Blog - Welcome to Ketunretket

Published on: November 30, 2019

sauna experience in kaunas

Ketunretket provides Sauna Experiences to our clients. Of course, sometimes we need some relaxation ourselves, so this weekend it came possible to participate in a Whisking International Conference in Kaunas, Vilnus..

This conference had participants from Baltics, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, USA and other EU countries.

Logo of the International Whisking Academy

Here is the Whisker Man, Mr. Rimas Kavaliauskas from Lithuania. But hey, he has not got whiskers?

Here is one example of the Right and the Only Way of Whisking - or is it?

Juha from Finland is getting what he wanted...

Sauna-Mama Arja from Finland is getting ready for the Sauna

Now this was the best part of the weekend: a real Lithuanian Pirtis (Sauna) by Liuda Medine and Arvydas Medinis in western part of Kaunas.

Owner of the Pirtis (Lithuanian Sauna Bath) mr. Arvydas Medinis with Arja and Mari from Finland

Arvydas has built this wonderful sauna himself. It includes a big stove and a relaxation room.

Liuda, Timo, Arvydas and Mari in the hot room with whisking twigs.

Arvydas had installed a pump bringing ice-cold water from the pond.

I'm not as good as you, I am as good as I am!

Liuda had placed dry herbs over a transparent cloth above the relaxation room.

Liuda collects and dries herbs for the relaxation tea

Next day we had a 100km drive to Rimas's own small sauna area near Vilnus, to receive whisking education. However, this education was expensive and gave nothing, to be honest.

Rimas Kavaliauskas has written a book of how to provide whisking on 10 different difficulty levels. This guy used to be a physics professor, now he is the sauna master!

Published on: November 26, 2019

helsinki day with a cardiologist

An exciting day with a top-quality cardiologist can also be funny:
I had a client from Las Vegas for a short tour around Helsinki. He did not mention to me what he's doing for his profession but my friend Google knew him well...

We visited Sibelius monument and he wanted to take a video of me telling about Jean Sibelius, who he was and what he had done. As he was coming from a little bit warmer environment, we had a walk to the seashore and tried if the water is cold... and again taking a new video - yes, it is darn cold...

Dr. Sanjay Vohra was a good example of a Free Independent Traveller (FIT) and also in an enormously good fit... running up the stairs all the time, and also being able to take a 10 minute nap while guide speaks beside him in the car... I gave him a task to find out who Sibelius was, and what kind of music he had composed... let's hope he'll follow the task.

After visiting Rock Church he told me that he does not very often get amazed on architecture, but now this was really amazing.

Published on: October 12, 2019

tour to Gustavsvärn in Hanko

In the shoreline of Hanko Peninsula is situated an old Swedish fortress. This site is kept in condition by the Finnish Lighthouse Society. The reconstruction projects in Gustavsvärn started 2005 and continues actively.

This lighthouse is actually not original, only the top glass part is same that was used in the first lighthouse.

An old map shows how the fortress was looking out, before Russian army decided that they do not need it anymore and exploded everything August 27 year 1854. They needed 10 000 kilograms of black gunpowder.

King of Sweden had given his name and date of the visit year 1793 carved to the shoreline stones.
Great rap-music video of mr. Elastinen from Finland has been filmed at Gustavsvärn: https://youtu.be/e46J14Eivto

There is also an old army fortress Russarö nearby, having a lighthouse.

Let's be happy that this kind of equipment have not been used for a long time...

Gustavsvärn seen from the shoreline.

Peaceful moment in the old fortress site... what should I do?

OK OK, I know. Let's start benchmarking!

Published on: September 16, 2019

traveler rating for 16.9.2019 tour to mushroom picking

We thoroughly enjoyed our foraging tour with Timo. He is very knowledgeable in picking mushrooms and has magical eyes in finding them! He cooked the mushrooms with onion, garlic and cheese/cream, which was one of the best dishes we had during this trip. (And we went to some fancy restaurants to compare to!) A bonus for me, being a bit of history nerd, was history of Finland he talked about. I'll be doing some reading on the topic. I will definitely recommend him as your foraging guide.

Yoko Nishida

Published on: July 10, 2019

tour to isosaari fortress

Ketunretket had a chance to wander around the old army fortress island of Isosaari. This is a place that has been used by both the Russian and Finnish army forces during decades of time.

