About 4 hours drive north east of Helsinki is a little town called Savonlinna. It is very much a summer town and the main reason we came here was to enjoy some of the annual opera festival which is quite big around these parts. We had a bit of a swim in the lakes too. So many lakes up here and apparently in winter you can drive between the islands when the lakes have frozen over. Hard to imagine when we're lying on the grassy banks watching all of the Finnish families enjoying the water.

The opera was fantastic. A bit full on for our liking but very beautiful singing. It was about a tragic daughter of a King who is a bit of an outcast and seems to be surrounded by murderous thoughts. We enjoyed our champagne though! And the music was so beautiful. The best thing about it was it was played in the beautiful Olavinlinna castle. Such a lovely night. Took it pretty easy the rest of our time there.