The Krka National Park is one of the most popular parks in Croatia. It runs along the river Krka, and is reachable by about an hour's drive from Split or Zadar. The park is centered around the river and lakes on it, with incredibly beautiful gorges and waterfalls. There are many cruises, excursions, restaurants, one beach, and ... a large number of caves :-) I visited the main tourist-accessible cave, Ozidana Pecina along with some smaller caves in the area.
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August 2025, Ozidana Pecina, Krka, Bogatić, Croatia; A-Frame cave, Krka, Bogatić, Croatia; High shelter cave, Krka, Bogatić, Croatia; Shelter cave by the raised path, Krka, Bogatić, Croatia; Shelter cave behind bushes, Krka, Bogatić, Croatia; Krka beach, Krka, Bogatić, Croatia
Caving (Basic, Rock, Rock-Limestone, Surveying); Caving (Basic, Rock, Rock-Limestone, Surveying); Swimming (Outdoor, Waterbody-Lake, Beach)
I've been in a medical procedure, as a time slot opened in my hospital for an operation that I've been waiting for. This lead me interrupting a vacation and flying back to Finland, some great care in the Meilahti hospital, some sick leave, and hopefully getting improved health as a result. But it also led to a temporary prohibition for swimming and saunas, and heavy exercise. Fortunately I can still soak my feet in the pleasant waters of the Bodom lake, in Oittaa.
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August 2025, Oittaan uimaranta, Nuuksio, Espoo, Finland
Swimming (None, Waterbody-Lake, Beach, Outdoor)
An active day, for sure. I needed to fly out today, but before that I wanted to get my August ski turns in the massive snow mountains of Myyrmäki's ice skating hall (picture above), visit my mom, and do a quick swim at a swimming place near her in Pornainen's Hietasen uimaranta (Hietasen's beach) in Vähä-Laukkokoski. A nice package for the day! The skating hall was open and there was a pile of snow, saw my mom, visited the beach with warm water and sunshine and no one else around, and had a pleasant flying experience in the air and at the airports.
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August 2025, Myyrmäen jäähalli, Myyrmäki, Vantaa, Finland; Hietasen uimaranta, Vähä-Laukkokoski, Pornainen, Finland; Helsinki-Vantaa, Vantaa, Finland; Split Airport, Split, Croatia
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Swimming (Outdoor, Waterbody-Lake, Beach); Flying
Tested the new 2M€ smoke saunas in Kuusijärvi that were opened today. They were very, very nice. Didn’t know they were opened today, just happened to want a sauna visit and Kuusijärvi was on my route.
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August 2025, Kuusijärvi, Vantaa, Finland
Sauna (Smoke); Swimming (Waterbody-Lake, Beach, Outdoor)
Vršac is a small city in northeastern Serbia, close to the Romanian border. The city has been built on the foothills of a striking hill, and on the top of the hill there's a castle dating back to 1439. It has been abandoned for centuries, but reconstruction started in 2009. The main tower of the castle is today in good condition, other parts remain as ruins.
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August 2025, Vršac castle, Vršac, Serbia; Helvecija 1880, Vršac, Serbia
Urban-Exploration (Historic, Castles, Ruins); Swimming (Indoor, Waterbody-Pool); Sauna (Normal, Steam)
A hole in the sky. Or in the roof, rather. This is what has given this cave its name, Zelena Špilja or in English the Green Cave. At noon, sun will shine through this small hole down to the water in the sea cave, and combined with the sea weed at the bottom of the water, a green light is created. I'm here though in the evening, but the cave is still spectacular!
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August 2025, Zelena Špilja, Griže, Ravnik, Croatia; Unnamed beach cave 1, Podhumlje, Vis, Croatia; Unnamed beach cave 2, Podhumlje, Vis, Croatia; Zaglav, Vis, Croatia; Milna, Vis, Croatia; Budikovac beach, Podstražje, Otok Veli Budikovac, Croatia
Caving (Rock, Swimming, Morphology-Erosion); Swimming (Waterbody-Sea); Caving (Rock, Boating, Morphology-Erosion); Caving (None, Rock, Morphology-Erosion); Swimming (Waterbody-Sea, Beach); Swimming (None, Waterbody-Sea, Beach)
My son took me to a place that he had scouted earlier. A remote lake, rocky peninsulas, crystal clear water. The day was also warm, sunny, and the water pleasant... can't get better than this. Saarijärvi!
