Winging It On Location – Days 7 & 8 - Finnish Lakelands: Mökki Life, More Saunas and Our Own Little Cabin Along Route 62

Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel PodcastWinging It On Location – Days 7-8 - Finnish Lakelands - Mökki Life, More Saunas and Our Own Little Cabin Along Route 62Days 7 and 8 take us properly into the Finnish Lakelands as we leave Helsinki behind and hit the road along Route 62.After an early train from Helsinki to Lappeenranta, we pick up our hire car, stock up on food and begin our four-night road trip through some of Finland's most idyllic lake country. The aim of this part of the trip is simple: get away from the cities, slow down and experience a traditional Finnish summer.The first two nights are spent in a tiny cabin in the woods at Kouvalas Dream Chalet, right beside a lake and complete with its own jetty, boat and, most importantly, a huge wood-fired sauna.Getting there is part of the adventure, including a short journey on a free motor launch after the paved road eventually comes to an end!Once we're settled in, it's time to embrace mökki life: cooking dinner, sitting beside the lake, rowing the boat, swimming, reading, flying the drone and spending plenty of time in the sauna. It's about as far removed from Helsinki city life as you can get.Day eight is particularly special. With clear skies, calm water and barely another person around, we get out onto the lake and experience exactly the kind of Finnish summer we'd imagined before the trip. There's even time to finally get the drone into the air after owning it for two years — resulting in some spectacular footage of the cabin and lake.We also get into what mökki actually means and why these small countryside cabins are such an important part of Finnish summer culture. After two nights, it feels like we've experienced our own little slice of that lifestyle.It's peaceful, it's remote, it's rustic — and it's exactly what this part of the Finland trip was supposed to be.Things of Interest🚆 Getting around Finland: Taking the train from Helsinki to Lappeenranta and using the VR app to book tickets☕ Helsinki breakfast: St George's Cafe and Bakery for coffee and croissants🚗 Route 62: A road trip through Finland's Lakelands, with lakes, forests and tiny villages🇫🇮 Lappeenranta: The starting point for the road trip and a good place to stock up on supplies🇷🇺 Near the Russian border: Imatra is only around 10–15km from the Russian border⛴️ A free motor launch: Crossing the river with the car as the road suddenly ends🏡 Kouvalas Dream Chalet: A tiny cabin in the woods with its own lake access and jetty🔥 The Finnish sauna experience: A traditional wood-fired sauna reaching around 60–70°C🚿 Bucket showers: No conventional shower — hot and cold water are mixed manually for a very rustic experience🚽 The pit toilet: Another reminder that this really is a cabin in the middle of nature!🚣 Rowing on the lake: Exploring the lake using the cabin's own boat🚁 The drone finally flies: After owning the mini drone for two years, James finally gets it into the air🛶 Lake life: Swimming, reading, relaxing on the jetty and enjoying the complete lack of people🧖 Sauna → lake → sauna: The recurring routine that becomes the theme of the stay🇫🇮 Mökki life: The Finnish tradition of escaping to a small countryside cabin or summer house during the summerSupport Winging It Travel PodcastIf you enjoyed this episode:⭐ Leave a 5-star rating or review on your podcast app☕ Support the show at buymeacoffee.com/wingingit🌍 Explore more episodes at wingingittravelpodcast.com✈️ Check out more great travel podcasts at https://voyascape.com📺 Now also on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@wingingittravelpodcast⏱️ Timestamps00:00 Welcome to the Finnish Lakelands01:40 From Helsi