Saturday 1.8.2015 – The Arrival and Sunday 2.8.2015
As driving in early morning through misty fields to Eckerö the crew was not yet quite awake. We were browsing the beauty of scenery with soft fatigue. The wait in Kärinssund became longer than expected. The sea was too restless to enter Märket and we waited all together 12 hours in harbour. Luckily Gastropub Bodegan’s lovely stuff took great care of us and the sofas were even too comfortable.
Finally we arrived to Märket after thrilling trip. Tarja was holding the boat rails in heavy swell with – let’s say – some intensity. The waves were still big, about 5–6 feet, when arriving and the crew was changed in a hurry. But immediately we settled in, peace and quiet took place of the city buzz. What else could happened with such an amazing view from the sauna.
Sunday is being quite slow. We are all getting to know the area and the history of Märket. We had a bit of a thunder coming from Sweden as well. Heavy rain for some half an hour – otherwise it has been sunny or somewhat sunny. The guides are preparing for tomorrow – there is seventeen teachers from Åland coming to visit! Exciting!
Monday 3.8.2015
The new crew jumped straight to the stormy side of the pool, as they say. Monday at 11 a.m. we saw two boats approaching – it was Mats and a group of twenty teachers from Åland!
We weren’t sure if they could make it to Märket because of the heavy waves. But here they were, all ready to be guided and fed. Essi had woken up early to bake some doughnuts according to an old recipe of Märket. It was created when the boats couldn’t get to Märket one Vappu (First of May) and there were no wheat flour. Lighthouse master’s wife Soffe didn’t give up and baked the traditional first of may pastries out of rye and oat. Or at least this is what we told the guests today as we are out of flour…
The visit went really well and teachers had great fun. Day has been sunny and even calm at one point, although there is always some wind in Märket. First tours of new guides went great – and in Swedish as well, we were so proud. The guests enjoyed especially Soffe’s famous doughnuts.
The tired but happy crew had a nap in the sun. Later Pirjo fixed the flag, the wind is so hard all the time that it gets easily broken – like a pirate flag.
Lovely day ended with barbecue and clear skies. We are all looking forward to rest of the week.
Tuesday 4.8.2015
Today it’s been a kayak day. The first kayakers approached the lighthouse swiftly in early morning. The crew had barely time to wake up but we were all ready to welcome the guests, looking good in our ”uniforms”. Two Swedish kayakers had breakfast in Märket and greeted the other welcome guest as well – Väiski the seal had come for a sunbath in eastern point. Some of the crew hadn’t seen seal before in nature and their first was definitely a proper one. Väiski is a one big boy. Swedish guests were quite impressed of the rural lighthouse and the voluntary work being done to preserve it. They bought couple of T-shirts as well – most probably because we all looked so cool in them.
We have been very lucky with the weather, sun has been shining gracefully. It was perfect day for some outside work such as washing the wooden platforms, which are used in hallways of boathouse. What a fun job, especially in good weather!
A German family paddled in for a picnic in lunchtime. They wondered around and gathered some strength for their next part of paddling journey.
Rest of the day we did some woodwork and making some room for new firewood. This week Mats will be bringing cargo of wood, which should last until next year. We also inserted a new wheel for the wheelbarrow – some heroic action happening here! Tomorrow we will be expecting Mats with a new group of tourists, hungry for doughnuts – naturally!
Wednesday 5.8.2015
The rain has come today. We were expecting Mats’ tourist group but the sea has remained boatless. The wind seems really cold and strong although the waves aren’t that big. Apparently the great swell from last Saturday has finally calmed down. When it rains in Märket, it’s time to take it easy and have seriously long afternoon coffee. Read books and re-group, let the day unfold into art of chill. Or be super active and make a list of best things to do in Märket when it rains:
Ten best things to do in Märket when it’s rainy and windy
- Play solitaire
- Study Märket history
- Do some ”tuohukset”, which is Finnish word for thin slices of wood for lighting fire
- Air the linen
- Read and write
- Drink coffee and eat doughnuts
- Take photographs
- Do some office work, which in Märket is grocery lists and Märket shop inventory
- Have a barbecue and sauna (always good weather for these two)
- Chat with the fellow lighthouse workers of all sorts of things and laugh a lot
Thursday 6.8.2015
Regardless of sunny and calm day, we have had only two boats visiting today. No sail boats all week, only couple of them on the horizon.
Our first visitor of the day was a gentleman from Uppsala, originally from Åland thought. Second boat arrived later in the afternoon – family from Åland came to have a birthday picnic in Märket. Our guides are getting to be very professional, especially in Swedish. That seems to be only language used this week. The history of Märket unfolds in front of visitors and old stories come alive. It’s also nice to ”diskutera” in other words chat with the guests over a cup of coffee when the tour is over. This week especially, thanks to Essi’s wonderful baking. When asking, the most favourite place is always the actual light on the top of the lighthouse. All together guests in Märket are happy they came and you can see them wondering around the rocks for ages after the tour.
When the wind is calm, Märket is a great place for sun bathing. Crew was very busy today but luckily we had some time for sun as well. And some traditional braiding – we are in the archipelago after all!
Today Tarja cleaned the edges of lighthouse’s windows. When it is this windy they get easily full of dirt and insects. We also did some environmental work on the rocks, pumping water to some cracks on the rock and cleaning them of dirt stuck inside them. It’s good to have a biologist among us. Indeed, we have been quite busy bees today!
Friday 7.8.2015
Our last day on the lighthouse has been perfect with the weather. Early afternoon was hot, first time this week, really ”childhood summer hot”. Later afternoon the wind picked up and all of the sudden the fog started to rise from east. It was beautiful, for a while we were all inside a cloud. Sea fog is funny in a way that it can be very windy but foggy at the same time.
Today we had a lovely Finnish-Polish-Swedish family visiting. They had left from their summer house in Houtskär for a trip since the sun was finally shining. Little Tobias was having a blast and his parents were enjoying themselves as well.
The crew is preparing to take off, it’s our final day! We have been cleaning places and feeling a bit sad. Luckily it’s nice to go home as well.
It has been a great week. Märket is truly on the edge of civilization. As we are chatting of what has been best in the week, at least good company, interesting guests and good food is mentioned. But the most amazing thing is the sea, we have seen many faces of it and it’s always beautiful. Week in Märket has been slow and calm in many ways and it has given us chance to concentrate in essentials. Which in our case has greatly been also food – Essi is an amazing cook! It’s hard to get back to reality and cook our own food next week…
Goodbye Märket, see you next summer!