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)
Ski trip in the surroundings of Kista is going badly. Can’t find open skating rinks or their excess snow piles. And I dragged my mini-skis all the way to Sweden for this! Sigh. But, as you know we have ice bears walking on the streets of Helsinki... and they bring the cold, good stuff.
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June 2025, Ritorps ishall, Ulriksdahls idrottsplats, Solna, Sweden; Medley Solna Simhall, Ulriksdahls idrottsplats, Solna, Sweden; Myyrmäen jäähalli, Myyrmäki, Vantaa, Finland
Skiing (None); Sauna (Normal); Swimming (Waterbody-Pool, Indoor); Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts)
I was driving back from a very nice midsummer visit to a friend's cottage when I spotted a grand, 20+ meter cliff by the roadside. I had seen this before, but never had an opportunity to stop. But now I had to, because there was a hole on the middle of the wall, staring me in the eye :-) The question was though if I could get to it without climbing equipment. It turned out that a steep ledge was leading up to it, not great and not for wet weather, but still climbable carefully. So I got to the hole! It turned out to be a pretty small though, maybe 3 meters long. Still something, but as a too short cave I had to return it back to the nature :-)
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June 2025, Toravuoren kolo, Salo, Finland; Kuharanta, Perniö, Finland
Caving (Basic, Surveying, Rock, Rock-Gneiss, Morphology-Crack); Swimming (Waterbody-Sea, Outdoor); Sauna (Normal)
Early June is a perfect time to enjoy the Finnish summer. The nature is so nicely light green at this time of the year. We visited our summer cottage in Teisko, including of course plenty of stops at the sauna and the lake. Summer 💚
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June 2025, Arkko summer cottage, Teisko, Finland
Sauna (Normal); Swimming (Outdoor, Waterbody-Lake)
... or at least the Espoonlahti swimming hall :-)
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June 2025, Espoonlahden uimahalli, Espoo, Finland
Swimming (Outdoor, Water); Sauna (Normal)
Can I have an evening mini-vacation, swimming in the waves? Yes I can! Just drive to Forssa (only 104 km away from home) and enjoy the wave machine at the Vesihelmi spa.
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May 2025, Vesihelmi, Forssa, Finland
Swimming (Waterbody-Pool, Indoor); Sauna (Normal, Steam)