Harbour of Isosaari fortress has a watching tower and place for the ferry.

Ms Isosaari sails from Helsinki to Vallisaari and Isosaari during the summer season.

In Isosaari there are many old cannon-sites to protect the traffic in Gulf of Finland.

Most of the buildings are in awful condition.

Biggest cannons required a concrete structure

Come on, we are ready...

A fox watching for the birds

During springtime this is a place for migrating birds to rest.

If you are lucky, you might see a white-tailed eagle gliding in the sky...

From the island of Kuivasaari in the neighbourhood were shot the salutation shots for independent, 100 years old state of Finland.

Published on: July 2, 2019

traveler rating for tour 2.7.2019 bicycle tourto nuuksio

This tour was an absolute surprise! And Timo is one of the greatest guides I've ever come across with. First of all, He was very kind and knowledgeable ... He Taught us how to ignite the fire with no matches and grilled sausages by a gorgeous lake. The bicycles were professional and the ride was absolutely breathtaking ... going through lakes along the forest. Finally, he took us to the Sauna by another beautiful lake. I would give this tour more than 5 stars and would recommend it to anyone. Cheers Timo
Roberto Resendez, Mexico City

Published on: June 26, 2019

Biking in national park nuuksio

Ketunretket provided a biking in the National Park Nuuksio Tour to a group from Mexico City. Guido and Fernardo came to Helsinki with a cruiser ship and we met them in the harbour of Katajanokka. We had rented FatTire bikes from Haltia, so that was the starting point for our tour.

The terrain in Nuuksio varies a lot, part of the trip was on normal roads and part was on more rough terrain.

After riding the bikes in rainy weather we had a refreshing stop beside a small pond and grilled some sausages. Black coffee prepared on open fire was very good!

Arja had decorated the table with blueberry twigs

The day ended at Lake Kuusijärvi in Vantaa

Finnish tradition is to provide a visit to a smoke-sauna

Published on: June 15, 2019

a guided day in Suomenlinna

Suomenlinna is an old army site in front of Helsinki coast. This site started to be built year 1748 by the Swedish-Finnish army, to stop the Russian enemy possibilities to attack Sweden's capital Stockholm.
Since that time the fortress has been owned by the Russian army during the Grand Duchy time and after that the army forces of independent Finland.

Old soldiers are having a parade during one beautiful day in Suomenlinna

Sailing ships glide in the mist

Riding police taking part in the parade

Suomenlinna is an enormously nice place to have your bachelor party

You might also meet personnel of the fortress, probably they have stayed here pretty long time, searching for the disappeared ship?

These soldiers had just got their daily portion of alcohol, measured with a name "Jumpru". As always, they were very keen to share it...

And again one peaceful day has been spent in Suomenlinna. Sun is shining and the yellow herb idänukonpalko (bunias orientalis) is coloring the scenery. Wooden bird is guarding the peace of the island.

Old Russian cannons are still here to remind us of the time when they were needed...

Even older cannons from the Swedish era have been placed here. This cannon is from the end of 1700 century.

So now it is the time to have something to drink and eat, and here in Suomenlinna you can enjoy many restaurants and cafe's.

Published on: March 31, 2019

bird lovers in isosaari

Isosaari is an old abandoned army fortress on the coast of Helsinki. Nowadays this is a paradise for wild birds migrating to and from Finland. Photo: Jarmo Nieminen

Isosaari has been a Russian naval fortress early in the Grand Duchy of Finland during 1809-1917. After that time it was a site of Finnish army, until year 2014.
Now it is partly open for birdwatching.

Old sign banning the boat-owners to board, saying "Quarantine Island"

All around the island there are old cannon sites. They were used to close the Gulf of Finland, so enemies were not able to attack st. Petersburg (Leningrad on Soviet time)

Quillemot (cepphus grylle) is a common bird in Isosaari.

During one cold and windy day we had the opportunity to take part in one team, that was building safety covers above eider (somateria mollissima) nests. They are required, so the white-tailed Eagles (haliaeetus albicilla) cannot catch the eiders from the nests.

White-tailed Eagle gliding above Photo: Jarmo Nieminen