To the land of song

One thing we can say for sure: Ethel Brilliana Tweedie wasn’t lacking in courage! In an age when it was considered inappropriate for a woman to even leave her home without a chaperon, Ethel chose her own path.

She wouldn’t settle for the role appointed to her by the society but fastened her gaze fearlessly on the outside world. The farthest corners of the world, demanding great effort from the traveler wishing to reach them, aroused great interest in her - whether it was Iceland surrounded by the vast seas, the mythical China or a small Russian province far away in the North.

So one bright June morning in 1896 Ethel found herself approaching a small town called Helsinki, after a four and a half day journey by sea. This was the starting point of her journey through Finland, spanning over several months.

Ethel Tweedie traveled around the world turning a deaf ear on the disapproval of the fault-finders and the warnings of the fearsome. She chose to ignore the claims that the world outside the safe walls of our home is a dangerous place. With her in mind we’ve planned our own trip – to the land of song!

THE IDEA OF OUR TRIP

What

A bike trip through the old Carelia towards the Kola peninsula, moving slowly, with our senses open, into a world long gone.

Who

Four slender young ladies and their faithful butler:
Miss Laura Soini – Captain
Mrs Kaisa Leka­ – Navigator
Miss Lina Jelanski  – Linguist
Miss Elina Salonen – Mechanic
Christoffer Leka – Butler & cook

Why
To better understand a land so close to us, and yet so far away.

When
We will leave on July 24th and return on August 23rd.

Length

Approximately 2 000–2 500 kilometers (1250–1550 miles).

Stages

Depending on the condition of the road and the travelers 50–100 kilometers (30–60 miles) a day.

Goal

To experience the beauty of Carelia, the northern nature of the Kola peninsula, and if the road so should permit, to see the bright glistening of the Barents Sea.