A Day of Sauna and Sea 桑拿与海
July 15, 2026
Yesterday, we disembarked in Bergen and flew to Helsinki,……
昨天，我们在卑尔根下船后，。。。
July 15, 2026
Yesterday, we disembarked in Bergen and flew to Helsinki, the capital of Finland. After picking up our rental car, we immediately headed to a Chinese-Thai restaurant to satisfy our craving for Asian food after nearly two weeks without it.
From there, we drove to our Airbnb in the Turku Archipelago. Our summer cottage is nestled beside the Archipelago Sea, part of one of the world's largest archipelagos, with more than 40,000 islands and skerries. The calm water, mild temperature, and fresh sea air gave us a wonderful first impression of the area.
This morning, we enjoyed a simple breakfast of coffee, croissants, and boiled eggs while taking in the surreal view outside our window.
After breakfast, it was time for our first adventure. We pushed a small rowboat into the water and paddled around the quiet bay near the cottage, wearing life jackets—at our wives' insistence. Gliding across the calm water was peaceful and surprisingly enjoyable.
If Norway is a hiker's paradise, Finland is the land of saunas. There are roughly as many saunas as people in Finland—about one sauna for every two residents—so naturally our rental cottage has one as well. This morning, I met our neighbor across the road. He recommended heating the sauna to at least 80°C, enjoying the heat for 15 minutes or longer, then taking a dip in the sea before returning to the sauna—a classic Finnish tradition.
This afternoon, I decided to experience it for myself.
We first heated the wood-fired sauna, a process that took a couple of hours. Once the temperature reached about 80°C, we stepped inside and regularly poured water over the hot stones. Each splash released a burst of steam (löyly), making the sauna feel even hotter—probably close to 90°C. After about fifteen minutes, I walked down to the sea and swam for a minute or two before returning to the sauna for another round.
The contrast between the intense heat and the cool seawater was invigorating. By the end, I felt completely relaxed and refreshed. I can certainly understand why the sauna is such an important part of Finnish life, and I am beginning to appreciate this unique Finnish tradition.
After dinner, we took a leisurely walk around the neighborhood, admiring the beautiful homes and the peaceful surroundings. As the sun began to set, I took the rowboat out once more and paddled across the tranquil bay. It was a peaceful and memorable way to end our first full day in Finland.
2026年7月15日
昨天，我们在卑尔根(Bergen)下船后，搭机飞往芬兰首都赫尔辛基(Helsinki)，拿到租车后，我们第一件事就是直奔一家中国小餐厅。连续两个星期没有吃亚洲菜，终于可以好好满足一下中国胃，那怕只是泰国式的中餐，也已心满意足。
随后，我们驱车来到位于图尔库群岛（Turku Archipelago）的 Airbnb。租住的夏季度假小屋坐落在群岛海（Archipelago Sea）畔，这里拥有四万多个岛屿和礁石，是世界上最大的群岛之一。宁静的海湾、宜人的气温和清新的海风，都给我们留下了极佳的第一印象。
今天早晨，我们一边享用简单的早餐——咖啡、羊角面包和水煮蛋，一边欣赏窗外如画般梦幻的景色。
早餐后，我们开始了今天的第一项活动。我们将一艘小划艇推进海里，穿上救生衣——当然，这是在太太们的坚持下——然后划着船，在小屋附近宁静的海湾水道悠闲漫游。小船缓缓划过平静的水面，四周一片宁静，只听见船桨划水的声音，令人心旷神怡。
群岛海（Archipelago Sea）属于波罗的海（Baltic Sea）的一部分，位于波的尼亚湾（Gulf of Bothnia）和芬兰湾（Gulf of Finland）之间。由于波罗的海与外海相连，同时又有大量河流注入淡水，这里的海水呈微咸（半咸水）状态。岸边绿树成荫，星罗棋布的岛屿和礁石散布在海面上，共同构成了一幅宁静秀美的北欧夏日画卷。
如果说挪威是徒步的天堂，那么芬兰就是桑拿的国度。芬兰平均每两个人就拥有一间桑拿房，因此我们的度假小屋自然也配备了一间。今天早上，我遇到了住在对面的邻居。他建议我们把木柴桑拿加热到至少 80℃，在里面待上十五分钟以上，然后跳进海里游泳，再回到桑拿房继续享受热气。这正是最经典、最地道的芬兰桑拿文化。
下午，我终于亲身体验了一番。我们先花了两个多小时将木柴桑拿烧热。当桑拿屋室内温度升到约 80℃ 后，我们走进桑拿屋，不时将水泼在炽热的桑拿石上。随着热水瞬间化作蒸汽（芬兰语称 löyly），整个人立刻被热浪包围。不久桑拿房温度已接近 90℃，待了约十五分钟后，我走到海边，在清凉的海水中游了一两分钟，然后再回到桑拿房继续享受第二轮高温。
炙热的桑拿与冰凉的海水形成了强烈而奇妙的对比，让人精神为之一振，身体也彻底放松下来。直到这时，我才真正体会到，为什么桑拿会成为芬兰人生活中不可或缺的一部分，也开始真正欣赏这项独特的芬兰传统。
晚饭后，我们悠闲地在社区里散步，欣赏一栋栋精致漂亮的住宅和宁静的海边景色。夕阳西下时，我又独自划着小船，在金色的晚霞映照下的平静海湾中缓缓前行，度过了愉快的一天。