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July 2025, Saarijärven niemi, Nuuksio, Espoo, Finland; Saarijärven uimaranta, Nuuksio, Espoo, Finland
Swimming (Waterbody-Lake); Hiking; Swimming (None, Waterbody-Lake, Beach)
While all the community swimming pools seem to be closed during the summer, I realized that the parking-garage looking building on my way to work is actually a multi-function place, with not just parking but also an ice hockey arena, gym, cafeterias, nightclubs and restaurants... and a rooftop saunas and a pool. Very, very nice experience. Loved the sauna with a view.
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July 2025, Hype Hybridiareena, Espoo, Finland
Swimming (Waterbody-Pool, Outdoor); Sauna (Normal)
Another swimming hall visit! This time in Martinlaakso, a suburb of Vantaa. They have a nice swimming hall, and at least now in the summer it seemed almost completely empty. But open, unlike most of the other community swimming halls sigh...
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July 2025, Martinlaakson uimahalli, Vantaa, Finland
Sauna (Normal); Swimming (Indoor, Waterbody-Pool)
A common sauna discussion is the one about the effect of throwing water on the sauna stove, and how it affects the temperature in the sauna: whether it just feels hotter due to the humidity, or if the temperature actually rises?
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July 2025, Arkko summer cottage, Teisko, Finland
Sauna (Normal); Swimming (Outdoor, Waterbody-Lake)
While at a conference in Madrid, I stayed at the NH Collection hotel in the Eurobuilding. This hotel has a spa and gym. While it was separately paid and not inexpensive (30€), it was a quite nice for a hotel spa! Nice big Finnish sauna, a Turkish sauna, ice bucket, multiple pools, etc. The main pool was maybe 15 meters long and narrow, just enough space for 2-3 at the same time. But very much enjoyed this visit!
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July 2025, Metropolitan Sport Club and Spa, Eurobuilding, Madrid, Spain
Sauna (Normal, Steam); Swimming (Indoor, Waterbody-Pool)
Around Kivenlahti there are a number of nice beaches to swim at, including Laurinlahti that I also recently visited. But this time I am at the Kivenlahti Beach, conveniently located just few hundred meters from the Hypeareena which has gyms, hockey arenas, saunas, and also pools. This time I did the gyms there and came to the beach for the swim. The Kivenlahti Beach is a really nice, secluded beach surrounded by the green nature. Much recommended!
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July 2025, Kivenlahden uimaranta, Espoo, Finland
Swimming (Waterbody-Sea, Outdoor, Beach)
Stopped at yet another beach while driving back from home. Can't imagine I haven't been here before: Laurinlahden uimaranta (Lauri's bay beach). Very nice. Compact, clean, necessary facilities... nice water. Also good that they have a long pier to swim from, unless one wants to swim from the sand, like I did.
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July 2025, Laurinlahden uimaranta, Espoo, Finland
Swimming (Waterbody-Sea, Beach, Outdoor)
Having hiked, caved, and skied I was ... not ready to sit in a packed airplane. A swim or at least a sauna would be so good! Initially, it looked like it would be possible in Norway's many swimming halls. But none of them turned out to be actually open, or open to public at all. Nor did the airport hotel let anyone except guests in their gym that would have had a sauna. Sigh.
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July 2025, Fjellhamar arena, Oslo, Norway
Swimming (None); Sauna (None)
Syväjärven uimaranta, Kirkkonummi. A beach on the "deep lake" (Syväjärvi). In reality the lake is pretty small though. I doubt about its deepness either. Anyway, with almost thirty degrees and one of the rare sunshine-filled days of the summer, everybody and their kids appear to be at the lake. So am I!
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July 2025, Syväjärven uimaranta, Kirkkonummi, Finland
Swimming (Waterbody-Lake, Outdoor, Beach)
Arrived late from Madrid. And not only that, but the car's ventilation was broken, so drove to the cottage only late in the evening. Arrived shortly after 11pm, and did a swim at midnight. Such bliss, water was very warm but still cooled us down a bit, everything was quiet, the darkness had set in, lake had no waves. Nice!
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July 2025, Arkko summer cottage, Teisko, Finland
Sauna (Normal); Swimming (Outdoor, Waterbody-Lake)