minutes before the planned meeting with Kati and
Mikko, so we decided to buy a replacement battery for Kate's camera (the
warning for low battery is showing). While chatting to the guy about how
we were from Australia, I handed him a €50 note for €12,60's worth of
battery. In the change he gave us a €50 instead of a €20. Oops! I tried
to tell him that is was supposed to be €20, but he didn't understand and
handed me two €20's and a €10. Figuring that we had tried enough, we
left the shop. Cheapest battery I've ever purchased!
We went to the meeting place (A granite ball about a metre in diameter
which is sitting in a slightly smaller round hole. Water bubbles out
from underneath, so you can give it a slight spin, and it will keep
spinning. One of the cleverest fountains I've seen for a long time. Very
cool), and then had a coffee.
Since it was still too wet to do anything outside, we went to look at
the University of Oulu. The decor is very 60s, bright colours
everywhere, and they're not allowed to change them now due to 'heritage'
listing! It's all very cool though, being a university student in
Finland is great. I want to move here and study another degree now!
Kate cooked a risotto for dinner tonight, and then Mikko and I came down
to do internet (checking where to go tomorrow). We're planning to head
up north past the arctic circle, go rafting (just 1 1/2 hours, which is
only €21. The others are all a little expensive), climb the second
tallest mountain in Finland (only 20km from the Norway, Sweden and
Finland border)and then get a hut somewhere up in the arctic. We'll be
back Friday evening.
Oh well, off to make plans. We'll be back Friday.
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