Chapter 20

Strangers in the Night:20.

"Should we call before we go?" I asked Wendy.

"Are you crazy?" she replied, "Absolutely not." And then she laughed.

We took the Valmaat helicopter back to the factory, picked up Ursula's car and boogied home. From Uusikaupunki, we followed Route 43 to Porintie/Route 12/Route 2 in Huittinen. That took 1 h 3 minutes.

Then we headed east on Vakka-Suomenkatu/Route 196 toward Vakka-Suomenkatu/Route 196, not far ... nearly two and a half football pitches.

Then we turned right onto Kalannintie/Route 43 and followed Route 43. A distance of 26 miles or so.

At the roundabout, we took the 2nd exit onto Laitilantie/Route 43, about 12 miles to another roundabout, took the 1st exit onto Lauttakyläntie/Route 12, and followed Route 12 for about 12 miles or a little less and took Route 2 ... Wendy was an excellent co-driver and we were keeping to our 55 miles per hour average.

Route 2 to Turuntie and back on 12. We took the exit toward Turku/Tampere/Vammala/Huittinen from Route 12/Route 2, about 4 minutes and turned right onto Porintie/Route 12and 2.

We continued to follow 12 and 2 for about 3 and a half miles and took the the exit toward Turku/Tampere/Vammala/Huittinen ... two pitches and on to Nokia.

Then we took Route 3 exit from 12 ... about 46 minutes. We turned right onto Turuntie/Route 12 for 45 minutes ... all the while keeping to the 55 speed limit. We took the Route 3 exit toward Route 11/Vaasa a little shy of three pitches and kept right at the fork to continue on Exit E12 and merged onto Route 3/E12 about half a mile and jumped on to E63 to Karjalankatu in Kuopio. Exit 69 from Route 5/E63.

We've been on the road for three and a half hours and aren't to Jyväskylä yet. I had made reservations at the Original Sokos Hotel Alexandra, where the Thousand Lakes Rally's start, right on Jyväskylä's main drag.

We finally made it and I had reserved the bridal ... since I couldn't get the top floor. I suppose I should lie and tell about the Olympic Gold Medal performance in horizontal dancing ... but I won't.

Ok? ... ok ok ok ... we were both exhausted. We barely made the shower ... road grime.

I washed her, she fell asleep washing me, I patted her dry and carried her to the enormous bed, tossed her in the middle, tossed myself at the edge and was asleep before I landed. I never even noticed the bounce.

The morning was a little different, but that is none of your business. The shower afterwards was as romantic as I could make it without missing our 11 AM checkout.

I know ... my credit card is good for millions but that place put a serious dent in it, another day would have left a bruise.

Finally, our inner beasts filled and the fluids checked and filled, we jumped on to E63 all the way to Kuopio. We kept to the posted 55 mph and slid to a stop at the marina in Kuopio. Total driving time was five and a half hours. We were soon inside the office with the paperwork for Mr. Toivonen's sons Baltic.

"You got a real deal on that boat," said the marina manager.

"His dad sold us the paper on the Baltic," Wendy said. "Something about no way to treat a wife. Just because he drives for Opel doesn't mean he has to be an ass."

I jangled the keys and asked her, the manager, to let us in the security gate.

"We're going to take her out and spend a couple of weeks exploring. Do you know if the boat has charts?"

"Let me get you a set," she rattled around in several boxes. She came out with a fistful.

"All these lakes are connected, either by straits of by canal," she said. "They have been working, off and on, on linking to Jyväskylä by canal. Jyväskylä is connected to the capitol by the river. Freighters use the lakes on the west side but they can't connect to us. Freight comes by rail.

"Some of these charts are real old ... make you a deal... $125.00 for the whole set. I'll just put 'em on your mothers account."

"Sure. Where's the boat?"

"Farthest to your left and the big boat at the end. I'll let you through when you ring the buzzer. You'll be adding her to the rest of the dock fees?"

"We have a nice dock at the farm ... I'll let you know."

We strode off to the farthest dock to the left and pushed the button.

"Yes?"

"Valmaat's"

BUZZ CLICK

We strolled down the dock, hand and hand. The lake was beautiful, the walk was long. The wood of the floating piers thumped companionably as we moseyed.

"Uhoh," Wendy said.

"Ah, the lights are on."

We boarded and dropped through the salon hatchway.

"Hello, Mother. Fancy meeting you here."