In the Land of the Midnight Sun

Baltic Sea near Gotland, Sweden

I've missed voyages. Haven't been at sea for so long. Every time I realise how much I love the sea and being on a ship, at sea. It's one of the oldest ways to travel but hasn't lost this romantic charm. Today, because it's slower than trains or airplanes it makes you slow down with it. Normally, on a trip I want to be active, see things but here there was nothing to do (that wasn't horrendously expensive). So, I ended up spending almost all day on deck watching the endless blue sea meet the endless blue sky as the vessel plowed on towards the horizon. People said the Baltic Sea has rarely been this calm. The ship is our great, patient, untiring beast of burden.
It really allows you time to relax and switch off. I can't understand what people need mobile phones or all the on-board entertainment for. Why spend so much time in the lounge when you can sit outside and listen to the wind and the sea and the occasional gull?
Besides, I met a nice guy that I talked to a lot. A German arts teacher called Hendrik. Been Talking everything from the weather to the school syllabus to, of course, travelling. He taught me a bit about photography. And now, as the golden sun sinks into the Baltic Sea it'll soon be time to make use of some of that knowledge...
A magnificent day draws to a close. The sun sinks to its fiery death among shreds of clouds hinting at distant land. It blazes up one last time and darkness falls - or so I expect. But the twilight lingers. Even at one in the morning the glow in the west doesn't subside. It follows the course of the sun behind the horizon until it reappears again in the east. I've forgotten how far north I've already gone. I'm approaching the land of the Midnattsul - the Midnight Sun. And here's my first taste of it.
The sun that doesn't set. People speak a strange language that I can't place nor make sense of and girls come only in blonde - whether natural or not. Only 1000 km from home it seems that the world has changed completely.
I also learnt a few other things:
From Hendrik I learnt that teachers can be nice, normal people. One day his example will inspire me to cycle around Finland and Scandinavia, that I've decided.
From Marko I learnt how to swear in Finnish (which I won't repeat here). He's a programmer, if a rugged one, at Nokia/Siemens. He also told me how important it is for him to find his limits and that riding (balancing) a motorbike requires balance of the mind.
Finally, from Pekka, Marko's brother, I learnt that his name derives from an ancient Germanic word for god, Pekko. Might signify "made in god's image"...? And that to believe your god doesn't need a name if you believe in your heart. And I learnt that a man can be drunk all day.
It's been an eventful day. And admiring that hint of Midnattsul I feel privileged to be here.