FEM dates are officially confirmed: Wednesday 21st of July to Wednesday 28th of July
Furthermore, it appears that we will get several guests that were not able to come last year! Still no "full" attendance, but looking pretty good! ^^ There still might be some uncertainties with the guests coming from abroad of course. Here some info regarding that: https://raja.fi/en/guidelines-for-borde ... g-pandemic
Anyway, still I would like to remind that safety should be #1 and I would hope that people will be careful with covid prior to arrival. Most guests (but not all) already are at least partly vaccinated so nobody probably gets badly ill, but still, if covid spreads in FEM it will basically cancel rest of the events, lead to quarantine for everyone and huge difficulties in travelling back. Not good. So please be careful and go to test prior to coming if poss/needed and so on =) Then it will be poss to have a fun meeting without stress or social distancing.
Speaking about fun meeting, there recently was some really kind words about FEM in WhatsApp by bene and FinMan!
I understand how you feel, based on the things you are saying I was in exactly the same position during 2017 when I went for the first time. But I just went and was myself and I had to do public talking in front of everyone to present recs and I wasn't even worried before that, something that has only happened to me in a fem setting. It's such a lovely and nice place. Come and don't say a word or be yourself or be what you desire. No one cares, there is no judgment or anything to worry about. And travel will be sorted out
Very heartwarming words ^^ It is sik cool how FEM has became such special and friendly environment in this cruel world and how new ppl have been able to join effortlessly. So, if you have been sort of wanting to always come to FEM, mb come this year? =)And in the end the most important thing is; basically everyone ever has felt like home there, after basically everyone doubting if they will be social enough or whatever
Who is coming?
Confirmed:
- adi (full time?)
- bene (full time?) + Ladybear
- FinMan (full time?)
- jblaze (6 nights Thursday-Wednesday)
- Markku (full time?)
- nick-o-matic (full time)
- ramses (full time)
- Raven (full time?)
- roope (weekend)
- terb0 (1 night)
- veezay + Antti (until Sunday)
Tourism in Eastern Finland
Especially for people coming from other countries or more faraway parts of Finland I would recommend to do some local sightseeing. I did my best to create a semi-comprehesive list of sights to you. Because of corona this guide is partly not valid at the moment.
Koitsanlahti village:
Parikkala sculpture park (2km)
- http://www.patsaspuisto.net/english/ | http://www.patsaspuisto.net/
- Seriously a must see for everyone, a world-famous place
- A masterpiece by our local Michelangelo. He created a huge sculpture park into his own yard and allowed people to visit there for free. Now he is dead and there is a small voluntary but recommended entrance fee
- https://www.iloinenpässi.fi/
- Local food and souveniers
- For example bison burgers (there is a local bison farm, mb poss go there too)
- Signs that tell you not to go any further to the border zones
- Do not go any further
- https://www.facebook.com/marjatilahallikainen/
- Berries and berry products
- https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koitsanlahden_hovi/
- https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanhan_Su ... oitusmaat/
- Mainly for those interested in history of (Eastern) Finland
- I think only poss to eye ouside now
- https://maurikin.blogspot.com/2015/06/p ... smaa.html/
- Mainly for those interested in history of (Eastern) Finland
- https://www.visitparikkala.com/ | https://www.visitparikkala.fi/
- https://www.rautjarvitravel.com/ | https://www.rautjarvitravel.com/fi/
- http://www.visitpunkaharju.fi/en/ | http://www.visitpunkaharju.fi/ | Punkaharju has notably beautiful roads on ridges inbetween lakes, just driving there is an experience
- http://www.uimolansavusauna.com/
- Public sauna on Wednesdays (7€/person), a private sauna is 140€
- We will probably go there on both Wednesdays
- http://www.saimaansaunaseura.fi/?page_id=16
- Public sauna on Mondays (7€/person), a private sauna is 230€
- https://www.kollaa-simohayha-museo.fi/en/home | https://www.kollaa-simohayha-museo.fi/fi/etusivu
- Kollaa battle was a famous battle during the Winter War: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kollaa/
- Simo "The White Death" Häyhä was probably the most famous WWII sniper: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simo_H%C3%A4yh%C3%A4/
- http://www.papinniemicamping.net/index.php/en/ | http://www.papinniemicamping.net/index.php/fi/
- a beautiful place, but just one example of cottage/camping possibilities here
- poss rent cottages much closer, even in Koitsanlahti/Parikkala
- https://www.simpeleenantiikki.fi/in-english/ | https://www.simpeleenantiikki.fi/
- Entry fee (10€) limits quick visits for authentic local farm antique souveniers
- https://www.visitkarelia.fi/en/ | https://www.visitkarelia.fi/fi/ | North Karelia (Joensuu area)
- https://www.gosaimaa.com/en/ | https://www.gosaimaa.com/fi/ | The general area of lake Saimaa has very good swimming / camping / hiking possibilities
- https://operafestival.fi/en/ | https://operafestival.fi/
- A famous opera festival in a medieval castle in a small island
- https://www.instagram.com/visitlappeenranta_official/
- https://www.lappeenranta.fi/CityOfLappeenranta/ | https://www.lappeenranta.fi/Lappeenranta/
- Poss stay in my apartment for night (I live there)
- Beautiful harbor area and historical fortress
- Good swimming / camping / hiking possibilities
- There is also a possibility for visa-free cruises to Viipuri (Vyborg) and event to Saint Petersburg
If you are not coming by a car or carpooling you should first get yourself to Helsinki by plane or ferry and then take a bus/train.
Trains from Helsinki:
https://www.vr.fi/cs/vr/en/frontpage
Price 19€ (if you book early) to ~50€ (if you book late).
Busses from Helsinki (Onnibus):
http://www.onnibus.com/en/index.htm
Price ~10€ (if you book early) to ~20€ (if you book late).
Only the 17:00 departures go all the way to onion farm (rest of them stop at Lappeenranta).
Busses from Helsinki (norm busses):
https://www.matkahuolto.fi/fi/
Price 19€ (constant price (I think??)).
Optionally, you can also fly to Lappeenranta if the few flights that exist match for you:
Arriving flights
Departing flights
If these options work for you, Lappeenranta would be the most convenient option. You basically get out of plane, show passport and get through quick security check (Lappeenranta airport is more like a bus station than an airport), take a shuttle bus or walk to train/bus station (they are close) and in one hour you are at onion farm.
You can even arrive from St. Petersburg. There are busses to Lappeenranta and Imatra and you can get a train ticket all the way to onion farm as well (train change in Kouvola).
After you are in either Simpele or Parikkala, someone will pick you up. Simpele is preferable if you come from the south. However, not all trains stop in Simpele since this year, so you might have to go all the way to Parikkala. But all the busses stop there.
If you come by car, there are two possible gravel road routes to our farm, shown on the map. However, if you are coming from Parikkala direction or go to Parikkala to do shopping, please avoid the one small bit of road drawn in this map. It is being maintained by a local farm, and they collect fees from villagemans that use it (it is norm system in Fin countryside). However, we don't pay anything to them so we should avoid traffic which can be related to us on that road.