Sorry been quiet these last few days.... very poor roaming broadband where I've been and no WiFi!
Where have I been ....well spent the morning of the 28th riding along the border again but this time far more isolated... and far closer.
Started by riding down to one of the few border crossing currently open... but not very busy. The political situation is causing a great deal of financial upset here as there is a whole business setup to service Russian visitors and shoppers. The first thing Russians come across on entering Finland is a big Lidl.
Had my first and only encounter with the Finish Border Guards and they were more concerned that I wasn't just some old guy that was totally lost. When i reassured them that old as i was I did know where i was going they just reminded me that going over the yellow markers was not a good idea. They in turn reassured me tgat bad as the roads were ... dirt ... they didnt get any worse and were all passable with care.
It was a bit hairy I admit... not because of any real political concerns but as I've said my bike isn't made for those roads and things like dropping it, punctures etc and no signals of any sort start to creep into mind.... always remember where the last house was us a good plan!
The afternoon was spent at the Salpa Line Museum... I've mentioned the Salpa Line before remember...but where I saw it before it was just large stones... OK very large stones ... laid out to form tank barriers.... here it was a complicated defensive line of anti tank guns, machine gun bunkers, anti tank ditches, observation posts.. the works.
They gave yours in several languages... Guess how many people were on the English speaking tour... yep, just me... fascination but chilling.
They'd used a special technique invented of course by the Americans of vacuum moulding concrete domes so they build a bunker in a day...damp dark places they were to live in though.
