Lappeenranta Harbour

I had been swimming for a long time when, instead of quiet peninsulas on the horizon, I began to see houses the size of a mountain and plenty of boats. The closer I got, the louder the sounds of people became – much louder than the sounds from the dance pavilion back home. That must be a town, I thought, and moved closer cautiously like a submarine. I was a little scared, but there were so many different scents coming from the shore that I had to explore them. The people seemed happy, and the scents in the air were the same as those near the campfires. I wondered if this was the place where people bought the black stuff that was made in a pot and that they loved to drink. I could smell that stuff in the air, and people seemed to be enjoying themselves. What was the name of that stuff again? Coffee? At least it’s not oil, the nasty stuff that I sometimes come across in the water.

I decided to turn around and head for calmer waters. How far would my adventure take me? Lake Saimaa is indeed big and beautiful. And I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else. I can’t get to the sea because I can’t jump up rapids like salmon. This is my home, and there is no better place. I decided to head along, find the perfect strip of land and name it Ronnie the Ringed Seal Peninsula.