A small house, a tipi, a barn in the middle of the country,2 km away from the Russian
frontier, somewhere at the
north-East
of Finland. This is the scenery of our story.
As we were driving, very near from « Liikasenvaarantie », we saw the sign « Farm Zoo »
along the road. The sign intrigued us and we decided to stop. This is how we
have been shown the way to this couple of Finnish people. As we went to
the place, a very nice couple walked to us to welcome us. Straight away,
they really got through to us
and
we felt interested by their life story.
They explained how they were dedicated to breeding huskies-sleigh dogs
(a species from Siberia and Alaska) and organizing sleigh rides.
They invited us into their tipi where a warm atmosphere was given off and they
immediately accepted with
enthusiasm
to answer our questions.
Thanks to these hardy dogs, so impressive with their thick fur and strange blue-eyes,
our hosts could organize sleigh rides during winter. Their expeditions usually take
place during the day and may last several days across this beautiful region classified
as a natural park. The riders can experience bivouacking in trapper-like and uncom-
fortable woodenhouses, yet in perfect harmony with the surrounding wilderness. This
natural reserve is well-known for its bears and wolves, but they confessed to us that
they had never seen any!
The names of our friends are Wolf (= in Finnish “Susi” ) and Mirja. They chose to live in
these rather rustic conditions,
away
from the bustle of big cities.
composed of 2 month old puppies that welcomed us. They were all so adorable that they
seemed to come out from a collection of fluffy dogs. Our arrival triggered a concert of
barking, a way
for them to show how happy they
were
to see us and beg caresses from us.
We
were invited to visit the breeding.
On one side, we could see the males’ fold and set apart on the other side was the females’fold.
Each animal had its own kennel which looked like a small Finnish wooden house with its
name on it. On one of them, we could read the name « Carmen » : its resident was a
female dog from Andalusia. Everything there was tidy and clean. A 2 meter high faint
had been placed to prevent
the
males from being tempted to visit their female neighbors.
We entered the females’ fold. They immediately begged caresses from us. At this moment, we did
feel what complicity between master and animals could mean. Together, they live in a
kind of osmosis. When we asked them if the females had puppies, they pointed to the
males’ fold, meaning that yes, there was a lot…
They have been living here for 5 years now and they like their new life, despite the difficulties it
entails. Yet, nothing predestined them for this life. Mirja studied in Helsinki and then
started to work as a nursery at the hospital. Wolf was a mechanic . He used to work
once for the famous pilot Johnny Wickstrom, a champion in motorbike races for the
Italian MBA team, scoring the 7th rank in 1983 at the world championship. This is how
Wolf
happened
to know some of France and the Paul Ricard circuit in Marseille.
Yet,
they felt like living differently.
They first met in Lapland. Together, they chose this place to stay because it was where
they could go in their passion for huskies and rides. They finally found a farm when they
could settle. Their closest neighbors are an old couple, 83 and 84 year old, and they
are very happy to have them around, because in this part of the world just like every-
where else in the world, the countryside is
suffering
from population drain.
During the low-season, when there is no snow, they never stay unoccupied :
canoe
on the lakes/rivers,
horse riding are among
their
many activities.
For some times, they have been receiving groups of pupils that come to visit their
pedagogical farm. It’s a beautiful vegetable garden, a poultry with ducks, geese,
hens, rabbits, which give them enough food to be autonomous. You can also see there
goats that provide milk for making cheese, as well as horses, and a pig. Everything is
there to awaken the curiosity of the young urban boys and girls for the rural world…
and
keep
them
busy!
Another small house serves as a "coffee shop", where the visitors can buy some
homemade of blueberrries among other berries. An antique sleigh stood in a corner
of the room and Wolf was very proud when we took a picture of him there …it’s a kind of small
museum with antique objects and tools. Then, spontaneously, Wolf unrolled a projection screen
to show us beautiful slides about his main activity: " Husky-Safaris", as written on his business
cards. The pictures were superb and carried us away in the winter season when the whole
landscape is covered
by
a white blanket.
This has been an unusual encounter with these two people encountered in the middle of
nowhere in Finland, Wolf with his trapper look and Mirja converted into a farmer. Their story
reminds us a similar experience we lived, years before, somewhere in France in a deserted
area of the Ardeche region, although of course there were no reindeers, elks or snow
partridges in our story.
Then came the time to say goodbye to our friends and to continue our way towards
the North Cap.
If one day you go past there, stop and visit them. Their kindness and welcoming is worth
making a stop and their smiles will last
long
in our memory.
Marie-Claire
et Gérard LALLIER
Quartier
Bancel
26400
ALLEX - FRANCE
E.mail : mcgdrome@cario.fr