touko 7, 2015 Live from the road

Heinävesi - Mikkeli

Reported by Jan Klaile, Josef Sverma 58.0 km

We are very grateful to the nuns at Lintulan luostari for accommodating us so comfortably, and for providing us with a delicious dinner and bountiful breakfast!

The convent grounds are beautiful, pure and simple. Lintu means bird, and many birds sing and chirp sweetly and melodiously around here...

Otti Kotilaisen koulu, Heinäveden yläkoulu and Heinäveden lukio had all gathered together to enthusiastically greet us...

While we were running in the World Harmony Run song was trumpeting through the loudspeakers. That was a really joyful surprise for us!

We received a big applause after performing our skits...

Lauri was empowered by two torches...

Ultra-running legend Pekka Aalto speaks. Note how the torch looks like a 'bird of fire winging the infinite'...

Signing autographs...

Thank you so much to all the schools for giving us such joy and inspiration!

Rushing to the next school...

Beautiful welcome sign greeted us in Savonrannan koulu...

The children sang a touching song about the earth in its vast surrounding universe sharing one sun, about nature, friendship and all people living together in harmony on this planet of ours...

Lauri re-living his childhood years...

The director of the school encouraged us greatly and asked the children to say thank you to the Peace runners for the extremely important work they do every day...

The children shared their feelings on what peace means to them. It was very moving...

Sprinting for peace and harmony...

Salil gets carried away (literally)...

Thank you for a moving visit to your great school!

The team ran to the largest wooden church in the world...

Approaching Savonlinna, where there is more water than land...

Olavinlinna appears into view...

The castle is believed to have been built at end of the 13th century...

This knight built the castle...

Josef and the geese...

This is a giant pothole. It is a very rare geological phenomenon created by the ice age. When the ice was melting, rivers started forming below the ice. The stone you see were once large rocks. The river under very high pressure twirled these rocks around chiseling them into the rock. In time the rocks became polished into smaller and smaller smooth round stones...

For our amusement we acted out a couple of skits based on funny experiences we had in Finland so far. Here the girls performed a misunderstanding they had at an automated gas station...

Salil even composed a song! And with that to all a good time and to all a good night...

Torch carried by
Andreas Riska (Finland), Anne L Leinonen (Finland), Chetana Hein (United States), Daniel Novák (Czech Republic), Iiris Nuuja (Finland), Jan Klaile (Finland), Josef Sverma (Czech Republic), Lauri Tervo (Finland), Lilu Lähdesmäki (Finland), Pekka Aalto (Finland), Salil Wilson (Australia), Sanita Slare (Latvia), Zuzana Klásková (Czech Republic).  
Photographers
Andreas Riska, Daniel Novák, Lilu Lähdesmäki, Pekka Aalto
The torch has travelled 58.0 km from Heinävesi to Mikkeli.

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