17/12/2025
To all kayaking enthusiasts, customers of Kayak & Outdoor Finland / Paddling in Finland, Kayak Korjaus-Verstas, Kayak repair and Paddling in the Finnish Archipelago, Merry Christmas and a happy and safe paddling year 2026. Thank you for your trust, Florian
Christmas Story 2025
Based on a true story, written by Florian Schmidt
He had already gotten up at seven o'clock, because it was the day before Christmas Eve, Monday, December 23, 2013.
A few things were still missing for Christmas, and he wanted to leave early to get them. He was missing rice porridge, because in Finland, Christmas begins with rice porridge, which is cooked overnight in the oven. He always buys his grain products, wheat and rye flour, rolled oats, semolina, and rice porridge from the Ypäjä grain mill in Nopola Station , where he also planned to have a coffee and a sandwich.
So, around 7:30 a.m., he left the house and got the car out of the garage. It was still dark, because it was the longest night of the year, and sunrise wasn't until 9:39 a.m. It was very overcast, a bit foggy and damp, but relatively mild for the end of December at 4 degrees Celsius. He set off, turned right at the gas station, and crossed the bridge over State Route 9. After the bridge, he turned right again onto the slip road to the expressway leading from Turku to Tampere. As he accelerated, he saw a tent and a man out of the corner of his eye in the headlights, under the bridge. He drove a few hundred meters further, wondering what the man was doing there. Then he decided to turn around at the next intersection and drive back to ask if he could help him. After all, the next day was Christmas, the festival of love. A chill ran down his spine and he got goosebumps imagining that the stranger had spent the night in the small tent by the side of the road. He parked the car on the far right side, under the bridge, crossed the road, and walked straight up to the stranger, calling out to him in Finnish: "Good morning, do you need any help?" He looked at him and could see a pleased smile beneath his shaggy beard. In something resembling English, he called back, "Good morning." He explained that he was hitchhiking to Joensuu and that a car had given him a lift from Turku to Loimaa the previous evening. However, the road hadn't allowed him to continue through the night, so he decided to pitch his tent under the shelter of the bridge. Without hesitation, he offered the stranger a ride to his home, where he could freshen up and make him a cup of coffee to warm him up after the night's travels. The stranger gratefully accepted the offer, and soon they found themselves in his kitchen, drinking the hot, cardamom-flavored coffee. Finally, there was time to introduce themselves. He said his name was Kenneth MacLeod, that he was Scottish, and that he had been living and working for many years on the edge of the Massif Central in southern France. Kenneth was indeed a handsome man, slim and certainly over six feet tall. He had an oblong face, hidden behind a grey-black beard and long hair. Somewhere in between, you could see his large, bright, mischievous blue-green eyes. He explained that he worked as a stonemason in a marble quarry and wanted to visit Scottish friends in Joensuu during his time off for Christmas and New Year's. They also worked as stonemasons in a granite quarry there. His journey had been delayed due to the long road, and he desperately wanted to be with his friends for Christmas Eve. It was still 500 km away, and he told him that there was no way he could hitchhike that far. He checked when the next train to Joensuu would be. A train would leave Humppila at 12:59 and arrive in Joensuu in about 6 ½ hours.
Everything should work out fine, so he simply bought the train ticket and handed it over as a Christmas present. Kenneth's relief was palpable. Now there was plenty of time to do some shopping at the old grain mill and then drive on to the glassworks to choose another Christmas gift. Since it was already after 11 o'clock, they treated themselves to lunch at the glassworks' restaurant. It was a traditional Christmas lunch. He was having real trouble following Kenneth's slang. Nevertheless, partly because of his constant questions, they had a lively conversation during the meal, and the time flew by. Then they started to get a bit rushed because they had to drive through Humppila to the train station. It also began to snow heavily, and the large flakes danced down against the wintery gray sky. Arriving at the platform, they saw the three lights of the electric locomotive emerging from the snow flurry, arriving from Turku. Beside them, the wheels of the carriages squealed, their noise drowning out everything else. As if they had known each other for years, they suddenly found themselves in each other's arms, wishing each other a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year. Everything happened quickly; the train door closed and the train started moving northeast. Kenneth MacLeod's breath caught behind the window as he called out to him. But he couldn't hear him anymore. Only his two bright eyes flashed through the diffused light.
At midnight, he received a text message: "I arrived safely at my friends' place."
"God bless you."
