The Tower and the Unsuccessful Search for the Northern Lights
Savitaipale, February 4, 2018.
The Sun is out!
Since I arrived in Finland, I’ve noticed that the days are often quite gray. However, today was absolutely stunning, so we took the chance to explore Savitaipale.
Lake Kuolimo by Day
Our first stop was Lake Kuolimo, where we had watched the sunset yesterday. Personally, I think the lake looks completely different depending on whether you visit during the day or at night. One thing that doesn’t change, though, is the cold. Both times I’ve been there, it felt even chillier than in the village. It makes sense, given that you’re out on an open surface surrounded by snow everywhere.
This morning, people were skiing on the lake because the ice layer is so thick that there’s no danger in walking or doing activities on it. We kept it simple and cleared a path in the snow to expose the ice, making a mini track for running and sliding around. We felt like kids again!
While my friends played, I wandered toward one of the smaller islands. Although the elevation wasn’t very high, the views were beautiful, with everything blanketed in snow. I think a few snowflakes were falling, even though it was broad daylight—though they may have just been snow drifting off the trees.
The Village Tower
My friends had been telling me about the “village tower” for days. I imagined it was some important or historic building, but I was completely wrong. It’s a wooden lookout point offering breathtaking views of Lake Kuolimo.
We visited in the afternoon, and the spot turned out to be a hidden gem in Savitaipale. Aside from the stunning landscape, what struck me most was the silence and tranquility. From up there, you couldn’t hear a single sound—not even the wind. There wasn’t anyone else around, either on the lake or in the surrounding area.
The tower itself is made of wood, with a narrow staircase leading to the top. Climbing up wasn’t exactly easy, especially with everything covered in snow, which made it slippery. But it was absolutely worth it, and I’ll definitely be back to soak in those incredible views again.
A Breath of Fresh Air From The Tower
While standing in the tower, I reflected on another thing I’ve noticed during my first few days in Finland: the air quality. It feels so pure and fresh, a stark contrast to what I’m used to. Unlike Barcelona, there are hardly any cars, crowds, or pollution here. We’re surrounded by nature, and the village itself is small and spread out. There aren’t any large housing developments—just houses scattered far apart from one another.
Chasing the Northern Lights
In addition to visiting Savitaipale’s tower, another adventure of the day was our (unsuccessful) attempt to see the northern lights. It all started when one of my friends announced that tonight’s aurora forecast showed a kp index of 4.
The kp index is a scale from 0 to 9 that indicates the likelihood of seeing auroras based on your location. Savitaipale sits between 4 and 5, so we needed at least a 4 or 4.5 for a chance.
Bundled up, we headed back to the lake, aiming for the darkest area far from the village lights. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on our side. We saw some faint lights on the horizon, but they were likely from a distant town rather than auroras. Even so, we enjoyed a stunning starry sky and its constellations—a memorable sight in itself!
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A Midnight Dash
As I was writing this post, I randomly checked the aurora forecast page and saw that the kp index was at 3.67. It was nearly midnight, but our excitement got the better of us, and we decided to head back to the tower for one last shot—this time from above!
From the lookout, the sky was even clearer than at the lake. We noticed a slightly brighter patch of sky on the horizon, which we theorized might be a faint Northern Light. Then again, it could have just been light pollution from a distant town. So, while we can’t confirm anything, the experience was still magical. Better luck next time!
