lauranen

For the ultimate experience, I recommend you walk to the galleries along the Water of Leith.

Walk to the west end of Princes Street, turn down to Queensferry Road and take a left at Bells Brae. Follow the street down until you get to the river bank, cross the bridge and walk left along the path that runs along the river. Follow the signs leading to the modern art galleries, and you’ll arrive there with the right mindset!

I packed a few of my belongings
Left the life that I was living
Just some memories of it
Mostly the ones I can’t forget

Whenever you need me I’ll be here
Until then my dear
I’m going, I’m going, going there

Don’t ask me to make time
To travel back and forth
Let nature take its course
Maybe I’m open from all this ocean air

And if it weren’t for you I’d be without a care
Setting sail to St. Elsewhere

Anywhere you sit you can see the sun
Unfortunately on this island I’m the only one

And same rules apply on a rainy day
Then it’s not such a pretty place to be
It just rains and rains and rains on me

Send a simple sign I can understand
Then a flower grew out that sand
Before you know it I was back out on that sea
Now I don’t mind it so much because it’s normal
I’m not there, anywhere, St. Elsewhere

Way over yonder there’s a new frontier
Would it be so hard for you
To come and visit me here?
I understand
Well just send me a message in a bottle then baby

I love this little village because I spent most if my childhood summers there with my grandmother, and now my uncle lives there with his family. I can’t imagine anyone ever accidentally ending up there but if you do, get the locals to show you around. There is lots of beautiful things to see but it’s all very local and many of the interesting things are quite hidden from the tourist’s eye.

Part of the Finnish culture are the summer houses located in the countryside, where most Finnish families spend their summer holidays. Mäntyharju has the second most summer houses in Finland, surpassed only by the municipality of Kuusamo. One of the reasons for Mäntyharju’s popularity involves its many pure lakes.

Because of the many summer houses, population of Mäntyharju more than doubles during the most popular summer holiday times.